Packing for a 3-Week Road Trip: What I Actually Used (And What I Left in the Trunk)

I’ve always been an over-packer. For my first big road trip out west, I brought three pairs of hiking boots and a formal dress for some reason. Spoiler: I wore sneakers every day. The best advice I can give a beginner is to pack for versatility. You need one solid pair of walking shoes, a reliable rain jacket (weather in the mountains changes fast), and layers. Lots of layers. America is vast—you can be freezing in the morning in Colorado and sweating by noon in Utah. Also, bring a physical map. I know we all have phones, but service dies in the desert. When that happens, a paper map makes you feel like a confident explorer instead of a lost tourist.