The fact of the matter is that thinking of how to prepare for your first solo road trip can be intimidating. Not only do you have to ensure that everything goes well, but you also are trying your best to avoid any unexpected issues along the way. Whether it’s avoiding messing up your tires or making sure that you know where to go for everything. Read on to follow this helpful to help you prepare for your first solo road trip better.
1. Know Where Your Bathroom Stops Are
This is likely the most significant thing that you need to do when you have to prepare for your first solo road trip. When you’re traveling alone, you’ll likely spend a lot of time drinking water or coffee to keep yourself awake throughout your trip. Sooner or even later on during your travels, you’ll need to know where to locate traditional or portable restrooms.
Since this is your first rodeo doing it solo, it’s best to stay prepared for needing a restroom before you leave your home. It’s highly possible that you’re using a road that you’re not familiar with. You don’t want to find yourself in a situation where you’re pressed for release in unfamiliar territory.
So, what’s the best way to prepare for your first solo road trip and the whole dreaded restroom scenario? These are three easy tips that should help you.
- Research the local language of where you’re going. This should make it easier to ask for a restroom when you get there.
- Technology is alive and useful. Download a restroom app before you leave your home.
- Prepare to pay a fee in some places.
2. Set Up Home Security While You’re Gone
The one thing that you’ve got to love about technology is that it makes your life more convenient, and safer. Take the way that alarm systems have evolved for instance. Nowadays, you don’t need to rely on your family or friends to keep on checking if your alarm system is still functioning while you’re away.
With a smart intrusion monitoring system that’s connected to your smartphone, it’s easier to prepare for your first solo road trip without being anxious. Let’s face it, leaving your home unattended for a number of days can leave you worried when you don’t have anyone close by to monitor things while you’re away. The great thing is that smart alarm systems give you full access to your home, no matter where you are in the world.
If you haven’t installed one of these systems, you’re not alone. This is why you should use these simple 5 tips to help you set it up.
- Make sure to select your ideal smart hub before anything else.
- Choose a security kit with compatibility with third-party devices.
- Ensure that it’s a DIY-friendly smart alarm system.
- Choose a device that has options for self or professional monitoring.
- Choose a flexible system that allows you to add extra devices should you please.
3. Make Sure the Trash Is Taken Out at Home
If you’re planning on being Gone for too long, you should think of how leaving any trash can is bad for you. The last thing that you want to deal with when you come back from a memorable escape is dealing with a foul smelling house. Before you head off, make sure that you’ve taken out everything for your waste disposal services provider to collect.
In most cases, when you’re thinking of the things to prepare for your first solo road trip you hardly consider emptying out your trash to be a priority. Yet, it should be one of the first things that you sort out before you leave. Besides, when you leave your trash to rot in your home, a foul smell isn’t the only thing that you should be worried about.
Here are other consequences that you’re likely to deal with should you not empty the trash before you go on your adventure.
- It can create an unhealthy environment for you.
- It can release methane gas in your home when it’s decomposing.
- It carries a vast amount of germs.
- It can lead to you having a rodent infestation.
- It impacts the rest of the environment.
4. Get Your Car Road Ready
While planning so that you can prepare for your first solo road trip is important, you should ensure that you don’t leave out anything crucial. A trip to your Audi mechanic is something that you should prioritize way before your planned departure date. Making sure that your car or motorcycle is roadworthy is essential.
The fact of the matter is that your road trip is a much-needed escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. It’s a great time to unwind while you leave your worries behind. A breath of fresh air in unfamiliar territory is just what your doctor has ordered for you.
However, it’s important for you to understand that going on your first solo road trip can put a strain on your car. To avoid experiencing any unexpected car failure, you should ensure that your car is fully functioning. You don’t want to have a car breakdown to ruin all your plans for your trip.
So, when you prepare for your first solo road trip, following these 5 tips to get your car ready for the road should help you.
- Take your car in for a major service, even if it includes replacing your old carpets for improved auto carpets.
- Get a thorough tire inspection for any out-of-sight issues.
- Assess if your car lights can impact your vision at nighttime.
- Keep your car’s battery fully charged.
