Our Tips
No matter whether you are planning a long weekend away in the hills or preparing to travel across the globe, you need to have some sort of preparation. When we decided to plan for the Sweden to Australia trip we looked all over the internet and spoke to many other travelers about what we would need to know and do before we could go. We found the information spread out and confusing. We have, and will continue to add our information here, and although this page is orientated to long trips our hope is that through our research and experiences we can give tips on what to consider when planning any sort of camping trip with the whole family.
Planning can be the most time consuming task you will ever have to do in making an expedition come to life. Preparing a vehicle to handle long periods of driving in rough conditions and being able to live in it is just a one part of the whole trip. You need to make sure you have all the correct paperwork, your health must be taken in consideration, knowledge of the local customs, rules and laws must be researched, and what sort of precautions you should take in order to be safe whilst on the go.
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Health and Vaccinations
The first thing you should think of is carry a good medical kit. Include things such as thermometer, bandages, blood stoppers, and pain relief tablets. Know the diseases and infections that you are likely to come in contact with as you travel. Speak to your local doctor about possible vaccinations against diseases but remember, these must sometimes be taken months in advance, and not all at the same time.
It is vitally important to have a good water supply so plan for some sort of water purifier, and take as much water as you can, especially in the desert, where you may need up to 8 liters per person per day! Remember to brush your teeth in clean water, especially important for young children.
As stomach problems are common amongst travelers think about bringing some relief. Malaria is also a vital thing to remember, there are tablets on the market that can be taken both daily and weekly to dampen the symptoms associated with it, however , because of this, it is very important that you should seek medical advice if you have a "cold" when in countries with exposure to malaria as the symptoms are similar.
Children up to the age of 1 should continue taking vitamin A and D even in countries with strong sun. Washing hands before eating will decrease the chances of infections. Fully warming food should kill off any bacteria present. Children are particularly sensitive to the sun so make sure you are protected.
Security
You should check with your own foreign office as to whether a country is recommended for travel or not. They can advise on political stability, safety on the roads, imminent threat of war, and general safety information.
Passports should be as new as possible with enough pages for a visa for all countries likely to be visited in one trip. Children should also have one of their own with an up to date photo.
Personal security; It is always advisable to carry travelers cheques and US Dollars as well as local cash. Always keep receipts of the travelers cheques, as some places require these in order to cash them. If you plan on visiting many countries in which you need visas for then it might be wise to get a second passport issued. It can be very useful if you need it whilst waiting for the visa to be issued. It might also be used as a back up if one is stolen. It would not be a bad idea to keep photocopies in several different places including at home with relatives, if the worst comes about. Speak with your local issuing office to find out more about a second passport. Another wise thing to carry is a nominal amount of low denomination US Dollar bills as this might help in situations when you need to pay for a local to guard the vehicle. Adding a security box hidden in the vehicle is not a bad idea, but don't keep all your money there, keep some in various places such as a safe or security box hidden.
There are many solutions to vehicle security on the market, but making it triple secure is always a good idea. Use something like a gear lock, steering lock or a break lock as well as having an alarm. In certain extremes It might not be a bad idea to add heavy duty padlocks on all the doors with the load compartment blocked with a boot cage. Many Expedition vehicles are fitted with window bars on the rear boot windows for added security.
Always inform someone where you will likely be or are going so that in emergency the area is limited. We have installed GPS tracking in both cars as well as one that is portable. This will update our website in almost real time as to our coordinates.
Insurance
Insurance is one of the most essential items you will need. There are many insurance companies out there that cover for expeditions, see our list of Useful links for some companies that offer this type of insurance. It is very important to have have travelers insurance and a very good health insurance, especially when traveling with small children. When it comes to vehicle insurance a green card can be issued from any european insurer to cover europe.
It is important to always read the small print to make sure you are covered for everything, in some cases anything inside a vehicle that is not "bolted" may not be covered under the vehicle insurance, so be careful and be sure you know what is what before you sign up.
Vehicle documents
There are five main documents you must have in your possession before your travel. Firstly, is an international driving licence. Self explanatory but very important! Secondly, is all the vehicle documentation, ie. ownership, tax docs, registration. Thirdly, is the insurance, it is best to buy cover before you leave but in some cases the insurance for some countries is only valid for a short period of time so you may find you have a choice but to buy it in the country when you arrive. In some countries such as Iran and China you need to have number plates made and added to the car for your stay in the country. The next important document is only needed if anyone except the owner of the vehicle is to drive through a border and is quite simply a letter of permission from the owner. Finally but the most expensive is the carnet de passages. This is like a passport for the vehicle, do not forget this, since it will be very expensive if not bought before you go. It works like this;
A carnet de passage is, as mentioned, a passport for the vehicle and is needed in order to get it through customs. It is needed because some countries have extremely high import taxes on vehicles. The carnet is basically a guarantee that you will not sell the car when you enter the country. You have it stamped when you enter and you have it stamped when you leave. It is highly recommended since the alternative can be leaving a very high deposit when entering and and it can be very time consuming when leaving to get the deposit back. A carnet de passage is valid for one year after the issue and can be applied for from your local automotive authority and it can take up to five weeks to go through the procedure, so plan ahead. You will need to make a deposit to your local issuing authority by means of cash, or bank guarantee. It will be returned when the carnet is returned.
Equipment
Depending on what you will be doing on your trip the equipment you carry will vary, however the basic equipment you will need for an overland adventure by 4WD can be listed as:
A well maintained vehicle!
Medical kit
GPS and maps
Sleeping facilities
Fridge
Cooking facilities
Storage (water and dust proof if possible) for clothes and food
Warm clothing and blankets
Tools
Spare wheel(s)
Extra fuel carrier in the form of tank or jerry cans
Satellite and cell phone
Basic spare parts
Water carrier and purifier
Laptop or small pda so to document your travels
Camera for the same reason
Children specific equipment
Good car seat with added head and neck support
Small foldable light weight buggy
Rucksack style child carrier.
Entertainment
For a more detailed list of our equipment for the Australia expedition go to Our Landrovers.
Finance and budgeting
The financial aspect in the preparation of an expedition may differ depending on where you are going, for how long, and how you intend to stay while you are there. If, like us, you prefer to stay most of the time in or on the car then the cost of living will only be paid once! In major cities it might be a problem to just pitch the roof tent so budget for accommodation in hostel or hotel.
Make sure your vehicle is well maintained before you leave and budget for reparations that are likely to occur. Depending on how long you plan to be away and what sort of landscape you intend to drive, the cost of equipment can vary quite a bit.
An expedition can turn out to be very expensive, so always over budget and be prepared to be able to buy a flight ticket in case of an emergency. Insurance alone will be costly since it is recommended you have health, vehicle and travelers insurance.
We have saved for quite a period of time and worked with a number of companies to aid in our plans. The vehicles have been modified and maintained by us which has saved very much.