6 Tips to Upgrade Your Road Trips
Road trips with friends, family and even solo adventures are a cost effective and easily personalizable way to see the world. Although road trips are a cheap and enticing option, they require plenty of research and planning. However, the hard work pays off when you finally hit the open road and arrive at the perfect lookout, camping site or quirky roadside attraction. It’s all about the journey and not the destination of course! And whether you’ve driven coast-to-coast in dozens of different countries, only traversed a few miles from home, or have newly decided to live in your van, here are six tips and tricks to upgrade your road trips and ensure you’re well prepared for the next adventure.
1. Be able to pack what you need
Hitting the beach for some surfing, paddleboarding, or windsurfing? Heading to your favorite rock climbing spot? Maybe you’re looking forward to taking your new hardtail mountain bike to check out an adrenaline boosting path. Ensure all your adventure gear can be packed and arrive safely at your destination with a sprinter roof rack. A few things to look for in an ideal sprinter roof rack is its ability to be installed without drilling and good aerodynamics. An easy install helps you hit the road faster and good aerodynamics that incorporate sleek lines increase fuel efficiency compared to bulky rack designs on the market.
2. Keep your cab clean & fresh
Camping, #VanLife, adventuring and action sports are not for the faint of heart. People who spend long days outside in various weather conditions sure do have tons of fun, but don’t always smell like fresh cut flowers. Using air fresheners can help diffuse the stech of sweaty hikers, salty surfers or damp kayakers in a vehicle. You don’t have to reach for the cliche little trees brand as air fresheners come in cute and quirky designs and delicious smells and natural formulas to fit any lifestyle. You can also use dryer sheets for a similar effect.
Another way to keep your car’s cab fresh is to invest in a mini trash can to discard eyeglass wipes, napkins, energy bar wrappers and more. And if you’re spending a night or two sleeping in your car, pack a few cotton balls soaked in lavender essential oil. Take one out of the glove box before heading to sleep and take a few deep breaths to promote a peaceful night’s sleep. You’ll need your rest ahead of a big day of activities.
3. Keep a map handy
One of the best ways to upgrade your road trip is to expect the unexpected. Familiarize yourself and your fellow road trippers with the route you’re taking ahead of your trip so an unexpected loss of service or a dead device doesn't slow you and your crew down. The worst time to need a map and not have one is when your phone is dead or doesn't have any service. You can also prepare for any basic car troubles you may encounter by ensuring you have a roadside necessities kit with things like jumper cables, a jack, tire pressure gauges, road flares, and common fluids and oils.
4. The perfect playlist
Like we mentioned earlier, the best part of road trips are the journey and not the destination. Recent studies have suggested that music doesn't just help us retrieve stored memories, but it also helps us lay down new ones. And what better way to create memories than with the perfect road trip playlist? Stick with a theme of sing along ballads or show off your music taste with a personally curated genre-specific playlist. Some music platforms allow subscribers to contribute to a group playlist where multiple people can add their favorite songs to the mix.
5. Decorate your vehicle
Are you a boho bride having a #VanLife style bachelorette? Celebrating a birthday? Commemorating a recent achievement? Let your fellow drivers on the highway know why you’ve hit the road by using car window paint markers to decorate your vehicle. Pro tip: Add your venmo username to the back windshield with a message like “follow me to Moab” or “give the college grad a drink” and see how many generous motorists donate to your fun trip. Not keen on revealing too much? Have the artsy one in your group draw elaborate designs to make your vehicle stand out from the crowd.
6. Coordinate themed / matching outfits
One easy way to make the photos you take on your adventure look super sophisticated is by coordinating your outfits beforehand. Stops at gas stations and cafes become much more entertaining when everyone is dressed as their favorite music legend or celebrity. If costumes aren’t your jam, coordinate colors to wear on each day of the trip. Wearing matching colors or colors that compliment each other will help your photos turn out totally instagrammable and it’ll make for wonderful memories.