You’ve booked your Sea Ranch vacation rental reservation, made all the travel plans and now it’s time to pack for your holiday. But deciding on just what is needed for your essential Sea Ranch packing list can be a challenge. Deciding on what added extras will you have to toss in the trunk can be a dilemma.
Much of the decision making will be based on the type of home you have booked for your holiday and what your vacation goals are.
Have you opted for an economical trip that will require you to bring along the extras costing you in space and hassle? Then you will need to have a very large suitcase with extra space in the family van.
Or have you opted for a full-service home that provides just about all you would need for a stress-free vacation? In that case, your essential Sea Ranch packing list will just be few personal items and you’re set to cruise carefree along Highway One to your well-deserved break.
Essential Sea Ranch Packing List for Vacation Rentals: Bare Bones or Full Service
Essential Sea Ranch packing list items have been compiled based on two types of vacation rentals available: Bare bones and full service.
All vacation rentals
We recommend a few common items for these types of homes. That list and its details can be found in our blog post: 10 Sea Ranch Packing List Must Haves:
- Food items for your meals
- Layered clothing: Light shirts with a jacket, sweater, or sweatshirt
- Comfortable shoes and socks (Remember Sea Ranch has trails, not sidewalks)
- Hiking equipment and/or jogging wear
- Swimsuit and suntan lotion
- Tennis and/or golf equipment
- Camera
- Fishing Tackle and/or Diving Equipment- AND Fishing Licenses/Tags
- Your curiosity
- Great expectations for a wonderful stay
Bare-bones rental home

A bare-bones home may be economical. But you may pay for packing added item to make your stay more enjoyable. We recommend you first revisit the amenities page of your selected vacation rental home. You’ll discover the list of items not included to be a long one. Then decide if you wish to rough it or bring along some of the comforts of home missing in action.
But be warned–After packing for your trip you may need another vacation!
Items Not included
Some bare-bones homes may not offer a linen service. Instead, you have the option to pay extra for basic linens and towels or pack your own. If you bring your linens from home be sure they fit the beds provided. It is important to note that while a home may not offer linens you are still expected to HAVE them on the beds.
And don’t forget to pack dish towels and napkins for your basic bare bones home in Sea Ranch.
Packing for your meals will include all your food and condiments. Don’t forget paper products and food wraps. The basic pots, pans, and cooking tools are available. However, the family chef may discover that a specialty item necessary for a holiday meal or celebration may be lacking.
Other amenities may also be lacking such as books, games, videos, television viewing options, and wifi. In that case, you’ll need to decide if this will be a simple trip where communing with nature will be your main activity. Sea Ranch can offer many opportunities to get out and explore with its 70 miles of trails along the coast and into the redwoods.
Essential Sea Ranch Vacation Rental Packing List for a Bare Bones home:
- paper towels
- toilet paper
- napkins
- coffee and coffee filters
- all-purpose cleaner
- sponges
- dishtowels and dishcloths
- laundry and dish detergents
- toys, books, and games for adults and kids
- groceries/condiments
- garbage bags (for kitchen and bathrooms)
- aluminum foil
- baby equipment (if needed)
- flashlights
- specialty kitchen gadgets for cooking and baking pans
- musical entertainment device (iPod, MP3 player, radio)
- games and cards
- portable video player with videos (downloaded or DVDs)
- wilderness guides for Mendonoma (Sea Ranch and coastal areas in Sonoma- Mendocino Counties)
Essential Sea Ranch Vacation Rental Packing List for Full Service Homes

You’ll find the packing list much more manageable for the full-service homes at Sea Ranch. These homes pride themselves in offering you a carefree, relaxing experience.
All you need to do is to bring the essential 10 items listed above and any special personal items.
Then just exhale knowing all is ready and waiting for you.
As you can see this list is significantly less and much easier to pack!
What You’ll Find in Full Service Vacation Rental Homes
Full-service Sea Ranch vacation rental homes strive to make guests’ holiday experience a welcomed one. You are often greeted with a welcome basket. Or perhaps a bottle of wine awaits to toast your arrival.
And in Abalone Bay, coffee for that first morning’s cup can be found in the cupboards. After freshly grinding the locally roasted beans, you select whether you’ll brew it in a French press, espresso pot, or drip pot with its reusable coffee filter.
Many full-service kitchens provide guests with basic condiments that do not require refrigeration. Plastic and aluminum wrap along with garbage bags are frequently provided as are paper towels and toilet paper.
It is important to note that full-service homes may provide only a start-up amount of paper products, cleansers, and laundry soaps. If your stay is expected to be a long one, you will need to replenish these items.
Even Less to Pack in a Full-Service Vacation Rental Home
At full-service vacation homes in Sea Ranch, such as Abalone Bay, you’ll find many more items to cross of that packing list!
Full-service homes provide a full linen service, that includes quality sheets, blankets, duvets, towels for bath, and spa towels. Toiletries of shampoo, rinse, soap and toilet paper are offered free. You’ll find at least one hairdryer, and in the case of Abalone Bay, two – one in each of the bathrooms.
At Abalone Bay you also have bathrobes at your disposal.
You’ll find in homes like Abalone Bay‘s many other amenities such as wide assortment DVDs of movies and TV shows available for the blu-ray players, an assortment of music CDs and players with iPod docks, HDTVs with full cable service and of course, FREE WIFI!
For the adventurer, you’ll note the well-appointed home includes binoculars to view the wildlife you may encounter along the way. There are also maps of the trails available for that early morning hike along the ocean bluff trails or up into the redwoods.
You are also likely to find items that make that special holiday meal even more enjoyable. Turkey roasting pans, holiday dishes, special food preparation tools await your masterful touch in the kitchen. And if you can’t recall grandma’s special recipe, you’ll find recipe books available to help start new traditions.
Many homes or their property managers provide baby equipment for younger guests. In the case of Abalone Bay, you may request at time of booking a pak-n-play crib from the property manager. Abalone Bay itself has available highchairs, booster seats, unbreakable plates, children’s books, and games.
All Packed and Ready to Explore and Experience Sea Ranch
With your essential Sea Ranch packing list in hand for either type of vacation rental, you are now ready to hit the road and enjoy all that Sea Ranch has to offer. No matter which type of your home you select for your Sea Ranch vacation, once you arrive you are sure to have a memorable time.
We’d love to hear what your essential Sea Ranch packing list recommendations are. Let us know in the comments below.
- To learn more about Abalone Bay and its full-service amenities visit Click Here
- And to BOOK YOUR NEXT SEA RANCH VACATION – CLICK HERE:
Thanks for this ranch packing list. This looks like very exciting trip.