Are you planning a road trip? In this blog post I will tell you how to pack your car for a trip.
Knowing what you are going to put into your suitcase is only half of the battle when it comes to effectively packing your car for the vacation. You do want to decide how of what goes into the suitcases and how many suitcases, there is likely to be plenty more than you will have to concern yourself with.
The bottom line and ultimate deciding factor is of course the size of the car. You do not want to load up a SUV amount in a Volkswagen Beetle. No matter how you try it will not work and by chance if you got it to work I can guarantee one thing. Everyone will be miserable with a capital M.
First off and this may seem obvious but, place the heavier items on the bottom. You never know where things will end up after several sharp curves or having to slam on your breaks because someone else isn’t paying close attention on the road. If you have breakable items you will need to make sure they are packed very securely. For those of you traveling with Christmas presents, do your best to hide them in the trunk area. Even if you lock your vehicle when you stop someone may decide they want to break a window to take what you have.
You might want to consider using plastic crates or plastic storage containers with tight lids. This will allow you to fill them up and then stack them in your vehicle. It can offer you more room. If you are traveling for a Christmas holiday make sure you have plenty of room in your vehicle that your family will receive while you are visiting your family.
It is vital that you pack your car for holiday travel in a manner that allows you to be able to see out of all the windows. Blocking your view of the road is simply something you don’t want to get involved with. This can lead to a ticket from law enforcement or to you being involved in an accident.
If you simply don’t have enough room in your vehicle then you need to buy or rent a storage compartment that goes on the top of your vehicle. These aren’t very expensive and you will find they are very handy for more than just holiday travel. You can use them when you go on a vacation, fishing, or camping.
Another option is to rent a larger vehicle or a van for your holiday travel. Not only will you have more room to pack everything you need, but you will be able to not worry about breaking down or anything. Should the vehicle be damaged in an accident or breakdown the rental company will get you another one and you can continue on your way.
You will likely need several items to be accessible so think about that before you pack. You don’t want to have to unload your entire vehicle when you stop for the night or to get to something important. If you have a hotel reserved for the half way point of your trip pack one suitcase with clothing for everyone to change into the next day. This way you eliminate having to carry in several suitcases and having to repack your car the next morning.
Pockets and pouches for your car are a great idea when you are traveling for the holidays. Most of them strap to the back of the seat. You can easily store your map and other navigational tools there. Children can also use them for their activities as you don’t want them unbuckling their seat belt to get to them while the vehicle is in motion.
Many people pack their purse into their travel gear but you want to place it where you can easily reach it. This way you can get to your identification if you are pulled over and you have access to money if you need to buy something. Since you never know if children or adults will get ill on the trip make sure you pack some basic items including aspirin, chewable medicine for children, and chewable medicine for upset stomachs. This will make the entire trip for holiday travel much easier.
In case you want to come by car to stay in one of our apartments, just contact us if you need any help deciding the right way of traveling.
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