Having written about organizing life on a road trip with children, I, frankly speaking, did not expect such a resonance - I thought that I was writing truisms. But, if our experience helps someone, I am ready to share it in any volume and with great pleasure. I talk about the little things that are easy to overlook, the basics for those who are just thinking about adventures on their own iron horse. If you are an experienced tourist, you will not learn anything new, except to laugh at the funny situations in which we managed to find ourselves.

So, let's get ready for the road trip.

In order to spend less time on the road looking for the necessary thing, remembering exactly which bag we put it in, we pack everything more or less orderly into different backpacks and bags, which over time have already received their nicknames in our family.

1. Valuable backpack. It is truly very valuable; it contains everything that should never be lost:

• documents: passports, birth certificates of children, identification large family, order establishing guardianship (and other documents you need);
• insurance policies for all family members (I wish you never need them, but you need to have them with you);
• documents for the car (check when the validity period expires);
• money (don’t keep all your money in one wallet, with which you go to the store or gas station, and especially don’t give it along with car documents- traffic police officers may misunderstand you and you will lose all your cash). It will be easier for you to plan your remaining finances if you know the exact amounts for each expense item, the main thing is to have enough left over for the return trip;
• bank cards (keep in mind: if you withdraw money in another region, you will be charged interest, and some bank employees may be vigilant and block your card until the circumstances are clarified, so try not to be left without cash);
• discount cards, payment receipts (if something was booked), addresses (passwords, appearances), etc.

Now a valuable backpack can easily be described with the words “I carry everything with me”; it is never left unattended. When leaving the car, you can put water, crackers, and raincoats in it. And if you come to visit relatives or friends, don’t forget to take your backpack back, it’s easy to lose your vigilance in a warm, friendly atmosphere!

2. Technical pouch usually kept in a treasured backpack, but sometimes left in the car while hiking. Here are all the necessary gadgets, chargers/batteries for them, and connecting wires. In our case, it stores: phones, a video camera, a flash drive with audiobooks and cartoons (make sure they are readable and audible, you may need additional speakers), a netbook;

When leaving the hotel, check all sockets, this is how chargers are most often lost.

A particularly used device is the Navigator. Don't forget that it has different settings, such as "only federal highways" or "allow dirt roads" But I would strongly recommend not relying only on it, but supplementing its information with atlas readings highways and a printout with advice from experienced people. Satellites often advise making a circle of about 300 kilometers or, conversely, cutting it off. There were times when I just wanted to sing an ode to the navigator: “Where have you, path, taken me?”

In current situation the best remedy there will be one that will bring it to Kyiv. Seriously, locals know their way much better than gadgets. Don't hesitate to ask questions. For example, in Bashkiria, from Komsomolskoye through Atnyash and Pervomaisky to Krasny Klyuch, where there are simply no official roads on the maps, we still managed to get there solely thanks to the instructions of the Bashkirs.

3. First aid kit- This is a bag full of medicines.

• individual medications prescribed by a doctor (we calculate that there will be enough for the entire trip);
• gastrointestinal: no-spa, hofitol, activated carbon, smecta, immodium, apple cider vinegar (we drink for prevention);
• anti-colds: from lozenges to antibiotics, Panadol and Nurofen (aka painkillers), Otipax (ear);
• anti-traumatic: hydrogen peroxide, synthomycin liniment, bandages, plasters, cotton pads, cornel (for minor eye trauma).

These miracle remedies are in great demand when camping, so we take more.

4. Cosmetic bag is a backpack that stores everything you need to care for your body. A waterproof one, for example, a leather one, is more convenient, since on a hike you have to take it entirely into the shower, and it may not have various shelves and hooks, but road dust does not linger on the backpack for a long time.

5. Household bag. We try to purchase everything that may be useful on the trip in advance so as not to waste precious time on the road. In a household bag live: wet wipes, antibacterial hand gel, toilet paper, liquid for a composting toilet, liquid and sponge for washing dishes, gas cartridges for the stove, garbage bags, thread with a needle, glue, tape, washing powder... And usually in this same bag, but in a separate pocket - compact Board games and other small entertainments.

6. Personal bags or backpacks. Each child is responsible for his personal belongings: underwear, pajamas, 2 changes of clothes, 1 set of warm clothes, towel, flip flops. If necessary, everyone can change clothes themselves; no parental assistance is required. And most importantly, when we stop for the night, everyone takes their own backpack plus another bag or thing that they can handle, the parents only have the most valuable, fragile, heavy things, so everything happens quite quickly.
Also in children's backpacks there are 2 empty bags: one for dirty things, one, somewhere in a very easily accessible place - if it suddenly becomes bad on the road.

