Four adults, one dog, and 1,500 miles over two weeks. With each trip – even the most successful, uneventful excursions – we learn something new. Stuff to pack, bring, buy along the way, or some hack we’ve always done or learned for the first time can make the difference between and good trip and an adventure with moments that make you enthuse, “what a cool hack. I have to remember that next time.”
So for next time, we discovered a few hacks, tips, “glad I had those” things. Of course, it’s the age of Coronavirus, so we had tubs of Clorox wipes, flushable wipes (more for a wipe down than sanitizing), a half-dozen dispensers of hand-sanitizer, individual masks – and a 10-pack of disposable masks from Harbor Freight in the glove box in case anyone needed. Below are just a smattering of things we brought, bought, or learned along the way…
– Gallon jugs of water. We all – including Stella – tend to be pretty thirsty carbon-based lifeforms. We each bring our own water bottles, and with a gallon jug in the cab, we refill them pretty liberally. Also, having water on board helped wash the hands after touching public stuff. It’s not much of a hack, but it’s very refreshing and convenient.
– Foul weather gear. Weather can go south real quick no matter where you find yourself. In the Carolinas, it turned pretty ugly several times. We keep gear in the trailer, but sometimes you forget to stash some on board for those days weather goes haywire. Keeping slickers, ponchos, or waterproof windbreakers on board ensures they’re handy (you may not remember to grab them each time you head out, especially when it’s a bright, sunshiny day outside).
– A high-velocity fan. We started carrying a 20-inch fan to cool the area beneath the awning and maybe (hopefully) keep the flies away. Then I stumbled upon the Lasko Super Fan Max on an aisle end cap at Costco. I walked down the aisle from the display unit was blasting air and still felt it 20 feet away. I was sold. We used it while camping to cool the site, dry chairs and tapestries that got wet in a rainstorm
– Doggie (and human) first aid. Ten days before we left, Stella broke a toe nail clean off. We asked the vet if she could travel, and they said, “No Problem.” Hardly. Ten days later and the day of departure, her quick was an open wound and highly sensitive to the touch. We desperately wanted to avoid infection. So we stopped at Walmart for Neosporin, gauze, surgical wrap, and hydrogen peroxide. I brought a half-dozen pair of peds for hiking and whatnot. Those became the daily covering she’d wear around the camper and campsite. A neighbor also gave us a protective and durable “boot” for Stella to walk in, supplementing the flexible, plastic IV bag the vet gave us to keep her bandages dry when we took her out. We now keep all these supplies in with the pretty robust first-aid kit we keep on board the trailer.
– Omaha Steak coolers. Some enthusiasts boast about their Yeti or RTIC coolers. They’re durable, highly insulated – and way expensive. My hand was numb scooping up from our 35-quart Omaha Steaks cooler some remnants of a 20lb bag I poured in 48 hours earliers. Sure it’s not as durable as a Yeti of similar size (which would have set me back $250), but we’ve taken it on a half-dozen trips and it’s still a beast. I might even build it up with fiberglass and resin, like a surfboard shaper. All it cost us was a bunch of steaks gifted from someone. Do you “recycle” your food-gift coolers. If you have any you’re throwing away, hit me up.
– Cooler shock freezer packs. Here’s the thing… We rarely comply with that supposed 2/2/2 road tripping rule (Drive no more than two hours, about 200 miles, and arrive by 2 PM). Or more like a 6/6/whenever-we-get there crew. That means the electric-only outside fridge may struggle to stay cold. Long story short, Cooler Shock freezer packs help keep it chilly (used with our hand-me-down Omaha Steaks cooler, it’s damn near the Arctic in there). Anyone else use them?
– Wooden shims. Face it, campsites are all akilter. Nothing’s as level and square as you’d like it, even if the camper is so level that a marble wouldn’t roll off a table. But outside, stuff goes sideways – literally. I had a pack of Home Depot paint sticks in my tool kit (right beside the little bucket of bungies, strap, and clips I always keep handy). I broke into 2 to 4-inch sections a few of the sticks to make shims for underneath the cooking table, the NexGrill, even the coffee maker. Sure, maybe it wasn’t marble level.
– Shop bench brush, whisk broom, and a hand vac. I’m no neat freak but the dust, dirt, and debris camping invites can get downright disturbing. They don’t require much room and a quick swipe with a brush or suck with a vacuum can dispose of the detritus in short order. We also keep a small, upright dorm vac stashed in the camper. Tidy is nice.
– Games, libations, and various vices. Kinda goes without saying, but stuff you enjoy at home are even more enjoyable on the road. I brought a stash of cigars to complement our wine, beer, alcoholic “seltzers,” and spirits, along with all the games, books, and other stuff we keep on board.
– Chill time. Don’t know about you, but when we plan our trip, we search Google, visit Facebook pages, ping friends, and otherwise scour the scene for stuff to keep our idle time filled. Five days into a two week trip, we all said, “Sunday, we’re doing nothing.” And nothing we did. We hung out, read, played games, and drank. I had a cigar while I piddled around doing various hacks, tweaks, and fixes on Mr. Charlie. Making the most of a trip is one thing. Decompressing is important, too.