Exploring Southern Utah with an RV from Bryce Canyon National Park to Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument for awesome views, Hiking & Boondocking adventures.
We kept our itinerary pretty loose for this trip, but our general plan was to head from Las Vegas, where we rented our motorhome, towards Bryce Canyon and Escalante in Utah. We ended up having no problem at all finding boondocking (free) options for all but our last day of RV camping.
Filming Date – Fall, Early October 2020
Day 0 (night before video starts)
Fly into Las Vegas Airport
Pick up the RV rental at the airport Walmart (we used RVshare.com)
Head west 2 hours to St George, Utah.
Do a quick boondock camp outside of town in the desert.
Exploring the Pacific Northwest with an RV for amazing views, hiking & boondocking adventures.
We kept our itinerary loose for this trip, but our general plan was to do an rough loop starting outside of Portland at Mount St Helens in Washington state, all the way down the Oregon coast to the Redwoods in northern California, back over to interior Oregon to Crater Lake and the Painted Hills, and ending at Mt Hood before returning our motorhome rental in Portland.
Filming Date – Summer, Mid July 2020
Day 1
Pick up the RV outside of Portland, Oregon
Head north 1.5 hours to Washington state
Mount St Helens Johnston Ridge Observatory
Boondock camp near Elk Rock Viewpoint (overnight parking is prohibited further up at the actual observatory parking area)
Join us as we Explore Sweden and the Fjords of Norway with a Motor Home.
For this hiking and travel adventure, we decided to rent an RV in Stockholm, Sweden with no set itinerary and just see where we ended up. An we ended up pretty far from Stockholm, all the way to the fjords of south western Norway to be precise.
If you’re wondering why we didn’t just fly into southern Norway via Bergen Airport etc, the reason’s pretty simple. We originally saw a great flight deal to Stockholm ($380 RT for all fees including baggage) so we scooped it up, no questions asked. The plan was to just go to Stockholm and make some memories happen with minimal planning. Our first major decision was transportation once we got there, so we booked a VW van. Unfortunately, there was a problem with the initial booking and it wasn’t available. But they did have some motor homes. Having never done an RV trip, we figured what better time to start than in Scandinavia! And so, a road trip was born.
In this backpacking and travel gear review, I give a run down of the various features of the Totalpac Packable Backpack from the perspective of both outdoor applications as well as airport travel, etc.
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Disclosure: This post or video contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission for purchases made through my links. Cross reference, do your own research and make your own decisions, duh 😉
Specs and Features as per the manufacturer
ULTRA LIGHTWEIGHT AND COMPACT (11oz) – Weighing less than a pound, the portability of this bag is unrivaled. When not in use, the foldable daypack takes up almost no space. With its packable stowaway design, it quickly zips into its own inner pocket for easy compact storage. Store it in any small space and expand into a full sized backpack as needed. No more taking up space or paying airlines extra carry on fees. One of the best mens and womens daypacks on the market
FUNCTIONAL & ORGANIZED (35 liters, 11 pockets, USB Cable) – 35L of storage and 11 pockets to hold your accessories, you’ll have no problem fitting everything inside this roomy daypack. Main storage compartment with internal organization, traveling school laptop sleeve, 2 front pockets with additional zipper pocket inside, mini keychain clip, adjustable dual side water bottle accessory pockets, hidden anti theft pocket for id valuables. USB charging port makes this the go to trekking hike bag
DURABLE – Ultralight but equally strong, this little bag will be your companion for years to come. Made with the best premium grade Diamond Ripstop Nylon, this pack is both water and tear resistant. Robust metal SBS “no catch” zippers provide easy access to pockets. High quality reinforced stitching and bar tacks add structural integrity. Deluxe polyester 200 pound bearing straps and strong ABS plastic buckles make this the perfect outdoor back pack for travel hiking camping and backpacking
COMFORTABLE – Designed with comfort in mind, you’ll be able to pack this bag around for hours on end and still feel great at the end of the day. 2.5 inch carrying straps with breathable padded foam, sleek slim design reduces unnecessary bulk and weight. Adjustable chest strap transfers weight from shoulders to chest for a well balanced load. Packs come in black blue grey orange and are the perfect fit for men women girls boys and kids of all sizes. Ideal comfort for running biking and cycling
NO WORRIES GUARANTEE – Get a full refund or exchange on our backpacks for any reason, at any time. Yes! For any reason, at any time! Buy 100% risk-free knowing that we’ll always have your back. So buy today and enjoy it all, hiking travel gym beach camp trips and more
Hverir Geothermal Area (bubbling mud and steam vents)
Dettifoss waterfall in Vatnajökull National Park
Northern Lights sighting near the town of Vik on Iceland’s eastern coast.
Notable Locations Shown Day 2
Diamond Beach / Jökulsárlón Beach
Random, unnamed (from what we could tell) waterfall that we spotted from the road.
Hiking in the Skaftafell wilderness area, within Vatnajökull National Park.
Svartifoss waterfall.
Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon (or as Sara and Ashley call it, “Sweet-ass Mossy Canyon”)
Lasagna at Primo Ristorante
Downtown Reykjavik and Laugavegur street.
Lebowski Bar for a beer and the notorius Coco-puff cocktail.
Notable Locations Shown Day 3
Blue Lagoon Hot Spring
Some final hot dogs at a cool little hot dog and ice cream stand called Skýlið on the way back to Keflavik airport. It kind reminded me of a Dairy Queen back in the states.
It should be pointed out that this is certainly not the ideal way to do a Iceland Ring Road trip, or to see Iceland in general. But life is unpredictable, and this is the experience we had. This video should not be seen as an endorsement of trying to see such a vast and unique place in such a short time-frame.
Beyond the obvious sightseeing reasons for avoiding such a tight schedule, there is the even more important factor of SAFETY. The wrong combination of unfortunate weather, the wrong vehicle choice, and a simple mistake could make for a very uncomfortable or unsafe situation. Weather in Iceland can change on a dime, and winter conditions can make those changes even more extreme. In our case we had the right combination of events occur to allow us to safely complete our Ring Road experience. However, things could have gone completely differently. We were willing to keep an open mind and had several contingency plans.
There is a very real chance on a schedule this tight that you could end up missing your return flight home. While that would be terrible, it is a far better alternative than taking unacceptable risks and getting yourself or others hurt. Please be safe and realistic when planning your own adventures!
Handy Links and Resources for those planning their own Iceland camper van adventure
Grocery Store Locations – Great blog post on IHeartReykjavik.com about grocery stores in Iceland along with an awesome map of stores throughout the country.
Google Map I created to give an overview of the total mileage and route along Route 1 for an Iceland Ring Road trip. (we did it clockwise)
For the final day of our Costa Rican adventure, we check out of our rainforest resort (Lapaz Waterfall Gardens), have an amazing breakfast at a local farm (Corso Lecheria), take a drive through the beautiful countryside, and return to the San Jose Airport for our flight home.
from the perspective of both outdoor applications as well as airport travel, etc.
