When I decided to take a solo adventure into the Badlands for two weeks back in September, I knew some road trip planning would be required. I wanted to travel light, but comfortably. My route would take me through Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, and South Dakota. From a climate standpoint, I would likely experience temperatures ranging from 30 degrees in the Rocky Mountains to nearly 90 degrees in the Badlands. Beyond this, I needed to ensure that my car was in tip-top shape for this epic journey. Because you may need to plan your own road trip, I thought I’d share my approach to road trip planning.
Car Preparation
Before packing for my trip, I showered my GTI with attention. She received a thorough cleaning inside and out. I took her to the dealership for an oil change, a new cabin air filter, and a complete inspection. I checked the tires, and I threw an emergency kit in the trunk. I also added a few extra goodies to ease the experience, including garbage bags, a reusable water bottle, my favorite Yeti Rambler, paper towels, shout wipes, extra water, and a spare umbrella.
My Capsule Wardrobe
As for my clothing, I decided to experiment with a capsule travel wardrobe. Specifically, I leaned into Classy Yet Trendy’s Fall 2019 Travel Capsule. In a capsule wardrobe concept, each piece combines with the other pieces to create as many looks as possible with a minimum number of items. For two weeks, I brought two pairs of pants, one pair of capris, several shirts, two cardigans, one pair of casual boots, a pair of shorts, and gym shoes. To ease the burden of frequent relocation, I chose to roll my clothing into packing cubes before loading them into my duffle for easy access.
Of course, I didn’t forget the essentials—toiletries, underwear, socks, etc. I do recommend ExOfficio undies for traveling. In a pinch, you can easily wash them in your hotel room. Rest assured, they will be dry by the morning! I knew I would need to do laundry at least once during this trip, so I also brought along pocket laundry wash, a Tide pod, and a dryer sheet.
The Great Outdoors
Because I planned to spend a lot of time in nature, I needed to bring my outdoor gear. To accommodate a variety of weather conditions, I brought along my Patagonia nano puff jacket, a rain coat, a pair of hiking shoes, base layers, a swim suit, a sun hat, a winter beanie, gloves, my day pack, trekking poles, and sunglasses. For my own personal safety, I also brought along binoculars, bear spray, my Garmin inReach, a first aid kit, sunscreen, pepper spray, and my Leatherman multi-tool. As you might guess, I do have the heart of a prepper. I’d much rather be safe than sorry!
For landscape and wildlife photography on the road, I packed my trusty Olympus camera and several lenses. My workhorse lens for this trip proved out to be my Olympus M. Zuiko 12-40mm F2.8 PRO lens. That said, my telephoto and super wide angle lenses had a solid workout. To help stabilize my camera, both my monopod and gorilla pod joined me for the adventure. I also brought along two camera bags—an inexpensive waterproof messenger bag and an ape case to tuck into my backpack. Both of these bags came in handy on this trip.
Snacks And Entertainment
For entertainment, I loaded my mobile device with plenty of podcasts and audiobooks. Because my road trip would take me out West through the Badlands, I channeled Louis L’Amour’s Lonesome Gods through my car stereo. John Fogerty also joined me on this trip as I jammed to Creedence Clearwater Revival for days on end. While I brought my Kindle, I found myself reading physical books purchased along my route instead. I’m also an avid writer. My journal and pencil come with me everywhere I go–this trip included!
Of course, I couldn’t possibly hit the road without packing plenty of snacks. I’ve been doing the whole keto thing, so my snack pile was surprisingly healthy. I brought fresh celery, turkey sticks, pork rinds, and moon cheese. I also took some Choc Zero Dark Chocolate Bark and High Key Chocolate Chip Cookies along for a sweet treat. For drinks, I packed a soft-sided cooler full of ice and loaded it with LaCroix, water, and a few small cans of Diet Coke. This trip took me straight through Wisconsin’s Cheese Trail. By the time I exited Wisconsin, an abundance of cheese claimed all remaining space in my cooler. I couldn’t wait to nosh on a bag full of fresh, squeaky cheese curds!
Cellular Coverage
Before leaving, I realized my route would take me through areas that lacked adequate cellular coverage. So, I plotted my entire trajectory and downloaded Google Maps for each segment. Once I headed into the mountains, I was so thankful that I had these maps handy. Plus, I had no coverage at all in Yellowstone National Park. Thank you, Google Maps!
While this may sound like a ton of stuff, everything packed easily into the trunk of my car without spilling into the cabin. At a glance, you’d never guess by looking at the car that I was taking an extended road trip across the country. Thanks to my road trip planning, I left with everything I needed to support my adventure–nothing more, and nothing less!
More From This Road Trip
- On The Wisconsin Cheese Trail
- World’s Biggest Everything
- Dinosaurs & Rough Riders
- Hiking Theodore Roosevelt NP
