Written by Meredith Strodel of @hammockliving

Being an adventure weekend warrior means you’re making the most of your non-working days to get out and exploring as much as you can. To make the absolute most of your spare time this summer, here are 3 tips:

1. IF YOU’RE DRIVING OUT OF TOWN, AVOID RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC BY LEAVING A COUPLE HOURS EARLIER OR LATER

group of girls hammocking on the beach between two large rocks

To me, it’s not worth sitting in two hours of traffic just to arrive at the destination an hour earlier. This is the case very often in lovely Los Angeles! I’d much rather use that time elsehow and then get outta dodge when the roads clear up. It means getting in a bit later but spending much less time in the car.

 2. DON’T BE DISCOURAGED BY A LONG DRIVE EVEN IF IT IS A QUICK WEEKEND TRIP

backpacking over a bridge in the desert with a hammock hung under the bridge

There are lots of great places to visit within 3-4 hours of LA, but sometimes it is worth packing in a tighter schedule (i.e. getting less sleep) and driving farther. Gather some snacks to tide you over and load up some sweet new tunes (or podcasts – seriously, the time flies by) and you’ll be there before you know it.

3. USE YOUR WEEK TO PLAN

Young man leaning back in his hammock, hung between two trees in front of a waterfall

To maximize your Saturday/Sunday time, plan the trip out in advance. Make a list and go shopping, pack your bags and car, fill the tank and know exactly where you’re heading come Friday evening or Saturday morning. Pet peeve: being told we’re all “ready to go” but need to stop for firewood (that’s always a separate location so easily forgotten), mole skin (because the dollar store sells it the cheapest) and more beer (because we underestimated ourselves during the first trip to the store). So, as you can see, we’re really not “ready to go” at all and just added an hour to our drive when this all could have been handled Monday-Thursday.

 Hopefully these tips help save you some time and inspire you to choose new places to explore maybe a little farther from the regular weekend go-tos. We’d love to see your weekend warrior pics, so please use the hashtag #WeekendWarriorLiving and let’s see all the awesome places you’re headed in your free time! 

 

Tougher, Lighter, Stronger  Next-Generation Hammocks for Serious Explorers Check It Out
April 26, 2016 — Belinda Neff