4 Tips for Planning Your Next Family Off-Roading Trip

Some families love to go off-roading together, so if your family enjoys this activity, you may wonder how you can plan for your next trip. After all, you want to make sure you keep everyone safe throughout the adventure, so you may question how you can prepare for it. We have four tips to help you with the planning process, so you can enjoy the off-roading trip.

Perform Maintenance on Your ATVs

You should start by performing maintenance on your ATVs before you go on the trip. If you want to minimize problems for your family while you go off-roading, you should check your vehicles to make sure they run properly. This will include checking the various parts, turning on the ATV, and riding it to ensure everything works. Do you have spare tires and the tools to replace them? If not, make sure to keep a few spares with you and research how to change ATV tires before leaving.

If you notice any problems with your ATVs, you should address them immediately. Otherwise, you run the risk of facing vehicle issues in the middle of your trip. For example, if you notice any problems with your ATV as you perform these checks, you should look into rebuild and upgrade kits for ATVs.

You should check inside and around your ATV to make sure you go through every detail and do your best to keep it in great condition. Proper maintenance before and during a trip is important because it would be unfortunate to haul your ATV to an off-roading location, only to realize it doesn’t work. Additionally, not having the proper tools/parts to fix any issues that occur while you are at a location would prevent you from fully enjoying the experience. 

Pack All the Essentials

You should bring all the essentials with you on the trip. This means you should consider how long your trip will take and pack the appropriate amount of clothes for your family. You should also bring other essentials such as food, water, and sunscreen to protect yourselves and keep everyone happy.

You should bring extra essentials in case you need more water, food or anything else. After all, you want to make sure you have more than you need instead of less than you need for an off-roading trip. For food, it’s better to take non-perishable items. Depending on the temperature, it could be too hot to even store food in a portable cooler. Make sure to bring more water than you anticipate you’ll need. In case of an emergency, it’s important to be prepared with enough food and water. This should also include some gas if you can carry it in your ATV, so you can refill the tank if any problems come up when you least expect them. 

You should create a checklist of your necessities to make sure you bring everything you need for the trip.

Prepare for an Emergency

As you plan the essentials, you should also consider anything you need for an emergency. For example, you should have fully charged phones on the trip, so you can call for help if anything happens. It would help to also bring a portable charger that is solar powered in case your phone’s start to die. You should also make sure your kids know these numbers, so they can make the call based on the situation. You can write down important numbers, and even laminate a phone number sheet to make it easy in case of an emergency.

You should also pack other items to help your family such as first aid kits. By having a first aid kit ready, you can treat your family members if any of them get injured during the trip. This should include the basics such as bandaids and rubbing alcohol, but you should also bring gauze and other safety items just in case. If you already have a first aid kit, make sure to check it is properly stocked before leaving on the excursion. 

By focusing on safety and bringing the items you need for the trip, you can protect your family and address concerns.

Choose Your Destination Ahead of Time

You should also choose a destination if you want to go off-roading. When you travel away from the roads, you could run into problems or situations you didn’t expect, so you should create a plan to help you remain safe as you go on your trip. This should include a general path you plan to take, how long you plan to visit the area and when you want to return.

If you pick a specific off-roading destination, you will know where you should be during each point of the trip. If possible, try to visit a destination many people go to, so you can avoid unknown dangers. By planning this out ahead of time, you can do your best to find an ideal route for your family. Either way, creating an effective plan will benefit your entire family.

California, Colorado, Arizona, Utah, and Alaska are the 5 most popular states in the United States to go off-roading. They all feature a variety of different environments, so it’s important to know what you want before picking a destination. Along with places to go off-roading, you need to plan for other aspects of the trip like food, how you are getting there, and accommodations. For some of the more remote off-roading locations, camping may be the best option, but depending on how far you are willing to drive hotels could work as well. If the off-roading spot is a day trip from where you are staying, make sure to pack enough food and water to last the day.

Conclusion

Preparing for your off-roading trip will take some time, but you can keep your family safe and have fun as you get ready. Make sure you add these four items to your checklist, so you can go through them each time you plan to go off-roading. Doing so will help you remember the items, apply them to your trip and get ready for it.