Campervan Kit Out – 6 Tips for Stocking Your Campervan with Everything You Need

There’s an art and a science to stocking your campervan for a road trip. A lonely stretch of road or an isolated camping spot can be heaven if you’re perfectly prepared, but if you’re missing some essentials, your experience can flip into nightmare mode. From the ideal cookware to the perfect snacks, here are six tips that will ensure you’re comfortable, safe, and well provided for without being weighed down. 

1. Keep kitchenware simple

Multipurpose kitchenware is your best friend in a campervan. Get a saucepan of the right size, and it can prepare most of your meals and replace a teakettle. Get a frying pan of the same size, and you can pack one lid for both of them. Though some separate tools will be necessary, there are often ways you can serve multiple purposes with one device, thus cutting down the total size and weight of your kitchen kit. 

2. Become a lister and a planner

Making impulsive decisions is half the fun of campervan adventures. However, if you want to ensure you always have everything you need, it helps to plan things out and write lists. Having a packing list, meal plan, and grocery list will save you a lot of time and stress. And if you’re perfectly prepared for the week of meals ahead, you’ll be less wasteful and more able to make spur-of-the-moment decisions that you don’t end up regretting later. 

3. Be strategic with toiletries 

A first-aid kit plus any medicines or other medical supplies you need are all mandatory. However, you may be able to get away with a minimal kit when it comes to toiletries. If you’ll be on the road for quite some time, consider membership at one of the nationwide gyms in your country. This will give you access to their full network of facilities, meaning you’ll never be far from a well-stocked shower. Given the long days of driving involved in campervan trips, this is also a great way to stay in shape and keep your energy levels consistent. 

4. Pack shelf-stable snacks

Whether you step out of the surf famished because you lost track of time or you’re just bored with a long stretch of empty road, it always helps to have easy snacks on hand. Non-perishable options like trail mix, muesli bars, protein bars, and toasted chickpeas are ideal as you can keep them indefinitely. 

5. Refine your kit 

No matter how well-prepared you are, you’re bound to find that one key item would have made your trip so much easier. There were probably also a few things that got in your way and never really served a purpose. Take note of these items (and anything recommended to you by fellow travelers), and refine your kit after each trip. Before long, you’ll have the perfect campervan set-up. 

6. Check everything before you take off

This is especially important if you’ve had your van for a while and go on regular trips. Some items, like a tent or spare tire, may sit unused for months or years. If you just assume that they’re okay, you could be in for a rude shock when you need to use them. That spare tire may be flat, and the old tent may be moldy and unusable. So, make it a habit to check over all your supplies before taking off on each new adventure. 

There’s nothing like the freedom of carrying your home with you wherever you go. With the tips above, you can ensure your home-on-wheels is always able to provide what you need.  

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The Most Epic Road Trip Routes in the Southwest Region of the United States

The southwest of the United States has long occupied a special place in the cultural imagination of the country’s inhabitants. In the American vernacular, the act of “heading out west” is associated with freedom and a chance to start afresh, and this may be the reason why so many US citizens, as well as foreign tourists, gravitate towards the region every year to spend their holidays.

With its long open roads that take you past some of the most jaw-dropping scenery that you will find anywhere on the planet, the Southwestern States area truly is the land of the free. And what better way to explore and take in the majestic surroundings than from behind the wheel? It probably will not come as a surprise to you that the epic road trip routes here make the area one of the most popular places in North America to hit the open road with nothing to weigh you down but gas in the tank.

And, if you’re a digital nomad, all these locations are simply perfect for internet connectivity but of course, do plan your trip carefully because some of these routes will not have coverage at all. So if you have to work Monday – Friday, make sure you take these road trips during the weekends or during a long holiday weekend.

In this article, we take you through a selection of the best road trips that you can do on your next visit to the southwest. Strap yourself in and enjoy the ride!

Phoenix to Las Vegas

Once you have touched down in Phoenix, AZ, and passed through immigration if you are a foreign visitor, pick up a rental car at the airport (make sure to sort out an ESTA visa before you travel to gain entry on arrival – check out this fantastic ESTA guide to see what you need to do to apply). If you are arriving after a long flight and need to catch up on rest, the best place to stay is in one of the great hotel resorts in Scottsdale or Carefree.

