The entertainment set up in our motorhome is quite simple. We don’t have a TV. We have our Phones, Laptops and Kindles and thats it.
Those few items serve many purposes. They are our TV, Streaming Appliances, Reading Devices, Music Players, Newspapers and Communication Gear to name a few. Generally they are our 6” window in to the online world around us. Whilst we don’t rely on multiple physical electronics, we do rely on data and having signal.
So what do we do in our leisure time when we have no signal? (Funnily enough, we are in a dead spot in the Scottish Highlands as I type this, so this is real time information people!)
1. Get Outside!
Obviously this is one of the main things we love about full time travel and Motorhome life, going exploring in beautiful outside spaces. But when we have no other distractions, it feels even better to immerse ourselves in the surroundings.
This might sound obvious to some but when you share your travels on social media as we do, you inevitably end up online posting whilst you are out. I (Tash) run the accounts so occasionally this sends me down a scroll hole and before I know it, I have my nose in my phone and potentially miss out on something in the present moment.
On this point it’s also worth nothing that having a set of walkie talkies is not a bad idea for when you have no phone signal. That way you can communicate if one of you pops out nearby.
2. Read!
We both have Kindles as this is one electronic that is nice to have separate from your phone. It’s an old saying but there really is nothing quite like getting stuck in to a good book. In fact, as I am writing now, Jon is reading with Tinkerbell curled up at his feet and it looks blissful. I will be doing the same once I snuggle in to bed soon, hopefully with Millie at my feet or laying on my chest. No phone, no social media, just absorbed in a sea of words and imagination.
3. Talk!
Now, this is another one that might seem obvious but when your balls deep in a Netflix series or you’ve fallen down the YouTube black hole, hours can pass before you even acknowledge there’s someone else in the van with you. (Maybe thats just Jon and I need to find better ways to get his attention?)
It’s nice just to chat and have a catch up without the temptation of the internet to divert our attention. Even though we are with each other pretty much 24/7 since moving in to the van, we still have our own interests and enjoy time on our own. Thats probably one of the reasons we never run out of things to talk about.
4. Colour!
I didn’t know adult colouring books were even a thing until a few years ago. It was only when I was looking at mindful/calming activities that I discovered them. Now, I always carry a couple in the van and totally enjoy losing myself in pretty patterns.
5. Uno!
Neither of us are particularly big on board games or card games but we do like to play a bit of Uno. We can’t really play many games together as our competitive nature takes over but the odd few games are always good for a laugh.
6. Organise!
Not everyones idea of a relaxing time but it’s definitely a good use of time. Even in a small space, things can build up, become untidy and need a bit of a sort out. In fact, Or there might be odd jobs and repairs that need doing. It’s sometimes more urgent in a smaller space because there is no where to hide anything. It’s great to get stuck in to jobs like this when you are not preoccupied with anything else and personally, we find it extremely satisfying.
Back Up Plans
We don’t tend to have much downloaded to save on storage space on our devices but we do have a small selection of films, tv series and playlists downloaded for offline viewing and listening. Services like Amazon Prime and Netflix allow you to do this now so you can stock up on some goodies ready for a rainy day. It’s definitely ok to have some screen time in your down time!
What about navigation?
A lot of people use their phones for navigation but we use a dedicated sat nav. The Snooper has Motorhome and Truck specific software. This means we are not reliant on phone signal for route guidance (and we shouldn’t be directed anywhere we can’t fit!) We do still need to look things up though so we do have a good old paper map on board. This is why we also find BritStops handy because we can look up places to stay in the book and we are not reliant on the internet to do so.
What do you all like to do when you’re in a signal black spot?