Here are some helpful tips that might help you be safe if you’re planning a road trip and you’re going through a remote area with no cell service or access to internet. It’s a very specific angle to take, but one which is so significant and common that it needs a dedicated post.
Planning factors
Plan it at the beginning of the year. This is for a very good reason. As the saying goes: It’s easier to plan what you want to do in life than it is to make it happen. If you plan it for the beginning of the year, you will be more inclined to actually make it happen as this timeframe comes with some level of urgency. That’s also how you ensure to be alert to all the safety procedures you’ll need to follow, which we often take for granted.
- Before you get on the road, gather some essential information, including:
- The last place you took a road trip
- Where the last place you took a road trip was
- The last time you took a road trip
- Use your GPS to find out what roads are good to drive through and avoid
Make provisions for camping
First and foremost, if you’re going camping, then ensure you have a proper truck in which you can carry all the gear. Check whether there are ratchet straps available to help keep your luggage safe in the back. These should include any items you carry for safety or self-defense.
Even if you’re not necessarily planning to camp, prepare as if you were. Choose a campsite that is not too far from the area where you’ll be staying. Keep in mind that you may have to hike to it.
Camp in a remote area. If possible, do not stay close to the roads. Even a road that only takes one hour to drive to is far enough for you to be safe.
Close the blinds to your tent and be prepared to hide during the day.
Open the blinds at night and look out for any type of car and people walking.
Use an air mattress to stay as low as possible.
When going through a remote area, stay on the roads. No one likes to be the one that gets the truck stuck in the mud.
Leave the car at a campground or park at night. If you have no cell service, the idea is that you can only be found if the driver comes out to your car to look for you. If that’s not your idea of fun, close your phone and leave it in the car.
Safety is key. Whatever you do on the road, please stay safe and keep checking your surroundings. You never know if there’s someone walking around or hiding in the bushes to steal your truck and take you.
You can prepare for your safety in whatever way you think fit. If you own firearms like handguns and are thinking of carrying them along for protection, be sure to read up on the gun laws in the states you are traveling to (https://gunlawsuits.org/gun-laws/utah/ has some useful resources that could help.)
Watching Out for Trucks
It’s very easy to become complacent with regards to the likes of the all-important no zone area when you have to deal with what are truckers at work, while you’re essentially on a leisure trip.
Do you have any road safety tips to share with our readers?
Have you ever gone on a road trip that had to be abandoned because of your safety? If so, how did you feel?