Because a caravan is basically a magical box that eats your belongings.

Welcome to Slow Lane Life, where the sun sets slowly, the kettle whistles gently, and your most essential items vanish faster than a boerewors roll at a rugby match.

If you’ve lived in your caravan for more than 17 minutes, you’ll know this universal truth:

You ALWAYS think you've packed everything… right up until the moment you actually need it.Only then do you discover that one vital item has either:

1. Disappeared,

2. Teleported,

3. Been borrowed by your neighbour who “thought it was theirs,” or

4. Was sitting nicely on your kitchen counter at home… 312 km away.

So grab a cup of tea (the teabags are definitely missing) and let’s explore the Top 20 Things You Swear You Packed… Until You Need Them.

1. The Braai Tongs we packed

You packed everything except the sacred scepter of the South African braai master. Now you’re flipping chops with a fork like you’re in some sort of survival competition.

2. Reading Glasses

You can’t find them because they’re on your head.Or hanging on your shirt.Or in the fridge.Classic.

3. The Only Working Torch

You own 14 torches.Only ONE works.Guess which one didn’t make it into the caravan.

4. Cellphone Charger

You brought the plug. You brought the cable.But somehow they don’t match each other.Congratulations.

5. Gas Lighter / Matches

The perfect time for your gas stove to test its attitude is when you forgot the lighter. You will now eat cold baked beans.

6. The Levelling Blocks

You remembered your swimsuit. You remembered your sun hat. You forgot the one thing that stops your caravan from feeling like it’s parked on Table Mountain.

7. Pegs for the Awning

The wind is blowing like it’s auditioning for a Hollywood disaster movie.Your awning is waving at Botswana.And your pegs?Probably still in the garage.

8. Coffee Mug

You brought one mug. You and your partner both want coffee. Now it’s a custody battle.

9. The TV Remote

Why is the TV remote always the first thing to vanish?And why do caravan sofas seem designed specifically to eat remotes?

10. Dishcloths

You remembered the whole kitchen except the one item that wipes everything.Prepare to dry dishes with your T-shirt.

11. The Water Hose Connector

Every campsite uses a different connector. You brought all of them.Except the one they use here.

12. The Braai Grid Cleaner

You cleaned it at home…Left it to dry…And now it lives there permanently.

13. The Pen

You need to write something down urgently… like your WiFi password. Now you’re suddenly a detective searching every drawer in the caravan with torchlight (if you found it).

14. Your Favourite Flip-Flops

You packed three pairs of shoes you’ll never wear.But the flip-flops you live in?Nowhere.

15. The First-Aid Box

You only realise it’s missing when someone slices a finger making a braai salad.And no, a plaster from 1998 does not count.

16. Toilet Chemicals

You remembered the toilet. You remembered the loo paper. You forgot the chemicals.May God be with you.

17. The Wifi Extender

The one thing that makes campsite WiFi usable. Now you’re sitting under a thorn tree in your pajamas trying to get a single bar of signal.

18. The Dog’s Leash

You have the dog. You even brought the fancy dog treats.But the leash is living its best life at home on the hook behind the door.

19. Your Sunglasses

Your last hope for looking like a relaxed caravanner. Gone. Now you’re squinting like a mallang while trying to enjoy the view.

20. The Essential Caravan Key

The one key you really needed—whether it’s for the front hatch or the outside storage locker—is missing. So you spend the next 40 minutes debating whether to break in with a butter knife.

Final Thoughts (Before You Look for That Missing Thing Again)

Living the Slow Lane Life means embracing the chaos, the comedy, and the fact that at least one important item will always be missing.

But here’s the secret:It’s not about what you forget… it’s about the stories you collect while hunting for it.

Happy caravanning—and may your tongs always be packed, your awning always be pegged, and your reading glasses always be found… somewhere sensible.