Some people from McHenry will simply drive to O’Hare, Milwaukee or Midway and catch a plane when they go on vacation this summer. But you’ve decided to drive. Not a bad idea. No doubt, you’ll save some money. But it pays to be smart about this kind of a trip.

Are you piling the entire family into the car? Is it just you and your significant other? Have you planned your stops? Will you combat load your vehicle? These are all considerations before you pull out of your McHenry driveway.

“Combat load your vehicle?” Well, you’re not really loading for combat but the term refers to how the US Navy would load a transport with supplies, for instance, during WWII. Combat loading meant that the essentials were loaded last so that they could be taken off the ship first.

You want to plan how you load the back of your SUV or the trunk of your sedan

Another consideration when loading your vehicle is access to your spare tire and jack. You don’t want a flat tire, of course. But that’s no guarantee you won’t have one. Even if you are smart enough to have your tires checked, and to head out with tires in reasonably good condition, there’s no guarantee that you won’t pick up a nail on the way to Yellowstone.

Will you be able to get the tire and jack out of the vehicle without too much trouble? How you load the vehicle will play a big role in answering this question. 

Folks in the US Army can tell you that you need to load with economy. That means don’t take more than you need along for the ride. In the case of an infantry soldier, they would have to carry all that stuff. And the more they loaded in their backpack, the more they would feel the weight of all that stuff by the time they got to their destination.

The same isn’t quite true with your vehicle. Possibly, if you really carried a lot of stuff, it might affect your gas mileage. But that’s doubtful. Rather it’s a matter of accessing what you need with ease. It’s a matter of how much you have to carry into the hotel, AirBnB or campground.

If you don’t need it, you might not want to pack it. Then again, you don’t want to get caught 1,000 miles from your McHenry home while needing something you didn’t bring along. In other words, put some thought into what you pack.

Above all, you don’t want mechanical problems on your trip if you can avoid them. Mechanical issues can occur even if you’re entirely responsible about preparing your vehicle for the road. But you can do a lot to reduce the likelihood of a problem.

Have your oil changed before you go, as well as having your coolant checked. Both are essential steps before driving distances on a hot summer day. We’ve already mentioned the tires, but you also want the rest of the vehicle to be in good operating condition. You want to know that your vehicle will get you there and back to your McHenry home without trouble.