Plan a Cabin Stay
Everyday Winter

Plan a Cabin Stay

One of our favorite winter getaways is to stay at a cabin in the mountains. There’s not much better than sitting in front of a roaring fire while watching snow blanket a forest in white outside.

We frequently stay at a few state parks in Virginia with really nice standardized cabins. But we’ve also done our fair share of rentals through rental agencies and Airbnb. Those have been great experiences too, but the uniqueness of each makes planning for a cabin rental more of a challenge.

rental cabin in the winter woods

Different cabins can come with vastly different amenities, so we’ve developed a checklist of standard items we confirm are provided. We can then either pack what’s missing or have a plan to do without.

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Even the most well-stocked rental isn’t likely to have everything we want though, especially in the kitchen. So we always pull things like our travel knife set and cast iron skillet from our camping supplies. We’ve got a section in the checklist for these extra items as well.

While meals at a cabin don’t need to be as basic as for camping, we still keep them simple. Aside from not having all the tools we would in our own kitchen, we don’t want to spend all our time there cooking.

One of our favorite cabin dinners is a big pot of soup served with hearty bread. This Baked Potato Soup is perfect for warming up after an afternoon of fun in the snow.

baked potato soup

Our checklist also includes reminders of pantry staples, beverages, and snacks to think about bringing in addition to supplies for meals. Hot chocolate and other warm beverages along with popcorn to pop on the stove are must-haves for us.

You may want to see what your cabin provides in terms of personal care items so you don’t double up on hand soap, tissues, a hair dryer, etc. And don’t forget to pack any gear you’ll need for outdoor winter activities, whether it’s sledding, skiing, or just making a snowman.

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Recipes:

7 comments found

  1. I want to rent out a cabin for a vacation with my family. It makes sense that I would want to ensure that I bring everything together. I’ll be sure to bring plenty of food with me, since there probably won’t be any there.

  2. It was really interesting to me when you mentioned that rental cabins can come with many different amenities. It seems like it would be important to look at a lot of pictures when you are trying to find a good vacation cabin to rent. Looking at pictures can give you a good idea of what you are going to get for your money.

  3. I love that you talked about how you would pick renting a cabin in the mountains and have a bonfire there. I would love to experience that with my kids for the first time. So I should look for one and book a stay this coming August which would be a perfect celebration of my birthday.

  4. You made a good point when you shared that it is great to find out what your cabin provides in terms of personal care items so you won’t have to bring yours during the trip. My mother just mentioned the other day that she is planning to take the whole family on a vacation since she wants us to bond by spending quality time together. I will suggest to her looking for a nice cabin rental that can accommodate us during the trip.

  5. My husband and I want to go on a trip this fall to a cabin rental where we can spend quality time together. I love how you suggest looking into the provided personal care items at potential cabins so you can pack accordingly. We’ll be sure to read up on the offered products from any cabin rental so we can find the perfect one for the type of trip we want to take.

  6. Thank you for pointing out that vacation cabin rentals can come with different amenities. When looking for a rental to use for a couple of days, it seems like it would be a good idea to pay attention to pictures that have been shared. Looking at the pictures seems like a good way to look at some of the amenities that may be offered.

  7. It’s great that you talked about cabin vacation stays and what to take for one. Recently, my wife and I decided it’d be cool to spend our holidays in a cabin. We want to take the kids on their first ski trip, and we’ll need to find a cabin for our stay, so we’ll be sure to read your piece carefully. Thanks for the advice on checking a cabin’s amenities before choosing it.

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