Separately in the trunk, in a general bag, spare items, warm clothes, swimwear, sneakers, rubber boots, etc. are stored - everything that is not used every day.

Autotourism is not only about admiring wild landscapes, but also visiting any interesting places that are within reach. So you should always have clothes for going out. We called it a museum piece; it hangs in the salon in a case. And the children are already aware that the offer to change into museum clothes also applies to behavior, because no one wants to miss the next excursion, since the museum clothes have become unusable.
Before entering the city, we put ourselves in proper appearance.

7. And finally grocery bag, in which non-perishable products are stored (pasta, cereals, sugar, salt, canned food, stewed meat, green peas, corn, olives, etc.), napkins, disposable tableware, pots, pans, knives.
We try to use the services of stores to a minimum, so that finances for food are more predictable, as well as in order to save time. In addition, Selmags do not always inspire confidence.

8. Much more that travels in a car on its own:

• - dry closet, auto-refrigerator, gas stove;

How to prepare for traveling by car

A whole book could be written about what might be useful to a road traveler. But we tried to reduce it to ten purely practical advice. They will be especially useful if you are going on a real voyage of several hundred or thousand kilometers, and not just to the country.

Diagnostics

A week before the trip, you need to carefully check the “steel horse” for “professional suitability”. Due to basic problems that could be fixed at a service station in twenty to thirty minutes (and for a very reasonable amount), you can be stuck in the middle of nowhere for a long time, waiting for a tow truck.

So full diagnostics definitely won't be superfluous. If you have doubts about the reliability of the battery, it is better to replace it. In general, no questions to technical condition the car should not arise. A week before the proposed trip is needed so that there is time to identify missed unexpected problems, and their elimination.

Warehouse in the trunk

Firstly, if the destination of the trip is the wilds of the forest, you need a shovel. An ordinary, but irreplaceable thing. It is so versatile that it can be needed at any time. It's a pity that many weekend travelers forget about it.

Using a shovel, you can dig around the fire pit, bury the remaining debris, dig a hole for water, and so on. And in general, it’s unknown in what kind of mud baths your car might get stuck. In a word, make it a rule: if you are going on a trip, take a shovel.

The choice of a specific tool is not important. But it is better to stay away from extremes. A children's dustpan, like a professional shovel, will most likely be inappropriate. But the standard “tourist” one with a folding bayonet and a size of 50-70 cm is what you need.

Secondly, throw a stapler somewhere in the salon. Joke? No, it can be indispensable in the case of repairing holey tents, awnings, covers and other fabric products.

Third, rope, tape and plastic film. Of course, they may not be useful. But who knows what awaits you? Film is especially useful. It can and should cover the “steel horse” while parked in the forest. After all, nature does not like guests, so it takes revenge in the form of strange things falling from trees, bird “shelling” and bugs that stain everything. All these “gifts” tend to eat into the paint and are difficult to wash off.

You can also cover the interior with film, especially if it is light. Resin, greens, berries, juice, insects will definitely try to leave a stain on the chairs. Moreover, even dry cleaning is not always able to cope with them.

Fourth, be sure to take an ax and a lantern. I don’t think anyone needs to explain why these things are needed.

It is better to take care of filling the first aid kit in advance, rather than last moment. Because in a hurry you can simply forget something. Various cold tablets, painkillers and your “personal” medications should be “prescribed” in the first aid kit in advance.

If your car has a spare wheel instead of a full-size spare wheel, it is better to replace it with a normal, full-size spare wheel.

And, of course, there is the financial question. As you know, there is never too much money. But it is not advisable to take too large amounts of money with you. The “golden mean” rule applies here. You can protect yourself with a stash. But it’s better to forget about it until really necessary and unforeseen expenses arise.

Food question

When traveling by car, the food issue can be solved in two ways. First: take four backpacks, five bags and several baskets of food supplies with you. True, for this “warehouse” you need to allocate either an entire trunk or a trailer. The second is not to worry and use the services of roadside eateries or cafes. Each method is both good and bad in its own way.

Those who decide not to trust roadside service will have to rack their brains over the safety of their food. Best helper- this is, of course, a car refrigerator. Well, or at least a thermal bag. The refrigerator only needs 12 V, you just need to remember that in 2-3 days permanent job it will easily drain the battery.

It's easier with a thermal bag. In order for it to retain its properties longer, it should be placed in the freezer for a couple of hours before leaving. And when packing food, don’t forget to put in cooling elements. Regular ice will also work.

