5 Tricks That Will Help You Prepare for a Long Trip

(Photo : Dino Reichmuth on Unsplash)

Have you ever considered just leaving everything behind and going for a long trip? These adventures are usually life-altering, and they can help us broaden our horizons. On top of that, it is really cool if you can just shut down your boring daily life and do something exciting for a change.

Unfortunately, preparing for a long trip is much more difficult than going for a simple vacation where you can hire an agency that does the heavy lifting for you. In this case, you have to do all the preparations, which can sometimes be really stressful.

But worry not! We have created a short guide with 5 tricks that will help you prepare for a long trip and alleviate some of that preparation anxiety. 

1. Consider your mode of transportation

If you're going for a long trip, you basically have two main approaches. You can take a plane, go to a faraway location and, stay there for several months, occasionally change the country of residence. Or, you can take an RV and just go explore the great outdoors. 

While going with a plane is rather straightforward, and it involves cheap bookings in advance, taking an RV or car with a travel trailer requires much more preparation. 

First off, if you don't have a proper vehicle, you will need to buy one. Generally speaking, the trailers are much cheaper and are a good solution if you have a reliable car. For example, Rockwood Mini Lite Travel Trailers are always a good purchase for newbies. Purchasing a trailer or RV shouldn't be rushed, and it is the most important part of the planning and preparation process. 

2. Create a detailed plan of your trip

Now, if you're going on a long trip, you will probably have enough time to check everything out. In fact, the main reason for long trips is so you can escape daily life and take it easy. However, that doesn't mean you shouldn't create a plan in advance. 

Whether you're traveling in the US or some other place, you need to create a roadmap with all the attractions along the way. Sometimes, people will take a trip and miss a few cool spots and national parks just because they didn't know they were there. 

Even if you don't hassle by creating a 1-month schedule (which can be stressful), make sure to mark all the main checkpoints. Also, constantly revise your plans 2 days before reaching a specific region.

3. Dedicate a budget

Nowadays, long trips and living abroad is especially common among freelancers. These professionals have a steady supply of cash, and they can easily plan finances and replenish them by just working online.

Unfortunately, not all of us are so lucky, and we need to create a budget ahead of time. This can be very tricky, especially if you have limited resources or if you don't want to blow all your life savings on one long trip. Creating a dedicated budget can feel limiting, but you will realize how important this is once you get back home and realize that you still have cash for other things in life.

Of course, if you decide to create a budget, this means you will have to be more disciplined with your planning. Furthermore, you might not have the opportunity to visit all the places you wanted to. 

4. Cook at home or RV

Food is one of the biggest expenses during trips, whether we're talking about short vacations or prolonged stays. Most people want to try the local cuisine, which is why they will start going to restaurants. However, as time goes by, this becomes the biggest expense, often exceeding the cost of gas or renting.

Although you should still try local delicacies, try to be moderate. Going to a restaurant every night will quickly drain your budget, forcing you to cut your trip short. Just imagine if you could use that money to visit new cool places?

5. Think about health

Depending on the country that you're visiting, you have to take precautionary measures to protect your health. Getting a shot for a specific local disease is crucial. Also, people from the western world often have trouble digesting local food or might struggle to adjust to the hygiene levels, causing them to quickly contract a stomach bug.

You need to think about these things ahead of time. Whether it's buying insurance or purchasing popular drugs for your medical cabinet, you should always have a way to administer quick treatment or get necessary medical support.