Is Your Phone Ready To Go Camping?

Is your phone ready to go camping?  Most of us clean the cobwebs out of our RVs, top off the propane, and check the tire pressure, but our phones can use a little TLC too—software updates, adding some new apps, and freeing up space for more photos.  I still use an iPhone 6S, but these tips work for Android and newer iPhones too.

My phone is just as important as my trusty Swiss Army knife on camping trips!  Even out of cell service range, there's still so much I can do. It’s my flashlight, my camera, my map, and tour guide.  But it's also my music, cookbook, library and audio books, and of course games and TV shows to binge watch on rainy days.  So here are a few tips to get your phone road trip ready and stay tuned for a post about some favorite road worthy apps!

Tip 1:  Keep it Charged
It's probably silly to even mention, but when you're driving down the road your phone should absolutely be plugged in and charging.  Period. Don't ask me how I know!

Tip 2: Know Your Data Plan
How much data do you have? Do you know how to find out how much you have left for the month?  Do you know when your plan's turnover date is?  Before I upgraded to an unlimited plan, keeping track of these issues was a major pain.  One of my favorite apps--Google Photos can automatically upload photos to the cloud and free up storage space for more photos, but without an unlimited plan, you have to wait for WiFi access to upload.   Set your app and software updates to manual and wait for prime updating conditions when you're on the road -- strong cell signal on an unlimited plan or strong, secure wifi.  On a limited plan? Be sure to turn off individual apps so they aren't pinging towers and depleting your battery. And set your location dependent apps to 'use location information only when using’—your battery will thank you.

Tip 3: Update Software
You wouldn't hit the road without a first aid kit, so before you leave on an extended trip, give your phone a little first aid and keep it safe with the most current software (iOS or Android) to guard against viruses and hacks.

Tip 4:  Storage Space
I like to leave an empty storage bin in our RV for some souvenirs and it's the same with my phone--I make sure there's storage space on my phone for lots of travel photos. Check your settings for storage space. Are you almost maxed out? Delete those blurry photos, accidental videos, old emails, and apps you don't use.  If you haven't already, consider switching to Google Photos with unlimited free cloud storage--it will free up tons of storage on your phone. Check out my post here about Google photos.

Tip 5:  Organization

How do you organize your phone? Alphabetical order? Similar apps on each screen? Or folders like me? The trick is to organize your phone so it works for you! I'm a folder fangirl and a news junkie.  When I'm checking the news I want all my news apps in one place:  CNN,  New York Times, Huffington Post, Google News, and our local Vermont news apps.

What about websites that don't have apps? There are some websites I check everyday.  Bookmarking them works, but they're a little clunky on small screens.  I love creating  website shortcuts that look just like apps. In my News folder, the icon that says Times Argus, our local newspaper, is just a shortcut since they don't have an app.  Here's a how-to link.

 Does every app need to be in a folder?  No. Pin your frequently used apps to the tray on the bottom of your home screen and just leave other important apps 'folderless.'

Tip 6:  Find My Friends (and Phone)
Here's another safety/security option.  On iPhones 'Find My Friends' allows you to share your location with a friend or family member.  I have this set up with a family member who can always see where we are.  Here's a link to similar apps for Android. 'Find iPhone' is another important app for travelers to help retrieve a lost device. Here's the Android equivalent.

Tip 7:  Phone Accessories 

                                                     Phone Grip
There are a bunch of different styles of phone grips, but a grip is useful if you take a lot of photos.  (Selfie sticks are handy too.)

Phone Case
Definitely a personal choice--if you're a kayaker, you want a waterproof one!  Lately I've been using this one by Vofolen. I can stash a gas credit card and my ID right in my phone case.

Travel Phone Chargers 
Travel phone chargers also come in handy on long hikes or off grid situations.  This one by Jackery charges two phones at the same time!

Hope this was useful and please share your phone tips in the comments below.

Stay tuned for some favorite travel and camping apps including Rosie's favorite—BringFido!

Off-Season on Delmarva

For travellers based on the east coast, the Delmarva Peninsula (includes Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia), is a super off-season destination.  It's accessible in a day's drive and if approaching from the north, the 80 minute trip on the Cape May, NJ - Lewes DE Ferry  makes you really feel like you've gotten away!

