Other stories in "Cabins & cottages"

• Heirs to a hideaway
  High above Minnesota's North Shore, a spot at Tettegouche Camp is as prized as ever.
• A cottage of one's own
  If you like privacy and want to treat yourself, consider these spots.
• Renting a vacation house
  If you have pets, small children or teens to feed, try making someone else's home your castle.
• Cabin on a waterfall
  On Minnesota's North Shore, a state-park guesthouse is a prized hideaway.
• Ensconced in Ely
  A guesthouse overlooking Bear Head Lake is just one of the hideaways in Minnesota state parks.
• Where to stay on Minnesota's North Shore
  Whatever you pick, reserve early in summer and fall.
• Lodgings in Minnesota state parks
  Surrounded by nature, a lucky few sleep in relative luxury.
• Snug on the St. Croix
  In a Minnesota state park, guests dwell in comfort amid 7,000 acres of beauty.

What to bring to a rented cabin

Some places are well-equipped and some aren't; here's a packing list.

There’s a surefire rule that applies to rented houses: Anything you really need but don’t bring is exactly what the house won’t have.

Virtually every house has coffee filters. But the house I rented on a lake in Cable, Wis., didn’t, and I was reduced to straining coffee — unsuccessfully — through paper bags and toilet paper. It also didn’t have paper towels, a cutting board, a corkscrew or kindling. It did have many items that often are sorely missed — a colander, a juice pitcher, a muffin pan and — wonders! — a decent chopping knife.

It’s always hard to know what to bring. I brought my Swiss garlic press to the Norway Point Guesthouse in Minnesota's St. Croix State Park, but its amazingly well-equipped utensil drawer had one exactly like it, and its cupboards were full of dry goods left by other guests. I brought a crockpot to my Mountain View Lodges cabin on the Upper Peninsula, but it already had one.

Still, it’s better to be safe than sorry. So here are the rules:

Always bring towels for the bath, kitchen and beach, and soap for the bathroom tub and sink. You probably won’t need dish soap and a scour pad, but bring them anyway.

It’s wise to bring coffee filters (and coffee), paper towels and a corkscrew. Nearly every place has salt and pepper, but don’t count on it. Chances are you’ll want to bring a gallon of drinking water, too; the well water may be unpleasant or even disgusting, as it is at the St. Croix State Park guesthouse in Minnesota.

If there’s a wood-burning fireplace, bring plenty of newspaper, kindling and matches, and make sure firewood is provided. And beware: Many properties advertise a “fireplace,’’ but what they really have is a free-standing wood stove.

Think about what you’ll be cooking and bring items you can’t do without. Very few rental properties have well-sharpened knives, so bring either a knife or a sharpener, especially if you’ll be cutting meat. Bring a grater if you’re grating cheese, a spatula and griddle if you’re making pancakes, a pasta claw and colander if you’re boiling pasta, a pitcher if you’re making juice, tongs if you’re grilling meat (and, of course, charcoal, lighter fluid and matches).

If you're planning to play board games, do a jigsaw puzzle or read in bed, bring a lamp; many properties, especially state-park guesthouses, are poorly lit. If you're worried about the heat, bring a fan.

You may not need any of these things — but don’t tempt fate.

For more, see Renting a vacation house and Classic cabins and lodges stories.

Last updated on October 26, 2008