Top 10 RV Road Trip Essentials
Top 10 RV Road Trip Essentials
More and more people are changing the way they
travel. They're leaving behind the family car and hotel reservations and
packing into a recreational vehicle. As highlighted in articles in Forbes and CNN Money, the RV industry is experiencing a modern revival. Young adults, especially, are realizing the
importance of spending time and money on experiences over goods. To make the most of your next RV road trip,
don’t forget these ten essentials:
- Family
& Friends
Traveling by RV means you have your own accommodations
everywhere you go, so you don’t have to worry about finding places to
stay. Since you know you’ll have room
for friends and family no matter where you stop, you’ll want to bring them
along to share the memories. Not to
mention, having the extra space inside means you can spend quality time
together while still in transit. No
being tethered in cramped seats for mile after mile.
- Paper
Map
A recreational vehicle provides the
flexibility to travel almost anywhere your heart takes you. That includes places that may not have great
cell phone coverage. To make the most of
your adventure, bring along some old-fashioned paper maps or road atlases. This is one time when you don’t want Google
Maps to constantly update you with the shortest possible route from one
location to another.
- Day
Hiking Gear
The flexibility of being able to stay almost
anywhere means you can have a mobile “base of operations” for day hikes into
otherwise remote areas. Having
backpacks, hiking boots, and picnic accommodations on hand means every day of
your trip can be a new mini-vacation.
You can experience all the fun of remote exploration, but still have a
real bed and bathroom every night.
- Board
and Card Games
To paraphrase Ben Franklin, there is nothing
certain in life except death and rain on vacation. There is always the risk that your plans for
a day hike have to be cut short due to an inconvenient rain storm. Having your own portable living space means
you don’t have to venture out in the rain if you don’t want to. You’ll want to make sure you have some
activities to keep the fun going even when nature isn’t cooperating.
- Camera
The best souvenir from your trip will be
something to recall all the highlights later on, whether in person or to all
your Instagram followers. Be sure to
pack your best camera to capture all the highlights (or embarrassing lowlights
to bring up again when your loved one least expects it). If you do plan to use your cell phone as your
camera, remember to put it into Airplane mode when traveling in remote
areas. If your phone has limited
reception, it can quickly drain your battery trying to reconnect to your
network.
- Pots
& Pans & Cooking Supplies
One of the best benefits of road trip by RV is
that you can bring along your own kitchen everywhere you go. Now you can buy and cook the freshest local
foods anywhere you are. Whether it’s
“just picked off the farm” veggies in the Garden State of New Jersey or fresh
out of the water seafood on the Gulf Coast, you can eat and cook like a local,
even if you’ve only been in town for ten minutes. It’s also a great way to save money if you’re
traveling with your whole family on a budget.
By cooking one or more of your daily meals instead of always eating out,
you can stretch your travel dollars even further.
- Journal
Building memories is what road trips are all
about, and there’s still a special charm in old-fashioned paper journals. Keeping track of your experience with paper
and pen will help you capture every happy moment. In an age of all-digital-everything, sometimes
the classic approach is the most innovative.
Not to mention, you don’t need an internet connection to keep it
working.
- Toiletries
As
exciting as it is to get those free tiny shampoos in your hotel bathroom, it's
even more enjoyable to get to use your own favorite bath products without
having to worry about spills in your luggage (or being limited to TSA-approved
mini-bottles). The flexibility of an RV also means you can take longer trips
than if you needed to pay for a hotel by the night.
- Movies/Books
The good part of an RV road trip is that you
can usually travel for longer than if you were paying for nightly
accommodations. The bad part of an RV
road trip is that you can travel longer with the same people. Having some fun media to enjoy together or by
yourself will help keep spirits up after your spouse reminds you that you’ve
told that story about the office Christmas party three times already.
- Dog
While these furry pals obviously fall under
the category of friends and family, they get their own spot on the list because
they are just too important to overlook.
Between limited hotel choices and restaurant options, traveling with a
dog can be a real hassle. Since you’ll
be bringing your own sleeping and living space (which is as dog friendly as you
want it to be) along with you, you don’t have to plan your whole trip around
just where you can bring Fido. Not to
mention, your furry friend will appreciate having some extra space to stretch
all of their legs as the miles roll by.
Hopefully these tips help you on your next
road trip plan. There’s never a better time than the present to get out and see
the country.
Comments
Post a Comment