Weekenderlanding Do's & Dont's

We try to go on a 3-day trip at least once a month. Why? Well, why not? We love to camp, we love trailing, and we love any excuse to get out. We think it's important to plan and set time aside, although, there's a certain thrill to an impromptu venture off to wherever your finger lands on the globe, it's easy to get caught up in your weekly routines, daily life, and busy work schedules; not giving yourself the opportunity to do what you love with your family and friends - in our case, that's overlanding.

Planning a trip isn't always easy. Sometimes it's stressful, and maybe even potentially chaotic (depending on how many children under the age of 4 are involved). So here are a couple of do's and don'ts I have to come to learn over the years. Take it with a grain (or pound) of salt.

DO make a list! It seems simple, but more often than not I catch myself thinking of something I need to bring, and just telling myself "there's no way I'll forget that'' and then filing it away in the cabinet in my brain labeled “Definitely Going To Forget.” So take some time and come up with a list of items and gear you need to bring. And if you ever find yourself in a situation where you're stuck in traffic, on hold with an insurance company, or in line at the coffee shop, and you randomly remind yourself to pack the deodorant, for everyone's sake, write it down.

DON‘T overpack. The idea to bring a thousand just-in-case items seems ideal, because you never know when you'll need the blender, or that 5th pair of shoes. But if you overcrowd the items you actually need, you'll find yourself in a rage digging through endless bins of miscellaneous items looking for the toilet paper, and that doesn't always end well. I like to follow the guidelines of Where-What-What. Where are you going, what are you doing, and what are you eating.

Which brings me to my next point -

DO plan simple meals. Depending on what your cooking and clean-up situation is, take into account what is feasible for you. The thought of making chili one night seems great, but consider how you'll be dealing with the pre and aftermath that chili inevitably brings. I personally try to prep whatever meals I can at home, especially foods that can even be eaten cold if it came to that. Whether it's chicken sandwiches or hard boiled eggs, or I'll bring items that are easy to make or don't require much prepping (i.e. canned/pre-packaged foods). Side note: Tupperware will be your best friend. When your family and friends are lounging around the campfire, you don’t want to miss these moments, so try to set yourself up for as little work as possible and you’ll have more time to share in that experience with them too.

DO try to have everything ready the day before you leave. Maybe not everyone's schedule allows for this to be the case, but it really makes your departure date less hectic. Instead of eating away at a vacation day with packing, sorting, loading and frantically yelling that no one is helping you, you can do all of those things the day before. This way you can just wake up, get everyone in the car, and be on your merry way. Your vacation not only starts sooner, but on a positive and exciting note.

Lastly: DON‘T stress. Yes, planning is important, but don't feel the need to have every situation and hour sorted out. Things won't always go our way or how we intended them to, so give yourself room for change. It's part of the experience and sometimes even part of the adventure.

I hope these tips were helpful and give you the confidence to tackle the beast of planning a camping trip. Feel free to comment with your own tricks for preparing and packing, I love testing new ideas and applying them to my own routines. Also, don't forget to check out our calendar so you can ROAM | FREE with us on our next Weekenderlanding Trip!