I absolutely love to be out on the road with my family and friends in either my campervan or a camper van rental. There is little that replaces the recharging that being on the open road provides. Of course, we live in a new world now, where safety and social distancing must be respected. We must protect ourselves (and those we are in contact with), while we consider that next adventure. We have all been cooped up for quite some time. Getting out, seeing the beauty of the US is something we should all consider, but we must do it safely. I’ve done a ton of read on the subject of road trip safety – what to bring, how to handle visiting other places safely – so I am sharing what I learned with you all – hopefully it will make you feel more prepared, and get you more inspired to pull out a map, click onto google and start planning that road trip.
Tip #1- Practice social distancing while being on the road.
You are already doing this. Staying at home, inside, was recently described as going on a road trip without going anywhere. Time in the car, it is designed to be safe – you are protected within your vehicle, but just like considering to go to the grocery store or the post office, you need to be smart when you venture out. Regardless of where you are going or what the particular state restrictions are, regardless if they have ‘opened for business’ or not, maintain your distance. Wear a mask, refrain from touching surfaces unnecessarily, do not touch your face (mouth and eyes especially), and wash your hands regularly. Carry hand sanitizer as well.
Tip #2 – Have a road-ready, cleaning kit packed and ready to go.
This should include a healthy supply of plastic gloves, disinfectant wipes, more than enough face masks, hand sanitizers, paper towels, and trash bags. If you have a small, rolling suitcase for all these items, that would be excellent. Just as helpful would be a backpack or duffle bag dedicated to these items. Whether you are traveling by car, by campervan, sprinter van or other rental vehicles, your vehicle of choice is a high touchpoint spot (see Tip #3 – Clean Often), and while we can bring all we may need to be 100% self-sufficient, we want to be able to interact with the environments we visit. You also never know when a bathroom break is absolutely necessary. Having that road-ready cleaning kit will give you the peace of mind that you are safe. A final note on that, over-pack these supplies. While going on a road trip usually means packing light, when it comes to your coronavirus safety kit, make sure you have more than enough supplies to last the duration of your trip.
Tip #3 – Clean & Disinfect your car often
As I noted above, your vehicle, whether it be your own, or a rented rv/campervan type vehicle, that vehicle is a high touchpoint vehicle. More importantly, it is your sanctuary while on the road. Clean it often. Inside and out, use your disinfectant sprays and/or wipes to wipe down door handles, gearbox, steering wheel, stereo/sound system, cellphones, ipads, sunroofs, windows, and any other surface you are coming into contact regularly. Pay particular attention to anything you may be bringing close to your face – think sunglasses, water bottles, sippy cups, snacks/snack wrappers (definitely wipe those down thoroughly). Of course, we can all get a little obsessive about this, so also use a dose of common sense. Here is a tip – clean thoroughly at the beginning, middle and ends of your day, then apply light cleaning in between as needed. If you are driving for 6 hours straight, and are not interacting with any individuals or foreign surfaces in between, you are good!
Tip #4 – Lean more toward a BRING vs. BUY approach
Traveling is all about new experiences. Experiences can come in the form of visiting amazing sights, it can also be in finding oddities in new places, or discovering regional foods, and other things that make those destinations special and unique. Going to the coast, we naturally want to have fresh seafood. Visiting northern California, maybe visiting the Jelly Belly factory would be a normal destination, or the Sierra Nevada brewery in Chico. Unfortunately, some of those things you’ll have to pass on. Either they are not open, or you are adopting a more distanced approach to your road trip that favors amazing hiking or water experiences vs. in-town window-shopping experiences. So, pack the jelly beans. Grab your favorite Sierra Nevada (or other craft brews, wines, etc) and whatever else will make the journey special and be prepared. You may need to strap another bag on the roof to fit the things you may have previously bought on the way, but the experience will be that much more special that you packed it in, and packed it out. Think of this as a modified Leave No Trace approach toward roadtripping.
And hey, this is another opportunity for you to experiment and be adventurous. One of my favorite road-trip books is Campfire Cuisine. The book has over 100 recipes of delicious recipes you can make easily while on the road. I have the paperback, but you can also get it as a downloadable book. So pack in the goodies, and be as self-sufficient as possible. Be as self-contained as possible.
Tip #5 – Be respectful of the places you visit (but also be generous)
While we want to be socially distanced, that does not mean we do not want to engage our community/the communities that we are visiting. There has been a fair amount written about people leaving the cities and overrunning vacation destinations putting locals at risk and potentially overburdening local health facilities that are not prepared to handle coronavirus health issues. Goal – Go off the beaten path. Goal – When interacting with locals, maintain social distancing standards. 6 feet is still 6 feet. Keep to it. It will keep you safe, and it will keep those you are interacting with safe. Goal – Be human in light of all of this. Say hello. Have conversations. Check in to see how people are doing and most importantly, give them some business. Buy a coffee. Buy a t-shirt, a gift, or that funny hat. But be safe, and be generous. Remember, this virus has had a huge financial impact. People are hanging on. Any little bit of extra you give will help a great deal. If you can give a bigger tip, go for it. If not, a smile and a sincere, “Hang in there”, go a long way.
Tip #6 – Plan Ahead
Under the current national health and safety conditions, it is wise not to leave things to chance. This applies to your trip as well. In the past, we may have jumped into the car, van, or rv and hit the road, destination unknown. That day will return, hopefully sooner rather than later, but for the time being, we need to exercise caution via good planning. Think about how long you will be gone. Assuming you are leaving from your home, vs. involving any air travel with your trip, it is advisable to limit driving to no more than 6 hours per day, less still if you really want to stop and “smell the roses”. Take advantage of the time leading up to your trip to dig into the planning. There is a good chance that destinations that typically require close contact with other people are closed. No water parks. No carnivals, casinos, rafting tours or amusement parks. Ideal activities and destinations may be, hikes, natural wonders (lava flows, rock formations, redwood forests). Pick appropriate destinations and activities at those destinations. Also, make sure you have plenty of books, puzzles, games and if you/your family want to see movies along the way (in case it rains), make sure they are downloaded on your devices as a solid wireless or internet connection may be hard to come by, even with your cellphone used as a hotspot.
The last point on planning ahead – make sure your vehicle is as road-ready as you. If anything goes wrong with your vehicle, you may have fewer options for repair, as in many places services are more limited. So make sure you have a spare tire (and know how to change it). Check your fluids, your wiper blades, check your tire pressure, make sure you have a basic tool kit and a first aid kit (see Tip #7). Oh, and don’t forget a good flashlight/headlight, extra batteries, and other basic survival items.
Tip #7 – Know your health care coverage
Seems obvious but most people do not check how their health care coverage will protect them away from home. Double-check – are you on a PPO, HMO, and what that means for your trip. Also, check where the major hospitals and urgent care facilities are in the areas you are going to. If you are reliant on google maps for your trip, drop pins for those locations on your map. If you are using a physical map, circle where those facilities are and have their phone numbers handy – just in case. Be safe!
Conclusion:
Soon enough, we will all have the ability to travel. Following these steps will help to insure you have a tremendous time, while staying safe. And remember, breath in that fresh air. Enjoy the isolation and sense of freedom that only the open road can give. Roll down the windows, open the sunroof, soak it all in. Recharge and enjoy this amazing, spectacular, beautiful and breath-taking country of ours. Bon Voyage.
For suggestions on what to pack or how to be as efficient as possible, check out some of our other blogs and stay tuned for man
