What type of trip?
For a trip to be successful, there are crucial elements that you need to plan out ahead of time. The first thing to understand is what type of off-road trip will be: a camping excursion, an extended road trip, or something in between. This may seem like a simple question that does not require much thought, but the answer has a lot to do with what you will be doing during your trip.
For example, if you are going on a road trip where you plan to stay in hotels every night, you can get away with not bringing a lot of gear because you know there will be places for rest stops throughout the trip. However, if you are embarking on a camping trip where you plan to sleep in tents every night, you need to make sure that your load is light enough for the type of terrain you will be traveling through.
What type of vehicle?
The next thing to do is determine what type of vehicle will be used. If it is your only vehicle, this should not be an issue, but if you are bringing other people’s cars or borrowing one, it is essential to know what type of vehicle will be used. You may want to calculate the red diesel price per litre but you can’t if you’re not sure what other vehicles may be joining you. If you are taking your family out on a road trip in your Landy, for example, don’t expect them to have much fun if they plan on riding with you the entire time. You have to make sure that you have a vehicle appropriate for the type of trip being planned.
Which type of people?
The following important information determines how many people will be going on the trip and their interests. If you plan on taking your family camping, then know ahead of time if they are into fishing or off-roading because this will influence the type of area you will be camping in.
If they are not into these activities, then it doesn’t mean that you can’t bring them with you, but it will influence the route being taken and where you plan to go. For example, if your family is very inexperienced with fishing or off-roading, don’t expect them to be too happy if you plan to take your trailer into the desert. If this is the case, consider bringing them on shorter trips or into more populated areas where they can camp out and still enjoy themselves even with limited experience.
If it is just you planning an extended road trip, there are still some things that you need to think about. For example, where do you plan to sleep? If your vehicle does not have a rooftop tent or slide-out, then this will influence where you go camping. Remember that you can’t drive all of the time and that it is essential for safety reasons to get out and stretch once in a while. Also, remember never to overexpose yourself to the sun. Be sure to pack some sunscreen and protective clothing.
When it comes down to it, the success of your off-road trip is only as good as the planning that you put into it.
