Tag: travel

Top 5 Comfort Camping Tips

by Elisabeth

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Think camping has to mean suffering? Think again. Comfort is the key to making any trip enjoyable—especially if you’re not into “roughing it.”

When I talk to people about my love of camping and being outdoors, I get some side-eye from people who know me well. The other day my dad was like, “you know, of all the people in this family, you’re the last one I would’ve guessed would be into hiking and camping.” And I totally get it! I’m not, like, a get-your-hands-dirty kind of person. I’m not into “roughing it” in any way, shape or form. I never really liked being outside and I’ve never been a big nature person until my late 30s.
A lot of that probably has to do with the fact that I grew up in Texas. While there is some beautiful landscape here, I grew up specifically in the land of concrete and highways. There’s practically no public land where I’m from. I was just never really exposed to nature until I got older and explored it on my own, mostly in places that weren’t Texas.

But that’s only part of it. Another thing I learned when I got older is, it’s actually possible to camp comfortably.

This is me camping uncomfortably. After one night of sleeping on the ground at Enchanted Rock in 2023, I swore I’d never do it again—and I meant it.

Once I learned a few tricks, I realized that camping didn’t have to be miserable. If you love the idea of camping but hate the thought of being uncomfortable, read on for my top 5 comfort camping tips:

1) Your car is way comfier than the ground.
Let’s be real—sleeping on the ground isn’t fun. Rocks, roots, uneven terrain… no thanks. Sleeping in your car gives you a flat, insulated, and secure space to get actual rest. If you’re curious how I turned my Jeep into a comfy mini camper, check out my no-build Jeep camping set up here!

2) A hard sleeping pad is almost as comfy as a real mattress.
Amazon has a ton of Japanese sleeping mat options, which are similar to futon mattresses. The specific one I have is no longer available, but there are some others, like this mattress, that look like they’d be great, too. These mats offer way more support than traditional camping pads or inflatable mattresses. At first, I tried sleeping on a yoga mat—big mistake. I felt everything. Yoga mats are good for yoga, not for sleeping in your car.

Yoga mat sleeping pad. I do not recommending if you’re a Princess-and-the-Pea type like me. I felt everything.


3) Sleeping bags are fine, but when the weather is mild, a bunch of soft blankets are the comfiest.
Unless you really need a sleeping bag rated for low and freezing temperatures, a bunch of blankets can be so much more comfortable. Especially if you’re like me and you toss and turn. Sleeping bags aren’t my favorite for that reason, so even when it’s chilly, I just pile on more blankies. You can adjust them easily as the temperature changes. If you’re not camping in freezing temps, you can skip the restrictive sleeping bag.

You can layer soft and comfy blankets like these and add and subtract them depending on your personal levels of comfort and the weather.


4) Bring TWO Pillows.

Just grab your own pillow off your bed. Better yet, grab two! There’s no reason to suffer.
If you don’t want to bring your inside bed pillows out into the wild, you can invest in some that are just for camping; but don’t skimp on quality!
Something like these comfy memory foam pillows will work perfectly.
I currently have these pillows on my bed and always take them camping with me. I just swap out the pillow cases for clean ones when I get back.

5) Not having access to a toilet doesn’t mean you have to pee on the ground.

One of the biggest concerns for new campers is where to go when there’s no toilet around. My favorite solution? A spill-proof female urinal. (Yep, “spill-proof” is key—trust me). There are a lot of options, but this female urinal is my favorite.

You can dump it outside if you’re way out in the bush, or if you’re at a campground and just don’t want to walk all the way to the bathrooms in the night, empty it into a toilet in the morning. Once you get home, you can clean out the container in the shower with some Dawn dish soap. Using vinegar also eliminates odors.

What are your essential comfort camping tips? Let me know in the comments!

The Most Important Red and Green Flags to Keep in Mind When Buying a Car Online (Part II of my saga)

by Elisabeth

If you read Part 1 (How I Almost Committed to the Wrong Truck and the Lessons I Learned), you know my first online truck purchase turned into a nightmare…bad brakes, leaking power steering, a rusted exhaust. I was days away from getting stuck with a $5,000 mistake. Thankfully, I was able to utilize Carvana’s test-drive period and return the vehicle. I still needed a truck, but I didn’t want to get burned again.
So how did I make sure my next truck was a winner? I learned to spot the biggest red flags and green flags when buying a car online. Here’s what you need to know so you don’t get burned like I almost did.

Top 3 Red Flags:

Red Flag Number 1: Multiple Owners

If a vehicle has changed hands every year or two, that could be a warning sign that something’s wrong. During my second search I found a cool truck that fit a lot of my specifications, but the last owner only had it for about a month before it was sold again. This didn’t automatically mean something was wrong, but it raised a red flag. Why did the last owner ditch it after just a month?

I was looking for a truck that had, ideally, only one owner. Always check the Carfax report to see how many times a vehicle has been bought and sold.

Red Flag Number 2: Prior Accidents, Even Minor Ones

The first truck I bought had been in a minor accident and was under a recall notice according to the Carfax report. Even a minor accident can hint at deeper issues. Did the previous owner neglect maintenance? Was it patched up cheaply? It doesn’t always mean you shouldn’t buy it, but it is something to keep in mind.

Red Flag Number 3: Body Damage

The damage my first truck had-dented splash guard, some scratches on the side, bent tow hitch-indicated it might have been driven hard and treated poorly. Again, body damage on its own isn’t necessarily a deal breaker, but keep it in mind as part of your overall evaluation.

Now, onto the Top 3 Green Flags!

