When you’re about to go on any kind of trip, you probably do a little bit of work to prepare before you leave. You might make sure that your car is safe and ready to drive, you may check the forecast to be sure that the weather will be preferable during your vacation, and you might even make a list to be triple sure that you don’t forget to pack the essentials. No matter where you’re traveling, or how long you plan to be away, you probably plan and prepare prior to leaving for any trips.

As much as we try to anticipate the obstacles that may be thrown at us on vacation, we’re not always totally prepared for what can happen. You may be expecting to deal with lost luggage or sunburn at some point, but can you really prepare to go head-to-head with clan of cannibals? How can we be ready to be stranded in an environment that is out to kill us? Is anyone ever truly ready to deal with bloodthirsty parasites in the woods?

Horror stories often take ordinary situations and completely turn them on their head. The exciting experience of going on a trip with family or friends can easily be turned into an absolute nightmare. There’s something so sinister about watching characters who only wanted to escape from their everyday lives as they attempt to survive what should have been a fun and relaxing excursion.

I personally love books where the trip goes horribly wrong, and I’ve read plenty of these stories. Here are some books that I would NOT recommend packing for your next vacation…

“The Ruins” by Scott Smith

“The Ruins” follows a group of friends on holiday in Mexico, where they befriend a German man named Matthias. Matthias’s brother, Henrich, has gone missing after going to an archaeological dig at some ancient ruins, and the group decides to assist him in looking for his brother. After arriving to the site in question, they are chased to the top of the ruins by locals, who threaten to kill them if they attempt to climb back down. Once stranded on top of the ruins, the friends come face to face with the reason why the locals refuse to let them leave, and absolute devastation ensues.

This is the ultimate horror survival novel. I won’t spoil exactly what it is that dwells within the ruins, as I think you should go into this story as blind as possible. However, not only is the group being attacked by the evil within the ruins, they also are at the hands of nature itself. Heatstroke, dehydration, and starvation completely escalate an already terrifying situation. This book is absolutely relentless, hopeless, and bleak; it tortures the characters nonstop until the very last page. It is the perfect sweaty, sun-soaked horror that will convince you to never travel off the beaten path.

“Off Season” by Jack Ketchum

The controversial extreme horror novel “Off Season” is about a group of friends who plan to spend a weekend in an isolated home in Dead River, Maine. However, unbeknownst to our main characters, Dead River has its secrets…those secrets being a clan of inbred cannibals that will attack and feed on anyone they come across. Before the characters can even unpack their bags, they are thrown into a bloody battle for their lives.

This is an incredibly fast-pasted novel filled with all of the brutality and violence you could possibly ask for. “Off Season” was released in 1980, and it is considered to be one of the first books in the Splatterpunk subgenre. It can feel incredibly pulpy and over-the-top to those who don’t enjoy that era of extreme horror, but for fans of the subgenre, this book is a treat. The initial scene where the members of the group first break into the house and begin their attack on their unsuspecting victims was chill inducing. Once the violence begins, it refuses to stop. There may not be much here in terms of character development, but if you want a fun, visceral novel to tear apart, this is the book for you. (If you enjoy Off Season, be sure to check out its equally insane sequel, Offspring).

“The Troop” by Nick Cutter

In what is arguably the most stomach-turning book on this list, a group of Boy Scouts & their Scoutmaster are thrown into the camping weekend from hell. Isolated on Flaggstaff Island for a weekend of survival skill building, the troop are accosted by a sickly-looking stranger. It eventually becomes clear that the stranger brought some sort of parasitic infection with him, and the boys have to find a way to escape the island before they become infected themselves. As tensions rise during their fight for survival, one of the boys begins to unravel, only increasing the threats to the entire troop.

To put it bluntly, this book is disgusting. It’s definitely one of the most disgusting books I’ve ever read, and I don’t say that lightly. There were so many points in this book that had me squirming and feeling queasy, and I have a decently strong stomach when it comes to gore. There is also a fair amount of animal abuse in this book, so be forewarned if that is a sensitive topic for you; those are definitely some of the scenes that made me feel the most upset and uncomfortable. Brutal body horror aside, this book has a more tragic feeling to it than the other books I’ve mentioned so far. When you take into account the fact that the characters at the center of this story are just teenage boys who never could’ve been prepared for this situation, the entire story becomes even more upsetting. There’s an overwhelming loss of innocence that probably gets lost amongst the blood and guts for most readers. The events that take place within these pages are both revolting and depressing.

“The Ritual” by Adam Nevill

In “The Ritual”, a group of friends embarks on a backpacking expedition in the Swedish mountains. When one of the men becomes injured, the group decides to take a shortcut that ultimately leads to their demise. Becoming disoriented and disturbed by what they find in the woods, the friends begin to believe that they aren’t alone.

Yes, this is the book that was eventually adapted into the Netflix movie in 2017. However, the movie and the book are only similar in the first half of the story. The second half of the book veers into a plotline that honestly is much weaker than the plotline used in the movie. However, this book is still absolutely terrifying. There were multiple scenes that had me shaking with fear and anticipation. It elicits the feeling of being watched, and that is an experience that will always send a shiver down my spine. The idea of being lost in the woods with people you kind of can’t stand is already terrifying enough; add being stalked by something in the woods on top of those group dynamics, and this scenario is a full-blown nightmare.

I sure hope that I don’t run into any of the situations featured in the above-mentioned novels on any of my future trips. If you’re headed out for any vacations this summer, make sure you pack the essentials: sunscreen, flip flops, and the will to fight for your life.