The main disadvantage of eateries is that no one will ever know what the dumplings or any soup were made from. And does the attorney wash his hands before “ creative process“... It’s better to believe in the best.

It’s sad, but the service on our roads is very vaguely reminiscent of the European one. Anyone who has traveled at least once through Germany, France or any other Western European country is unlikely to trust their stomach to the “cafe-chanters” along our roads. And it’s clear why: lunch can lead to a lot of troubles, ranging from banal heartburn to serious food poisoning. Moreover, such a meal can be unreasonably expensive.

True, there is one way to at least partially protect yourself from troubles. If there is a “flock” of trucks gathered at a diner, this can serve as an indicator of the quality of the “tavern”. Truckers know where they can eat - it’s tasty, inexpensive, and without getting poisoned.

All more people prefer to spend their weekends on leisure in nature, rather than thoughtlessly spending it while sitting in front of the TV. Different kinds Hiking trips are becoming increasingly popular. However, few novice tourists take a responsible approach to collecting the necessary things for a trip.

Even if the hiking route is thought out to the smallest detail and lasts only 1 day, the tourist’s backpack must still be assembled according to all the rules. This is collateral have a nice rest Outdoors. A big mistake for newbie tourists is overloading. In this article we will try to figure out what you need to take with you on a hike, what requirements there are for a tourist’s clothing, whether a first aid kit is needed, and how to assemble it yourself.

A complete list of possible things for a hike is available using the download button after the article.

Preparing for the hike

Fees will depend on many factors. First you need to decide on the route. What kind of terrain will it pass through (forest, taiga, mountains), approximate duration in days, will you spend the night in nature or are you planning to settle in hotels for the night. You should take into account the time of year, the age of the participants in the hike and their number.

Be sure to read the information:

When solving the dilemma of what to pack for a hiking trip, keep in mind that Weight Limit backpack for a man is 30 kg, but for a woman it is limited to 15 kg.

The required minimum of things can usually be divided into 3 categories:

1. For movement. This includes all navigation items (map, compass), comfortable clothes, shoes. In addition, for active activities in nature you will need any auxiliary items (flashlight, whistle, magnifying glass, rope) and a first aid kit.
2. For relax. For a one-day trip, a blanket or travel rug will be enough. If your plans include spending the night in the forest, then you need to think about a tent and sleeping bags. You will need means to start a fire (matches, lighter, paper or newspaper).
3. Nutrition. Minimum set for a picnic, consisting of metal kitchen utensils, a knife and dry rations. For long hikes, it makes sense to purchase a gas burner.

Many people are concerned about the question of what to take a child on a hike? All of the above, but don’t forget about sports equipment that will help pass the time on vacation. This could be a ball, tennis rackets, badminton.

Clothes and shoes

Assembling a travel backpack correctly is not that difficult. You just need to make a list in advance of the required minimum of things that you cannot do without on a hike.

IMPORTANT: Pay attention to additional materials in the block MATERIALS ON THE TOPIC!

Traveling by car is convenient and profitable when compared with the cost of air travel. And the car is always nearby, under supervision. Jumped into it and went anywhere. We often travel by car; for us it is a comfortable and pleasant way to travel, and there is no need to pack suitcases. 😎

If you have only traveled by car to your dacha or nearby neighborhoods (maximum to neighboring cities), but are going on a grand trip of thousands over 5 kilometers, then this article is for you. Although, for experienced road travelers it can also be useful, because this is a ready-made list of things, take it and get ready without a headache.

And then - on the road!

So, based on personal experience, what you need to take with you on a road trip:

