What You Need for Car Travel
What could be better than traveling in your own car? No journey or cruise can compare to a road trip. Such a journey is always full of discoveries, new experiences, and interesting stories. However, some inconveniences may accompany a car traveler on the road. How to properly prepare for the trip and what to take with you to ensure you return only with pleasant memories? Anyone who has ever tried driving long distances knows how to fill not only the trunk but also the cabin with things! We offer you a ready-made optimal list and useful tips.
Tips for Drivers
If you plan your preparation wisely, it won't take too much time.
When preparing for a trip, the first thing to do is check the vehicle's readiness. Even if the technical inspection was done recently, it wouldn't hurt to show the car to specialists a couple of weeks before departure.
We have no doubt that you are a responsible driver, but still, let us remind you: get a technical inspection and follow the traffic rules.
The best thing you can do before a long journey is to get a good night's sleep. And you can only sleep well after all preparations are complete. Set off early in the morning. If you get tired or feel sleepy — don’t fight it: stop and take a nap. Better to arrive an hour late than not arrive at all.
Be sure to take cash with you, not just cards: they are not accepted in every village, not to mention the availability of ATMs there.
Stops should be made at least every four hours.
Purchase a dashcam: it will save you from financial losses someday.
Refuel only at branded gas stations. If you're not sure they will be on your route, take a canister of fuel with you.
Plan your overnight stays in advance, without waiting for darkness to fall: it is very difficult to navigate in unfamiliar territory in the dark. And in general, plan every point of your route thoroughly, especially if you are pressed for time.
Print out all maps with locations, addresses, and phone numbers — the internet is not available everywhere. By the way, if you travel often, it makes sense to install internet in your car.
Pre-select music to stay awake and keep a good mood. Include travel songs among the tracks — singing together brings the group closer.
If you are traveling with friends in several cars, purchase walkie-talkies for communication: phones don’t work everywhere, calling while driving is inconvenient, and sometimes expensive. Make sure you don’t lose each other in traffic.
Keep frequently used items within arm's reach in the glove compartment: wet wipes, navigation maps, sunglasses, flashlight, mobile phone charger.
Distribute your luggage correctly, avoiding overload in any one area; otherwise, the car will become less stable. It’s better to place some items on the roof. Keep the most necessary items close. Toss a business card with important information into the glove compartment, including details about your health, medications you take, blood type, and significant phone numbers. This information can be useful in an emergency.
Spread out some cash in different places in the car; having a little cash in the glove compartment and bags can come in handy.
Store money and documents in a travel wallet with many convenient compartments. Carry this wallet with you during stops, and keep copies of documents in the car in case of theft.
What to Take on the Road
The list of what to take for a long car trip depends on the distance of the trip and where exactly and with whom you are going. Suppose you are traveling without children in your personal vehicle. In that case, take the following items for your road trip.
When preparing for a long journey, don’t forget to bring warm clothes for bad weather and light clothing for hot weather.
Don’t hide your raincoat and rubber boots too far; this is the best outfit for tinkering with the car in the rain during an unplanned stop.
Even if you are heading to warm places, take a waterproof jacket and sneakers: it can be cool and rainy in the south, especially at the end of summer. Bring a down jacket, polyurethane boots (they are lighter and warmer than rubber), a supply of warm socks, a raincoat, and a hat (even in summer, it can be very cold in the evenings by the fire and at night in a tent). And also a beekeeper's hat with a net — to protect against insects.
A tent with a tarp and a set of spare pegs. Pay special attention to the choice of tent if you are going to cold and windy areas: look for brands like Trump or Outwenture.
A sleeping bag should be warm, and you will also need a thick sleeping pad and foam pad to sit on. It’s better not to take an inflatable mattress in the car — it takes up a lot of space and is not very useful: it can easily get punctured at the first stop. It will be difficult to crawl into the tent because of it, and sleeping on it is cold — the air underneath you doesn’t warm up. The same goes for inflatable pillows — it’s better to take a small camping pillow instead. If you want comfort, buy a folding mattress with foam inserts. You can, of course, buy a camping bed, but it will only be useful if you have a huge tent.
