Packing the Car

(her name is Charlie, by the way!)

Maps & Guide Books (I found a ton of information at... wait for it...the Tourist Information Booth!)

Having a chance to research a route and some possible points of interest can make a trip go much smoother. Even though I don't want a specific or detailed agenda, there are certain stops that I want to make sure to include. Knowing days and hours of operation can stave of frustration. Many tourist locations are not open on Monday and Tuesday. Some close after Labour Day (unfortunately, a few that I was hoping to visit). 

Popular tourist sites may have special events going on, which can be an incentive (special programming) or a deterrent (big crowds). With most destinations, there is more than one route. Do you want the fastest, or the more scenic? Generally I want the more scenic, but that may require more attention to availability of gas and food. When a sign says a road is "Impassible When Wet", please believe it. Ask me how I know! I once had to push my car out of the gumbo, that the back roads of the Cypress Hills become, in strappy sandals and a sundress (fortunately I was 19 or 20 at the time).

GPS is handy, but a paper map doesn't crash or run out of battery. Remote and rural locations are often incorrect on GPS. Even in the cities, they can have issues. Ask me how I know! I once had the Calgary Children's Hospital programmed into my GPS, and it took me to a residential neighbourhood, nowhere near the hospital.

Travel Prep / Vehicle

Check fluid levels, tire pressure, etc. This is where having adult sons rocks! They did it for me! They are good for more than reaching the top shelf!

Snow brush, electrical cord, windshield fluid (these things often get displaced in the summer months to make room for greenhouse shopping and summer adventures!) Check! Check! Check!

I realized I had to stock the car with an emergency kit. We have a really big one in the truck, that we would move to the car if needed. But now my son has the truck, and we frequently go our separate ways. Since they had the nerve to grow up and have their own lives! As a result, each vehicle needs a dedicated kit. I found a compact, reasonably priced kit at Ace Hardware. I will add a few things to it like gloves, bungee cords, an emergency candle, hand warmers and extra batteries. The car already has a great first aid kit (I love a good first aid kit, you may have noticed).

I picked this up at Ace Hardware for $47.99
when I realized my son "inherited" mine

If I need more that this, I need a tow truck!

There is plenty of room to add extras even
though the case is only 12.5 x 10 x 4.5

I added some gloves, these have been made from recycled plastic
and you can use a touch screen with them

Warm Clothes - on this particular trip, I will be in the mountains in October, so any weather goes! (and if I'm prepared for it, I won't need it, right?)

Sunglasses - more than once I have left them in the house or another vehicle and regretted it

Umbrella - I have bought many umbrellas over the years. Do you think I can find any of them? Where do they go? They are somewhere with single socks, scissors and half the tupperware!

Tech Prep

As much as I say I don't trust technology and like to have backups, I still use it a lot.  I used a couple of different booking sites, and made sure to install their apps on my phone.

Have the addresses of destinations handy, for inputting into the GPS

Have a phone charging cord that is dedicated to the car, so it can't get left behind somewhere. My boys and I have different charging cords, so there is one of each type that stays in the car permanently. 

Aux cord - sometimes blue tooth can have a bad attitude, it's nice to have backup (at least as long as I have a phone old enough to have an aux port!)

Backup battery banks are very handy if you are out in nature, away from outlets for a long time, using all those handy apps, which can drain your battery quickly.

Emergency Apps -  I have the Alberta Emergency Alert, the Alberta Rivers (flooding and water advisories), Weather, and Fire Bans apps. I will install and uninstall them depending on the season, location and threat level.

Other Apps - These, of course, will depend on your interests and the road trip you are planning. Music, Audio books, Plant Net (wildflower id), All Trails (if you plan to hike a lot), Pokemon Go was essential when travelling with children, Canada Parks, hotel booking apps, iNaturalist, geocaching

Pedometer - I bought a simple digital pedometer at the drug store. No GPS or internet involved. I just have to remember to reset it each day or before each activity. I'm not looking for any fancy features, it would just be interesting to know how far I meander. 

My boys bought me that backpack, so it has to come with me! I like to have several bags, specific to purpose, rather than dig though one giant bag. It's kinda like a lot of pockets, that just aren't connected to each other! I love pockets as much as I love lists.

My backseat is my coat closet. All my shoes and boots on the floor, with the umbrella (let's see how long before I lose it); coats, sweaters and at least 4 different sets of scarves, mitts and headgear that I knit, and 2 hats. The beauty of traveling by car, no need to choose! I can take it all!