Green Flag Number 1: A Single Owner

When I found my 2022 Tacoma, I was pleased to see it only had one owner. This truck had not been passed through multiple hands. Single-owner trucks are surprisingly rare, especially used Tacomas. Many have been passed around, so finding one with just one owner was a big deal. It’s more likely in a new vehicle, of course, and it makes sense that a 2022 only had one owner as opposed to the older 2019 I had to return for all of its mechanical issues. But I wanted my next truck to only have one owner, and I’m glad I didn’t compromise on that value.

Green Flag Number 2: Consistent Service Record

This is where the Carfax report can really come in handy. My truck got every oil change done at the dealership. The prior owner brought it in for all of its regular maintenance and mileage-based inspections. In my opinion, this makes it a whole lot more likely that an owner who was getting all of the scheduled maintenance and taking it to the dealership for oil changes was babying this truck, which is what you want when purchasing a used vehicle.

Green Flag Number 3: A Good Inspection Report From a Trusted Mechanic

I brought my second truck to the same mechanic who had diagnosed all the issues with the first one, and he gave it a clean bill of health. “This is a solid purchase,” he told me. “This is a beautiful truck.” Most mechanics will inspect a used vehicle for fee; I paid about $170, and every dollar was worth it.

And this time, I got a winner.

Isn’t she lovely? Isn’t she beautiful?

In the end, patience and a little bit of knowledge helped me find the right truck. Have you ever bought a car online? What red or green flags did you run into? Drop a comment below as I’d love to hear your experiences!

How I Almost Committed to the Wrong Truck…And the Lessons I Learned (Part I)

by Elisabeth

Buying a car online? Sounds risky, right? That’s exactly what I thought when I decided to purchase my dream truck through Carvana. Turns out, I was right to be cautious—but not for the reasons I expected. In fact, I almost ended up with the wrong truck entirely.

Spoiler alert: I eventually found my perfect vehicle, but not before making some mistakes, dealing with stress, and learning some hard lessons along the way. Here’s what happened when I almost committed to the wrong truck, and the biggest lessons I learned in the process.

Buying a vehicle online is a weird experience. I had my doubts, but Carvana’s process seemed convenient and straightforward, and ultimately, I found my perfect truck. But before I drove off from the Carvana vending machine in my dream vehicle, I had a near-disaster with my first choice.

We’ll get to that in a minute. First, here’s what I learned about buying from Carvana.

There are one major upsides of buying from Carvana: The 7-Day Test Drive

One of Carvana’s biggest selling points is their seven-day test drive period. Basically, you have seven days from the date you pick up your vehicle to decide if you want to keep it. You can return it for any reason, whether it’s too big, too small, has uncomfortable seats, whatever.

But for me, the best reason to return a vehicle? If it’s a mechanical disaster. Which, unfortunately, is exactly what happened with my first truck.

My First Truck: A Costly Mistake Waiting to Happen

The first truck I bought from Carvana was a 2019 Toyota Tacoma access cab. It had 52,000 miles, had been in a minor wreck, had two prior owners, and was under a recall notice. But, it looked cool! It had a sweet storage rack on top and some aftermarket lights. I was excited!

This is the only photo I have of that truck. I’m more prominently featured because I was having a rare excellent hair day.

Then, my son Hunter took one look under it.

“Mom, this thing is rough.”

He wasn’t kidding.

The muffler was rusty, and parts of the exhaust system had been welded in multiple places—never a good sign. The skid plate up front was bent, and the tow hitch was warped, as if, in his words, “an idiot wrapped some chain through there and tried to pull out a stump.”

Yeah, that was not great.

I took it to a shop that I trusted and paid for a used vehicle inspection. When it was complete, they gave me the bad news:

The rack and pinion assembly was leaking, the catalytic converter needed to be replaced, there was a hole in the rear exhaust and it was rusted out, and the power steering was leaking and the pump needed to be replaced. On top of that, the front brakes where completely wasted and needed to be replaced ASAP.

The estimated about $5,000 in repairs.

Some of the most visible damage.

I hadn’t even owned the truck for 72 hours.

Thankfully, I was still within Carvana’s 7-day test drive period.

I returned it immediately.

After licking my wounds for a few days, I hesitantly got back on the Carvana app. This time, I was determined not to rush.

Another big advantage of Carvana (and similar online retailers like CarMax) is that they give you access to vehicles across the entire country. You’re not stuck with whatever the local used car dealership has to offer. But that also means you have to be patient and really know what you’re looking for.

I started searching daily, even multiple times a day. I refined my search criteria, set alerts, and kept researching. I knew I wanted a long-bed Toyota Tacoma; I was going to build a mini camper in the back, so my 5’10” self needed the space. Four wheel drive and a V6 engine were essential, too.

I also learned a few crucial red flags to avoid—but more on that in Part II.

Then, after weeks of searching, I finally found it. A 2022 Toyota Tacoma extended cab in a beautiful deep blue. It had low mileage, clean history, no wrecks, and no major mechanical issues. It checked every single box. I knew immediately: This was my truck.

Returning that first truck was a wake-up call. I knew I had to be smarter, more cautious, and way more meticulous in my next search. And after a lot of trial and error, I finally figured out the biggest red flags to avoid and the best green flags to look for when buying a vehicle online.

Want to avoid making the same mistakes I did? Check out Part II—where I break it all down for you.

Have you ever bought a vehicle online? What was your experience like? Did you run into any issues, or did it go smoothly? Let me know in the comments. I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Read Part II: The Most Important Red & Green Flags to Keep in Mind When Buying a Car Online