- Have emergency essentials and tools packed as a backup.
5. Keep a Lock Box for Valuables
Do you have any diamond and gemstone bracelets that you want to keep safe while you’re away on your solo road trip? If the answer is in the affirmative, then you should consider keeping a lock box to store your most valuable items. Even though you have installed a smart security system in your home, you can never fully guarantee that all your valuable items will be fully protected.
In most cases, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Adding layers of protection for yourself and your family is the way for you to go. Extra security such as a lockbox can be safely stored in a vault or in your home.
If you decide to choose the keeping it at home option, you should be creative with where you’ll hide your lock box. The last thing that you want to find is that your custom made jewelry has gone missing while you were away. Even if getting a lock box seems to be over cautionary, it’s still a very good idea to ease your paranoia while you’re away.
When you decide to get a lockbox or safe, you should have an idea of where you’ll hide it. Granted, you want to do as much as you can to avoid any burglaries happening while you are away. These are the most useful tips to ensure that you keep your valuable items safely hidden even in your home.
- Think of the most obvious places in your home. Hiding things in plain sight is a great idea.
- If it’s documents that you’re hiding, use some of your artwork to tuck them in.
- Create a small space that’s accessible by you in your carpet, and stash things there.
- Use the rooms that seem neglected or unused in your home as perfect hiding spots.
- Trick potential burglars by using false bottoms and fake containers as storage.
6. Decide Whether Pets Are Coming Along
When you live with your pet, there are things that you just simply can’t do without him or her. Even though the main idea is for you to prepare for your first solo road trip, circumstances can change your plans. Or, you might desperately want to have your pet accompany you along this joyful trip.
Whatever reasons you may have to decide that your pet is coming along with you or not, you should understand that you now have to plan for them as well. Things that you should consider are the type of accommodation you require. Will you be staying at a place that has pet boarding or not? Or, would you prefer to camp instead?
As soon as you take your pet along, you should realize that you’re no longer trying to entirely prepare for your first solo road trip. Now, you have a companion that you have to consider each step of the way.
7. Bring an Emergency Kit
The thing is that you’ll never know how useful thermal insulation blankets can be until you have to travel alone. In fact, when you have to go on a solo road trip plus your pet, you should know a thing or more about packing an emergency kit. You should cover all the bases when you’re traveling alone.
This means having different maps, buying the right kind of sunscreen, and packing certain tools. Of course, when you prepare for your first solo road trip, you’ll ensure that you pack all these items. An emergency kit could be the one thing that makes your road trip a success.
You just never know when you’ll need a flashlight to ensure your survival. This is why you need to prepare for your first solo road trip with an emergency kit in mind at every step of the way. Knowing these items that you should include in your emergency kit is very significant.
- More than one device that has GPS. Make sure that they’re always fully charged.
- Light, yet fulfilling snacks in case you run into a food shortage supply.
- Gear such as wipes, toilet paper, and sanitizer for hygiene purposes.
- Medication particularly for allergies and pain.
- Multiple portable chargers that don’t rely on electricity to charge.
8. Understand Local Laws
The thing about preparing for your first solo road trip is that it’s easy for you to forget about doing research on state laws. Yet, this is a very important part of your entire journey. If you plan on going to a different state, please ensure that you know more about their laws.
You’d be surprised to find that there are different state laws and requirements for things like auto and health insurance. If you happen to find yourself in a state that doesn’t have the same laws as where you come from, being clued-up about what the law says should help you get out of a potentially messy situation. The great news is that it has become easier to access information on local laws of each state in this country.
Use the resources that are easily accessible by you to learn more about what to expect from where you’re traveling to. And, ease yourself into any possible legal changes as you prepare for your first solo road trip.
In summary, you should never underestimate the power of planning when you prepare for your first solo road trip. Although you might think that you have to do a lot now, but, when you finally head to your destination you’ll thank yourself for being proactive and staying prepared. The most important thing about a solo road trip is that you do it safely and smartly.
At the end of the day, if things fall apart before or during your solo road trip, the blame will only be on you. Be sure to keep a checklist of all the things that you’ll need. And, to have a blast while you go on this adventure alone.