How To Get Your Car Packed For Your Vacation: Family vacations can be a great time for your family to bond together, whether you’re relaxing on the beach building sand castles, visiting museums, or camping in a national park. If you’re driving to your location, though, you could find your trip ending in disaster—either through children fighting or worse, your car breaking down on the road. And while there’s no sure solution to stop siblings from bickering, you can at least do something to prevent automotive disaster.
Extra Fluids for Your Car
You’ve probably taken your car in to get checked by a mechanic, just to make sure everything is in working order before leaving on your vacation. If you did, your mechanic checked your car’s fluid levels and topped off or changed the lower fluid levels. Still, you’ll want to pack a few essential car fluids just in case of emergency. You never know what can go wrong on the drive.
Bring a small store of motor oil and antifreeze, and if you have enough room, you can’t go wrong packing an extra gallon of gas and some brake fluid. Make sure you have a funnel for the fluids and some rags to prevent any messes on you or your car.
Items for Basic Car Repair
You can’t predict what will happen on your drive. Maybe you’ll encounter a freak snowstorm or hit a large rock in the middle of the road. Hopefully you’ll make it to your destination without so much as a flat tire, but sometimes, fate doesn’t smile kindly on us. Don’t get caught unawares should disaster strike during your drive.
Pack a few small items that are good for quick fixes on the road. Engine sealant (like Steel Seal) is a great thing to have in case you end up with a blown head gasket in the middle of your drive. It’s also smart to bring items like duct tape, WD-40, and some spare fuses. And you can never go wrong with a tire inflator and a tire puncture sealant.
Equipment for Extreme Weather Conditions
Even if your vacation isn’t taking you into the mountains or near snow, you need to think about if your drive is taking you anywhere near any snow. Are you driving through any mountain passes? Imagine hitting black ice, spinning off the road, and getting stuck in snow. If you’re not prepared, how will you get out?
Don’t let yourself be caught in that situation. Instead, make sure you have items like a shovel to dig yourself out—it doesn’t have to be big. It could be a small, folding shovel, to save space. You could also throw in cat litter or sand to help with traction on the snow. And, if there’s a chance you’ll be dealing with snow, you’ll want a pair of gloves to protect your hands from the cold.
Family vacations are hectic enough to plan and pack for, but don’t forget to pack for your car. If you get into an automotive emergency, you’ll be glad you saved the space for your car’s bag. Then you can jump back on the road, headed for some quality bonding time with your family.
Melanie Hargrave is a wife and homemaker whose pride and joy is her family. In addition to spending time with her husband and daughters, she loves being outdoors, playing sports, and sharing her experiences with others. Hope you find this article “How To Get Your Car Packed For Your Vacation” useful.
