Preparing for a trip

After you have planned where you want to go for your next trip, it's crucial that you are thoroughly prepared before you head off to ensure that you have a safe and enjoyable trip.

To check the wheel bearings

Before you begin to pack for your adventure, it is important to ensure that vehicle is in tip-top condition. Ensure that you have the service history up to date and that the oil is topped up. Once this has been done, check the rest of the fluids in your car; brake, clutch (if you have a manual), power steering, coolant, etc. Check all the belts in the engine bay are tensioned enough, and while you are under the bonnet, check for leaks or anything that doesn't look right. It is also important to get under the car and ensure that any moving parts are bolted on correctly e.g. the drive shaft, suspension components, etc. You should also check to see if your bearings are in good condition, to do this you will need to jack the car up so that one tyre is off the ground, then grab it at the top and bottom of the tyre (as seen in the picture) and give it a wobble. The tyre shouldn't move around, which means your bearings are in good condition. The same can be done on a caravan or camper trailer. The last bit of vehicle preparation is to grease any moving parts in the car/trailer. Use a grease gun to refill the grease nipples which will allow for everything to move easier. The last thing to check on both the car and the trailer is your lights, ensure that everything is working as it is meant to.

These checks are super easy and can be done in your driveway. It's better to find a problem and fix it before you head off, rather than getting stuck in the middle of nowhere. 

The vehicle has been checked, what do I pack?

When packing for a trip, it all depends on the individual person and what you require. When I am packing for a trip, I start off with the following basic list;

• Pillows and sleeping bags/blankets
• Food and drinks including extra water for washing with
• Fridge and an Esky (if more room is needed) then ice as well
• Table and chairs
• Lights
• BBQ/butane cookers
• Pots & Pans
• Matches
• Dish soap, a sponge and a bucket to wash your dishes with
• Coffee/tea, a mug and a kettle
• Cooking oil, butter and bread
• BBQ utensils
• Cutlery, plates, bowls and cups
• Coins (for some caravan parks where you need to pay for hot showers)
• Fishing rods, Bait, Tacklebox 
• Toiletries and a towel
• Shovel and toilet paper
• Wood, newspaper, firelighters and an axe

The Patrol when it was packed for a trip
up to the Watagans

Obviously, it depends where you are going for what needs to come with you on a trip. If you are going to stay in a caravan park down in Wollongong well you won't need to bring a shovel and toilet paper. Same as if you are going away in summer you won't need anything fire-related. There are other things I always take away with me such as an air compressor, first aid kit and a fire extinguisher, but these things live in the car all the time. 

When you do begin to pack everything into your set up, it is important to think about how everything is being stored in the car/trailer. You want to keep any heavy things as low as possible to keep a low centre of gravity. I also like to keep things that I may use during the day as easily accessable as possible, so camp chairs and maybe a camp cooker. That way if I stop for lunch somewhere, I don't need to go digging through everything. You also must ensure that everything is tied down, I made the mistake once of putting my table on top of everything inside my patrol. It wasnt until I was on the tracks that the table slid down and hit me in the back of the head. So go through and make sure nothing can fly around and cause damage. 

I always try to pack the night/day before I head away. This way I'm not stressed the morning that I am leaving (also because I like to leave as early in the morning as possible), but if I realise I have forgotten something, I give myself enough time to go out and get it.

So how do you prepare for a trip? is there anything I have missed?