For a car

• Radar detector (! ) - except for trips around Europe. We didn’t take a radar detector with us on our St. Petersburg-Altai-St. Petersburg megatrip and greatly regretted it. Some cameras are hidden so cleverly that you either cannot see them at all, or you notice them at the last moment, when it is already too late. Another topic: we received 4 fines from the Kazan-MSK highway, which took into account average speed at such and such a site, and we were in a hurry to get home. 🙂 So it is highly desirable to have a radar detector. Don’t forget that radar detectors are prohibited in Europe, so you shouldn’t take them with you on trips abroad!
• Paper cards. Throw it in the glove compartment just in case. Electronic navigators like to glitch, not pick up satellites, or break down at the most inopportune moment. And with a road atlas you will never get lost.
• Tools. Set of keys, jack, knife.
• Spare wheel. It is highly desirable that it be full-size. Believe me, driving 200 km somewhere in the mountains bad road on the dock - it’s still a pleasure. Especially if the car is loaded.
• Repair kit For tubeless tires(!) - an irreplaceable thing! Definitely take it.
• Compressor(check that it is in good order)
• Towing rope, shuckle
• Emergency sign, first aid kit, fire extinguisher
• Rags, cotton gloves (several pairs)
• Shovel (small, like a sapper one)
• Fuse set
• Spare headlight bulbs
• Car wet wipes for cleaning hands
• Car charger for phones/tablets
• Fuel canister
• Flashlight and matches
• Liquids: antifreeze, engine oil, transmission oil (everyone knows their car, what needs to be taken from liquids, but at least liter of oil I advise everyone to take it)
• Washer fluid supply
• Reflective vests on all (must be stored on back seat car or in pockets, but not in the trunk)
• Spare parts and consumables. This list is individual for everyone, but it is advisable to have at least spark plugs and spare brake pads with you, especially if the trip involves mountain serpentines. For diesel: spare fuel filter.
• You can take a bottle of anti-rain with you or apply it to glass Aquapel: excellent product, lasts for six months.

Checking the car before a long journey

• Be sure to conduct a detailed inspection of the car at a service station, check and, if necessary, replace all fluids, belts, wires, tubes, brake hoses
• Check or replace spark plugs. You can take a spare set of candles with you on the road
• Assess wear brake pads and disks, replace if necessary
• Do balancing and wheel alignment
• Change oil and filter (carry out maintenance)
• Check, charge or clean the air conditioner
• Carry out suspension diagnostics and, if necessary, replace: levers, shock absorbers, stabilizers lateral stability, bushings, etc.

Group equipment

• First aid kit
• Gas burner, spare cylinders - for cooking outside civilization, heating water, etc.
• Bowler hats different sizes, at least 2x (for example, for tea and soup)
• Canisters or bottles for stock drinking water
• Dishwashing liquid with sponge
• Cutting board
• Folding knife, camping saw
• Repellents for ticks and flying insects
• Entertainment on the road ( playing cards, crosswords, etc.)

Personal equipment

• Documents and their copies
• Pen and notepad
• Individual cosmetic bag
• Toothbrush, toothpaste
• Shampoo, shower gel, I also take bar soap. It happens that a hotel does not provide soap at all in the room, for example, in Kazan at the Avtodom hotel.
• Laundry soap if you plan to wash things while traveling
• Awning, tent, sleeping bag, sleeping mat, etc., if you spend the night outdoors.
• Thermos
• KLMN (mug, spoon, fork, knife)
• Clothes, change of underwear, socks
• Wet wipes for hygiene, toilet paper
• A towel (preferably a tourist one, dries quickly and does not become bad smell from dampness)

Food to take with you on a road trip

I advise you to at least make sample menu before the trip and a list of products that need to be purchased for the trip. The list is individual and changes based on the taste preferences of travelers. I have a basic grocery list below. Based on a specific trip, something is excluded, something is added. Some people generally only eat in cafes, so the grocery list will only include snacks. And we prefer, if possible, to cook ourselves: soup or light hot dishes.

• stew
• canned red fish (for soup)
• jerky
• pate in small packages
• noodles instant cooking- who loves
• prepared food in cans or special bags
• tourist dry rations (soup, main course, etc.) - help out when you’re too lazy to cook
• canned corn, beans, peas
• pasta: spaghetti, vermicelli (in soup)
• potato
• set for simple soup: carrots, onions, spices
• bread
• loaf, bread, lavash - to choose from
• cookies
• dry rations: nuts, candied fruits, dried fruits, crackers
• dried fruits (we buy them in bulk in Auchan)
• cereal bars
• buckwheat
• fruits
• condensed milk
• tea and coffee

Lately we have become addicted to ready-made tourist food. You heat it up, open the package - a portion of food is ready. For lunch on the go, ready-made food in bags saves a lot of time, because you don’t need to cook, just heat it up. But for some, the portion may seem insufficient.

An excellent option would be to prepare food yourself: you can dry vegetables and meat for a backpacking trip, or roll a ready-made vegetable mixture for borscht or pickle into sterilized jars. This is a topic for a separate article, which will appear soon.

