Trip Preparation

The next several articles are based on a recent long trip. I am hoping at least a couple items will be interesting. I start out with a little background information.

Prepare to Go

A long driving trip requires a somewhat reliable vehicle. My car is getting old with nearly 200,000 miles. But it has been pretty dependable so far. I cannot take credit for that.

It was time to perform about $1,000 on some long overdue maintenance on the car. Once upon a time it was quite simple to replace spark plugs. But now some engines require taking half the engine apart (slight exaggeration) to change spark plugs. Fortunately, spark plugs last much longer these days. But it was past time to spend the $400 on that. And the engine did idle more smoothly after that work.

Various fluids were past due for flushing and filling. Brakes were improved, although they were in better shape than they sounded. Tires were still good from this past winter’s big purchase.

I replaced the air filters. So that’s where the cabin filter is! That one was bad, bad. And there were other things that got some attention.

Knowing I would be far from many radio stations, I considered replacing the antenna. Due to car washes and other things, it was worn, rusty, and loose where it screws into the car roof. By the time I determined I might be able to include that in my trip budget, there wasn’t much time to find a used one. I don’t even know where the junk/salvage yards may be around here. So I asked the dealer for the replacement part cost. I wasn’t sure what to expect, nor how much I might be willing to pay. But if it was going to be over $50, I would probably skip it. Actually, I probably wouldn’t have gone over $30. But I thought I should at least find out the price. Instead of looking up the part at the service counter, the guy walks away towards the back. A few minutes later he comes back carrying a similar antenna, without packaging. He gave it to me. When I asked about the price, he said it was free. I am guessing it came from some other vehicle on the sales lot. But anyway, the unknown cost turned out to be free. And the slightly different antenna did fit on my car roof.

I do realize that other people occasionally get good deals. But for some of us, some of these random unexpectedly blessings are best described as “favor”. God does good things for his kids. In addition to the free antenna, there were other unexpected cost savings. As I got to the point where I needed to do some of these large maintenance items, a day or two before the planned appointment, discount coupons came in the mail to save me several dollars.

And in the end, the car was the most ready for a long trip that it has been in years.

Prepare to Do

Sitting in the car driving does not take a whole lot of preparation. But seeing creation at its best often involves actually going to where the good stuff is. And that can require a hike. I am just fine with a little exercise now and then with good scenery. So I prepared to hike.

I’m going for a walk. Big deal. That is pretty simple. Well, around here it usually is. But longer hikes in heat and at higher elevations require more planning for adequate water and other things. Over and over I read about not hiking alone, especially out west. But I have no choice. So I needed to compensate somewhat.

It sounded like I should probably get some hiking boots. I have survived without them so far in life. But it is nice to have a bit more ankle support. And the stiffer soles minimize feeling rocks and thorns with each step. I learned to appreciate the boots. And I also learned that good boots can be expensive. But as I was about to put down several dollars for one particular boot model at REI, I saw a very slightly used related model for about half the price. So I was able save a lot there.

I skipped buying trekking poles which can be especially helpful if you twist an ankle. I did buy bear spray which is almost required in some grizzly areas. And I had some other emergency things with, if needed. It all adds to expenses and carrying weight. So much for the simplicity of just going for a walk.

The plan was to camp most nights. For that to happen, I had to invest in a tent and some lanterns that work. The little Black Diamond lanterns work great with a slick design. The little one is light enough to hang from your tent ceiling. And the larger one is bright enough for meal preparation and reading. </end commercial> I stuck with the ancient heavy sleeping bag and sleeping pads I already had. My experience with tent camping is limited. But it is definitely one of the cheapest ways to travel.

Prepare to See

I quickly learned there are many, many interesting things to see in the western part of the United States. I spent numerous hours investigating the possibilities. In addition to the National Parks, there are state parks and other attractions as well. For some parks, I did look at their information enough to pick potential hiking trails. But I tried to avoid many of the photos on the web sites. That way the visit experience can include discovery and surprise.

One of the top goals of the trip was photography. To that end, I bought a mid-priced camera back in January. The plan was to take lots of pictures and get familiar with the camera before any trip. That was partially fulfilled. But there is so much to learn. I have nearly zero experience with the video functionality.

Despite having some months to practice, I have created numerous poor photos. Not knowing what might be the camera’s fault and what is mine has been frustrating. Exposure and focusing are always potential issues with cameras. But it is appearing that camera movement by me is the primary issue. I am working on that. For stability, the tripod is dragged along more than I would like. But I did get a lighter one for the trip. My old one from 1984 still works mostly too. But it is heavy, which happens to be an advantage in windy weather. But carrying a tripod for miles favors something light that can still hold the weight of a camera and zoom lens. A tripod is especially useful for video too.

Lots of photos require storage space. If your camera creates RAW or TIFF formatted photos (in addition to JPEG), you understand. Video eats card or disk space quickly. So I bought bigger, faster memory cards that can hold a full day’s media. I had to buy a cheap notebook computer just to have a place to offload photos from the camera. Yet another expense… At least I can use all of these purchases beyond the trip.

I invested many hours and dollars just to prepare for the trip. We’ll see how it all worked out.