How To Take A Road Trip – Safely!
We’re back from a summer blog hiatus!!!
Sadly, my daughter Mariella is moving to Portland to pursue a degree in speech and language therapy. She’s driving there with boyfriend Colin and my grand dogs Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr ! She will still help with blogs from afar! Bless the Interwebs!
If you’ve read all my blogs, then you know, my family calls me “MacGyver” because I like to be prepared for everything.
Here are some travel health tips for Mariella, her posse and all my readers:
Health issues:
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Make sure you know what out-of-state emergencies your insurance covers. Consider extra travel insurance for long-distance trips(e.g., www.insuremytrip.com)
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If you have chronic health issues, strongly consider a medical ID. There are downright beautiful ones at: http://www.laurenshope.com.
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Have copies of your records with you. They can be in paper form, but even better, have access to a patient portal through your doctor’s electronic health record, or use a cloud-based source. Again, I really love Lauren’s Hope’s electronic IDs, with smart-phone access
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Keep your daily meds safe! Lock in glove box at all times!
Next, be sure you’ve packed all necessary Emergency supplies for long car trips:
Auto necessities:
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A multi-tool such as Leatherman
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Jumper cables
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Tire pressure gauge, spare fixer such as Fix-a-Flat (be sure your spare is in good condition!)
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Oil, radiator fluid and an empty container to dilute it, distilled water, gas can
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Flairs/reflective cones
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Duct tape (What can’t you do with duct tape?)
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A wire hanger in case the exhaust gets loose (Mommy Dearest would approve!)
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Flashlight (keep batteries separately)
Medical necessities:
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Water bottles, energy bars, soy nut packets, a water filter – (This one is my favorite)
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Sunscreen
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Black contractor bags (Can use as a poncho! Thanks to my awesome son-in-law Dan Carson for fixing Mariella’s car pre-trip and for poncho idea!)
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A liter plastic soda bottle can be cut to make a drinking bowl for dogs on one end, and the other can be a makeshift glass or funnel!
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Did you say you were bringing clothes??? Sorry, no room. Actually, all of this aside from the water bottles would take very little room.
Happy and safe travel, Mariella, Colin, Franks and Sammy!
– Mom / Dr Emily A Nolfo