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How Can You Cut The Costs Of Your Family Camping Trip?

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Camping vacations are an excellent way to save money. You can either camp in a tent or stay in a caravan. The nicest part about camping is that you can prepare your food, which is inexpensive. Camping vacations are popular since they are inexpensive and allow you to do anything you want when you want. There are methods to lower costs even further if you try a few cost-cutting strategies. Here are some advice and tips for saving money when planning a camping trip this summer.

Photo by Djordje Petrovic

Stay Close To Home

You don’t have to go far to get a complete change of scenery. Swapping a long drive for an hour or two to a local beach or rural location saves money and stress, and it’s also better for the environment.

Stick To A Simple Camping Kit

There’s no need to invest in expensive equipment unless you plan on camping frequently or in harsh weather. Focus on the essentials, such as a good tent and a comfortable sleeping bag, before branching out with items you already own. Bring blankets and old pots for cooking, and never underestimate the ability of a warm pair of socks and a woolly hat at night. You should also think about packing a 18650 batteries button top so you have access to rechargeable batteries on your trip. 

Research Your Camping Equipment

Even if locating a cheap campsite is simple, you must still bring all of your equipment, which can quickly add up if you are not careful.

Before purchasing a tent, camping stove, or even a coolbox, see if any of your friends or family members have one you can borrow. People may even wish to give their equipment away permanently to make room in their garage or loft.

You may even borrow a campervan or caravan instead of purchasing one. “Many people don’t understand that you can even borrow a motorhome – a simple and cost-effective solution for those willing to try it for the first time,” explains a Pitchup spokeswoman.

Shop Out Of Season

Spring and summer are usually the most expensive periods to buy camping equipment, so if possible, wait until late summer, autumn, or even the January sales, when many stores will be selling off last year’s stock.

Signing up for email alerts from your favourite merchants will also notify you of any upcoming discount events.

Plan And Pack Ahead

Buying something at the last minute frequently means paying more for it, whether it’s a next-day delivery sleeping mat or a can opener from the corner store. Make a packing list well in advance of leaving and double-check that you have everything before departing to avoid any surprise purchases.

Take Your Food 

Eating out is part of the fun of going on vacation, but it can get pricey if you do it every day. Bringing meals from home to eat on-site will help you save money, especially if you’re just heating things on the stove or campfire rather than cooking from scratch.

Create Your Own Entertainment

Camping is more than simply a cheap vacation; it also comes with its own brand of outdoor amusement, much of which is either free or inexpensive.

On a family camping trip, a frisbee, a football, and some campfire marshmallows will go a long way – and you can even make the preparation and cooking of an outdoor dinner into a fun activity if you approach it correctly.

Do you have any other ways of cutting down the cost of your family camping trip? Please share some ideas in the comments below. 

Travelling For Work? Here’s How To Stay Safe

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If you’ve just got a new job that requires you to travel here, there, and everywhere in order to close deals, welcome to the modern workforce! So many more people are travelling for job purposes these days, and that can mean catching flights to other countries and trains to the other side of your own. 

However, travelling for work can be just as unsafe as heading off on a solo adventure to parts unknown. Commuting on a small scale is something we’re used to, of course, but travelling on this kind of global scale can sometimes get dangerous. Who knows what situations you might run into? 


Photo by Anna Shvets

Never Travel without Insurance

This is key whenever you leave your own country to jet set off elsewhere. Without insurance, you could be liable for any number of accidents or emergencies! If you get sick or injured, or you lose something or it gets stolen, you’ll have to cough up and cover the damages. And when you’re on a work trip, travelling without insurance isn’t a good way to impress. 

Take a policy out just to be sure; you never know when you may run into trouble and a company laptop or tablet could be damaged as a result. Do your research and double-check the policy before you buy to make sure it’s a comprehensive type of cover. 

Always Connect to Protected Wifi

If you want to check something on a personal account or your company’s secured server, make sure you’re connected to wifi first of all. Using the data on your phone can be dangerous; passing confidential details across servers tends to lack encryption on 4G and above. If you’re wondering how to keep your email secure, the best starting point is a proper connection! 

However, you should also stay proactive about the wifi you connect to and how you use it. If you don’t have your own hotspot to take with you, you’re going to have to use a public version. If you’re in a hotel, this isn’t usually a problem – only paying guests have the password! But in a cafe or waiting area, it’s a different story. 

Have a Backup for Your Documents

Of course, it’s best to have a hard copy of all documents on hand whenever you’re about to travel, but what about if you lose a paper or two? What if one slips out of your pocket or it gets drenched in water from a loose top on a bottle in your bag? How will you get past the airport security gate or into your hotel without the right passes on hand? By having plenty of backups to rely on! 

