Last Updated on June 18, 2022
With travel restrictions all over the world, staycations have become an option to feel like you have still been removed from your everyday life while being doused in the joy and excitement of discovery. Adventure does not just happen in faraway places. In fact, adventure can be right outside your doorstep. All you have to do is look. We have found a lot of joy in coming up with creative Vancouver staycation ideas while we remain closer to home.
What Is Adventure?
We have realized this last year that it is never the magnitude of the adventure, or how far away the adventure takes us, that made the memories count. It is always just the fact that we are out there together, making adventures happen over and over again. It is the act of spending time together, no matter the place or activity, that really will create bonds that last.
Staycations Right From Your Doorstep
With a staycation, is it not even necessary to reserve a hotel room, you can enjoy adventure close to home. You can take time to relax, and sleep in your own cozy bed at night. A great way to create a staycation is through Ruckify, a peer-to-peer marketplace app that allows people to share assets on a short-term basis. Ruckify can help with any rentals you may desire to take your staycation to the next level. The sky is the limit.
Really though, while it looks good in writing, could creating the ultimate staycation close to home actually be this simple with Ruckify? We decided to put this peer-to-peer rental marketplace to the test to help us make some lasting memories.
What did we find?
Finding items to create winter staycation ideas, with our home as our base was actually a lot of fun. Gone are the days where you have to buy items that you would only use once or a handful of times. With Ruckify, you can rent and return what you need, you are helping to create less consumer trash, and you are saving valuable storage space.
Here are some great items that we found on Ruckify that can help to make your adventure dreams and Vancouver staycation ideas a reality. These are also items that we have rented or plan to rent within the next couple of months while we continue to lay low close to home. From hitting the slopes this winter to having some fun with the kids right at home, we found the opportunities to be endless.
Table Of Contents
Rental Ideas
Snowshoes
You do not need to know how to snowboard or ski to enjoy winter in the mountains. Over the last few years, we have really felt that the popularity of snowshoeing has been on the rise. Strapping on a pair of snowshoes, they spread your body weight over a larger surface and you’re able to ‘float’ on the snow. There are plenty of free snowshoe trail options in the Vancouver area if you’re looking to keep on a budget. One of our favorites is actually Dog Mountain located in Mount Seymour Provincial Park. Though there are a few ups and downs, Dog Mountain is a flat and beginner-friendly snowshoe trail. Snowshoeing is one of our favorite staycation ideas for some relaxation each winter.
Skiis/Snowboards
Buying sporting equipment from a store can be an expensive way to try out a new want-to-be hobby, or an inconvenience to have to wait in a long rental line. Renting your gear off of Ruckify can also be a cheaper way of trying something new before you buy your own snowboarding equipment. With rentals starting at $30 a day, you cannot lose!
Camera and Lenses
In Harrison Mills, British Columbia, there is prime world-class eagle watching between mid-October and early November during one of the largest eagle migrations in the world. The Chehalis Flats is our favorite spot to find eagles feasting on salmon. It is also the home of the world’s largest gathering of eagles: 2,000 to 35,000 bald eagles arrive for the feast during the winter salmon spawning season. It is an incredible sight to see them chowing down.
Another great place we have seen a large number of eagles is during the early morning on Crescent Beach, having a feast at low tide.
I have always used a Canon camera, but not for any specific reason. Ruckify gave me the chance to try out a Nikon D500 with two different telephoto lenses. I have been considering some camera equipment upgrades and renting from Ruckify gave me a great chance to give a Nikon a try. After a few days with a Nikon, I can make an informed choice about what feels more comfortable and natural when shooting.
Binoculars
Wildlife viewing is a great way to relax outdoors and binoculars can help you get closer to nature. With current travel restrictions, you might not be jet-setting off in a safari holiday right now, but that doesn’t mean there is not plenty of wildlife to discover in your own backyard. Take some time to enjoy the beautiful birdlife around you.
Rooftop Cargo Box
When you travel with a lot of kids, you have to take a lot of stuff. Our van is full of humans, so having a cargo box on the roof is essential for the most comfortable drive possible. Without a rooftop cargo box, we would be crammed into our family van worse than sardines. Have you ever tried a rooftop cargo box? If you rent with Ruckify, you easily can. When you have a rooftop cargo box, you will also have space to bring that warm double sleeping bag on your adventure.
