Travel Tips for Drivers this Christmas Season

It is the longest holiday season in the country again. Many will be going out of town to get back to their families in the provinces or get to the country side away from the urban landscape. No matter how you would like to spend your holiday, here are some of the tips I would like to share to my readers.

Tips for the roadsters this Christmas:

Updated December 22, 2017

Always have your vehicle checked. Remember BLOWBAG. Check your Brakes, Lights, Oil, Water, Battery, Air and Gasoline before going on a long drive.

Have a +Garmin GPS? Download the latest version of GPS Routable Map if the Philippines based in OpenStreetMap made possible by Schadow1 Expeditions and install it. The latest version has just been released at the time of this posting (20171222 donation version) and has always been updated by fellow advocates who would want to have our countrymen a free, reliable and accessible routable map of the Philippines. Roadguide.PH also has released their latest and last release version for this year (v2.67) is now downloadable if you are an active contributor.

And once you already have downloaded the latest map. Plan ahead your trips using Garmin Basecamp. Plan your routes and save your waypoints in your GPS device so you can easily access it while you are on the road. In this case, it is already stored in your Favorites folder and there is no need to search for it while you are along the way. This also helps for those who plan to do trekking and climbing this holiday using your handheld GPS device. I do this everytime before I climb to unfamiliar tracks and trails.

Planning your routes via Basecamp

On an extended trip? Don't forget to bring your gadget chargers and always keep in mind to supply yourselves with spare batteries.

Flashlight and Early Warning Devices (EWD), and spare tire should never be forgotten, in case you got lost in the dark or have to stop over for a repair, these things are very important.

Always wear your seat belt and obey speed limits and traffic rules.

Food and Drinks. Don't leave without them. Just like our vehicles, we need to re-supply while on the road.

Polarized shades/glasses is useful for drivers for contrast. Especially now as the weather forecast seems to be fair to sunny all throughout the holiday week.
If possible, do not drive alone and have a companion who also knows how to drive so you have a backup. If you don't and you feel sleepy, don't hesitate to to stop over the shoulder to take a nap.