A canopy that can accommodate all participants of the trip. Don’t buy cheap options. The tent should withstand strong winds and heavy rain, fully protect the group from the sun and pesky insects.
A folding table with fabric pockets to store kitchen utensils — trust me, this is super convenient. Other necessary furniture for the trip includes folding chairs or stools (the former are preferable but take up more space).
A headlamp and a lantern for the tent/canopy, plus spare batteries.
A heater for the tent if you plan a trip in the fall. A camping refrigerator is expensive and takes up a lot of space. Even on a long trip, it’s easier to manage with a thermal bag and buy perishable products on the road.
A portable toilet (with special liquid) can also be useful: for some, going to the toilet in the woods or reeds is a real problem. If you plan to visit salty lakes, take a portable shower.
A water canister and funnel, a camping filter, and water purification tablets.
A folding bucket and a portable washing machine: this is a bag-tank with rubber round "spikes" inside.
Don’t forget a rope and clothespins for drying laundry.
A car repair kit, including a tow rope, fire extinguisher, jack, set of bulbs, fuses, compressor, spare tire, anti-skid bracelets, brake fluid, antifreeze, engine oil, windshield washer fluid, gloves, rags, etc.
Emergency stop signs should always be in the trunk. Check the expiration dates of medications in the first aid kit and the availability of necessary medications: bandages, adhesive plasters, pain relievers and healing agents, disinfectants, insect repellent spray, sunscreen.
A certain supply of tools (a set of wrenches, screwdrivers, a pressure gauge, hammers, pliers, and wire cutters) will help maintain the health of the car on the way. You can use a car bag for storing tools and other items. Such bags are equipped with many pockets, holders, and straps, making it easy to organize and keep the trunk tidy.
An axe, a camping saw, a camping shovel, a grill grate, and a large supply of garbage bags.
A portable gas stove (it takes up little space, and cooking on it is much more convenient and faster than on a fire) and gas canisters. Also, grab a windscreen for the stove.
Gadgets for the car: smartphone, power bank, camera with batteries, chargers (plus one spare for the smartphone), headphones, extension cord with a triple outlet. An electronic diary will come in handy (even better — a paper notebook and pen) and an action camera (plus a stabilizer for it).
A few lighters and a large box of matches, plus newspapers for kindling.
Dishes:
A kettle, a couple of pots, a frying pan, knives, plastic cutting boards, a ladle, and mugs. We recommend taking plastic plates, spoons, and forks — they cost next to nothing but will save you from the agony of washing a mountain of dishes in cold water. After use, you can simply burn them in the fire.
Detergents for "serious" dishes, spare sponges, and rags.
Hygiene products and towels, spirals and sprays against mosquitoes, ticks, and horseflies, plenty of wet and dry wipes, toilet paper.
Useful accessories for car travel: a gadget holder, window shades, a neck pillow, a blanket.
Food for the Road Trip
An important point is food on the trip. We recommend taking two thermoses in the car: one with tea, the other, larger one, with a hot dish: this will save money on cafes for the first while. Also, take plastic containers with food that you plan to eat in the first day, cookies, snacks, and energy drinks for the driver.
The standard set for car travel includes:
canisters with drinking water, packaged tea, instant soups and cereals, pasta, grains, instant coffee, sugar, sunflower oil, pâtés, canned food (it’s better to take them in special burnable cans to carry less trash), vegetables (cabbage, carrots, onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini), which should be placed in plastic boxes with holes.
The list of items for road trips is based on the personal experience of road travelers, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be supplemented.
The main thing is not to rush on the road; this way, you can not only ensure the safety of yourself and your passengers but also see a lot of beautiful and interesting things along the way, and perhaps discover a new place for travel.
Have a pleasant and safe journey!
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