If you read our last blog post, you may have noticed that we spent a ton of time preparing for our travels. We considered as many scenarios as we could to ensure that we were putting ourselves in the best position possible. This was particularly important for me, Bryon,  because this type of traveling is completely outside of my comfort zone.

This isn’t a typical vacation like the ones that I have gone on before. Fast forward and we are nearly a month into this adventure.  We have learned a lot about what works and what doesn’t work. We may have prepared, but we could not prepare for everything. So, if you are reading this and want to try some long-term travel, here are some things that may be helpful.

I. Hope for the Best and Prepare for the Worst

 It is impossible to plan for everything, but that doesn’t mean that you cannot try. That being said, no matter how much you plan,  things are going to happen that you never expected.

Over the course of the last several weeks, some things have gone wrong.

The most recent challenge concerned our water supply. We  learned the hard way that soft plastic water containers don’t necessarily do the best when they are in blistering heat and are constantly bring jarred around by the movement of the van. As it turns out, this environment is a sure way to end up with cracked plastic and a flooded interior. Lesson learned.

Now we have upgraded to a heavy-duty water cooler and are hopeful that our water woes are behind us.

II. Be Resourceful

If you travel long term, you will learn that most of your time is going to be spent making sure your basic needs are met. You will need a place to stay, food to eat, water to drink, and entertainment.

These things can be the most expensive part of your trip – but with a little extra work, they don’t have to be.

Here is what we learned.

Places to stay

As you travel, you are undoubtably going to need to have places to stay. Luckily there are campsites spread around the continent but spending $10 every night though for a luxury campground really adds up.

Since we have started this trip we have yet to pay for a campground. There are a number of great apps that you can use to find free campsites wherever you are. Most of the time, these free sites are way better than the places that you pay for. As a good friend always says, “who doesn’t like free.99?”

Food

The best way to save on food is to eat like you would at home. Go to grocery stores and stock up on staples so that you can cook. The more you cook, the more you save.

 Avoid eating out and loading up on snacks at gas stations – over time these small expenses really add up.

Also, try to shop local. A lot of people think shopping local means paying more – but that is not the case. Local stores have great deals. Not only are you saving cash, but you are helping small business owners.

Water

One of the biggest challenges is making sure that you have enough water. When you are traveling with another person and two dogs, maintaining water supplies becomes even more challenging. Luckily, in a pinch, almost every grocery store has a water filling station where you can refill almost anything for about $0.25/gal.

You can also find many places to refill for free. When we were in Ward, Colorado, we found an underground spring that the town tapped into to provide free water to anyone who needed it. We have used water hoses at friends’ houses, and we have even asked managers at RV parks who let us fill up our water jugs for free.  

Entertainment

II. Organization is Key

If you are traveling on a strict budget, stay organized and tidy. You may be asking yourself, “what does organization have to do with budget?” Well, I am here to tell you that keeping your area organized keeps you from dipping into your cash reserves.

In the short time we have been traveling, essential things have gone missing or have been left at campsites (whoops). This, in turn, led to more trips to the store. More trips to the store meant that we were spending more money on things that we wouldn’t need to buy if we were a little more careful and a little more organized.

 Know where things go and get in the habit of putting them back when you are done with them.

Also, keep your environment clean and triple check your campsites prior to leaving to the next awesome place on the list.

III. Resist the Urge to Overpack

Being accustomed to living in a large space with an abundance of things readily available makes it easy to get in the mindset that all of those comforts will be essential as you travel. It turns out, that is not the case. Both of us fell into this trap and packed things that we have yet to use. We get it, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Also, if you have something why not pack it? Isn’t it better to have something and not need it then to need it and have to shell cash out for it later? We thought that too. The truth is though, we haven’t used half of the things we brought with us. This has led to more than one purge and us dumping our unwanted items on unsuspecting friends and family along the way.

 If you do overpack, which is likely, expect to get rid of things as you go – like some strange version of Hansel and Gretel.

IV. Communication

If you are traveling alone, then this might not be as crucial – unless of course you are talking to yourself. However, if you are traveling with others, communication might be one of your biggest challenges. In our travel situation, communication has been one of the biggest stressors and one of the hardest thing to perfect. We both have very different communication styles. Coddy is very direct, to the point, and literal. I tend to not be so linear, ramble, and expect people to read between the lines.  

Throw these two styles of communication in a confined space for long enough, and conflict is bound to happen.

After three weeks and an absurd amount of communication breakdowns… well, we are still trying to figure that out…

It is getting a lot better though!

So, if you plan on traveling with someone, even if you have known that person for a really long time, the best advice I can give you is to understand how you and other people communicate and to understand how you and others like to be communicated with. This will save you a lot of frustration in the long run.