Double Sleeping Bag
Winter nights can be cold and long. Stay cozy in a double sleeping bag snuggling by the fire. You will have extra space to be able to wriggle around — there’s even enough room for the kids. It is also a great way to stay warm and cozy while you’re making s’mores around a winter fire.
Bouncy Castle
When we are planning staycation ideas close to home, we like to pick a “kids choice day” to give the kids the reins. The kids tell us how they would like to spend the day. We sat the kids down one at a time and showed them some fun items available on Ruckify and they were unanimous — having a bouncy castle with a pizza party at home would still be a grand adventure.
The kids have been asking over and over when our next trip will happen and when the “sickness will go away”. This has been just as hard on them with all the restrictions. The joy they had from having a bouncy castle for a day, thanks to Ruckify, was exactly what they needed to lift their spirits. If you like to have a little more control over the activities they can choose from for a “kids choice day,” you can always write out ideas on pieces of paper and select a few from a hat.
What is Ruckify?
Ruckify is a peer-to-peer marketplace app that allows people to share assets on a short-term basis. You really can rent anything; it is like the Airbnb of stuff.
Our Experience
We really felt like our experience was seamless. We let the Ruckify staff know what we were looking for. If it was not available on the website, they made additional suggestions and found a comparable item that we were just as happy to use. It really took a lot of the stress away, making call after call to find what we needed. I’m sure they did not even have to make as many calls as I would have either, they really know their inventory and where to find what you’re looking for. I’m so glad we let the experts do the searching!
RuckifyExpress
You are able to pick up and drop off your own items, or for the ultimate convenience, a RuckifyExpress delivery driver can take care of that for you. We found using a RuckifyExpress delivery driver to be the best option. With such a busy schedule, it really saved us a lot of time. I loved that I received a reminder text notification an hour before the delivery was scheduled to arrive at my door. I was also notified when the driver was on his way, gave a new estimated time of arrival based on his departure, and was given a heads up when he was a few minutes away. These notifications ensured I was ready for a smooth changing of hands with the rentals. There are also extra Covid procedures in place to ensure smooth delivery, including meeting the vehicle and driver in the driveway, and extra sanitization on rental and return, by all parties involved.
Sustainability
Sustainable living in become more and more important for our generations, and those to come. We are always looking for more sustainable habits to bring into our travels. With Ruckify expanding over Canada and the United States, you will have a great resource at your fingertips. You will no longer have to bring along all the extra big bulky items. This is a big deal when you travel with four kids as we do. Just rent them as needed and save yourself precious storage space and that extra lugging around.
Or, have some items that you do not use enough? List them for rent on Ruckify, help others buy less, and make some cash doing your part. Renting can also be cheaper than buying since it keeps you from purchasing things that you’ll only be using a handful of times. Or, you can try out a big purchase like a new camera lens, to make sure you would be satisfied with the product. There’s less waste and being able to try a big-ticket item without a big-ticket price can be a huge deal.
Charitable Initiatives
We love the Ruckify TreeProject. Ruckify has partnered with Eden Reforestation projects to work towards planting 1 billion trees, and you can help. Eden Reforestation projects reduces extreme poverty and restores healthy forests by employing local villagers to plant millions of trees every year. Ruckify will plant a tree for every sign-up, app transaction, and review.
Your First Rental Could Be Free!
We are convinced that Ruckify will help you take your adventures to new heights. To help you embrace a staycation near you, we have teamed up with Ruckify to give you an extra bonus. Sign up here, using code referral code WORLDADVENTURISTS to have $35 in RuckBucks placed in your new Ruckify account, towards your first rental. Depending on what you decide to try out, your rental could be completely free! And, it is free to join. If you sign up without our referral link, you only will have $10 placed in your new Ruckify account. Use the WORLDADVENTURISTS referral code for the extra bonus!
Not From Our Hometown Of Vancouver?
That is okay! Go to Ruckify.com and see what rentals are available near you, or post some of your rentals to make some extra cash to help fund your adventures!
What are some activities that you are looking forward to adding to your staycation plans?
This post was sponsored by Ruckify, but as always our thoughts and opinions are our own.
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