Start by keeping a copy of everything on your phone. Download confirmation emails and tickets or take screenshots if that’s not an option – you shouldn’t let yourself rely on needing an internet signal here either. If it’s downloaded to the machine itself, you’ve got proof of where you need to be and when you’re allowed in. 

You could also use a portable hard drive or USB stick as storage if you’re taking your laptop with you; if you can bring it up on screen, they’ll be able to scan it! 

Double Check You’re Meeting the Right People

Most of the time people are who they say they are. However, every now and then you can run into the wrong person or accidentally be taken in by a scam. This is especially true if you’ve never seen the person before, but speaking to people face to face beforehand over Skype or Zoom is helping to eliminate that! However, if you’re really not sure, there are a couple of checks you can do. 

If you’ve got the name of the person you’re supposed to be meeting, get them to introduce themself without saying anything; you can ask what their name is, but don’t let them know you’re looking for a certain answer. Similarly, be sure to check for an ID card, or call the company they’re representing and make sure you’re in talks with the right person. Verify before going anywhere else – staying vigilant is a good way to get ahead. 

If you need to travel for work in the future, treat these trips just like any other. You’re there to be professional, and you have more guarantee over the experience you’re going to have. However, when you’re not in a meeting or attending an event, it’s up to you to put your travelling safety head-on! 

Travel Essentials to Take to Hot Climate

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travel essentials

Photo by Craig Adderley from Pexels

When travelling to a hot climate, you often need to take extra precautions to ensure that you stay safe and comfortable throughout your trip. With that in mind, let’s take a look at a few essentials you should definitely pack for your next trip to a hotter climate than you’re used to. 

Merino wool

This might sound strange to some people, but Merino wool is great for just about any climate It keeps you cool in hot climates and warm in cool climates, so you should always pack some wherever you go.

Moisture-wicking underwear

Moisture-wicking underwear will keep your most delicate parts dry and comfortable no matter how hot it gets. So, you can explore your vacation destination without having to worry about freshness or getting any itchy heat rashes which can be oh so annoying.

Eye drops

If you are prone to getting dry eye, then it is a really good idea to take moistening eye drops to hot climates with you. Hot weather is a particular trigger for dry eye, and as you know, it can get pretty irritating and uncomfortable, so you really don’t want it to ruin your vacation. That’s why you really should not forget to pack eye drops. 

Sunglasses

Sunglasses will also help to protect your eyes, this time from the damaging effects of the sun’s rays.

Water bottles

Taking your own water bottle with you will encourage you to keep dehydrated. Just bear in mind that, in some countries, tap water is not safe to drink, and if that is the case, buying bottled water throughout the day is likely to be safer.

Cotton clothing

Not only does cotton clothing enable your skin to breathe, so that you are less likely to overheat, but it dries very quickly. So, if you get hot and sweaty, you can wash and dry your clothing in no time at all.

Lightweight shoes

Your feet can get really hot in a warm climate, so it is a good idea to pack sandals, along with a good pair of lightweight sneakers or trail shoes, depending on what kind of activities you are likely to be getting up to.

Lots of sunscreen

Of course, one of the most important things you should pack when travelling to a hot climate is sunscreen. Lots of it. You should never be out in the daylight hours without having lots of sunscreen on. The risk of being burned is so very high that you absolutely cannot afford to skip even one application.

It might be a good idea to also pack some alive vera gel because, if you do get burnt, it will help to soothe your pain significantly.

A sun hat

A sun hat will help to stop you from overheating, prevent your head from burning, and provide you with some much-needed shade when you’re on the beach, so be sure to bring one along.

With these essentials in your suitcase, you can be sure that you’ll have a safe, comfortable, and most important of all, fun time, on your next hot climate vacation.

5 Tips For Printing Documents While You Are Travelling

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Image by Joshua Woroniecki from Pixabay

Gone are the days when you had to hardwire your PC or laptop to a printer to print out your documents. With the advancements in technology, the field of printing has been revolutionized. The size of the printers as well as the time taken to perform a certain print job has reduced significantly.

Most of the individuals who print regularly face a common concern regarding printing their documents while they are travelling. In order to address this concern, I am going to showcase 5 tips that will enable you to print your documents while you are on the go.

1. Mobile Applications

Mobile apps have literally changed the way we go about our daily activities. Even printing is not left untouched by them. Setting up mobile printing at your home or office by accessing your printer is quite easy. However, consider a situation where you have to perform the print job from an unfamiliar printer. There are quite a few apps that are available both in the App Store and the Google Play Store of your printer’s manufacturer. These apps will also enable you to detect any of the accessible printers which are available at places like copy shops and office stores. By paying a certain fee, you will be able to print your documents while you are on the go.

