Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, flying can feel risky—especially for people working in medical environments. It is completely understandable if you want to minimize your contact with potentially infected people when you are traveling for work. But as medical travelers, traveling is still a part of our routines. Contracts end and we have to pick up our lives and move them to a totally difference medical facility. Whether you are moving on to your next job or just getting out of town for the day, a road trip is your best friend.
So how do you efficiently and safely pack all your belongings in your car to give you maximum time to enjoy your destination? Here are some car packing tips and tricks from medical traveler pros.
Travel Light
When you first start out in medical travel, it can be hard to know how much stuff you need to bring on each contract. And that uncertainty can lead to overpacking, which bogs you down and can make you feel disorganized. More seasoned travelers can vouch for minimalism—the practice of only keeping what is essential to you.
Your essentials should cover your basic needs and anything else that helps you feel your best. To you, a bicycle or a tea kettle or painting supplies could be essential. If you cannot live without it for the length of your contract and it makes you happier, you should bring it. Anything else you may need over the course of your stay you can get at local grocery or thrift stores.
A minimalist approach is especially useful when packing up your car. All you have to do is put everything you can’t live without in the back of your car and place anything you’d like to donate or get rid of toward the doors so they’re easy to grab.
Get Creative with Containers
Unlike flying, driving allows you to pack in unique containers instead of just neatly packed suitcases. Shoving everything you have into suitcases can be tedious and time consuming, so feel free to think outside normal travel containers.
Keep your overnight bag and backpack just in case, but do not be afraid to repurpose old laundry baskets to hold your clothes, cooking supplies or more. The openness of a laundry basket or container makes it easy for you to pack quickly and keep tabs on what you packed and what you have not. Open baskets or containers also help you categorize your packing, so you can see everything at a glance, which is very handy on a road trip.
You can also get portable plastic drawers at most stores. These are handy for staying organized, and they are easy to access while your car is packed. Then, you can simply move the drawers full of your stuff into your new housing. The key to packing your car is maximizing efficiency and utility, so use any packing container that works best for you.
Consider A Road Trip
Once you have all your belongings squared away in the back of your car, you take on the open road with one of your biggest assets—your car. Medical travelers demand a lot from their cars. And no medical traveler can take for granted that their car will allow them to crisscross the country for their next job. Our cars are our lifeline to work, and they need as much care as we can provide.
Before you pack anything else in your car, make sure you have everything you need to maintain your car and help yourself in case of an emergency. Get your spare tire in mint condition, then pack an ice scraper, first aid kit, water, flashlight, tire changing supplies, jumper cables, extra wiper fluid and oil to stay safe if anything happens on the road. It does not matter how well you packed your car if it cannot get you where you need to go!
Driving around the country is one of the most exciting parts of medical travel, and as the pandemic continues, you will become a pro at packing your car and staying safe on the road. Let LRS Healthcare know if you have any questions about your next contract and check out our blog for more travel tips.