--- title: "Episode 3055: preparing for a long range road trip" url: "https://staging.bepreparedsolutions.co/pbn/3055-preparing-for-a-long-range-road-trip" description: "Show notes with the sources behind them, plus related episodes for preparing for a long range road trip." source: "BePrepared Solutions" --- [![Prepper Broadcasting Network logo](https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/images.spreaker.com/original/cbb6e73246f575743b9df1c4f77fec20.jpg)![BePreparedSolutions.co logo](https://staging.bepreparedsolutions.co/_next/image?url=%2Flogo.png&w=48&q=75)BePreparedSolutions.co](https://staging.bepreparedsolutions.co/) Episode 3055 # preparing for a long range road trip Sources verified August 29, 2026 **For PBN listeners:** you already prep. See what BePrepared adds for your address and your household. [Start my free 2-day trial, no credit card](https://staging.bepreparedsolutions.co/trial?source=pbn&returnTo=%2Fpbn%2F3055-preparing-for-a-long-range-road-trip) The recording of this episode is not posted yet. These notes are complete in the meantime — everything below is what was covered. ## The short version A long-range road trip requires supplies you can reach without unpacking the trunk. Water at one gallon per person per day, non-perishable food for several days, a first aid kit, flashlight, and phone charger form the core. Copies of identification and insurance cards belong in the cabin, not luggage. Cash in small bills covers tolls and purchases when card systems fail. ([Ready.gov](https://www.ready.gov/kit "Retrieved 8/12/2026 · independently corroborated"), [Harvard Global Support Services](https://www.globalsupport.harvard.edu/travel/advice/go-bag-checklist "Retrieved 8/12/2026 · independently corroborated"), [Westchester County Emergency Services](https://emergencyservices.westchestercountyny.gov/indian-point/having-a-go-bag "Retrieved 8/12/2026 · independently corroborated"), [University of California, Berkeley Office of Emergency Management](https://oem.berkeley.edu/get-prepared/make-go-bag-kit "Retrieved 8/12/2026 · independently corroborated")) ## Going deeper The one-gallon-per-person-per-day water figure accounts for drinking, basic hygiene, and a margin for heat or exertion. On a road trip, that means a family of four needs four gallons per day minimum. Store it in the cabin or immediately behind the rear seat where you can reach it without opening the trunk at a rest stop. Collapsible jugs save space when empty. ([Ready.gov](https://www.ready.gov/kit "Retrieved 8/12/2026 · independently corroborated")) Non-perishable food means items that require no refrigeration and no cooking. Protein bars, nuts, dried fruit, and shelf-stable meals work. A several-day supply for a road trip means enough to sustain your household if you are stranded between towns or if a detour adds unexpected hours. Calculate portions, not optimism. ([Ready.gov](https://www.ready.gov/kit "Retrieved 8/12/2026 · independently corroborated")) A first aid kit for a vehicle is not the same as the one in your bathroom. It needs supplies for road injuries: adhesive bandages in multiple sizes, gauze pads, medical tape, antiseptic wipes, tweezers for splinters, and pain relievers. Pre-assembled kits exist, but check the contents against your household's needs before assuming they are complete. ([Ready.gov](https://www.ready.gov/kit "Retrieved 8/12/2026 · independently corroborated")) A flashlight and spare batteries, or a crank-powered light, matter most when you are stopped on a roadside at night. A phone flashlight drains the battery you may need for a call. A battery-powered or crank radio provides weather updates and road closure information when you are out of cell range. ([Ready.gov](https://www.ready.gov/kit "Retrieved 8/12/2026 · independently corroborated")) Copies of identification, insurance cards, and vehicle registration should be accessible to the driver without digging through bags. A waterproof pouch in the glove box or door pocket works. Originals stay in your wallet; copies are for the moment your wallet is not where you thought it was. ([Westchester County Emergency Services](https://emergencyservices.westchestercountyny.gov/indian-point/having-a-go-bag "Retrieved 8/12/2026 · independently corroborated")) Cash in small bills means fives, tens, and ones. ATMs fail. Card readers go offline. Toll booths and rural gas stations may not take cards at all. Carry enough to buy fuel, food, and a night's lodging without assuming any electronic payment will work. ([University of California, Berkeley Office of Emergency Management](https://oem.berkeley.edu/get-prepared/make-go-bag-kit "Retrieved 8/12/2026 · independently corroborated")) ## What to do about it - Put forty dollars in small bills in the glove box today. ([University of California, Berkeley Office of Emergency Management](https://oem.berkeley.edu/get-prepared/make-go-bag-kit "Retrieved 8/12/2026 · independently corroborated")) - Photocopy your driver's license, insurance card, and vehicle registration and store them in a waterproof pouch in the vehicle. ([Westchester County