Hey, freedom seekers! We hope we find you well.
As the weekend draws closer, and our first road trip gets even closer, we’ve both found ourselves asking questions we never thought we’d have to.
Where shall we go? How long shall we stay? How do we even work the toilet? More importantly, how do we empty it? How do the gas bottles work? Then there’s the solar, the leisure battery, and the control panel… how do they all work?
It's okay not to know what you're doing.
It really is OK not to know what you’re doing. It’s all part of the adventure. Where’s the fun in someone giving you an A–Z of what to do, or what not to do?
With that said, we do think there are a few things you can do to make it all a little less stressful.
(Step 1-Keep it simple.)
Keep it simple. Don’t be too adventurous on your first trip because, if something goes wrong, you might have to rely on your off-grid setup. But wait… what if you don’t know how your solar, leisure battery, or control panel works?
That’s why we chose a nice little Brit Stop just over an hour away. It gave us the chance to test our off-grid setup. I say “off-grid”… it’s not like we’re in the middle of the wilderness, but that’s the point. We felt safe, but without the luxuries of a campsite.
(STEP 2-JUST ASK!)
Now you know how to survive off-grid, it’s time to book an on-grid campsite. Enjoy the luxuries that campsites have to offer: electric hook-ups, a water supply, poop drops, showers, and on-site amenities.
For us, this was the most stressful part. You’re self-conscious and constantly questioning whether you’re doing everything right, especially when you’re wrestling with the poop pipe while the queue behind you just keeps getting bigger.
But everyone starts somewhere, and people are actually really nice. If you’re not sure about something, just ask. We’ve found that people are more than happy to help, so don’t cringe… JUST ASK!
(STEP 3 -Go prepared)
Don’t do what we did and think you’ve got enough fuel to get to your destination. Or, even worse, go food shopping before you’ve got your fridge chilled.
They’re both equally stupid decisions… ask us how we know.
OK, I’ll tell you!
We set off with just over a quarter of a tank and “calculated” we’d have enough fuel to fill up along the way. But the more we drove, the more rural it got, and the fewer people we saw… never mind petrol stations. Before we knew it, we were out in the sticks, the fuel light was glowing, and we were having a heated debate about who said we should’ve filled up earlier.
Obviously, we all know who that was…
You guessed it… the same person who wanted to buy chicken without checking the fridge temperature. Little did we know it can take 4–6 hours to chill, depending on whether you’re running on the leisure battery or gas. Or, more to the point, whether you actually know how the fridge controls work.
(STEP 4 -Don't let the excitement get in the way)
Don’t let the excitement get in the way of your routine checks. It’s completely normal to get caught up in the excitement and get distracted, but that’s when mistakes happen… as we found out. See a pattern here?
Story time…
We got to our lovely Brit Stop (read our review HERE) and noticed a drip coming from the grey water pipe. Out came the tools, acting like I knew what I was doing, and I patched what I thought was the leak!
The very next day, we had a Pitch-up campsite booked (Read our review HERE).
I parked up, still annoyed by the drip I’d “fixed” the night before, when Anna shouted, “BABE, THERE’S WATER COMING UP THROUGH THE SHOWER!”
It was at that moment I realised my mistake.
In all the excitement, I forgot to empty the grey water tank, and the water was crying out for somewhere to go… hence the drip. It was obviously looking for a way out, couldn’t find one, so it decided to come back up through the shower!
So just relax, check everything, and then check it again before setting off. It could’ve been worse!
(STEP 5 – Phone Signal)
We honestly didn’t even consider not having a phone signal. In fact, we were looking forward to disconnecting from the world for a few days! Again, little did we know we’d also be losing an element of security and safety…
Oh, and the football.
It’s nice being out in the sticks, disconnected from the outside world, but if the worst had happened and we’d broken down, we’d have had no way of contacting anyone. Also, some maps rely on having a signal, so it’s always best to download them before setting off.
And, as my mum once said, always tell someone where you’re going.
See Mum… I do listen to you.
I’m still stressed and currently in recovery, so I won’t talk too much about almost missing the England vs Norway quarter-final. I’ll keep it short… we packed up and f**ked off, leaving our £27-a-night Pitchup campsite behind for another Brit Stop with a bar and a TV.
Where there’s a will, there’s a way. So listen to us… we know all about struggle and doing things the hard way.
If you’d like to know whether we actually got to watch the football, and read more about the lovely Brit Stop that came to the rescue, you can read our full review HERE
2 comments
Gaz Anna early days we have all made so many little errors but like anything in life we all love the challenge.
Thank you so much. We couldn’t have got to this point without you both. Hope you enjoy our journey!