Renting vs buying an RV: Which is right for you?

So many people are taking to the roadways to travel right now. With COVID cases rising not just in the U.S. but throughout the world, many people don’t want to hop on planes like they once did. Thinking of buying an RV? Read this first! The safety of a long car drive is probably pretty compelling if you don’t want to be in crowded places with other people, and particularly on a plane … [Read more...]

Travel Gear We Use: All-time favorite healthy travel snacks

Today's Travel Gear We Use segment isn't exactly gear, but does help us as we travel: we're rounding up our favorite healthy travel snacks. There are many, many products out there that claim to be wholesome, organic, and tasty. We've tried almost all of them. Yet, this list is short. Very short. Why? Let's be real: most so-called healthy travel snacks are gross. Even my kids, who know their way … [Read more...]

Travel Gear We Use: 30 Road Trip Products

I know, your car is already packed to the gills for your family road trip. But trust us, you need these 30 road trip products and ideas to make your travel day run smoothly. We travel every month of the year, and test new road trip products every time we hit the road. Check out our list of road trip gear, updated to include new gear for 2017, and see what you're missing! Road trip safety … [Read more...]

Five pet-friendly road trip ideas

If you’re planning a road trip with the kids, you won’t want to leave your furry family members behind! It just wouldn’t be a vacation without them. Yet just like travelling with the little ones, a bit of advance planning can make a world of difference once you’re on the road. To get started, you’ll want to choose road trip destinations that are ideal for both kids and pets. Here are five of the … [Read more...]

Three best road trip itineraries for active families

  No matter how much we vacation, road trips remain one of our favorite modes of travel. Why? Road trips offer a sense of adventure and freedom that's hard to beat. Plus, they're often more affordable, more flexible, and allow us to see the country up-close and personally. I’m offering up our three best road trip itineraries for active families in the western US and Canada: 1. … [Read more...]

Travel Gear We Use: The Seventy2 Survival System bug-out bag

You may not be a doomsday prepper or preparing for a zombie apocalypse (or maybe you are), but every family should have a car bug-out bag, ideally for each family member and certainly for road trips and emergencies. Opt for the Seventy2 Survival System from Uncharted. Preppers define bug-out bags as gear they can grab quickly in case of emergency, that's ready to go when they are. The … [Read more...]

Auto Travel with your Pets: 10 approaches for safety and security

We can all agree that pets are part of the family for most people. They are always there curled up or trotting next to us when taking morning walks. They greet us happily in the morning or when we get back home at the end of a long work workday. That’s why when a holiday season approaches, we can’t bear the thought of leaving them behind. It can be stressful for many pet owners to travel with them … [Read more...]

Best food containers and bento boxes for the road

One of the best ways to save money and stay healthier on road trips is to pack your own food. Almost every road trip we take, we pack lunches and drinks, whether we'll be on the road a few hours or a few weeks. Since we banned plastic baggies and disposable plastic containers in our house years ago, the best food containers for our car include the following. Bonus: For a list of road trip friendly … [Read more...]

Family camping hack: Dispersed camping tips

Have you ever been on a road trip, paid around $100 a night to stay at a basic motel, and thought to yourself that you’d rather pay less and see more nature along the way? Or have you ever camped in a campground amid loud neighbors and wished you could find a place to pitch your tent away from the masses? If either question has crossed your family’s minds while traveling, dispersed camping might … [Read more...]

Road Trip Safety: What to do if your car breaks down

A few years ago, we were ten minutes into a six-hour road trip when we ran over a nail in the road and got a flat tire. Yep, only ten minutes in...and while it was a bummer to be sidelined so quickly, at least we were close to home. Within a few hours, we were back on the road. But what if you were further afield? Any time your car breaks down, it’s natural for panic to set in—but what if you’re … [Read more...]