Look, being spontaneous is one thing, but telling your friends that you’re inviting them on a road trip with less than 12 hours to prepare is just borderline reckless, no matter how hard you try to spin it as being “quirky.” At the end of the day, the success of road trips largely depends on how well-prepared everyone is in terms of their rucksacks, having everything they need, and the car undergoing all the necessary maintenance, all of which is challenging to cram in that short of a time frame.
Consequently, the risk of accidentally missing something very important or forgetting a tool back at home increases exponentially, and it’s a pretty quick and efficient way of ruining the vibes for the entire trip.
So, whenever you have the option to reschedule things a few days later, you must go over a couple of tips and tricks first for both your car’s sake and anything else you might need during the drive.
Your Car Is Your Lifeline, so Make Sure It’s Ready to Go
Firstly, there’s no denying that the intended car for the road trip is everybody’s lifeline for having a good time. If something goes awry under the hood, you’ll be spending the rest of the travel from the back of a towtruck or in an emergency response vehicle. As a result, making sure everything’s ready to go is a no-brainer, and some of the things you must include in your checklist are going over your tires, inspecting your battery, and packing extra tools.
Bad Tires Increase the Risk of Accidents
If your tires have been through hell and back across all four seasons, even a brand-new Subaru vehicle for sale bought less than a year ago will need its tires checked. For the most part, car tires are durable and can be around six to ten years before showing clear signs of wear and tear, but any signs of cuts or bubbles should say otherwise.
You Don’t Want a Dead Battery in the Middle of Nowhere
While most people think fuel is the most important thing in the car, you can’t really start the engine without a working battery, so having a dead one in the middle of nowhere is probably the worst-case scenario. Generally, they can last for about three years with regular use, but if you’re noticing issues with overheating or bulging that shouldn’t be there in the first place, you should get it checked and replaced by a mechanic.
Always Keep Your Tools and Spares Handy
Lastly, no matter what how many maintenance checks your car goes through before a road trip, we can’t realistically prepare for all possible scenarios. So, you might want to keep a few hand tools packed inside the trunk and also a spare tire just in case something bad happens. You see, there’s no telling what you’ll meet out there, and making space for essentials shouldn’t hurt your cargo as much.
If You Drive All Day, Mental Fortitude Won’t Be Enough
Secondly, besides all the preparation made for the car, let’s not get ahead of ourselves and think that our driving mantra and the motivation to have fun will be all that’s necessary for staying awake and energized for the road trip. Especially if you’re driving ten plus hours with minimum bathroom breaks in between, you’ll definitely need easy-to-pack snack options, proper hydration, and just the right music playlist for the trip.
Easy-to-Pack and Convenient Snacks
Food is essential, and while stopping by a drive-through is an easy way to get cheap fast food, it’s not the healthiest option nor the cleanest, judging by all the crumbs and trash you’ll have by the end of it. Instead, you must go for homemade easy-to-pack options like making chopped cheese sandwiches and maybe even a bit of trail mix to keep you satiated for most of the trip.
Keep Your Water Levels Up and Hydrate
Just like food, you’ll need to keep yourself hydrated throughout the trip, not for keeping yourself healthy alone but also because dehydration can lead to blurred vision. Of course, some would argue that drinking too often and too much will lead to more frequent bathroom breaks, but adding a few extra minutes is far better than increasing the risk of accidents.
Download Your Music Playlists in Advance
Last but not least, while catching up with friends you haven’t talked to in quite a long time may seem like a limitless treasure trove of stories and jokes to tell, you’ll be surprised at how fast you’ll burn through supplies. So, to avoid the awkward silence that will ensue afterward, we firmly believe that everybody should download a music playlist that’s at least half as long as the entire trip to cover all the bases and still have time to switch with someone else’s picks.
Preparation is Key to a Successful Road Trip
Overall, we can all agree that preparation is key to a successful road trip, and while being spontaneous does have its benefits, it should sit this one out for the sake of safety and proper planning. In doing so, no matter what popular road trip destination you decide, we can guarantee things will turn out more than okay.
