Moving Cross Country: How to Create Your Own Roadside Emergency Kit

Written by Exodus Moving on May 18, 2010. Posted in moving, Safety

There could be nothing worse than getting into a car situation on the side of the road of a two lane highway at 11:00 at night with no one in sight for help. Hopefully this would never happen to anyone, but unfortunately the ways of the world state that it must, and in fact does quite often. The next worst thing to breaking down on the side of the road is not having an emergency roadside kit to get you out of a bind. Its key to be prepared for such an event to happen at any time.

Assuming that your cell phone is out of reach to your AAA, or roadside emergency assistance that is more often than not included in your insurance policy, you need to have a number of items that you can pull out on a dime to help yourself out of a sticky (or oily) situation.

Roadside Emergency Kit

• 12-foot jumper cables
• Four 15-minute roadside flares
• Jack
• Tire Iron
• Spare Tire
• Two quarts of oil
• Gallon of antifreeze
• First aid kit (including an assortment of bandages, gauze, adhesive tape, antiseptic cream, instant ice and heat compresses, scissors and aspirin)
• Blanket
• Extra fuses
• Flashlight and extra batteries
• Flat head and Phillips head screwdrivers
• Pliers
• Vise Grips
• Adjustable wrench
• Tire inflator (such as a Fix-A-Flat)
• Tire pressure gauge
• Rags
• Roll of paper towels
• Roll of duct tape
• Spray bottle with washer fluid
• Pocketknife
• Ice scraper
• Pen and paper
• Help sign
• Granola or energy bars
• Bottled water
• Heavy-duty nylon bag to carry it all in.

You are all set—now you can drive with ease and with the knowledge that you have set yourself up for a clean and safe journey—no matter what the bumps in the road cause.

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Trains, Planes and Automobiles!

Written by Exodus Moving on April 20, 2010. Posted in international moves, moving, Uncategorized

So you’ve got all of your things packed. Your moving company is scheduled to come and move your things across the country. The lease at your new place is signed and you are all set. The only you haven’t decided one thing: what mode of transportation are you going to use to get to your new home?

There are a number of ways to travel to your new home from your old one. But some people are sensitive to things like planes, confined spaces for long periods of time, or just plane old want a non-conventional trip! Below are a number of ways to both make your trip comfortable for you and to spice it up a bit.

Plane

Travelling by plane is by far the fastest mode of transportation to your new home (most of the time). Although it may not be the cheapest, there are ways of saving. For instance, check out Orbitz website to get the best deal for your destination on the web. The best airline, however, is not included in any of the search engine database websites. Southwest Airlines is by far the most economical, with 2 free checked bags and friendly service, and the fastest airline out there currently.

Train

This mode of transportation can be the most fun. Whether you are travelling in a sleeper care or are taking the adventurous way there in coach, this way of transporting yourself is especially exciting with all of the scenery and interesting people surrounding you. You can grab a beer in the diner car or maybe just want to hang out in the observation car. Its all fun, check out Amtrak for the best deals.

Car

We all know the age old way of travelling—road trip! Grab your Cheetos (or raw mixed nuts) and your coke (or water) and enjoy some radical tunes all the way across the country. Grab your GPS and your pre-mixed playlists on your .mp3 player to truly take advantage of this experience.

Bus

Now, this would probably be a last resort. If you are looking to save some money this may be the mode for you. But essentially riding a Greyhound across the country would be like being seated on a plane with the distance of a regular car. Regardless, this is a reliable and affordable way of transporting oneself from point A to point B.

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