How To Prepare For Your Road Trip?

Taking a road trip can be unlimited fun. Or, depending on the preparation and circumstances, a complete disaster.

We all know that preparation = key!

Get a check-up

A ‘goes without saying’ tip, but also one of the most important ones. Have your car checked before leaving, to make sure at least your tire pressure, fluid levels, brakes and other important features are good to go.

Make sure to carry at least:

A spare tire (if you don’t have run-flat tires)
Jumper cables (that’s something you might think you’ll probably not need, but we actually did once!)
Extra wiper fluid (also learned this the hard way)

Better be safe than sorry and join a roadside rescue service. You never know if the Middle of Nowhere will unexpectedly be your next stop. Then you’ll be begging for that tow car or mechanic to arrive.

Clean out your car

Not only will you be grateful not to risk having an old chewing gum stuck to your bag, but it’ll also help you to be more organized.

During your road trip -especially if you’re planning a camping trip- things will get messy. Therefore, do your future self a favor and start sparkling clean.

Study your route

Nah, I don’t mean you should plan out every lunch spot or pee break before leaving (unless that’s your style; no judgment). But it is important to generally know what you’re getting yourself into.

Find out roughly how many miles you will be driving each day, and how long that will take. Road works, traffic and other factors can make a BIG difference.

Our experience is to listen to Siri when she tells you to change your route. We were stubborn once and ended up getting stuck in a 2-hour traffic jam. Great job guys!

Know the roads. Pay attention to windy and rocky roads. 100 miles on a main highway is a líttle different from 100 miles on a gravel country road!

Make your life easier and plan around rush hours. Those are generally much worse around big cities and big junctions.

Watch the weather! In some places the weather is extremely unpredictable and I’m guessing you’re not looking to be snowed in with no signal.

Extra tips for an ultimate Road Trip

If you don’t have it yet, purchase a stable phone mount. Our was $8 on Amazon and it absolutely made the GPS stuff so much easier!
Find out how to connect your music library to your car radio. We bought a car charger that’s also a bluetooth FM transmitter. That way you’re always charged ánd ready to DJ. Something about two birds with one stone…?
Always have some plastic bags for garbage.
DON’T forget any important car papers, insurance, passports and drivers’ licenses. (Yes, really. People do that. And yes, by people I mean me.)
Make sure to carry some liters of water and food. You never know what lies around the next corner.

Enjoy the ride

OK, now… You are prepared!

That means checked-up, cleaned out, packed and within easy reach of your car papers and drivers’ license. Your phone is securely set-up as GPS and your favorite music is blasting out of your car stereo. Congrats!

Now it’s time for your to sit back, drive safely and enjoy the views!

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Click here to read more about our road trip from Vegas to NYC

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Car checkup: completed.
New sleeping bag: hanging out to dry.
Walmart: out of beer and instant noodles (because we bought it all, get it?).

For two road trip / camping lovers, the decision on how to get from Vegas to New York was made quickly. On Dec 11th we’ll leave the excitement of the casinos for more excitement in The Big Apple.

Our trip will take about 10 days, so we’ll arrive just in time for the holidays! We’ll be spending our days driving along the East Coast and visiting places, and our nights in our new 4-seasons MSR tent (cause: cold!).

Our list of stops include: Santa Fe, the Carlsbad Caverns and New Orleans. Final: New York New York (dûh)