I prepared this list based on my experience of traveling by car. Perhaps it will seem incomplete to some, and redundant to others. Do not forget that each traveler is individual. 🙂

9 days, 6 people, incl. 3 children (2y, 2y and 2y 9m), August 2004,

Our idea to go to Karelia with children cannot be called unexpected, because... all the parents who participated in this event already had some hiking experience and were able to sufficiently taste the atmosphere of tourist life, which is very difficult to forget. Another thing is our children (Grisha and Misha - 2 years old and Masha 2 years old 9 months old) - at this age they most likely simply did not understand what a hike was and why they were in the forest.

It was still too early to go on a hiking trip with such children, and at that time we had not yet decided to take the children on a water trip.
An alternative was found - we decided to go by car to Karelia.

Place, where to go was chosen somewhat adventurously. Once upon a time I rafted along the Suna River and I liked the sites on its banks. Taking a 2-kilometer map of Karelia, we found a country road that departs from the highway towards the village of Lindozero and a branch of a logging road leading from it to the shore of the Suna and decided that we would go there.

Early August- the most suitable time for a children's hike in Karelia, there are already fewer mosquitoes and midges than at the beginning of summer, it is warm, there is usually little rain at this time. Later, towards the end of August - beginning of September, there may already be frosts at night. Our company consisted of 6 adults and 3 children (3 families): Andrei and Natasha with Grisha and Ilya and Irina with Misha traveled by car, and we had to meet Dima, Yulia and Masha in Karelia (they were traveling by train) and take to the parking lot. We took two bicycles and a kayak with us.

We left Moscow along the Leningradskoe Highway, agreed that everyone would drive at their own pace, and we would periodically communicate by phone to agree on where we would stop together for lunch and overnight.
We stopped for the night after passing Veliky Novgorod, on the banks of the Volkhov River. The next day, turning off the Leningrad highway onto Kirishi, we drove to the St. Petersburg-Murmansk highway and along it, past Petrozavodsk, we got to the area where we were to live for a week. The country road to the village of Lindozero turned out to be very rough, but it was still better than the forest road we turned onto to get to the shore of the Suna.

Cars we had domestic auto industry, “nine” and “eleventh”, both were equipped with devices for raising the car body. If this had not been done, we would then have had to polish the Karelian stones with the bottom of the car (although we could not do without it at all).

On the bank of the river we found the only small clearing, to which, apparently, local fishermen periodically come. The clearing was surrounded by a dense forest.
The next morning I went to the village of Girvas, where I met our friends who had arrived from Petrozavodsk by minibus.

We stayed on Suna for 3 days. We went mushroom picking, picked berries (of which there weren't many), fished (even though we weren't fishermen, we managed to catch a pike), rode bicycles (it turned out to be very interesting to ride along old logging roads) and swam. The weather was warm and sunny, but the water in the river was still cool. The bottom of the river is very rocky and in order to swim you had to carefully walk to the place where the water reached your chest and then swim a little against the current (so as not to be carried away from the camp). Water was poured into a small inflatable pool for the children, and they splashed around with pleasure.

After three days, we got a little tired of camping on the river bank, and we decided to move the camp to the shore of a small lake called Muros; we found this place while cycling. Not far away, on the shore of another Cheranga lake, there was another parking lot, but, unfortunately, it was occupied.

Lake Muros is peaty and shallow, but there was a small sandy beach opposite our camp. True, we only managed to swim on the first day, because... Then the weather turned bad, it got colder, and heavy rains began.
In between the rains, we took the kids kayaking on the lake. Although the lake is not large, its shores are very picturesque.

There were no fish caught on the lake, but we did not show much zeal in catching them. After 3 days we went home.

We said goodbye to Dima, Yulia and Masha in Girvas, put them on a minibus to Petrozavodsk and went in the same direction.
On the way we stopped at the Kivach waterfall, admired it and took pictures. We bought various souvenirs made by local craftsmen.
We decided to go to Moscow through Yaroslavl, but in the end the way back turned out to be about 150 km shorter. True, part of the way (about 40 km) had to be bumpy on a dirt road.
All the children returned home happy and with a lot of impressions. Grishka later recalled for a long time how we lived on the banks of the river, fished, picked berries, and there was a dark forest all around.

Traveling by car with a small child turned out to be not as difficult as we thought before. Grishka sat quietly in his chair almost all the time, looked out the window, slept or sang songs with us. Sometimes we stopped for a few minutes to “stretch the bones” - this time was enough to pick up half a cup of berries, which Grishka then happily devoured in the car. There were no problems finding a place to have lunch or spend the night. It was enough to drive away from the main road and settlements(on the road through Yaroslavl it is much easier) into the forest. We had a gas burner with us and a supply of drinking water (at the rate of 5 liters per day), so setting up the camp was limited to setting up a tent.