Top 10 Things To Do Between Trips

Downtime. That interminable space between road trips.

Unless you’re overlanding full time, you’re going to have downtime between your trips. And if your budget is as battered as mine has been in 2013, it makes it worse with fewer trips and correspondingly longer breaks between.

The way I deal with the downtime is to do things that are somehow related to what I really want to be doing. So if I can’t be making a road trip, I can be planning one. Or reading about one. Or whatever. Something that will – hopefully – scratch that itch, and get me through to the next adventure.

As the title of this post proclaims, I’ve put together a Top 10 list of things that you can do to fill that space. If you can’t get away, these alternatives will hopefully keep you going until you can, and scratch that itch. I’ve kept these short so that you can think them over and expand on them as you will. In that regard,  I hope that they are thought-provoking.

So without further ado…

10. Plan for the next trip – or trips – of course!

Break out the maps and guidebooks! There’s plenty there to help inspire you. The books are the easiest, often highlighting interesting sights along the way. But even plain maps can lead you on an adventure. I’ve sought out mines, springs, and other locations of interest on USGS maps.

Learning the history of an area before you go can really enrich the experience. Planning a route ahead of time can be important. Have conditions changed recently? All these things and much more can be researched ahead of your next trip.

9. Reading

Similar to trip planning, reading can inspire you to visit someplace new, or perhaps to see a destination in a new way. Reading about other adventures and trips is perhaps the next best thing to being there yourself. Whether it comes from a book, an online discussion forum, a paper or electronic magazine, whatever, this is one of the best ways to fire up your desire to get out there. Wherever “there” may be.

8. Not working on the future? Document the past.

Maybe you’ve got a blog like this one. Those trip reports and trail guides aren’t going to write themselves now are they? Or maybe you just keep a personal journal. No matte. If you’re like me and feel an inexplicable urge to write it down, then you’ve got some work to do.

Then there are also all those photos to sift through, edit and share. GPS tracks and waypoints need to be uploaded for future reference, and perhaps also shared. All of your material can now serve as the inspiration for someone’s epic trip, as others had perhaps inspired you.

7. Relax with a little TV

TV, DVDs, streaming videos, whatever. Sometimes it’s nice to take a seat and have a little time to relax. Shows like Michal Palin’s travels, or online series like Expedition Overland are another source of travel and adventure inspiration. I recently added the Long Way Round and Long Way Down series to my Netflix streaming list.

6. Build your Skills

I often hear it lamented around the campfire that offroaders would much rather spend their money on shiny new aftermarket parts than they would on taking a good class and building their skills. And more often than not, I think they’re right. It doesn’t just apply to offroaders either, but many hobbies and interests.

You benefit from any number of skills when you’re out on the road, or on the trails: First Aid, CPR, navigation (map, compass, and GPS skills), wilderness and camping skills, vehicle driving and recovery techniques, and so on. Been meaning to get your ham radio license? Or learn how to dead reckon, or triangulate your position on a map?

When possible, learn and practice these skills before you suddenly need to use them on your trip.

5. Bargain Hunting

One thing about sales and deals on used gear is that they are hard to count on. It’s much more difficult to find something marked down if you need it right now. If you have the luxury of time, more and more deals will pop up, and you’ll have more chances to take advantage.

For example, when I purchased the Warn winch for my Jeep, it wasn’t really high on my list of things to buy at the time, although I did plan to eventually get one. By getting it when I did, I was able to take advantage of a free accessory package offer that saved me around $150 in the long run. By having the flexibility of not having to buy it in a rush, I was able to benefit from that special offer.

Manufacturer and retailer websites, social media like Twitter and Facebook, Craigslist, the ExPo sale forums, and even print catalogs and mailing lists are good sources to watch for deals. Happy hunting!

4. Get Organized

This can be tedious, but again it has real benefits and will help keep you busy between those trips. Checklists. Shopping lists. Lists of things to check into. GPS file uploads. Appropriate maps and other resources. Get everything in order and you’ll be more organized and have your act together when the unexpected hits out on the trail.

(Personally, I take this one in moderation!)

3. Maintenance

There’s your vehicle, of course. Give it the once-over before your trip, and I don’t mean the night before when it will be too late to get it into the shop. Check for loose bolts or other issues. It’s worked for me and saved me from potentially serious breakdowns on the trail – or the highway.

Besides your vehicle, also get your gear in order. Make sure it’s all there and all working right. Is it clean and good to go? Is there enough fuel and food and water? Do you have a backup plan if your sleeping bag zipper fails (mine has) or stove doesn’t work (mine has) or whatever?

Check everything and verify condition. Fix or replace anything you need to.

2. Local Exploration

No big trips coming up soon, but you’re feeling the need to get out? Reading or planning not gonna cut it? Then perhaps a mini-fix of sorts is just what you need to get you by. I do these quite often!

A day trip can be just what the doctor ordered. I imagine that nearly everyone has appropriate destinations if they put their mind to it. Surely there’s someplace you can get out an explore. I know of plenty of day destinations here in the Bay Area and nearby.

Day trips – or overnighters – also work well as shakedown runs for new gear or vehicle checks. They’re also ideal places to test your GPS skills, photography, and other skills. You can even test your cooking and camping skills and equipment before heading out on those longer trips. And a short adventure is better than none.

1. Everything Else

When we get down to it, there’s more to life than road trips and offroading and such. I think. And while it’s fun to be making those trips, or enjoying Top 10 ways to keep yourself going between them, sometimes we do need to step away for a bit.

First off, there are our other worldly obligations. We have to work, and keep the bills paid, among other responsibilities. Do those chores around the house you’ve been meaning to get done. Get all that stuff squared away and it won’t be a barrier later to getting away for your fun.

Widen your horizons with some different books or shows. If you’re like me, you also have – gasp – other hobbies and interests. Give those some attention.

Perhaps most importantly, spend time with friends and family. Now would be the time to do some of those weird things that they consider fun.

So there we have it. Hopefully there’s enough to help keep you busy, productive and motivated between adventures.