If you're planing on doing a road trip across the country, or are just planning a long camping trip, and will be living out of your car for a few days or weeks then you're going to need to be prepared. I'll share with you all what worked for us and what we definitely should've done differently, so that you can learn from our mistakes. Since we decided that we were going to juice the entire way, it changed what we would be bringing as far as food goes; but here is a general list of the things we brought:
- tent with rain cover
- sleeping bags (we got 0 degree ones from Eastern Mountain Sports)
- sleeping pads, spend a few extra bucks and get a good one, this is where we went wrong and got one inflatable and one pancake-type, both were horrible.
- lantern and flashlight
- extra extra batteries
- clothes (both warm weather and cold weather, no matter where you're going)
- wash-bin
- dish soap
- plastic bags (for trash)
- blankets and pillows
- toilet paper
- cutting board
- cooler
- sponge
- first aid kit (a well-stocked one)
- water bottle
- shower necessities (quick drying towel, shampoo, conditioner, face wash, soap)
- eco friendly bug spray and sunscreen
- knifes, one for cutting and one for protection
- deck of cards
- long stem lighter
- car charger
We also brought along our juicer, large amounts of fruits and vegetables, and a large black and decker batter pack/jump starter, to not only supply electricity for the juicer but would also be used to jump start the car in an emergency situation which luckily did not happen. Here are a few things that we wish we had brought along with us:
- firewood and kindling (many campsites don't let you gather firewood and also don't supply it
- an organizational method for keeping the car clean, this was a big one. After a while we couldn't find anything and we're ripping the car apart to find a sock, not fun.
- a tarp or tent footprint to go under the tent so the wet ground wouldn't seep through when it was raining.
- small collapsable chairs
- more entertainment like books and games
- an extra lantern, maybe a solar-powered one
We had many of times where we were driving for hundreds of miles at a time just sitting in trash because we couldn't keep the car clean. When you're living out of your car it is going to get dirty, and it is going to start to smell, the best thing is to keep everything organized and keep a bunch of trash bags around. Those plastic bags also come in handy as laundry bags.
If you're not juicing across America like we did, which I don't suggest by the way, there are dozens of recipes and little tricks on pinterest; it's overflowing with great ideas. If for some crazy reason you do decide to juice the whole way, here is some advice.
- eat something of substance during the day, beef jerky was my go to at convenience stores, along with hard boiled eggs and some vegetables and fruit. If you are hiking this is pretty much mandatory.
- drink so much water
- you'll need a cooler to keep some stuff in, which you will have to refill with ice once or twice a day, if you don't your car will stink and you'll be sorry.
- kale is the stinkiest vegetable after a few days, keep that stuff sealed tight.
- washing the juicer was a challenge every day, but you will want to do this in the bathroom sinks. Do not do it outside at the water pump, the food smell will attract animals to your site.
Besides all of that I think the best thing you can do is be mentally prepared, and have a great travel partner. There will be times that you'll want to bash in a window out of boredom. All I can say for that is try to get some sleep in the passenger seat.
If anyone out there has some other good tips, please feel free to comment on what you brought or where you went!
No comments:
Post a Comment