Hit the road the next due north toward Grand Canyon National Park. Having passed by the trendy town of Flagstaff and the gorgeous spa town of Sedona on the way, you will be awestruck when you arrive at your destination. The Grand Canyon is a 277-mile long cut into the earth that is 18 miles wide in some places.

On day three, you can make your way across the Utah-Arizona border to Monument Valley. The scene of countless Western movies, the park’s incredible rock formations glow red and orange as the sun goes down. Stop off in Navajo country to spend the night.

On day four, head west to Bryce Canyon. Here, you will see the “hoodoos” – strange-looking spires and fins that reach skyward from the ground. You can stay the night in Page, where you get an amazing view of the most famous slot canyon in the region.

On the way to your final destination of Vegas, where you can gamble and drink to your heart’s content, make sure to visit the Zion National Park. The landscape here resembles heaven on earth with its lush forests, emerald pools and its imposing red canyon walls.

San Francisco to Las Vegas

Set off from San Francisco across the iconic Golden Gate Bridge inland toward Napa Valley. The region is the most famous wine-producing areas in the United States, and it provides ample opportunity to pick up a tasting tour or two. If you are feeling adventurous, sign up for a balloon ride to get a bird’s eye view of the bucolic surroundings.

The next day, carry on east to Yosemite National Park. With over 1,000 square kilometres of pristine nature and landscape to be explored, the park is home to some of the most staggering sights. If you have enough time, take a trip up to Glacier Point for some of the best views of the park. It is worth spending more than a single day here – if you like camping, there are some excellent options.

On day four/five, drive south along Highway 365 over Toga Pass bound for Death Valley. Due to the extremely low altitude here (85m below sea level), temperatures can soar on the salt flats. However, the views of across the desert of the snow-capped Sierra Nevada make braving the high temperatures well worth it. When you have had enough, make the trip to Las Vegas for some debauched fun and games.

The southwestern region of the United States is best explored on four wheels. If you are heading out on a road trip anytime soon, the two routes described above have a bit of everything. Just make sure your vehicle is up to the task!

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Working in the West: Traveling for Business has Plenty of Perks and Colorado Springs Offers some Great Venues to Visit During Your Trip

If you happen to be traveling to the Colorado Springs area on business you have to try and make the most of the opportunity to enjoy some leisure time around your busy work schedule.

Here are some of the must-see venues that deserve your attention if you are working in the West.

Inspirational views

There are some great hotels in the area to stay at like the Colorado Springs Marriott, for example, and as well as enjoying comfortable accommodation you will also be within close proximity of some very worthwhile attractions.

If you want to witness one of the most photogenic landscapes you are likely to see anywhere the one place that should be on your leisure itinerary is the Garden of the Gods.

These awesome and distinctive rock formations are a major draw in Colorado Springs and you can take a segway or jeep tour around the area if you want to enjoy as much of the scenery in the time you have available.

A bit of time for hanging about

If you are seeking an adrenaline rush and want an aerial view of Pikes Peak and Manitou Springs a good way to do that would be by being suspended in mid-air and getting ready for your zipline adventure.

The Manitou Springs Zipline Adventure experience is well worth considering as the five different ziplines give you an amazing view of the area from the air, that’s if you can focus while soaring across this spectacular alpine canyon location.

Soak up a bit of history

If you would prefer your leisure time to be more sedate and educational a good attraction to visit would be the National Museum of World War II Aviation.

As well as enjoying an inspirational journey that tells you all about the history of the aircraft and the role they played in the war you can also visit neighboring WestPac Restoration and see how they are restoring some original aircraft to their former glory and ready to take to the skies again.

A challenging escape from work

Escape rooms are a popular new phenomenon in a lot of places and Colorado Springs has at least 11 different experiences to choose from.

The idea behind these escape rooms is to work out the clues and find your way out of the rooms within a limited amount of time. There are a variety of themes from “Escape from Hellscream”, which has a horror twist to the game, to “Planet Deadline” which will appeal to sci-fi fans.

If you want to escape from work for an hour and like a challenge, try one of the escape rooms located in Colorado Springs.

Whether you want to enjoy the amazing natural scenery or enjoy some man-made entertainment you won’t be short of options when it’s time to take a break from work during your stay in Colorado Springs.

Make sure you try and squeeze some of these attractions into your itinerary.