We've visited Delmarva several times during February, March, and April over the past few years and enjoyed deserted beaches, wildlife refuges teaming with birds, uncrowded nature trails, open campgrounds, great restaurants, and even a little outlet shopping. Here's a few of our favorites stops.

Cape Henlopen State Park

Cape Henlopen State Park, just a couple miles from the ferry in Lewes DE is a wonderful off-season campground that is open year round with electric hookups, dump station, and heated bathhouses.  Some of the sites are small, so it probably has a more crowded vibe in the summer, but off-season this state park with beaches, dunes, hiking/biking trails, historic WWII Fort Miles, gorgeous sunsets, and proximity to Lewes (the 'first city in the first state') is a super choice.

Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge

Nectar Cafe and Juice Bar in downtown Lewes is our new favorite restaurant with breakfast available all day, and healthy soup, salad, and sandwiches for lunch and later.  Try the Nectar Punch and you add some protein or yogurt. Hopkins Farm Creamery is the place to go for ice cream right at a working dairy farm on the outskirts of town.

Just a short ride north of Lewes is Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge in Milton where you can see bald eagles in flight, and diverse bird populations who winter here.  The trails are dog friendly.

After Prime Hook, stop at the Dogfish Head Brewery for a tour and some samples. And the tasting room is dog friendly!

Continuing south from Lewes to Rehoboth you can walk the boardwalk or beach both of which are dog friendly in off-season) and shop at the Tanger Outlet stores.

Assateague Island National Seashore is about an hour south of Lewes over the state line in Maryland.  Camping at the National Seashore opens on April 15 and you'll want to reserve a site even during the off-season.  There are no electric hookups but who needs them when you wake up to Assateague's famous wild ponies grazing in your campsite!  One of the campground loops allows limited generator use. We stocked up at a grocercy store and cooked our meals at Assateague--we didn't want to miss a moment in this beautiful place of salt air, tall dunes, ocean waves, and wild ponies.

Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge in Virginia with more wild ponies is about an hour south of Assateague but sadly no dogs are allowed on the island. Wallops Flight Facility is just south of Chincoteague so be sure to check for any missions taking off.

Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel

Another hour south takes you to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel Observation Area.  The visitor's center allows 48 hours of free overnight parking.

OBX Capground

Then it was on to the Outer Banks of North Carolina, where we we found a water front campsite that was open in February.

Rosie enjoyed walking the grounds of the dog friendly Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills, but stay on the hiking paths--there are some spiky plants that could damage paws.

Off season in Delmarva is delightful. The beaches were open for dog walking.  The temps were low 60s in February and upper 60s, low 70s in April.  No mosquitos, no crowds, and a surprising number of open campgrounds and restaurants. Our kind of vacation!

Wallydocking Quesadillas

One of our go-to dinners when we're on the road is a simple, quick, and relatively healthy meal that is Rosie-approved! We call it Wallydocking Quesadillas since boondocking at Walmart is usually when we make it!

Here's your Walmart shopping list:

• a rotisserie chicken
• package of whole wheat burritos
• jar of salsa
• can of of black beans
• Monterrey Jack cheese

You can of course dress this up with other ingredients--black olives, jalapenos, hot sauce, and of course sour cream would be yummy--this is just the basic version.  And if you'll be boondocking at multiple Walmarts along the way,  have quesadillas the first night and taco salads the next night (which will use up the extra beans, salsa, and cheese)--just change it up a bit with bagged lettuce, cherry tomatoes, and corn chips.

Still have leftover ingredients?  Add eggs to your Walmart shopping list, and make breakfast burritos the next morning with scrambled eggs, leftover salsa, cheese, and anything else you have in your fridge--like baby spinach, cherry tomatoes...

I usually warm up a non-stick frying pan on the stove while Tom takes the chicken off the bone. Rosie supervises the chicken de-boning process with laser-like focus.

Place a burrito in the warm pan, spread a thin layer of black beans (mash them with a fork so the'll warm up quickly), followed by salsa, then add the shredded chicken,  grate a little cheese, and top it off with another burrito.  When the quesadilla starts to brown on the bottom, flip it to the other side for a few more minutes.  Cut into wedges and serve.

Rosie is always very happy to score any leftover chicken, but if you're traveling with a furry friend be safe and dispose of the bones in a Walmart garbage can right after dinner.

Rosie says 'bone appetit!'