What would be the best advice for a road trip *to be updated 09/2015*

kahos said:
Sounds like fun, but is there a reason why you'd be doing this by yourself in the middle of winter?
Some of these roads can be just plain nasty and dangerous in January . IE Highway 17 (the trans-canada) in Northern Ontario has more than it's fair share of fatal collisions in the winter. Most of it is two ways, two lanes undivided with some stretches with with rock faces on either sides of the road. The prairies are lame enough to go through in the summer time without the drifting snow and sheer ice on the road surface.

When you factor the 7AM to 5PM daylight hours you won't be seeing as much scenery as you would want to, driving by yourself at night in the winter isn't optimal (keep the heater down if you wanna stay awake)
combined with the likely road closures along the way (if there's a crazy storm/accident) and the harsh road conditions might make this more of a white knuckle drive than your average sunday drive. Here's whats going on today in Alberta: http://globalnews.ca/news/1003856/brutal-highway-conditions-force-closure-of-trans-canada-highway/

If this sounds fun to you, carry on. If it was up to me, I'd fly to BC and save the roadtrip for the spring.
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The voice of reason!
 
I'd be going through the states, not Canada. For security obviously.

The reason I want to do this is mainly for getting it off my bucket list while I still have time to do something like this!
 
kahos said:
Sounds like fun, but is there a reason why you'd be doing this by yourself in the middle of winter?
Some of these roads can be just plain nasty and dangerous in January . IE Highway 17 (the trans-canada) in Northern Ontario has more than it's fair share of fatal collisions in the winter. Most of it is two ways, two lanes undivided with some stretches with with rock faces on either sides of the road. The prairies are lame enough to go through in the summer time without the drifting snow and sheer ice on the road surface.

When you factor the 7AM to 5PM daylight hours you won't be seeing as much scenery as you would want to, driving by yourself at night in the winter isn't optimal (keep the heater down if you wanna stay awake)
combined with the likely road closures along the way (if there's a crazy storm/accident) and the harsh road conditions might make this more of a white knuckle drive than your average sunday drive. Here's whats going on today in Alberta: http://globalnews.ca/news/1003856/brutal-highway-conditions-force-closure-of-trans-canada-highway/

If this sounds fun to you, carry on. If it was up to me, I'd fly to BC and save the roadtrip for the spring.
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I've done the trip twice and I already told him that. the trans-canada after ottawa is shit. yeah pretty and all during summer but you have to be insane to go there in winter. it's a no-go.


For the moment he's going alone, if i put some money aside for the next month then i'll be the co-driver. we would cross by the states because:
- 2 lane highway coast to coast
- mcdee's/fuel every few miles
- higher speed
- more motel's/rest areas
 
piranha said:
I'd be going through the states, not Canada. For security obviously.

The reason I want to do this is mainly for getting it off my bucket list while I still have time to do something like this!
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Peux-tu m'éclairer sur le motif de sécurité? Si tu es pour traverser les USA, penses à l'assurance voyage si jamais te devrais être hospitalisé ou traité d'urgence l'autre côté de la frontière.
 
Twon said:
Peux-tu m'éclairer sur le motif de sécurité? Si tu es pour traverser les USA, penses à l'assurance voyage si jamais te devrais être hospitalisé ou traité d'urgence l'autre côté de la frontière.
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Je travaille pour une compagnie américaine, Amerco. J'pense bien être capable d'avoir de quoi de bien pour quelques semaines, mais c'est bien d'y penser, j'y avais vraiment pas pensé...
 
du weed en passant par les USA .... bon conseil ca !

essais de te trouver un element chauffant pour une tasse qui se branche dans le lighter c'est tres utile pour te faire un cafe ou un cup de nouilles ramen
tu peux trouver du cafe instant tout en 1 (cafe lait sucre) dans les epiceries chinoises en enveloppe individuelle suffit de mixer ca a l'eau chaude et c'est tres bon en plus
du chocolat aussi toujours bon en avoir en reserve

assure toi que la voiture a un block heater qui fonctionne et peut etre une extention electrique pour la brancher, dans le mid ouest tu peux pogner des -30 -40 de jour comme de nuit
 
Wait for spring. I understand your concept of having a bucket list but arent you a teenager? Whats the rush? If your gonna do it, do it right. You should stop and check out Banff, Jasper, Lake Louise, Whistler and stuff if your gonna go down there. My opinion, do it to have fun and not for bragging rights.
 
Have a safety net, let a family member know each day which part of the road you're going to drive and do check ins with time brackets when you supposed to call/txt and when they should call for help if you don't check in. All the stuff you bring to keep you alive in case of trouble is useless when nobody knows where to look for you and you're off the road and pinned in the car unable to reach your phone or blanket, or unconscious in the middle of winter.

If you run off the road and can't get back out on your own, make sure your exhaust gases have a clean path to escape while you idle for heat, get out of the car once in a while and check/clean the snow away from your exhaust. Getting somebody to pull you out or have a chain/rope to pull you out might take hours.
A piece of 2X4 to use under the jack when changing tire on top of anything not rock hard is a plus.
The rest pretty much said already.
 
CRNKY said:
Have a safety net, let a family member know each day which part of the road you're going to drive and do check ins with time brackets when you supposed to call/txt and when they should call for help if you don't check in. All the stuff you bring to keep you alive in case of trouble is useless when nobody knows where to look for you and you're off the road and pinned in the car unable to reach your phone or blanket, or unconscious in the middle of winter.

If you run off the road and can't get back out on your own, make sure your exhaust gases have a clean path to escape while you idle for heat, get out of the car once in a while and check/clean the snow away from your exhaust. Getting somebody to pull you out or have a chain/rope to pull you out might take hours.
A piece of 2X4 to use under the jack when changing tire on top of anything not rock hard is a plus.
The rest pretty much said already.
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https://goo.gl/maps/XRFYH this would be my route of choice, fuck going above the great lakes. if something happens there you're fucked. I've already done the trip twice during summer. to do as you say it would be better to spend less time possible in the states so that the passenger can use his cellphone to make the calls/check in.
 
jeeps005 said:
Wait for spring. I understand your concept of having a bucket list but arent you a teenager? Whats the rush? If your gonna do it, do it right. You should stop and check out Banff, Jasper, Lake Louise, Whistler and stuff if your gonna go down there. My opinion, do it to have fun and not for bragging rights.
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Yeah that's what I would do, even going through the states wouldn't be as fun during the winter. I'd rather have nice weather and find some crazy roads or something.
 
For crossing the looooooooooooong and flaaaaaaaaaaaaaat prairies, one very important thing nobody mentionned: a satellite radio or a very well furnished ipod or similar device.

Unless you do not mind listening to country music for days on end while battling the straightest, boringest roads ever.
 
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