This article is part of HOME: YOUR NEW BASECAMP – a Kuju Journal series providing you tips, ideas and inspiration to help you Cultivate Rejuvenation at home during this new shelter-at-home era. #ForWhereverYouWander
After the first few weeks of shelter-at-home, Americans seem anxious to start traveling again. But with airlines reporting a 96% drop in air travel, the likelihood that things will return to normal this Summer seems like a far away future. This is why when it comes to leisure travel, we believe the future is road trips, not air travel.
The essence behind a road trip is after all to get away – from the crowds, the busy city, the concrete streets – and venture to the calm, rural, and quiet dirt roads of the open air and country. Isn’t that what we’d just all love to do right about now? So whether you’re ready to head out into the open road or not, here are list of items, companies and “essentials” to kickstart some of your planning for when you’re ready to hit the open roads.
The Van - Maybe you’ve got a huge RV already or a beautiful open top Jeep made for these types of things, but if not, fear not! There are a variety of different types of van rental companies out there ready to get you set up with a fully stacked interior so you don’t have to do any retro-fitting yourself. Some we recommend are: Escape Campervans, WanderVans, Native Campervans, Roamerica, Lost Campers, Vintage Surfari Wagons, Jucy Rentals, and Pine Road Travel Co.
First Aid Kit - While not the most exciting thing to pack this can easily be the most important. Depending on how prepared you want to be on your road trip, these can range from pocket-sized kits to full blown mini-suitcase sized boxes for a whole family. We recommend any kit that includes an emergency blanket and glow stick, or at least following these recommendations by the Red Cross.
Flashlight - When we drive we can usually see and most of us can’t easily recall the last time we spent a night in a car. The reality is you don’t always want to turn on all your lights (inside or outside) when it’s dark outside. You may not want to attract attention or it simply may not feel good to turn everything on. A simple flashlight to help you find something at night could help. Most importantly, this is critical if you need to change a tire in the dark. We’d try this one by Biolite (not a flashlight exactly but probably better).
Snacks - Sometimes those long drives are great for conversation and other times they’re great for (healthy) munching! We all know the popular snacks available out there so instead here are some friends of Kuju we think you’d love: Tahoe Trail Bars, Sun & Swell Foods, and Gr8nola.
Paper Map - It’s scary when you’re lost, your phone is low on battery and your van is low on gas. In this situation you can’t immediately change being lost or cause fuel to magically appear in your tank, but you can make sure you don’t “lose” your map and sense of direction by packing a physical map. All well prepared sailors do the same for the open ocean, so why not on the open road. It might seem like an old school suggestion but AAA has a great resource for this here.
Toilet Paper - This would be here whether toilet paper was a hot panic buy or not. We also put this here because it’s not exactly the first thing you think about packing. Plus, there may not be a public restroom nearby when you have to go, and if there is, you might not want to use it anyway, right? Want a toilet paper roll that cleans up and does good? Try Who Gives A Crap.
Pour Overs - We’re biased, but here Kuju was designed for travel and adventure, so our pour overs pack light, use little space, and can provide that simple luxury each morning to get you amped for the day. We recommend our popular Basecamp Blend.
Spare Tire - Hopefully you’ll have one in the car already but how critical this lest you become stuck somewhere remote and literally can’t move your vehicle. Before you drive your van (especially your rental van) off the lot make sure to check that the spare tire is in there. The guys at TireTrack.com actually deliver you a spare tire which is pretty cool.
License & Registration - Beyond the obvious reasons, if you’re heading into a new town and something terrible happens, it will probably be helpful to be able to identify yourself. :)
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