Getting Ready Before You Leave

House Preparation

Before you hit the road, make sure your house is squared away. Here’s what we do:

● Clean up: Seriously, clean the crap out of everything. Coming home to a messy house

after a long trip is the worst. It's awesome to get home and be pleasantly surprised by

how clean the house is.

● Thermostat: Set it up to 80°F (or whatever makes sense in your area). No point cooling

an empty house—saves a lot on your energy bill.

● Food: Toss anything perishable from the fridge and pantry. No need for a science

experiment on decomposition while you’re away.

● Pets: We get a pet sitter for the cats—someone who comes by once a day. If you’ve got

dogs or other animals, make sure they have what they need. Leave detailed instructions

(feeding, meds, litter box, anything weird about your pets).

● Plants: Write up simple watering instructions and put all the plants together in one spot if

you can.

● Cameras: We picked up a couple of cheap house cameras that we can check from our

phones. Honestly, it’s as much about security and more about peeking in on the cats

while we’re gone.

● Yard: I ask a neighbor or hire someone to mow the lawn once or twice, but honestly, I

mostly just let the grass get long and then deal with it when I get back.

● Mail/packages: Put a hold on your mail or ask a neighbor to grab any packages that

show up.

● Security: Tempting as it may be, hold off on public social media posts announcing to the

world that you’re gone on vacation. It’s best not to let everyone know your house is

empty.

None of this takes that long, but if you do it before you leave, you won’t be worrying about the house while you’re out exploring.

 We have four cats, a hamster, and an axolotl, so we’re no strangers to pet logistics. For trips like this, we just pay someone to come by once a day and take care of everything. It’s worth it for the peace of mind. 

I really don’t recommend bringing pets—especially dogs—on a big western road trip.
Here’s why:

• Most national parks either don’t allow dogs on trails, or only in a few limited areas.
• Dogs and wildlife are a bad mix. There’s way too much temptation for a dog to chase something, and you don’t want to be responsible for that.  
• If you do bring a dog, it’s got to be leashed at all times, even at camp.
• If your dog barks or is high-energy, it’s just not fair to other campers (or to you).
• Honestly, these trips are a lot easier if you don’t have to worry about a pet’s needs the whole time.

 We don’t have a dog, partly because we both work full-time and are gone all day, but also because I like the freedom to take these long trips and not worry about a dog at home or on the road. If you have a cat, hamster, or anything else, hire a sitter, leave good instructions, and set up a camera if you want to check in. But if you’re dreaming of bringing a dog on a national parks road trip, think twice. 

Get Your Gear and Routines Dialed In

You’ll need to invest some time (and money) up front getting your gear sorted. That means testing out your sleeping setup, figuring out your cooking system, and making sure everyone has a reusable water bottle and good layers for all kinds of weather. If you have special routines at home (medications, coffee, bedtime rituals), make a plan to keep those going on the road. The more “normal” you can make life feel, the smoother your trip will be.

 Get Your Car Ready for the Road 

Cross-country road trips are brutal on vehicles, and a little prep goes a long way.

• Tires: Make sure they’re in good shape and have enough tread left for 10,000 miles. If you’re on the fence, just replace them.
• Oil change & air filters: Get both checked and changed if needed.
• Fancy car wash (optional, but worth it): I’d recommend getting a car wash with wax and extra protectants before you leave. After driving 10,000 miles, your car will be coated in bugs, especially up front. The wax makes it way easier to clean them off. Otherwise, some of those bug splats turn into permanent stains.
• Bug wash: Top off your windshield washer fluid with “bug wash” (not just regular blue stuff). You’ll use a ton of it. Expect to go through several bottles on a big trip. Anytime you get a bug hit, use the bug wash and wipers right away, before it bakes on.
• Wipers: Check your windshield wipers and replace if needed.

 The bottom line is that a little prep goes a long way. Taking care of these details ahead of time means you’ll spend your trip actually enjoying yourself instead of stressing over stuff you forgot. Once everything is set at home and your car and gear are dialed in, you can hit the road knowing you’re ready for whatever comes your way.