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If you’re planning to explore the Australian outback this summer, before you get to the real good part of the adventure (making fun memories with people you love), you need to take care of the most important part – organization! There’s no doubt that you’ll need a lot of things that vary in size and level of importance such as your tent, sleeping bags, headlamp, gear for fun activities, personal hygiene items, food, drinks, etc. In light of that, there’s no doubt that good organization is key, and by relying on the following tips, you can ensure a lot more efficiency.
Install Roof Racks
What makes canopy roof racks & bars additions that can instantly add to the convenience of your road trip is the way they expand the storage capacity for carrying equipment and luggage. They help move heavier items from the vehicle’s interior space thus leaving you with enough space to better organize your belongings. By choosing quality canopy roof racks & bars you will be able to securely transport your equipment and your passengers will be able to enjoy more legroom.
If your plan is to mount the roof rack yourself, make sure you go through the instructions carefully (read the manual first). This is sure to render the whole installation process easier, faster, and most importantly – safer. For the mounting process itself, ask for a helping hand. When it comes to proper tightening, seek to achieve balance. Tightening it too much or insufficiently may cause the rack to damage your vehicle. Also, it is of vital importance to put some copper grease on the mounting bolt threads so that it can be easier for you to remove the rack once you are done using it.
Aluminium canopy roof racks are the smartest choice material-wise since they are the least susceptible to rust and corrosion. The weight of the canopy roof rack systems and how many items you are planning to carry is something you should highly consider when estimating your vehicle’s towing capacity. Apart from the roof rack’s load capacity, you should factor in its own weight as well. Once you determine that your vehicle can safely support a fully loaded roof rack, you’re good to go.
Note: If you’re going to be transporting items such as canoes, surfboards or kayaks, make sure you secure them by tying them down to the canopy roof rails.
Buy a Multi-Tool
Sooner or later, on any road trip, you’re bound to find yourself in a situation that’ll require you to fix, adjust, cut or open something, be it a cold beer, a bottle of wine, or maybe you’ll need to tighten the screws on your bicycle or one of the folding chairs. This is when a multi-tool comes in as an indispensable item for travellers. In a way, it’s a compressed form of a toolbox.
Now when it comes to hiking, you can opt for the lightest and smallest model you can find, however, that translates into sacrificing features – something you shouldn’t do when it comes to road trips.
Apart from the fact that a road trip might require having access to more tools since you are travelling by your car and not by foot, it will be a lot easier to carry a multi-tool so you can go even for the biggest size available.
In addition, don’t forget to pack the following items too: duct-tape, rope, flashlight, batteries, waterproof matches, and a good binocular.
Get Airscape Containers
Keeping your perishables fresh is of vital importance for road trips. That being said, it’s recommended to stick to Airscape containers since they offer the highest level of protection and are a very neat solution.
They usually come in the form of lightweight steel cylinders that feature a special plunger lid that sucks the air out as you push it down. This way, the container creates a vacuum that is custom-sized to what is left inside. What’s more, these feature a tight-fitting secondary top lid the purpose of which is to keep dirt out. Large models can be used to store coffee beans whereas smaller ones are great for soft chewy dog treats.
Airscape containers are usually made of stainless steel and are spill-proof and pest free. They are especially handy for breakfast items (such as cereal, pancake mix) and simple snacks (such as chips, popcorn) or simply anything that can get soggy quite easily. Besides stainless steel, these can be also made of BPA-free clear plastic – better suited for storing rice, pasta and flour.
With modern technology being what it is, chances that you’ll get lost on the road are pretty slim, but despite how certain you are that you “know the road”, always pack navigation and GPS equipment when heading in the outback. A simple smartphone has all the geo-locational capabilities you’ll need, but in case you decided to go off the grid technology-free, at least bring a map and compass.
All previous planning won’t mean anything if you take the wrong turn somewhere along the way and this slight detour ruins your trip. Navigation is important. In case you want to have true lost in the woods experience, make sure you at least read up on stellar navigation and searching for geolocators in nature.
Additional Tips
Make sure you obey road closure signs and stick to the main roads. Take a break every two hours, avoid driving for more than 8-10 hours a day, alter drivers and never drive after dark. Remember that outback weather conditions can sometimes be harsh since dust storms, rainstorms and intense heat are quite common. Also, count on the fact that road conditions might change on a daily basis. This is why it’s important to check the conditions with the locals prior to setting out to reach your next destination.
