Vacations should be a memorable experience. When you return home, you can tell stories, share pictures, smile, and laugh about it, and you’ll have a treasured memory to reminisce about for years to come…unless something goes horrifically wrong because of you underprepared! To ensure that your trip goes smoothly, let’s walk through some of the most important things that you should pack before your family travel!

Adequate Food and Water

You never know if you and your family will break down at the side of the road, become stranded, be robbed of all cash and bank cards, or otherwise find yourself in a position where you can’t access food or water. These two things are the bare necessities for survival, so it’s a good idea to bring some extra food and water along just in case. Make sure to have at least a few gallons on hand, and when you pack food, make sure that at least 75% of the food has a long shelf life. That gallon of milk and those deli slices won’t do you much good if your cooler breaks!

First Aid Equipment

An injury is not on anyone’s vacation to-do list, but it’s just one of those things that can’t be completely avoided. Wounds and lacerations can quickly lead to dangerous blood loss in the absence of proper bandages. Even smaller cuts, scrapes, and burns are highly susceptible to infection if antiseptic compounds are not applied easily. Most first aid kits have everything that a family could need for any minor emergency. While you don’t have to break the bank on a kit, you shouldn’t necessarily settle for the cheapest option. After all, you get what you pay for. With any first aid kit, be sure to familiarize yourself with all of its components so that you can properly and efficiently make use of the kit in an emergency.

Extra Clothing

It’s not rare for the meteorologists to predict a week of sunshine comfortable temperatures and be completely and utterly wrong! You don’t have to pack your entire wardrobe, but it’s smart to bring a rain jacket, a warm coat, and lighter clothes along for every individual in your traveling party. Wearing improper clothes for the current weather conditions can lead to hypothermia, heatstroke, and possibly death. Nobody wants any of that to happen, and purchasing these items can be expensive, inconvenient, and impossible at times, so allot some extra space in your luggage.

Insect and Sun Protection

Bugs bite, and the sunburns. While bugs may be avoidable in some places, the sun is not. Whether you’re hitting the beach or taking your family on a skiing trip to the chilly Swiss Alps, you’re still vulnerable to UV rays. Sunburns can vary in severity, and in really bad cases, they can cause third-degree burns! Even if a burn isn’t very bad, exposure to UV rays may eventually lead to melanoma and other forms of cancer.

Not every destination will have an abundance of pesky insects, but it’s good to have some bug spray on hand just in case. Mosquitos, flies, and ticks can spread a number of nasty diseases, including Lyme disease, West Nile virus, malaria, yellow fever, dengue, and more! You want to return from your vacation with awesome memories and good vibes; you don’t want to come back with a diagnosis and an ER bill!

A Reliable Vehicle

Chances are, you’ll be doing a bit of driving on your vacation. If you’re going anywhere even remotely far from home, then you are going to need a reliable vehicle. You have to get around somehow, and you don’t want to drive something that may break down. Driving your own vehicle on a long trip may be tempting, but it puts your vehicle under stress and opens you up to liability and damage. If you’re visiting a place like eastern Queensland, your best bet is a Gold Coast cheap car hire. The open road is a lot safer with an inexpensive, reliable vehicle. Wherever you decide to drive, make sure that you’re using a car that’s safe, spacious enough for your passengers and luggage, and good enough on gas so you don’t drive your money away.