Keri and Ashley, busy moms and the hosts of the Momtourage Podcast, decided they needed a quick girls’ trip away from their kids to relax, decompress, and get some work done. They decided a getaway to Ashley’s parents’ RV would provide the perfect balance of nature and amenities — but with limited outdoor experience, they weren’t sure exactly what they were in for. Keri was hesitant at first, since she’s not a fan of camping, but Ashley reminded her than an RV experience is completely different than a traditional camping experience. After all, there would be comfortable beds, heat and air conditioning, a fully-functioning bathroom (with a shower!), television, wifi, and a kitchen — and the great outdoors would be right outside when they wanted it.
When finding the perfect RV for your getaway, there are a lot of things to consider, like size, type of RV, amenities, and location. Here are Keri and Ashley’s tips:
- Decide where/how far you want to go (they knew they wanted to stay within a few hours of home).
- Figure out which amenities you want (Keri and Ashley didn’t need their RV to be glamorous, but they wanted full-sized beds, a toilet and shower, a stove and microwave to cook food, and a fridge for cocktails).
- Pick the type of RV that works best for you — towable, driveable, or park model (Keri and Ashley wanted to stay in one place, so the type didn’t make a huge difference for them).
- Select a floor plan that suits your needs (the moms went on their getaway without their kids, so they didn’t need a ton of space, but they also wanted to be comfortable).
The best way to find your ideal RV is at GoRVing.com!
Before embarking on their weekend getaway, Keri and Ashley realized they’d probably need some pointers for any of the outdoor activities they wanted to do. Luckily, Ashley’s husband Matthew is an Eagle Scout, so he knew exactly how to prepare the moms for their adventures. Here were some of his tips:
- Starting a fire: First, make sure you find dry wood. Dry wood is more likely to be standing upright (not lying on its side or in a ditch) and it’ll snap when you bend it. Second, find a few different sizes of wood — kindling (small shavings of wood or twigs), medium-sized sticks, and bigger logs. Set up the wood in a teepee structure, lighting the kindling in the middle. If there’s a lot of smoke, your firewood is probably too wet!
- Identifying poisonous plants: For poison ivy and poison oak, the old saying, “If it’s leaves of three, leave them be,” is a good tip. Avoid any plants that are shiny — the shine is from an oil that can spread. If you’ve touched poison ivy or poison oak, wash your hands and take a cold shower — hot water opens your pores and helps the oil spread.
- Avoiding bugs: Stay away from tall grasses, since that’s where many bugs and ticks like to hang out. Wear long pants and long sleeves when you’re hiking, and don’t wear open-toed shoes. After you’ve been outside, do a thorough tick check.
- Keeping animals away: Animals are more afraid of you than you are of them. That said, if you see animal tracks, don’t try to follow them — just leave them alone. Animals will only come near you if there’s something they want, so don’t leave food out around your campsite.
- Prepping for a hike: Always bring a backpack with extra water and food, dry clothes, a rope, a compass (or the compass app on your fully charged phone), and some first aid supplies. Stay on well-marked trails, have a hiking buddy, and always let someone know your plans in case you don’t return when expected.
- How to orient yourself if you get lost: Most importantly, stay calm. Use your compass if you’re able to. Orient yourself using a mountain or a body of water. If you can easily backtrack and find where you came from, do that, but don’t go off in every direction trying to get back on a path. If you’re truly lost, stay put and find shelter until people can find you.
- If something goes wrong: If you break your ankle on a hike (or something like that), it can be pretty scary. Don’t react immediately; sit down, think, talk to whoever you’re with, and come up with a plan.
After all that preparation, Keri and Ashley had a GREAT time. They watched reality television, they painted, they had delicious meals, they cooked over a fire outside, they went on a nature walk, they got some work done, and they sat outside and enjoyed each other’s company.
To plan your own RV getaway, visit GoRVing.com.
