Annual Trip to the Desert {Tips}

For the last 4 years I have spent some time in the off-season in the desert. “Off-season” as in going to the desert in August is not the most popular choice, though plenty still do. To follow, a few tips and guidelines I have learned throughout the years.

1) Fly in and out of Las Vegas.

Compared to other nearby metropolises, Las Vegas has the cheapest and most plentiful quantity of flights. Las Vegas also has lots nearby but still on the way towards other destinations… My usual is to get my rental car and drive out of town right away, staying at a low-roller casino in the general destination of my itinerary. The rooms are very cheap (My room at Virgin River Casino in Mesquite, Nevada was $27 a night with no facility fee!) and they are surrounded by needed amenities.

2.) Fill up your cooler.

When traveling through the desert, especially for camping or prolonged outdoor activity, it is best to pack your own cooler in your car. Before embarking upon your real destination you’ll want to fulfill the errand of getting ice and some jugs of water. You can fill up your water bottle with ease as you need. Just make sure to zipper it closed all the way. The car will get extremely hot and just having your cooler open a smidge will rapidly increase the temp in the cooler and make for accidental leakage.

3.) Use your cooler to help protect your laptop or electronics.

Having my laptop overheat several times in my life, I utilize the cooler to keep my laptop .. cool. First, put the cased laptop in a water repellant bag, then set it under the cooler anytime you are traveling in the car. Try to take it out once a day at some point to keep its brain working. If you plan on camping for several days, you can buy a power strip that plugs into your cigarette lighter in the car, something like this, in case you need the computer for photo tasks, etc.

4.) Stock up when you can.

Even if you are full and well-stocked, make sure you take advantage of the times you are near a town with a lot of supplies. I guess it goes without saying, but if you are like me you can sometimes let the want for surging into the wild cut down on your forethought, much to later’s discomfort.

5.) Hit the thrift store.

Because packing a sleeping bag can take up a lot of room, I’ve found it to be way worth it to hit a good thrift store to get yourself a luxurious king-sized comforter. Doubling this up on the floor of your tent makes it super comfortable and doubles as a blanket when it gets chillier in the evening, plus it is far less binding than a sleeping bag. During this trip I bought a very plush long-sized comforter for $8.00 and simply donated it back to the a thrift store at the end of my trip.

That’s all I have for now as I the number of beautiful images I want to share for my travels is tremendous!