Plan your route.
One of the first things before setting off on the road is of course to plan your route.It can be more or less precise, but you must map out the outline and above all do as you wish.
If you don't have a lot of time, organising each step of the route is a good idea. And it's exactly the opposite for those who have more time, you can leave room for the unexpected. It's often when you're not expecting it that you create your fondest memories.
Good old paper maps are for us the best tool so that you can visualize all of your route at the same time. In addition, most reference scenic routes and points of interest. This can be very handy and you're sure not to miss a thing and you'll take the most beautiful routes. Avoid the motorways which often do not offer exceptional panoramas and take advantage of the small roads more suitable to adventure and encounters.
Once you have marked your points of interest on the map and found the "tourist" routes, your route should map itself out. You can then count the number of kilometers to be covered and plan your fuel budget.
The weather can also change things so it may be a good idea to prepare a Plan B if you are not sure that the weather will be good throughout your road trip. Even if a short tea or coffee break in the shelter of your little house on wheels is always appreciated. .
Managing your water
As for hiking, in a van you have to know how to manage your water. Nothing too complicated, of course it all depends on the capacity of your water tank, but as a general rule in a small campervan you have around 50L It's a little and a lot at the same time, but you never let the water run for no reason! This reserve will be used mainly for cooking, washing your dishes, brushing your teeth and grooming your cat. So plan extra water bottles for drinking on the road and hiking. If you do well, you should be able to last 4 or 5 days without a problem. Some vans are equipped with an external shower. Be careful, your water autonomy will be greatly impacted. We strongly advise you in this case to provide an additional container of water in reserve. It can also be used to fill the water tank of your van at a fountain for example or when it is impossible to connect a hose.
How do you maintain good hygiene on a road trip?
As we have just said, some vans are equipped with a shower but not all and the question of hygiene is necessarily legitimate, especially after having gone on a good hike in the mountains. Several solutions exist, but for us the best option is the pressure solar shower coupled with a shower tent. It can be installed anywhere, next to the van or further away under the shelter of a tree. Regardless, it's a flexible solution.The size of the shower is more than enough for one, or even two, taking care of water consumption. Whatever, with this system there is no excuse, you can shower every day as long as you have water. The sun will even heat it up a bit for you, but you can always heat it up more quickly by using a saucepan if you are chilly.
We prefer solid soaps and shampoos, which are more practical to store and are more environmentally friendly. Making sure you wash yourself at a good distance from water points (river, lake ...) so as not to degrade the ecosystems present.
For those rare times when you can't shower outside, consider taking baby wipes with you. They will come in really handy!
And for those who don't like to wash in the open air, campsites and sports halls may be another solution.
