5 Tips to Pack Your Car For Long Trips

A road trip is one of the exciting activities you can try out one of these days, and whether your trip is going to take two hours or two days, you’ll need to plan ahead of time how you’ll pack the car.

Can’t get to the snacks? Big mistake. Do you have to unpack the entire trunk just to find your camera? You snubbed the shot. No matter how well organized the cooler is, if Dr. Pepper or LaCroix you bring for the road is buried under a bunch of other stuff, it will stay there until you reach camp—and we all know how frustrating that can be.

Here are five tips on how to properly pack for a road trip, as well as some gear to assist you.

Know Your Car’s Carrying Capacity 

First of all, think of the car you will bring with you and the storage space it has. Overloading the rig can affect its handling, performance, and safety. Check the Gross Vehicle Weight (GVWR) and Payload Capacity of your car before packing. These are usually printed on a small sticker inside the driver’s door or the owner’s manual. These numbers indicate the amount of luggage (passengers, cargo, etc.) that can be carried when the car, truck, or SUV is full. 

Organize Your Luggage 

As capacity and storage space vary from car to car, the rule of thumb is to store the heaviest items as close to the front and the cargo area’s floor as possible. The purpose is to keep the center of gravity low, reduce the weight on the wheels and prevent the car from tipping over. 

Begin by packing emergency items, so they don’t get left behind during the packing process. Use the glove box and the areas under the car seats to store these items, that way, they don’t get in the way but are still easily accessible. 

In a car without a trunk, you need to secure a light object to be stored on top of bulky luggage to prevent it from flying forward in the event of a sudden stop. And don’t stack things on the ceiling. The driver should be able to see the rear window. Don’t forget to keep important things (diapers, coats, clothes) handy and use the space under your seat.

Use A Rack

You don’t need a massive truck or a massive SUV with tons of storage to road trip properly. Add a roof box and rack for extra storage or a hitch-mount rack for bicycles or coolers.

Spread the luggage volume evenly on the roof rack for a smooth ride. Place bulky objects at the centre. It’s a hack to cushion items with blankets, especially the front. The blankets will absorb the kinetic energy if, at any point, you hard-brake. Finally, make sure the luggage in the rack is secure and well-packed; do not just sprinkle items around the box. You can try many discovery 4 accessories to feel comfortable during your trip..

Stock Up On Homemade Meals And Snack

When children say they are hungry or thirsty, it is mostly a code word for “I am bored.” Bring a collapsible cooler full of healthy snacks. This will keep you from stopping for high-priced, salty, or sugary snacks.

Fruit in bite-size pieces, snack-size bags of pretzels, animal crackers, and trail mix are all nutritious and manageable options. Choose bottled water and juice bags with straws to quench thirst while minimizing spills and dribbles. If you freeze the drinks ahead of time, they will help keep other beverages and food cold in the cooler, and a melting drink will take longer to consume. Pack a picnic lunch to avoid the dilemma of where to stop and eat along the way.

Keep Everyone Entertained

The key to a successful road trip is to keep everyone entertained, especially if children are present. Many minivans and SUVs have DVD players built-in. If yours does not, you can purchase one with two monitors attached to the headrests. Don’t forget to bring your favorite movies.

Handheld electronic games and CD-ROM books are also good ways to pass the time. Consider loading up an iPad with movies, books, and games if you don’t have much room. Everyone is likely to want to get their hands on the device. Luckily, an iPad includes maps among its many apps for when the inevitable “When are we going to get there?” question arises.

If you are traveling to a remote location, please do not expect your car’s smart system to help you out. The same goes when it comes to smartphone connectivity. If you want to keep everyone entertained on those remote drives and treks, a good option would be to download everything and then use it for offline listening. Please visit this address to download the latest songs from leading artists.

Conclusion

Safety during road trips is just as important as having fun. A working flashlight with extra batteries, 12-foot jumper cables, two quarts of motor oil, a tire pressure gauge, duct tape, pliers, Phillips and flathead screwdrivers, fuses, rags, a funnel, and work gloves are among the essentials. Bandages, gauze, scissors, tweezers, pain relievers, antiseptic ointment, hydrocortisone cream, and hand sanitizer should all be included in first aid kits.

The placement of people is just as important as well. Passengers prone to motion sickness should see from the front window. Seatbelt law stipulates who can sit in the front seat and where the child seat can be placed. In addition, think about who gets along easily and who will need special support while driving.