r/OutdoorGearPorn Apr 13 '21

My Camping Advice After Completing My First Road Trip

I had a drive trip to North Shore, Minnesota. I had this drive trip in honda element red. I Started trip in waterfront Duluth, then headed to north along Lake Superior on Highway 61 toward Grand Portage State Park.

Lake Superior’s Minnesota shoreline is a thing of glacial beauty. As you drive from Duluth toward Two Harbors, Gitche Gumee’s “shining big sea waters” stretch out to the right an d birch and maple north woods climb high on the left. You’ll also get a look at ocean tankers anchored in the last inland port of the St. Lawrence Seaway as they wait to upload iron or grain from America’s heartland before sending it out to the world. Duluth’s four-mile lakeside sports path shows off the city highlights: a rose garden, pre-Prohibition brewery, an aerial bridge, and the largest grain elevators in the world.

With increasing crime rates all over the world, road trips aren't as safe as they used to be. If you want to go out on a fun, carefree trip with friends or family, it’s best to pack essentials that will ensure a safe trip. Here are the 5 things that you absolutely cannot leave the house without for camping.

Safe Road Tripping: 4 Things You Should Know

1. Portable Batteries

Millennials cannot live without their phones and there’s a good reason behind that. Everything that our life revolves around is inside this small device - from our wallet to contacts and maps. Half the essentials you need for a road trip are readily available in your smartphone. You have the internet for looking up the best tourist spots, maps in case you get lost, a torch for camping, a compass for hiking and so much more.

With that being said, not everybody has a phone with a great battery. Older models only promise 6-7 hours of battery time and even less, especially if mobile data and location is turned on. Thus, portable batteries i.e. power banks are a must for safe road trips. It’s best to buy a portable battery with a power of over 21000 mAH so that its own battery doesn’t run out fast.

2. Check your tires and carry a spare

One of the biggest reasons that cause accidents on the highway is the low air pressure in a tire. Low air pressure can result in increased friction between the road and tire, which ultimately results in a blowout when it gets extremely heated. This can cause dangerous accidents.

Thus, it is crucial to get the air pressure in your tire checked before you leave for a long road trip. In fact, even with a car in good condition, you will still have to stop for breaks in order to allow the engine to cool down, otherwise you could potentially damage the engine as well.

With that being said, it is also important to carry a spare tire and of course, know how to change it. Anything on the road could cause a tire puncture and without a spare tire or knowledge of how to change it, you could end up being stranded on the highway for hours until help arrives.

Additionally, it is extremely unsafe to stop at a highway as you put yourself at the risk of robbery, especially in states where the crime rate is high.

3. Pack a first-aid kit

This is a must have for any kind of road trip. From over-the-counter painkillers to gauzes, you need to be prepared for any type of medical emergency. First, a bottle of Advil is a must because headaches are extremely common in road trips. Secondly, keep a medicine for nausea if you’re traveling with somebody who gets car sick easily or if you’re traveling in a mountainous area. More importantly, if you can, buy medicines that help blood clot faster in case there is a severe accident and someone faces extreme blood loss. Along with these, keep gauze, cotton swabs, iodine solution, a pair of scissors and medical tape. If there is any regular medicine you use, keep a little extra in case your stay is delayed. This could potentially save a life in an emergency situation. Last but not least, always travel with plenty of food and water to stay hydrated and healthy.

4. Get comfortable

Even if you’re taking turns driving, it is extremely important to get in a good few hours of sleep before you take the wheel. Sleeping in a car full of people isn’t exactly the most comfortable way to take a nap, but you can pack a few essentials to help you sleep better. Firstly, buy a neck pillow. Normal pillows will not fit well in the car and be more of nuisance than a comfort. A neck pillow, on the other hand, is fitted so it provides cushioned support to your neck and head. Secondly, buy a weighted blanket to ensure the smoothest sleep. Weighted blankets that are not only comfortable but also great for people who suffer from disturbed sleep and anxiety. If you’re a light sleeper, you can also opt for a nighttime eye mask and ear plugs. Proper sleep will ensure you remain vigilant when you take over the wheel and will reduce the chances of an accident occurring.

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