Share your travel wisdom.....

[Cannonball]

Judd, yes, you can adjust the legs. However, it is hard to put 13 girls and 26 parent in the shade. We might look like a moving caravan but everyone has shade and in the St. Louis area, our heat index with the humidity from the Mississippi River often hits 110+. Nice to know some of these ideas. Thanks!

[wadeintothem]

I've found some essential "must brings" also include hand towels, LOTS of water, a back up pair of sunglasses (back up everything!), even if hot .. a jacket (sometimes you go through a grueling hot day and the night game is ice frozen windy), a mini rug for changing/taking off shoes in dirt/grass whatever, Advil, power drink, chapstick, sunblock, ... fabreeze. Fabreeze is your friend. I always bring it. I usually bring 4 uniforms.. I rotate them, fabreeze them, let them air out.. and always look and smell Aqua Tulip Fresh!

If it is rainy, I bring 4-5 jackets/sweatshirts. They get soaked through and are essentially miserable after a game or so. I also bring 2-3 pairs of extra shoes, in addition to the 2 I always bring.

Edited to add "Off".. when youdont have your bug spray in your trunk is when you need it!

[chatterbox]

Don't forget hand sanitizer, extra toilet paper and those small packets of seat covers (you can find at the dollar store)! You never know what the bathrooms are like and some are awful!

[coolstuff]

I recommend the Coleman Xtreme cooler. It comes in various sizes and with wheels. we tried a regular cooler and found we had to run to the nearest gas station for ice every morning. Now we pack the cooler with ice and it stays for 3 days in a hot van.

We also have "cool down" neck wraps that you soak in water overnight, then put around your neck to keep cool. They have some kind of crystals inside that soak up water, and as the water evaporates it keeps you cool. They really work, and we usually keep them in a container in ice water ready to use. I bought them online a few years ago so I don't remember where I got them.

Thank God DD doesn't have stinky feet!

[narent]

For the really hot weekends, we pack a small cooler with about a dozen rags soaked in the following:

1/2 bottle of Spirits of Amonia (a.k.a. "Smelling Salts")
1 cup Lemon Juice (makes it smell nice)
As much ice as you can fit

I make it the night before and enough of the ice melts by gametime that it dilutes the lemon juice and smelling salts enough so it's no so strong. Our catchers especially LOVE this stuff.

The spirits of amonia can be a little hard to find and it sells out fast in our area. The bottle is small, maybe only about 2 ounces, so you really only want to use about an ounce of the stuff if you find a bigger bottle (it's REALLY strong stuff).

Oh, one more thing... we tell the girls to use the rags on the back of their necks and back and to NOT use them on their faces. It will make their eyes burn!

[Judd]

maybe I should just buy a RV or camper and bring that?

[coolstuff]

maybe I should just buy a RV or camper and bring that?

NOW you're talkin'! I want my daughter on your team!

[rrtiger]

My daughter loves apples! When we travel in the car, I tell her to leave the apple remains in the drink holder in the car. Apples, when cut up and left in a car, will suck up bad oders, even spoilded milk. Don't know if I'd stick them in the shoes, though!

[Sftbll4ever]

My daughter loves apples! When we travel in the car, I tell her to leave the apple remains in the drink holder in the car. Apples, when cut up and left in a car, will suck up bad oders, even spoilded milk. Don't know if I'd stick them in the shoes, though!

I have never heard of that before. That is very cool!!!

[jofus]

Since it's supposed to be 96 F at our tournament this weekend, I thought I would bump this up so people can see the ideas posted, and maybe post some new ones