Long road trip ahead? Here’s how to pack your automobile
With the Easter Holidays coming soon, families and friends will be taking trips to different places and here is what you need to know to prepare for the your trip.
Every Easter, the spirit of adventure inspires many South Africans to take the open road for amazing travels.
Whether you’re travelling to the beachfront delights of Durban or the breathtaking landscapes of the Garden Route, a well-packed car can make all the difference in making your road journey a smooth and enjoyable one.
If you’ve ever been on a road trip, you’ll know that the inside of the car can rapidly get cluttered, messy, and disorganised.
Tips on how to pack your car for a safe journey
Make a list of everything you’ll need for your trip before leaving. Once it’s in bags, tick it off your list. That way, when you’re ready to start packing the car, you don’t have to worry about whether you’ve packed those essential trip goods.
Here’s when MotorHappy’s free online service comes in helpful. When drivers sign up with MotorHappy Drive, they gain instant access to an online vault where they may save digital copies of their entire key vehicle, insurance, and travel documents. This service is free to anyone with a car.
Once you’ve determined the list of stuff you’ll need for your road trip, start gathering your entire luggage in one place so you can assess the space-to-luggage ratio before loading everything into your vehicle.
Begin packing larger, heavier items first, such as camping fridges, cooler boxes, and larger luggage. Then, pretend you’re playing Tetris; fit the rest of your stuff into the boot, using proper slots for the various-sized bags. This approach allows you to fill in any empty spots and make the best use of your available space.
Make sure you’ve packed all of your luggage into genuine bags (such as duffel bags or kit bags) so there are no stray items lying around. The last items to pack into the car should be those that you may require along the journey.
The last thing you want is to unpack everything during your pit stop at the garage and discover that comfortable hoodie at the bottom.
Remember to be prepared in case of an emergency when loading all of your holiday supplies. Make sure your emergency auto tools (jumper cables, triangle, tyre kit, etc.) and first aid pack are immediately available.
Most cars have the spare tyre under the boot, therefore, unloading the entire boot is required to access to it. Imagine having to unpack your entire boot only to retrieve an emergency triangle or a headache medication for your guests.
No matter how much you need to bring, never overpack your automobile to the point where it becomes unsafe or impairs your visibility. If you just cannot fit all of your passengers and their luggage into a car comfortably, consider renting a caravan or roof box to ensure a comfortable and safe journey.
Snacks are perhaps one of the most essential “necessities” to have on a road trip. Before you go, make sure you’ve packed enough snacks for the entire journey.
To save room in your car, divide your road trip food into legs and store the rest in the boot. Keep your drinks chilled by storing them in a cooler bag or mini-car fridge. Also, have an empty packet for your trash.
Aside from picking comfortable clothing to travel in, you and your passengers should bring along a few comfort things that you may require during the trip. A travel pillow, blanket, big jumper and socks are all acceptable options.
Another recommendation is to bring a towel. If it’s a hot day and you have leather seats in your car, you’ll be much more comfortable sitting on top of a beach towel (which you can also use on your vacation).
• Information from MotorHappy
