I’m getting ready to head out on a solo van adventure to Tennessee for a long weekend at the inaugural Camp Her-Way, presented by Fernweh Guided Expeditions. My preference is always to travel with my husband, Jason, but he has a weekend full of gigs near home and this particular event is for the ladies so this time, our paths diverge.
This is certainly not my first solo adventure with our MODE, aptly named “Falkor,” in honor of the Luck Dragon from 1984’s “The Neverending Story.” In fact, throughout 2022, I spent about 75% of the year on the road for work while Jason split time between traveling with me and being home with my stepsons. During this time, I realized a few solo travel “pro tips” that I apply to this day: use camping apps, don’t rule out travel centers & carry a satellite device.
Use Apps!
We joined Harvest Hosts before we even picked up our van from La Mesa. The idea of being able to spend the night at breweries, vineyards and farms was very much up our alley. What I love about Harvest Hosts when I’m traveling solo is the peace of mind that the hosts have all been vetted, their identities have been verified.
HipCamp is another great app to use to find verified camp spots. Instead of just breweries, vineyards and farms, HipCamp also includes proper campgrounds.
I Love Love’s
Jason and I have become big fans of Love’s over the last five years of traveling in our van. Love’s Travel Centers tend to be located just off the interstate and are plentiful throughout the US. I’ve found Love’s to be delightfully clean, stocked with good food and beverage options- I love Love’s iced coffee! But perhaps the most important thing I enjoy about Love’s is that they are open 24/7 and allow overnight parking. So if I need a rest or don’t have a good camp spot planned, I can feel comfortable and safe in the Love’s parking lot.
Carry a Satellite Device
If you do not have Starlink or a newer smartphone that is satellite equipped– I highly recommend the Garmin inReach. Prior to having an iPhone that are equipped with satellite “SOS” functions, I took great comfort in knowing that Jason and I always had our Garmin inReach in the van. It is small, easy to use and the battery charge seems to last forever and then some.
To this day, we continue to travel with our Garmin inReach readily available at the dash of our van. It's good peace of mind when we're going off road and certainly helpful should we find ourselves exploring off grid.
What travel tips do you use? If you would like to share any tips/tricks, please send 'em my way! Email emma.walsmith@storytelleroverland.com
