Every mobile therapist ends up with the same list, but it takes two years to work it out. This is what really goes in the car: the essentials, the things everyone forgets, and the kit you buy early and never use.
The essentials
- A folding massage table. 2-section aluminium (12-14 kg) if you move around a lot; 3-section or wood (15-17 kg) for stability if you’re not carrying it up stairs.
- A carry bag. It’s the thing people buy too late and the one that saves the most money: the upholstery is the first thing to go, and reupholstering costs more than the bag. Check whether yours fits.
- Headrest and face cradle. Usually comes with the table; keep a spare, it’s the part that breaks most.
- Fitted sheets. Three sets minimum: one on the table, one in the wash, one in the car. Terry or microfibre.
- Couch roll or disposable sheets. Always keep a roll in the boot.
- Towels. Four per session if you work with oil. It’s what takes up most space: give it its own bag.
- Oil or cream. In a pump bottle, never the original container. And inside a sealed bag: oil spilled in the boot is an afternoon lost.
- Hand sanitiser and surface disinfectant.
- A light blanket. People get cold after 20 minutes, especially in homes with air conditioning.
What everyone forgets
- A 5-metre extension lead. If you use a table warmer or your own lamp, the socket is never where you need it.
- A small battery speaker. Playing music from the client’s phone is awkward for everyone.
- A bag for dirty linen. Separate and waterproof. Otherwise the whole car smells of oil.
- Bolsters or cushions. One under the knees when supine and one under the ankles when prone change the whole session.
- A pack of wipes. For the client at the end, and for you between visits.
- A card reader. Taking cash at people’s homes is awkward and means carrying change.
What you buy and never use
- A folding shopping trolley to carry the table. It breaks within three months: it isn’t built for 15 kg on a slope. If you want wheels, they should be on the bag itself.
- Portable electric tables. They weigh 25 kg. Not for mobile work.
- Ten different oils. One neutral and one aromatic will see you through the first year.
- Decorative table covers. They stain just the same and cost three times as much.
How it all splits up in the car
Three loads, no more: the table in its bag, a linen bag (sheets, towels, blanket) and a small backpack with oils, disinfectant and electronics. Load and unload in two trips, not five. If you end up making four trips to the car on every visit, the problem isn’t organisation: it’s that the table isn’t on wheels.
What your body notices most
Weight isn’t the problem; frequency is. Four visits a day means carrying the table eight times. That’s where a wheeled bag stops being a luxury. And for everything else, the one-bag rule: if something hasn’t come out of the bag in a month, it doesn’t go back in the car.