Five Things to Consider Before Family Camping Trip

Taking your family on a camping trip is a great adventure but it is also a great responsibility. Namely, apart from having a great time, you are responsible for everyone’s safety. Now, one of the greatest misconceptions about safety is the idea that it mostly depends on the decisions you make on the road. Keeping a low speed while driving, being well rested, and avoiding potentially hazardous situations are important but 90 percent of on-road safety accounts for being well-prepared. With this in mind and in order to ensure that everything is in the best order on your family camping trip, here are five mandatory preparation tips.

Prepare your itinerary

There’s nothing wrong with spontaneity, however, you cannot allow your road trip to become too unpredictable, seeing as how this can put you and your family at great risk. Some routes have their specific needs or hazards and embarking on such a voyage without proper preparation can result in an outright disaster. In order to avoid this, you need to prepare your itinerary beforehand. Luckily in the age of the internet, learning about your destination or even marking it down in virtual format is quite easy. All you need to do is mark all the major spots you aim to visit, plan your lodging situation to the letter, and know where you can refill your tank.

Make sure your vehicle is in the right condition

The next thing you need to keep in mind is the state of your vehicle. Namely, in order to embark on a long voyage, you need to be 100 percent sure that your car or SUV is in working order. Changing your filters, and replacing your tires and oil are fairly easy actions, yet, you also want your engine and brakes checked. Aside from this, there are numerous hazards to look out for, which is why you might want to take your vehicle to an auto repair service center instead of attempting to handle this on your own. In this way, the chance of something going wrong during the trip will be minimized by quite a bit.

Prepare for the unexpected

Your packing process, as well, might make a difference between a safe trip and a proper disaster. Sure, a first aid kit and a change of clothes are the bare minimums you have to take. What about snacks? In most cases, you will take some meals to prepare at the campsite but what if you get stuck in the traffic for longer than you’ve anticipated. What if there is an unexpected obstacle on the road that will further delay your trip? These are just some of the things you need to worry about when heading out. On any camping trip, there are some items that are simply must-have.

Come up with games and activities

Boredom is dangerous. Of course, it is not as dangerous as some of the above-discussed issues, yet having restless kids behind you while driving could potentially distract you, resulting in an outcome that can in no way be deemed as favorable. Apart from this, the very point of going on this trip is for everyone to have fun therefore, you need to make the game plan into one of your most important activities. This too is something you want to prepare well ahead of time and there is a myriad of interesting games for you to consider. I spy, for instance, is not only a fun game but it also raises overall on-road alertness, which is definitely a positive thing.

Stay on the grid

Finally, you need to keep in mind that in order to keep your family safe, you need to stay on the grid. Out there at the camping site, you might not have enough signal to reach civilization, therefore, you need to make sure there is someone who knows the exact spot where you and your family are about to spend the night. Needless to say, this is another reason why it is a good idea to plan the entire itinerary (something we’ve discussed in the first section), seeing as how you never know when you might be in need of assistance.
In conclusion

While there are some who may deem our considerations as gloomy or even pessimistic, it is important to keep the right perspective on things. You see, it is far better to prepare and not be in need of any of the above-mentioned methods and items than to need one and not have it available. Furthermore, when you go on the trip fully prepared, you will be able to lay back and relax, not having to worry about the safety of your family (at least not that much). In other words, you will be able to prepare much more thoroughly for your trip so you can all enjoy your trip!