When you’re preparing for an outdoor holiday you’re probably just imagining the relaxing days outside. The change in routine and being away from it all will certainly bring a chance to recover from the rest of the year’s stress factors.
But how do you prepare enough for a holiday out in the wild, so that it doesn’t end up being the reason for more stress or regrets?
We don’t want to ruin your excitement, but let’s run through a few important preparations that are necessary for all outdoor holiday goers. Once you’ve taken care of these aspects of your trip, you can sit back and simply enjoy, with absolute peace of mind.
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Preparing Your Vehicles
You never know what can happen off the beaten track. Are you prepared if a vehicle gets stuck somewhere? Fitting an electric winch to at least one of the vehicles in your party will empower you to pull out a car much easier if it’s stuck in mud or a ditch.
It may seem extreme and we know you don’t want to think of possibilities like accidents when you’re planning for a fun trip. But especially if you’re going to travel to remote areas, you must be able to play your own hero.
Ask yourself this: if you don’t have phone signal to call for help, are you able to handle the situation?
Making Sure You Have Power—Always
Going to remote areas, or any camping ground for that matter, means there’s the possibility of not having power. Not all camping grounds provide electricity, or something can knock the power out.
The focus here isn’t to ‘live in luxury’. After all, being off the grid is part of taking a break from your usual routine. But to enjoy a holiday safely, certain amenities are worth keeping powered up:
- Moving around a camp site at night is much safer when you can light your way with a flash light.
- If anyone in your party requires medicine that must be keep at a certain temperature, you may have to power a small fridge.
First of all, research the power resources at the camp site you plan on visiting. To prevent being without power, research the large range of wind and solar powered gadgets available on the modern market. You’ll find everything from power banks to lights you can charge during the day. Some of them are compact enough to fit in your backpack, so even a hike in the mountains doesn’t have to leave you without power.
Rethink Your Clothing
So, we mentioned ‘compact’. That brings us to the fact of why you may not have the appropriate gadgets on hand when you holiday outdoors: there’s rarely enough space for everything you want to take.
First of all, take some time to browse online, because smaller versions of equipment come onto the market all the time, as the compact solar products mentioned above prove to us. But a simple solution for this problem is to purchase appropriate clothing with enough storage:
- Pants pockets
- Jackets with zippered pockets
- Clothing with pockets in innovative places such as on the arms or across your chest
The benefit of wearing this clothing is that gadgets you may need in an emergency—a pocket knife, bandage or your phone stored in a pocket—will be within reach, even if you should lose your backpack or other luggage. As long as it’s on your person, there’s a higher chance of you being able to use it if something goes wrong.
Staying Connected
Yes, you want to get away from everything, but technology is meant to help us. If there’s an emergency, you need to be able to make contact. Solar power mentioned above is also necessary to ensure your mobile phone can work, so you can make a call if needed. Alternatively, invest in a marine grade radio, especially if your adventure includes boating on the open water.
Make a Checklist
You can have all the gadgets in the world to help you in an emergency, but if you forget them at home they’re of no use to you. If you’re in a rush or distracted it’s not uncommon to forget even the basics, such as clean water, food or medicine.
Start off your holiday months in advance by compiling a checklist of what you’ll need:
- A basic list of what you need on a daily basis at home. Which of those items do you need to take with to ensure safety?
- Think of your last outdoor adventure and write down what you wish you had with you.
- Browse forums and blogs for content like this article that discuss camp items you haven’t thought of.
Add all appropriate items to your list.
Now, don’t leave on holiday before you’ve ticked off every item on your list.
We know you simply want to unwind and enjoy the outdoors, but being proactive is what will help you ensure you make holiday memories you never want to forget; rather than regretting you took the trip at all.
There are too many innovative gadgets these days—there’s no excuse for not being prepared.
What are some of your holiday stories that can help others prepare better in future?
