Vacationing in the mountains this year? Check out our list of must-have travel items when renting a mountain house or cabin.
One of our favorite things to do during the fall is to visit the mountains.
There are so many things to do in the mountains: visiting local towns, shopping, hiking, exploring local vineyards and breweries, tubing, finding great restaurants, and so much more!
We love finding a great Airbnb or VRBO rental home and spending time there with our families or friends.
In a house, we have more space to spread out and also have areas to hang out together. Not to mention amazing views.
We love finding cabins that have a rustic feel with outdoor spaces like decks, firepits, and hot tubs.
If you’ve stayed in a vacation home before you know they usually come equipped with almost everything you’ll need.
But we always like to bring a few extra things to make our time away more relaxing and enjoyable.
Check out what we love to bring with us when we go to the mountains.
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Our Favorite Things to Bring to a Mountain House
Fun Board and Card Games
Game night is always fun, especially when vacationing with family and friends.
We usually do some exploring during the day but in the evenings we like to have a few drinks and play a board or card game.
Some of our favorites are Sequence and Mexican Train Dominos.
We also love classic card games like Phase 10 or Uno.
An awesome game that we discovered recently is called Tenzi.
Drop your favorite game in the comments below.
We’re always looking for a new one to play!
Kindle Paperwhite
Vacation is a time to relax and what’s better than reading a great book?
We both like to read on our paperwhite Kindles because they’re so lightweight and we can bring our whole library of books with us wherever we go.
Do you prefer to read on an e-reader or do you like to feel the paper as you turn the next page of your book?
Bluetooth Portable Speaker
When staying in a cabin it’s always nice to have some music when you’re hanging out, playing a game, or relaxing on a deck admiring the views of the mountains.
We love this JPL portable speaker.
It’s waterproof so we can prop it outside near a hot tub without worrying about it getting wet.
It has wireless streaming and a great battery life so you can listen anywhere for up to 12 hours of playtime.
Scented Candle and Lighter
Bringing a candle with you when you travel is a great idea to create a cozy vibe wherever you are.
We love how a scented candle helps make a vacation rental feel a little homey.
We love the Threshold candle scents from Target.
Don’t forget the lighter!
This electric rechargeable lighter is perfect for traveling.
Tabletop Firepit
Not every house in the mountains has an area outside for a firepit, but what mountain trip is complete with some s’mores?!
This little tabletop firepit is the perfect solution.
You can put it on a table on the deck, and if it rains, this firepit is designed to be safely used indoors…how cool is that!
Clorox Disinfecting Wipes
We always travel with these so we can do some quick cleaning if needed after cooking.
While most rentals have paper towels and dish soap, not all of them have cleaning supplies.
Also, one of us may be a germophobe (not mentioning any names…ahem…AnnMarie) and has to wipe out drawers before unpacking clothes into the dresser.
This popup dispenser of Clorox wipes is even easier to throw in your suitcase.
Cocktail Smoker
We’ve recently started liking bourbon.
Whiskey seems to be on trend lately and you know we’re super trendy here at Simply2Moms!
Did you try Anne’s bourbon sweet tea cocktail recipe?
It’s so good!
We can’t wait to try out this new cocktail smoker from Uncommon Goods and come up with some new recipes.
We need to create a recipe for the holidays!
Stay tuned!
Insulated Wine Tumbler
A rental home will most certainly have glasses and probably even wine glasses.
But we like to bring an insulated tumbler with us because they’re durable and we don’t have to worry about breaking it if we want to take it outside.
If you’re taking a trip with friends, it’s fun to bring a set so each person can bring one home as a keepsake.
When we went to the Smokey Mountains with friends, Anne bought this cute rose gold set of four wine tumblers for our trip.
Each one has a different adult-only saying so we’ll be able to tell whose glass is whose throughout the weekend.
Throw Blankets
Toss a cozy throw blanket in your suitcase for your next getaway.
There’s bound to be a time when you want a comfy blanket while on vacation…whether you’re reading a book, watching a movie, sitting outside in the evening, or just need an extra layer at night when you’re sleeping.
This down throw blanket from Eddie Bauer is great for cooler weather.
But it’s really squishable so can be squeezed easily into a bag to bring with you.
For warmer weather, this fleece throw from Lands End is great because it’s pretty small when folded up to take along with you.
Sure, some rentals might have a throw blanket or two, but we’ve never seen any instructions about putting them in the wash during checkout so… we don’t really like using them!
Rain Gear
This one might not be a necessity depending on where you go to the mountains, but we generally rent cabins near Boone, NC.
Did you know that Boone, NC is a rainforest?!
We like to be prepared for rainy weather, just in case.
Anne loves these cute quilted rain boots. and we both love these rain jackets.
A travel umbrella is always handy too.
Is there anything that you love to bring with you when you go on vacation? We’d love to hear about it….just leave a comment below!
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