Should you stay or should you go?

No, this is not an outdated review of The Clash’s Combat Rock album. But it is a curious thought process about staycations versus vacations. Both can be great. But I think that stay-cations can be good training for vacations. it is a good way to up the travel skills while still being close to home. Think of this. If you live in an urban center with a lot of public transit, it works similar to transit in other places. But you might not be used to traveling in rural settings, or being in the wild.

So a stay-cation, or a local day tripping adventure can be a great way to build those skills. I used to live in Chicago. But it has been years. My skills for getting around a city, shall we say, have gotten soft. What an idea to park on the outskirts of Denver and take transit in.

I live North of Denver. And I’ve never really explored using Denver mass transit. Growing up outside of Chicago, we had commuter rail service into downtown. Now, there isn’t commuter rail service along the Front Range of Colorado. Planners had the genius idea to pull out a lot of the rail lines back in the 1960s. There wasn’t too much of a history. there are plans to create a line all the way North from Fort Collins, South to Colorado springs or beyond. But no one expects anything to even be started until 2029. So the reality is, I can cut about half the distant to Denver and park at the end of the North Line.

But I go off topic here. Oh yes, using short local trips as skill building. Short day trips are also a great way to try out new gear, bags, and tricks. Why take the risk of trying a different pair of shoes or a bag when you are a thousand miles from home? A short trip might be a good way to shake out gear, and figure out what doesn’t work.

How much you need to take with you in a day is a hard thing to figure out. It seems that most of the time, we fall either on the too much side. Folks tend to think of worst case scenarios. So, we bring too much. Maybe this is just the minimalist in me. But to be honest, I probably bring too much stuff too. Local day trips can help you shake out that heavy bag.

When you think about it, it a good idea to brainstorm what you would bring. This list might change depending on the setting. Are you in a city, or the wilds? How are you getting around? What you’re talking to do? There are a lot of might and what-ifs. Try not to get too deep into the weeds.

I like to start the idea with the notion that I’m going to be in a city, and not planning on going back to the hotel, or accommodation until the evening. What would you need to have with you to make it happen?

There are a basics: wallet, keys, and phone. Then think about snacks, food, and water. Jacket? Usually a good idea. If you’re a person who burns through phone batteries, maybe a portable power bank. The most basic setup is to ask the question, what do I need to get back to the place I’m staying. You get quite minimalist after that.