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6 Travel Hacks For Your Next Airbnb, VRBO, Cabin, or HipCamp Rental
You've been planning this trip for months. Waiting with eager anticipation for the chance to get away. You did your research and found the best vacation rental that is close to everything you want to do and it looks absolutely gorgeous. It looks like it has it all, but sometimes they can miss the small things. As a team of travelers, we polled our office and identified 6 small details that often get overlooked at a rental. We're here to help and suggest some travel hacks so nothing gets in the way of that perfect weekend getaway.
1. There's no bedside lamp, leaving you in the dark.
A comfy bed gets cancelled out when you have to get up and walk across the room just to turn the lights out. Not an ideal scenario for trying to get tired and wind down from the day. AlpenGlow 250 can be the perfect travel companion for you and solve this problem. The AlpenGlow 250 is small and compact enough to fit in the side pocket of your backpack and features a lock mode so it won't turn on in transit. It has a dimmable bright white and warm white setting which are both great for reading. The candle flicker mode is also a great way to bring the feeling of flames inside when the weather is nasty or that fireplace in the rental pictures turns out to be ornamental. Lastly it doubles as a battery bank which can help charge your phone in a pinch. Family-tip: traveling with kids? The AlpenGlow 250's multicolor LED modes work as a great portable night light for the little ones.
2. ...And there's no bedside outlet, either.
Sometimes when there is no bedside lamp, it can often mean that there is no electrical outlet near the bed either. This can be a pain for those who charge their phones overnight, aka everyone. You may be thinking that you'll just plug your phone in across the room where there is an outlet. This sounds like a good idea until you need to silence that alarm you forgot to turn off from the work week. Also let's be real, so many of us start our day with a quick phone check to see messages from friends, glance the news, or even get a read on the weather if we've got plans for a big day outside. This is where our Charge PD Series can come in handy to top off your phone so you can start your day with a full charge. It also can help keep your phone next to the bed for those early morning routines that help you get out of bed.
3. You can't connect to the speaker system (or there isn't one to begin with)
This one is easy enough and many people know about putting your phone into a empty glass to amplify the sound. Only downside is that having your phone as the musical entertainment all afternoon can really drain the battery. Charge 40 or Charge 80 are perfect to keep your phone as other devices charged up. Having (2) USB-A ports and a USB-C port allows you to recharge multiple devices at the same time. Even if you planned ahead and brought your own portable speaker. Quickest way to kill the vibe is to run out of power. Keep the good times going and the music playing by staying powered using our Charge PD Series.
4. The porch light is busted, making the walk to the backyard a wee bit treacherous at night
The pictures of your Airbnb can only tell you so much. They may not show you that last step from the back porch is a little loose or that one plant in the backyard has thorns on it. This can be especially hard to tell when there is no light. That is why we recommend traveling with a HeadLamp 200. This little guy is portable, lightweight, and can fit into nearly every pocket. It is one of the items that you would rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it. Toss it in your bag for your next trip and you may use it more than you think.
5. No lighting between your campsite and your bathroom
Picture this, you wake up in the middle of the night from all the hot chocolate you drank around the campfire. You unzip your tent and it is pitch black -- meaning, you can't see where the outhouse is. Grab your HeadLamp from the mesh pockets in your tent and navigate your way to the facilities with ease. Beyond nighttime bathroom runs, headlamps with red night mode (like all BioLite models) can keep your late night hangs going while minimizing light pollution. Turn out your lanterns, car lights, and any other major light sources and use your HeadLamp to get to and from your hangout spots without any issue. You'll be glad you did when the starry skies look extra detailed. Additionally, using the red light setting inside your tent is a thoughtful way to not wake any of your sleeping companions.
6. The Fire Ring leaves a lot to be desired (or there's no Fire Ring at all)
Open Fire Pits and Fire Rings are a nice rental feature but they're still coming with a lot of smoke which means the all-too-familiar shuffle around the fire. Our FirePit+ is a fully contained portable smokeless fire pit that can give you all the benefits of a traditional campfire but with way less smoke and using up to 50% less firewood. Bonus, it also accommodates charcoal and can transform into a grill or griddle if you're looking to cook with your fire. For sites that have active dug-in firepits or fire rings, we recommend placing FirePit+ right on top and experience the difference. Important note: if your rental does not have explicit information about open fires policies, it's important you check with them first.
Plan ahead with these travel hacks to make your next vacation rental feel a bit more like your home away from home. Check out the products we mentioned below and get ready for your next getaway.
