Planning a big road trip with your family? Whether you’re off on a big outdoors excursion or visiting friends in far-flung cities, there’s no better summertime tradition than hitting the highways and backroads with your loved ones—the best drives are often as much about creating lasting memories as they are about getting from point A to point B in an economical and efficient manner.
Depending on the size of your family—including pets, if they’re coming along for the ride—one of the biggest challenges of ambitious or complicated road trips can be fitting everything in the car in a comfortable and practical manner. The all-new Kia Telluride offers seating for eight passengers and plenty of cargo room, but can’t hurt to be strategic when it comes to packing for the entire group. After all, you’ll want to leave some space for great souvenirs!
Here are seven packing hacks that are game-changers for big family road trips:
Pack based on use, rather than per individual
Instead of placing each family member’s items separately, consider packing strategically based on purpose, use and intended location. For example, keep everyone’s daily essentials such as toiletries, pyjamas and tech gadgets together. That way you won’t need to load and unload every bag at each overnight stop.
Use a few larger suitcases in place of many smaller bags
Instead of packing many small bags, consider using a few larger suitcases, which will hold more overall. With features like one-touch slide and fold seats and split-folding rear seats, you can personalize the interior layout of the Telluride—fitting in large luggage pieces won’t be a problem.
Make full use of the roof rack
Don’t forget that a roof rack is standard with every Telluride. You can securely store big suitcases or bulky sports equipment there, saving valuable interior room for smaller or more fragile items if necessary. Investing in a rooftop cargo carrier can also help you maximize storage space and better protect your luggage.
Prepare a family-friendly emergency kit
For any lengthy trip, you’ll want to have a well-stocked emergency kit handy. Besides first-aid essentials and car-related items such as a flashlight and a road-side assistance kit, kid-friendly products such as wet wipes, hand sanitizer, and colourful band-aids will be more than useful on the road.
Put the back of your seats to work
Hanging organizers specifically designed for seat backs are the ideal storage place for small children’s or pet items such as toys, treats and games. Having these knick-knacks neatly arranged, clearly displayed and easily accessible throughout the drive will be a win-win for everyone.
Commit to reusable bottles
Rather than bringing big, heavy cartons of water or soda on your road trip, give each member of the family a reusable bottle that they can fill up at rest areas and dining stops along the way. You’ll create significantly less waste and recycling, and save both space and money for your efforts.
Send consumables directly to your destination
Depending on where you are headed, it might make more sense to order bulky, consumable items such as diapers, wipes and snacks online ahead of time, and have them shipped directly to a planned stop on your route, or to your final destination. That way, you’ll only have to pack enough products for one leg of the journey, and not for the duration of the entire trip.
Hitting the open road for an adventure with your family this summer? Visit Tales from the Modern Family, our roadmap to reconnecting families through authentic weekend experiences, brought to you by the all-new Kia Telluride.