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Top Tips For Your First Business Trip

Heading out on your first business trip will be an exciting time, meetings to be had, deals to make and a company to represent. Whatever the nature is of your trip, you are going to need to be prepared , both from a business and personal point of view. To help you get prepared in the right way, we’ve put together a list of tips for you and whether you are traveling transatlantic for your business dealing or just a few hours away from home, we’ve got you covered. So before your next business trip, check out these tips and make sure that you are prepared in the right way.

Bought a travel wallet :(

Organization

The first thing to ensure is that you are fully prepared for your business dealings and your itinerary during your time away. Make sure that you have paper and digital versions of all documents that you are going to need and whatever schedule you have whilst you are away. Be sure to secure all of your transportation before you go,it is likely that plane or train tickets will be already sorted out but ensure you have a car waiting for you to take you to a meeting.  The last thing you need is to be searching for taxis in the middle of Bangkok when you have a pressing business lunch, or trying to catch a bus in Edinburgh for a business launch, plan ahead, and book a private car to get you there.

Downtime Planning

When you’re on the road for business you are bound to have a lot of downtime and you need to be sure to use this wisely. It’s important that you plan ahead for this, whether it be in order to relax or in order to brush up on your business dealings. If movies and games are your thing that you need to relax then download some ahead of time, if you like to exercise then check out if your hotel has a gym and if not, look for one nearby. Regarding the business side of things, try to create some one page sheets which will enable you to quickly study some key points about your business or take the opportunity to look for areas of growth. Planning ahead means that when you get that downtime, you are ready to spend it however you see fit.

Staying in Touch

You absolutely want to make sure that you can stay in touch with friends, family and the business itself whilst you are away and it’s important that you know the best ways to do so. If you don’t already use them then you should be utilizing FaceTime, Whatsapp, Skype and even Facebook messenger to stay in touch with people whilst you are away. All of these mediums work so long as you have an internet connection and you should look to buy a local SIM card if you are heading to a foreign country. A local SIM gains you access to mobile data and means that you are never out of reach when people need to get in touch with you.

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Tips for Planning the Perfect Business Trip in Perth

Heed our Tips for Planning the Perfect Business Trip in Perth
Photo by CC user OpenClipart-Vectors on Pixabay

If you’re planning a business trip to Perth, arguably the finest city on any Australian coastline, you’re sure to have a fantastic time and, of course, get lots of work done! There are numerous things that you need to arrange for a business trip, including the following things that you don’t want to overlook when travelling to Perth for an important business meeting or conference.

Pack Properly

A mistake that many business people make is packing far too many things for their trip. While you don’t want to run out of clean underwear and socks, you don’t need to go overboard by packing a massive suitcase that you’re only going to have to lug around the airport. What’s more, minimise your on-board luggage so you don’t need to carry much after you’ve checked in your main luggage.

Legroom on the Flight

Whether you’re flying from overseas or from somewhere on the Eastern Seaboard of Australia, Perth is a long way from anywhere. That means you’re in for a long flight, so make sure you’re comfortable and have plenty of room to stretch out. As many frequent flyers have come to realise, the best seats in economy are those near the exit, so try to reserve seats here so that you can stretch out and enjoy the flight. You may even get some work done along the way!

Airport Transportation

There are numerous transportation options available to you when flying into Perth International Airport, including Uber, traditional taxis and public transportation. Another option, one that many people overlook, is limousine hire in Perth, which is easily the best way to get into town from the airport.

There are some great limousine hire companies operating in the city these days, many of which can take you on a tour of the Swan Valley and the fantastic wineries that call this beautiful part of Western Australia home.

Book a Nice Hotel

Just as there are many great limousine hire companies operating in the city, so too are there many great places to stay around the CBD and farther afield. Perth is an easy city to get about, especially when you’ve hired a limousine on http://www.wickedlimos.net.au to take you around, so don’t restrict yourself to the hotels in Perth’s pretty CBD if you don’t need to as you can stay at a gorgeous beach, like City Beach or Cottesloe Beach, two of the many fine beaches in Perth. And there are many!

See Something

There’s so much to see and do around Perth and the Swan Valley, so make sure you leave yourself a bit of time to see the sights, and take some great photos – it’s worth it! If you have a day to spare, hiring a limousine to take you around the beaches and wine growing regions makes for a wonderful day out, a day out that you couldn’t enjoy anywhere else in Australia.

Planning a business trip to Perth is easy when you know what you’re doing, so take note of these handy tips to plan your next business trip to the Western Australian capital to perfection.

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