2. Mobilize Your Printer

Connect your printer to the internet over a wireless network. You can even make use of an email-based sending application that will allow you to print to it remotely. If you are using an iOS device, you can either make use of the manufacturer’s printing app or through Apple’s own AirPrint feature. For an Android device, you can make use of Google Cloud Print service. Regardless of the brand, the service will work efficiently with all of them including both old and newer devices.

3. Look For Public Print Locations

ePrint by HP is one of the most sorted mobile printing solutions. Through the app, you will be able to print to machines that are at the FedEx office locations and at the UPS stores. The ePrint app is available for both iOS and Android users. The app will locate all the accessible ePrint Public Print Location printers and enable you to make printouts quickly. In most cases, you will get an access code for releasing the printout when you get to the printer. For taking the print, you will have to pay a fee. You can also find public printing at libraries, hotels, and airport lounges.

4. Office Supply Stores

If you want to get your documents printed quickly then the perfect place to go to is office supply stores. You will be offered on-the-spot printing and copying. If you are printing copies in large numbers, then you will likely get volume discounts. This will enable you to save a lot of your money along with getting the print job done. There is a wide range of other options which will be available for you which include stapling, collating, hole punching, laminating, binding, and more.

5. Copy/Print Shops

You would find a number of print shops no matter where you are traveling. These will prove to be quite handy for you in making printouts on the go. Depending on your location the print prices may vary. This is because a majority of them are owned by the local people. But still, these shops will prove to be quite handy as they will allow you to perform many different printing jobs.

In The End

I hope that all the tips which are mentioned in this post will prove to be quite beneficial for you. These will help you in getting the printing job done where you cannot carry your own printer.

Summertime is Quality Family Time!

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Each year, we try to maximize the amount of time we can in our trailer trailer, affectionately known as the #SilvaBulletRV.

Last year, we took an amazing trip down to Florida with our trailer. The girls really wanted to visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando. We are all huge Harry Potter fans, so when they asked, we all got really excited.

Next thing you know, we are planning our trip. We decided to tow our trailer down, and make it an extended 3 week trip. By doing so, we were able to visit places we had never been before, and see some of the great places in the US along the way.

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The trip south

We booked 3 campgrounds on the way down. Our first campground was Wally World in Loudonville, Ohio. We had stayed at this campground before, and absolutely loved it. We stayed at Wally World for 2 days.

Volunteer Park Family Campground in Heiskell Tennessee was our next stop. We stayed there for one night.

Our third stop was Southern Trails Resort in Unadilla Georgia. We stayed there for one night. While there, we met people from our home campground in New York State. Such small world!

Florida!

When we arrived in Florida, we stayed for 3 nights at Ellenton Gardens in Ellenton. It was a small RV park with an awesome pool.

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We visited friends, and spent some time at the beach on Anna Maria Island. One of the best beaches I have ever been to. The kids loved it there!

Our second destination in Florida was Sherwood Forest RV Resort in Kissimmee. This was a beautiful park, and would be our home base for the time we spent going to and from Universal Orlando.

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Universal was awesome, and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter did not disappoint.

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It was time together we will never forget!

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The trip home

The first campground we stayed at on the way home was Barnyard RV Park in Lexington South Carolina, where we stayed for 2 days. This was less than an hour from where Wendy’s cousins live, so we were able to get in a visit before we left.

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Our next destination was Fort Chiswell RV Park in Max Meadows Virginia. The scenery was stunning! We were in the mountains, so cell reception was not the best… but none of us cared.

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Our last 2 nights were spent at Rocky Fork Ranch Resort in Kimbolton Ohio. Wendy and the girls got in some geocaching while there.

All hands on deck

As you can imagine, with an itinerary like this, we needed all hands on deck. Wendy and I shared the driving, and the girls helped in every way they could. They helped cook meals, clean up, and pack up the trailer.

When we arrived at a campground, they helped put the wheel chocks in, set up the stabilizers on the trailer, and unpacked the trailer. When it was time to leave, they helped with clean up, and the reverse order of set up. Having all hands on deck makes easier work for everyone.

Quality Family Time

21 days on the road + 5517kms traveled + drove through 11 States (New York, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania) = Quality Family Time.

While it was tiring at times, I wouldn’t have passed up this opportunity for anything. We love spending time together as a family, and this was the perfect time to do it.

As well, we couldn’t have done this trip without the organizational skills and superb planning of my tag team partner for life!

If you are thinking of taking a road trip, be sure to check out Furkot to help with your trip planning. It helped keep us on track, and gave us a very detailed itinerary.

Cheers,
Big Daddy