Check Out Lo Banasiak’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lo Banasiak.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
As a kid, my family would load up in the station wagon with our pop-up Jayco in tow and drive all across the country. These were family vacations as I knew them. No planes, no resorts, no hotels. Just a family of five, a pop-up camper and wild country. My first camping trip was when I was 6-months-old (perks of being the third child) and the wilderness quickly became an enchanting oasis for me. In 2013, I decided to trade the great plains of Illinois for the Rockies and officially made Colorado my home.

Over the years together, my husband Mike and I have loaded our car and dialed our packs to explore some of the country’s most beautiful wilderness. During those trips, the confusion and distraction of our daily lives is quickly overshadowed by the beauty and simplicity of nature. Our pace slows and we are reconnected with the values and beliefs that energize our souls. And we want to make those off-the-grid wilderness experiences a reality of anyone who is up for the adventure.

So, we decided to create Destination Unknown Camping and provide others with AWD rigs with rooftop tents (RTT) and essential camping gear to enjoy the open country in comfort. We transformed two Subarus into fully-loaded mountain getaways on wheels: The Silver Bullet, and The Dirtbag. The Silver Bullet (Outback with 3-person RTT) is outfitted with all the camp essentials (cook set, camp chairs, table, stand-up paddleboards, 2-person hammock…) and is perfect for out of state travelers and first-time campers. The Dirtbag (Forester with 2-person RTT) is a car, a RTT, and two solar lanterns, that’s it- for the adventure addict that travels light. The set-up is perfect for spur of the moment road trips, or adventures where you don’t want to plan out every step.

With rental car prices rapidly rising, and hotels booking fast, our set-up is the most economical way to explore Colorado. For less than the cost of a hotel room, our guests have a full adventure rig, equipped with all the gear to cook, sleep, and thrive off-the-grid. Colorado teems with premier dispersed camping and our goal is to provide the exact equipment to enjoy it.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Mike and I started discussing the idea of Destination Unknown Camping in 2019. When we decided to make it a reality in the summer of 2020, our first struggle was finding inventory to purchase due to supply issues with demand at its peak. But we were optimistic that there was a growing demand for RV travel, especially to the mountains.

Mike and I both work full time jobs in addition to this passion project. He is a civil engineer-diver who performs rope-access and underwater bridge inspections and I am a pediatric speech-language pathologist at work at an elementary school in Thornton, CO. Since we accommodate pick-ups and drop-offs at any hour, it can sometimes be a challenge to coordinate with busy schedules and personal travel.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We love connecting with our guests and hearing their stories when they return from their trips. There’s nothing better than being able to facilitate amazing adventures and see the joy it brings others. We provide every renter with our Colorado Insider’s Guide, composed of our favorite dispersed sites, hikes, lakes, and restaurants. Finally, we’ve got a great location with home base a half-block from a W-line Lightrail stop providing guest’s easy and affordable transportation to and from the airport.

So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
Book a trip with us and live the good life! To rent from us or plan a trip, reach out via Outdoorsy, the peer-to-peer RVshare platform on which we manage our bookings. We’d also love to begin curating more personalized trips or recommendations to our guests and are seeking collaboration with local restaurants, communities, or attractions.

Pricing:

• The Silver Bullet $149/night
• The Dirtbag $119/night

Contact Info:

• Email: destinationunknowncamping@gmail.com
• Instagram: destinationunknowncamping

Image Credits
Kat May Lo Banasiak