Leave Worry Behind This Holiday Season

You have spent all summer and fall tooling around in your family adventure mobile. I bet you have put tons of miles on your vehicle out camping, hiking, climbing, shopping for gear and paddling. Now for most of us in the United States as we begin to transition from warm and cool temps to cold temps and slushy roads its important to take a moment to stop and ensure our adventure mobile is ready, willing and able to get us to grandmothers house this holiday season for pumpkin pie (mmm pumpkin pie!) and holiday cheer.

Typically we don' think to much in general of these things, we just grab the pack and go, right? But, now that winter is soon to be upon most of us, it is now more important then ever to make sure your vehicle is in tip top form and ready to get you to and from your destination in one piece. Because, who likes eating holiday dinner in the breakdown lane? 

This past Thanksgiving we traveled to my wife's families home in the St. Louis suburbs. While only a state away some simple travel preparations are always put into place when we know we are traveling far and will be traveling home late at night. My general rule of them time of year is maintaining the proper survival gear in "George" (my jeep) - read more about George here.

While I know that we will never be far from people, help or general assistance, I don't have what you would classify as "survival" gear in the jeep, but more classified as comfort gear. 

Comfort Gear Items:
Sleeping Bag
Snacks and Food
Water Bottles
First Aid Kit
Flashlights
Extra Batteries
Battery Charger for Cell Phones
Cords for phones and other devices
Knife
Extra Cold weather gear
​Jumper Cables

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Keep Your Adventure Mobile Properly Serviced 

Before a trip of any distance especially one as special as a holiday gathering it is important to have your adventure mobile either fully serviced or just have the fluids checked along with the air in your tires adjusted or corrected. Changing weather can sometimes catch us all off guard during the holiday season and not having the proper or adequate fluid levels or proper tire pressure could cause problems on the roadway. Visiting your neighborhood Jiffy Lube is great way to keep your adventure mobile in shape for the long road ahead. They are committed to helping you leave worry behind this holiday season during your travels.

Keep'em Happy

With two young girls its always important to ensure they are happy on the way to the holiday event as well as on the way home. Make sure you have their favorite activities packed, charged and backup charging or plug in capabilities for the long haul. For us. knowing we would be having a late night those sleeping bags I mentioned earlier always home in handy to snuggle with along with the addition of their favorite pillow and stuffed friends. I will admit the backseat of a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited is not the most cozy or plush place to sleep or relax, so think of the kids and how your vehicle rides before getting in it for hours on end.

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Keep the Snacks and Drinks Close at Hand

Another great tip is to pack a small cooler. It never fails, you get five minutes down the road and somebody is thirty or wanting a snack. Well, prepare for it and have a better ride. Plus, by having the small to moderate sized cooler will allow you to take home leftovers! You know you having be trying to figure out how to bring home one of Aunt Ruth's famous Chocolate pies. Now you have someplace to safely transport it home! ​

These tips are obviously not just for the trip to grandma's house this holiday season or for the trip to great uncle Carl's annual New Year's Day Celebration in Chicken Falls, Minnesota. These tips are tips we have picked up along they way during our multiple day and multi-day cross country journeys to see family and visit national parks. ​

Holiday Travel Tips from our friends at
​Jiffy Lube

• Let it Flow: Check the levels of all vital fluids, including motor oil, coolant, transmission fluid and windshield wiper fluid, and top-off, or change fluids, as needed. Motor oil does more than just lubricate moving parts. In colder temperatures, it keeps the engine from freezing, too.
• Maintain a Clear View: Make sure your headlights, taillights, turn signals, parking lights and license plate lights are all working properly. Replace any bulbs that may have burned out and consider getting lights cleaned to remove haze and clarify the lenses for better visibility during night driving.
• Keep ‘Kit’ Together: Be sure that you have a car emergency kit in your trunk for any unforeseeable car issues that may arise during your trip. Kits should include a flashlight, jumper cables, batteries, electrical tape, a rain poncho, a reflective safety vest and an emergency blanket. Drivers should also pack a medical kit equipped with band aids, gauze, alcohol antiseptic pads, insect bit relief and any necessary medications
• Watch Your Weight: Matching the load rate of your vehicle (found in the owner's manual or inside the driver's side door) with the estimated weight of your family and the luggage you'll be packing for the trip will help improve gas mileage. Excess weight makes the engine work harder and consume more gasoline.
• Keep Rollin’: Check tire air pressure, including the spare. Over- or under-inflation can weaken your tires, cause uneven tread wear and impact your gas mileage. Many drivers think the proper tire pressure can be found on the actual tire, however, that’s incorrect. Refer to your vehicle owner’s manual or to a decal often found in the doorjamb or glove compartment for the proper tire pressure. Check the pressure when the tire is cold/at air temperature. Do not check the pressure after an extended drive on the highway or after driving for more than five minutes.
• Stay Charged: A weak battery is unreliable and may take longer to start on cold mornings. Have the battery tested before long road trips to make sure it has enough cranking power to withstand the cold. To minimize strain, start the vehicle with the heater, lights and window defrosters turned off.

Keep Hiking Forward!

​Scott

These tips have been brought to you by Jiffy Lube. All opinions expressed are those of Hiking Forward.