The Ultimate Guide to Living on the Road - 15 Tips from a Veteran (PT 2)

Hit the road with these tips

Whether you are planning a short-term road trip on a shoestring budget or out on the road for an extended period of time, there are ways to make your experience all the better.

After having lived on the road for two years next month (and planning on continuing!), this is what I’ve come up with. Enjoy Part II of this installment (and don’t miss out on the 15 big tips in Part I and a second set of goodies in Part III!).

Safety:

These safety tips might seem like they go to the extreme, but hey, if I were really that paranoid, I wouldn’t be living on the road at all.  These tips have kept me safe and my mom at (relative) ease. Pick and choose, or collect all 5.

Removable pepper spray & keys in the ignition

1. Don’t assume. Just because an area looks safe doesn’t mean it is. Locals know the rough parts of town, but as an outsider, you don’t have that luxury. Keeping in mind that people are generally good, there are still those who want what is inside the car which can include you. Lock the doors, keep mace/pepper spray and/or something sharp handy.

2. Cover up. Cover up valuables even if you are driving around so others don’t see what’s in your car then break in to get it when they see it unattended later.

Ladies, this part is especially for you!  Like it or not, our gender can make us seem more vulnerable. Reduce your risk of being a target.

A. Keep modest. Don’t be flashy—no need to advertise your wares to anyone creeping around.

B. When it’s time to turn in for the night, pull the sleeping bag up to conceal your face; if you want to go the extra mile, a bag with a color scheme that is not gender-specific may help. Tuck in long ponytails.

3. Sleep at the ready: Keep your keys in the ignition so you don’t have to search for them if you need to get up and get out. If you can do so relatively comfortably (or get yourself used to it), sleep in the driver’s side seat. This gets you out of sticky situations in short order.

4. Keep others in the know. This should be common sense for every adventurer; adopt it as a road tripper. Tell a friend or family member where you are each time you head somewhere new. Let people know how long you will be in each area. When you are on the road, check in with them when you stop for the night. Make use of trailhead and ranger station sign-ins. Tip: If the sign in asks for the number in your party and you are by yourself, it might be safer not to mark the number in your party so crazies don’t try to seek you out on the trail. Extremely unlikely, but I’ve heard of it happening.

Develop these habits and people will become accustomed to you checking in, thus noticing something’s up if you don’t.

5. Shh! Don’t go overboard with sharing your location. If you are traveling solo or even with a partner, it’s not always wise to tell the entire world a pinpoint location of where you are headed or where you are overnighting. You can let the world know what you just enjoyed once you are already on the road to a new location. Keep social media followers guessing.

6. Night lights are your friends. It might be hard to sleep under a big bright light, but there is a reason those lights are there — lights are known crime detractors. If you're in a city, park your car near a light so it is decently lit when you are leaving it or going to sleep for the night. (Then refer to tip number two.)

Organization:

Keeping your car clean and organized is the secret to passenger(s) happiness.

Clothes closet

7. Bag it. We’re talking tote and reusable grocery bags here. Boxes are rigid and can’t be compressed, but bags fit most anywhere as contents in them can shift and mold to their surroundings. Most have handles that make taking them out and carrying much easier, which comes in handy when you are on the road and need to grab and go.

8. Living room: Don’t pack the car full with only space to drive – you need some room to maneuver so you won’t feel caged in. Keep the aesthetically pleasing things and items you reach for most (snacks, a duffel bag of clothing, books) in the main portion of the car and utilize the trunk for gear, cooking items, and other things that are generally unruly.

9. No hoarding. Keeping bits of gum wrappers, plastic bags, empty food cartons and other unnecessary junk in the car only makes long periods in the car stressful. Start your trip right by designating a place for a trash bag near the driver’s area to throw things in.

10. Closet space: You’ve heard of gear closets and clothes closets. Reproduce these with backpacks and duffels. Keep your gear organized by putting each sport’s gear in its own bag so you can grab it and go depending on what the day calls for.  Clothing goes into a backpack or duffel with different pockets: socks go in one side pocket, underthings in another, clothing in the main compartment.  

I even separate clothing into regular everyday clothes and climbing or ski clothes and put them in different bags — that way I don’t have to dig through massive amounts of jackets and ski pants to find a pair of shorts for a driving day. Rolling clothes instead of laying them flat takes less space and makes it visually more efficient to sort through.

11. Laundry basket: Used all the freshness out of that outfit? Throw it in a designated bag that so it won’t get mixed up with your clean clothes.  Then, when it’s time to do laundry, you can just grab the bag without having to search for what’s dirty. Planning an active adventure trip? After your sweat fest, place dirty clothes in a zippered anti-microbial bag to keep smells contained.

Stock up on two- one for your climbing shoes might not be a bad idea. :)

Entertainment:

Music, though the universal go-to of almost every road tripper, can grow monotonous after a few thousand miles. It also doesn’t cut it for the periods between driving and falling asleep. Check out these other suggestions to pass the time.

Podcasts a'plenty

12. Roadshows: In love with Seinfeld? Can’t get enough of Shark Week? Get entire seasons of your favorite shows and put them on an external hard drive. This is especially nice when you are by yourself; the voices of other humans, even from a show, cuts the “lonely” edge off your travels and makes life seem somewhat more normal.

13. Local scene: Even better than watching actors on a show is going out and hanging with real folks. If you are near a town, make sure to explore bulletin boards at grocery stores or stop in at the visitor center, post office or gear shop. These places usually have postings or regional magazines showcasing local events. Check out a concert in the park or a pork rind festival (yup, it’s a thing in Ohio). You’ll meet new friends and bring home fascinating memories.  

14. Start a blog: This will take plenty of time off your hands. A  blog makes a great logbook for your travels, helps you keep in touch with family through video, photos and your written experiences and even helps you connect with others who are living the same way.

15. Spoken word: drive time is learn time! Think of your car as a mobile university and expand your mind by learning a new language, brushing up on a subject you haven’t investigated in a while, exploring new interests, or finishing books you didn’t have time to read before. This is all possible through podcasts and audio books, many of which are free and available on hundreds of subjects and book titles.

For a huge library of free classics and other popular audio books, check out Librivox — available online and as an app. Want a few suggestions on podcasts? Ask me (or suggest some) in the comments below!