Are you looking for some fun outdoor adventure ideas you can do while RV camping? That’s good because in this article we’ll highlight some fun ideas.
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List of RV Outdoor Adventure Ideas and tips
An RV is a great way to get to your destination. It is a home away from home.
But if you really want to experience new places you need to venture beyond your campsite and explore…you need to have an RV Outdoor Adventure!
You don’t want all your travel stories to involve how great things looked from inside your RV windows.
Below are some ideas that will hopefully inspire you to get out and have a great RV outdoor adventure.
Plus, there are some tips to remember when heading out for an adventure.
1) Biking
Space in an RV is at a premium. A lot of people don’t want to store their a large bike inside. Thankfully they now make folding bicycles that fold down to less than 3-feet long.
FOLDING BICYCLES
The cool-looking folding bike shown above is called the EuroMini ZiZZO Campo.
It has a lightweight aluminum frame and folds to be less than 2.5-feet wide.
This could be a good way to pack a bike with you so you can go cycling around your campgrounds.
Click here to see details of this popular folding bike on Amazon.
2) Toy Haulers…its up to you what to haul so possibilities are endless
There are several manufacturers that make toy haulers. The back of the travel trailer or 5th-wheel folds down and provides a ramp so you can drive your motorbike or ATV right inside the trailer.
This locking storage section of the trailer allows safe overnight parking of your “toy” but it also allows you haul it from campsite to campsite.
(What you see more of now a-days is people using this interior storage space like a garage away from home. Some folks even use it as a space to do their woodworking or other hobbies.)
Remember, if you are off-roading, follow the rules of the area you’re visiting and stay on paths so you don’t disrupt the natural flora and fauna.
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Need a way to haul your gear? Check out these handy RV Racks to carry your stuff.
3) Hiking
Many campgrounds are situated near outstanding hiking and walking trails, and I don’t mean just National Parks, but also privately-owned campgrounds.
Before venturing out into unknown areas talk to the campsite operator or local guide. Learn the difficulty of the terrain, the availability of clean drinking water, and how well established and marked the trails are.
There is a huge difference between “marked trails”, and “well-marked trails”.
I’ve been on some harrowing hikes with my young daughters on marked trails. The trail markers were so few and far between that they were almost useless. Luckily, I had taken a photo of the trail map that was situated near the trail-head so we were able to make it back before dark, but it was scary.
Be Prepared
- Bring a First Aid Kit (and know how to use it)
- Pack Emergency Blankets (super lightweight, easy to pack and can either reflect your body heat back at you to retain warmth, or can reflect sunlight away from you to help cool)
- Bring some food packets (just in case)
- Make sure your hiking boots fit well, and that your socks are high enough to protect your ankles from chaffing
Don’t have a first aid kit? –> check out this article on Amazon where experts reviewed over 60 different first aid kits.
Click here to see some awesome hiking gear to make your hikes more enjoyable.
4) Inflatable Boats
Camping alongside a peaceful lake is one of the most beautiful spots an RV’er can hope for.
Fishing from the shore can be fun, but to really experience the lakes or rivers you can go boating, canoeing, kayaking or stand-up paddle-boarding. You can get on the water and have a fun RV outdoor adventure.
Inflatable boats aren’t just cheap toys anymore. There are awesome individual belly-boats for solo fishing, and there are blow-up 2-3 person boats.
Would your family enjoy one of these?
Click here to see more photos of the Intex inflatable boat on Amazon.
5) Inflatable Stand-up Paddleboards
Stand-up paddleboards, or SUP’s for short have exploded in popularity in the last 10 years.
They provide a triad of benefits:
1) good transportation on the water,
2) exercise
3) Fun (probably the most appealing benefit)
Solid model stand-up paddleboards can be very long…10-12 feet or so. Too big for most RV’ers to pack. But quality inflatable models are now available that deflate to a small, portable size but still allow a great SUP’ing experience.
I took my daughters out SUP’ing last summer for the first time. They are teens so they took to it right away. They effortlessly paddled out into the lake farther than their worrying father was comfortable with, but I always make sure they wear life-jackets (aka Personal Flotation Device.. or PFD).
Want more details of this stand up paddle board? Click here for more information.
When I stood up on the board for the first time I was surprised by how stable it felt: they are wide-bodied to help with balance. I could feel the little stabilizing muscles in my legs – right from my toes to hips – twitching and quivering to keep me upright. It was good exercise, and it was fun. It’s good to get out on the water with the kids.
But if you don’t want to stand on the boards you don’t have to. You can kneel on the boards and have a nice relaxing paddle. Then you can jump off, go for a swim, and it acts like your own personal floating dock.
Just remember safety first so you should always have a PFD and an ankle leash attached to the board so it doesn’t float too far away.
Below is a video for SUP basics.
6) Bring your life jacket
If you’re going to be heading out onto the water for boating, paddling or other fun, remember to pack your Personal Flotation Device (aka life jacket) for safety.
7) Staying Hydrating
Many people do their adventuring in the heat of summer. Remember to stay hydrated. And bring the clean drinking water with you if you can.
You don’t want to be unprepared and have to rely on a stream for water just in case it has beaver fever or other infectious diseases.
You could treat your water to kill off the bacteria and parasites, you could use a filtering device like the LifeStraw, or you could just pack your clean water with you.
8) Water-Carrying Bag
The Holstrit is a bag that holds your water bottle, but also has pockets for other items like phones, cash or cards. You can strap it around your waist like a fanny pack, or sling it over your shoulder.
Because of the founder’s personal background, the company donates some money from each sale to the National Kidney Foundation. I first read about this product in an issue of Trailer Life magazine. If you want to read more about this item click here.
I hope you have found some inspiration for your next RV outdoor adventure.
Soon your stories will be vivid, adventurous tales of all the amazing places you have camped. (Not just the fight you guys had trying to back up the trailer 🙂
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