Yesterday we took a much needed mini vacation. It was only a 24 hour vaca but it was so so so good to get out of town for even just an overnight trip. My husband and I and the three teenagers packed in no time flat (we are record packers trained by many years of traveling to and from our beach house or river house each weekend) and we hopped in the car and headed an hour away for the night.
The plan was to check into the hotel and then go out to eat a nice dinner, spend the night and then the next morning go apple picking, have lunch and then meander back home again. The plan went splendidly! It was perfect weather. We found an open air mall and walked through a few stores and then had a wonderful dinner in a great Italian Restaurant. The next morning we awoke and had a bit of breakfast in the hotel. Then we packed up, checked out and headed to the local apple orchard. We ended up with a bushel of apples, three bottles of wine, a gallon of apple cider, and two dozen apple cider donuts. It was wonderful to just hang out with my family and my kids. We get so caught up in the mess of the days that we forget to just be together. As the kids have gotten older it has also become more difficult for us to schedule time together, and when we are home we often find ourselves in separate rooms, doing separate things.
In the end, it was a much needed, quick, break from our lives. Ahhhh.....
So how do we prep for emergencies while we are on the road?
1. Pack for layers. The weather was going to be fairly warm but might be chilly inside places or at night. We pack for layers. A sweatshirt, a sweater, a tank top. Light jacket. Long pants, short pants. Extra underwear (just in case we end up having to stay longer than expected). Extra outfit (in case we stay longer or in case we spill something and need an extra outfit).
2. Toiletries. Normal toiletries plus a full set of nail clippers, tweezers, nail file. (it is amazing how often we need one or more of these items while we are away! Plus they can come in handy if you need a mini tool for something or another. Trust me, you will use them.)
3. Flashlight. I carry a small but bright one in my purse, particularly when traveling. AND I used it while we were away. Now it wasn't for an emergency but the lighting was dim and the flashlight came in handy.
4. Snacks. We pack snacks and a cooler of drinks and water bottles when we travel. We don't always eat or drink them but if we find ourselves stranded somewhere we have some protein and some carbohydrates and veggies to snack on until we get rescued.
5. Blanket. In the winter I try to pack a blanket for every person in our family in the car. We will use them while traveling to sleep in the car or just snuggle under when my husband declares the car too hot and turns on the AC or the heat down. This time it wasn't too cold yet and I grabbed two blankets. My son brought his own as well.
6. Emergency car kit. We always have emergency car equipment in the car. Basic tools, battery jumping cables, rope, chain, extra fuses.
7. Extra battery charger for our cell phones. We have a portable charger and I make sure it is all charged and ready to go - you know, just in case.
8. Small first aid kit. My small one is a small cosmetic bag size. It has a few band-aids of different sizes, antibiotic ointment, pain reliever, and benadryl. Oh, and antacid. It is not big but it works for us. When the kids were little I also carried a thermometer and a few other items. Now that we have grown most of them have their own bags and carry the items they feel are necessary for them personally, like feminine supplies, allergy meds, etc.
Do we overpack? I don't think so. Did I use everything I packed? No. I didn't use the first aid kit. No one needed any band-aids this time, but we have needed them in the past. We also didn't use our car emergency kit, but it is always good to have it around for those times when we do break down. I didn't need to extra battery charger either but it is small and always good to have. Yes we ate some snacks, not all, yes we used the fingernail clippers and the nail file this time. I used a blanket on the bed in the hotel room because my husband loves to crank up the AC and freeze me out of there. I already told you I used my flashlight and well, packing in layers is always a good idea.
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