Getting ready for Road Trip 7

Can that really be?  We are getting ready to head out on our 7th road trip? 

Today we got an oil change for the 350.  It was the last thing we needed to do to be ready to go.  Our plan is to leave in about a month, head east, find new places to camp and hike on our National Grasslands.

These trips require tremendous planning.   We will be gone from home for 4-5 months.

1.  Camper repairs and improvements:  we have installed new USB ports and a backup camera.  Now it should be a bit easier to re-charge our electronics, and it should be easier to maneuver the camper. 

2.  Medicines:  We are old.  We take medicines for this and that.  We have to leave all stocked up.  We also bring copies of our relevant medical records.

3.  Maps:  Vicky has to plan where we go, and since we go to new places every year this means a new collection of maps every year. 

4.  Food, spices, cooking supplies:  Space is limited, so Vicky plans how to use it.

5.  Fun stuff:  We have a large collection of videos.  We add to them each year.  They need to be in a format where we can watch them on a 12-volt system.  We have our Kindles full and sometimes even bring old fashioned books.   Vicky has over 20 balls of yarn and 5-6 knit projects that she will complete (patterns, needles, etc.).

6.  Clothes:  We have limited storage space.  We have to plan our clothes carefully.  Almost everything is synthetic so it wicks. 

7.  Shoes:  We both have foot issues.  We will be taking, between us, about 10 pairs of shoes.  Simply finding places for all of them can be tricky.

8.  Hygiene:  We bought another shower bag.  Only one type really works, so now we will be taking two of this type. 

9.  Propane:  We want to leave with both of our propane tanks full.

10.  Camper levelers:  Very important:  Unless the camper is level the refrigerator doesn't work.  We go through several levelers each year, and need to replace them.

11..  Hiking supplies:  I got a new backpack this year.  My old one was 10 years old.  It was tired and needed to be retired.  We also stock our backpacks for the worst case scenario---that something would happen and we would need to spend a night outside.   

12.  GPS systems:  We carry two GPS devices.  One of them bit the dust this year, so we had to purchase a new one.  Since we don't hike on trails, or around anyone else, we take safety issues very seriously.

13.  All gifts and cards for us and everyone else.  We both have our Christmas gifts for the other person wrapped and "hidden" in the camper.

14.  Food we leave with.  We leave with a full refrigerator and freezer. 

15.  Dancing supplies (clothes and shoes):  We usually find some dances to attend and want to be prepared for them.

16.  Stuff for lounging around:  We go through folding chairs fast.  They get rough use.  We have two new ones to start the trip with.

17.  All of our electronics:  cables, batteries, devices, back-up hard drives, etc.

18.  Cameras and everything associated with them--cases, batteries, chargers, etc..

19.  Pooping supplies:  Shovels and wag-bags.   

20.  Instruction manuals for everything.  We are frequently out of range for cell signals so have to have everything with us.

21.  Backup camper jacks, backup tie-downs.  We like to plan for the worst.

This doesn't count all that is done to get the house ready to leave.  That's another large set of activities.

All of this preparation is fun.  It occurs over the course of the entire time we are at home.  The better planning we can do the more fun and relaxing the road trips are.

We have several lists of things to be done in the last week before we leave. 

We have been home for 6 months.  Time has gone by so fast.  Life goes by so fast.

In another month we will be heading out.  We are excited.  And we also can't wait to be home again next spring.