Emergency Services](https://emergencyservices.westchestercountyny.gov/indian-point/having-a-go-bag "Retrieved 8/12/2026 · independently corroborated")) - Open your vehicle first aid kit and confirm it contains adhesive bandages, gauze pads, medical tape, antiseptic wipes, tweezers, and pain relievers. ([Ready.gov](https://www.ready.gov/kit "Retrieved 8/12/2026 · independently corroborated")) [See a kit that covers this](https://staging.bepreparedsolutions.co/solutions/BeEquipped/kits/the-advanced-family-clinical-kit) - Place a flashlight and a set of spare batteries in the driver's door pocket or center console. ([Ready.gov](https://www.ready.gov/kit "Retrieved 8/12/2026 · independently corroborated")) [See a kit that covers this](https://staging.bepreparedsolutions.co/solutions/BeEquipped/kits/first-keys-trunk-kit) - Add a car phone charger or battery pack to the vehicle and test that it charges your phone. ([Harvard Global Support Services](https://www.globalsupport.harvard.edu/travel/advice/go-bag-checklist "Retrieved 8/12/2026 · independently corroborated")) - Fill one-gallon jugs with water at one gallon per person per day for your household and place them in the cabin or immediately behind the rear seat. ([Ready.gov](https://www.ready.gov/kit "Retrieved 8/12/2026 · independently corroborated")) - Pack a three-day supply of non-perishable food per person: protein bars, nuts, dried fruit, or shelf-stable meals that require no cooking. ([Ready.gov](https://www.ready.gov/kit "Retrieved 8/12/2026 · independently corroborated")) [See a kit that covers this](https://staging.bepreparedsolutions.co/solutions/BeEquipped/kits/gourmet-survival-pantry) - Pack a change of clothing and sturdy footwear for each person in a bag you can reach without unpacking the trunk. ([Westchester County Emergency Services](https://emergencyservices.westchestercountyny.gov/indian-point/having-a-go-bag "Retrieved 8/12/2026 · independently corroborated")) ## Sources and further reading [Ready.gov - Build a Kit](https://www.ready.gov/kit) — Ready.gov, retrieved 2026-08-12 [Go Bag Checklist](https://www.globalsupport.harvard.edu/travel/advice/go-bag-checklist) — Harvard Global Support Services, retrieved 2026-08-12 [Having a Go Bag](https://emergencyservices.westchestercountyny.gov/indian-point/having-a-go-bag) — Westchester County Emergency Services, retrieved 2026-08-12 [Make a Go Bag Kit](https://oem.berkeley.edu/get-prepared/make-go-bag-kit) — University of California, Berkeley Office of Emergency Management, retrieved 2026-08-12 ## Added since the broadcast - A caller asked about storing water in the trunk in summer heat — worth a follow up on container material and temperature. August 14, 2026 - dghfghjg ;lj ;jl jl; lj;;jljl lj; jl; August 29, 2026 [Print these steps as a one-page field card](https://staging.bepreparedsolutions.co/pbn/3055-preparing-for-a-long-range-road-trip/card) ## From the archive Earlier episodes that covered this ground. - The Art of Vehicular Preparedness with Gunmetal Armory on PBN the art of vehicular · January 2018 [Listen](https://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-art-of-vehicular-preparedness-with-gunmetal-armory-on-pbn--16708194) Prepare for on-foot travel even with a vehicle - Realities of Bugging Out realities of bugging out · March 2019 [Listen](https://www.spreaker.com/episode/realities-of-bugging-out--17410633) Prioritize a detailed evacuation plan for your specific area - Road Trip Series - The Next Generation Show road trip series · February 2022 [Listen](https://www.spreaker.com/episode/road-trip-series-the-next-generation-show--48749609) Unexpected problems can turn a simple trip into a major ordeal - Repairedness - 30 MORE TIPS FOR STORAGE & ORGANIZATION repairedness · May 2022 [Listen](https://www.spreaker.com/episode/repairedness-30-more-tips-for-storage-organization--49684115) Maximize storage in vehicles by looking beyond obvious spots - Truck and Vehicle Tents - Part 2 - The Next Generation Show truck and vehicle tents · March 2022 [Listen](https://www.spreaker.com/episode/truck-and-vehicle-tents-part-2-the-next-generation-show--49075320) Practice and test your preparedness gear and skills - Preppers LIVE: Funny Folies & Fails preppers live · August 2024 [Listen](https://www.spreaker.com/episode/preppers-live-funny-folies-fails--60931802) Create checklists to avoid forgetting essential items - Long Term Survival Chat long term survival chat · April 2019 [Listen](https://www.spreaker.com/episode/long-term-survival-chat--17623934) Travel preparedness requires items that comply with security regulations Drawn from 567 of the network’s 7,505 episodes — the ones transcribed and indexed so far. ## Ask about this Answered from ten years of the network’s own episodes, with the ones it drew on listed. If the shows haven’t covered it, it will say so. [All episode notes](https://staging.bepreparedsolutions.co/pbn) --- _Guidance here is general and cannot account for your circumstances. In an active emergency, official instructions from local authorities take precedence over anything published by BePrepared Solutions._