Eco Holidays

posted by Catherine on Dec 4

Walk your way into the 3 R’s – Reduce, Reuse and Recycle!

We all have many pairs of shoes – but are we thinking about their eco impact? We buy Fairtrade clothes, eco friendly materials, organic cottons and the like – but what about our footwear?

Do you own any shoes that you could call eco friendly shoes?

Probably not. But now there are some on the market that you could buy – and they are by a well-known footwear specialist!

Timberland Shoes:
This outdoor shoe and boot specialist – with a high street name – have come up with the perfect eco friendly shoe and boot which could possibly be a first for mainstream footwear.

And it’s not only the shoe that is eco friendly – the box is too!

Plus – the sole of these shoes is totally natural and reusable – something that isn’t always the case in other eco friendly footwear (where the ‘upper’ is usually holding all the eco credentials!).

Yes – leather is technically ‘natural’ in all leather shoes – but with artificial and damaging dyes, glues and solvents used – they aren’t so good for recycling!

The sole of these shoes is a solid mass of natural latex rather than multiple layers or man-made materials glued together, and is filled with a spongy layer made of coconut husks to act as a natural shock absorber!

And as all 3 component parts are minimally treated – they will all decompose naturally into the environment if they are not recycled into new products.

Their Afterlife:
Not only are they great ecological shoes in the first place – but they have a very eco friendly after life too.

They have been designed to be taken apart into their basic parts very easily so that the individual bits can be used again if possible – for example to make new shoes!

By grating down the latex sole – new soles can be created and the leather can be reused for other products.

The coconut husks are also used for creating their unique ‘shoe-box’ unit that is a sturdy carrier for the shoes – as well as totally biodegradable if left in the right conditions. Being made of 60% husk and 40% latex – these boxes can be used for plant or vegetable trays which when planted out into the ground will naturally break down allowing the produce to root into the soil naturally.

Yes, the traditional cardboard will sort of do the same thing – but cardboard involves cutting down the whole tree – whereas both coconut husk and latex can be harvested while leaving the tree itself still alive and well!

Conclusion:
Well, you can now feel totally at ‘eco ease’ when buying and wearing shoes like this – not only will you eco adventure itself be eco friendly – but your shoes will have had virtually no impact on the environment at all!

Oh, and one last thing – by using the design of their shoes to it’s full potential – you can have shoes and boots in the same package!

Imagine the traditional loafer design with the threaded edge around the opening – now imagine ‘sewing’ on a high top that will instantly transform your shoes into a pair of boots! 

2 eco pairs for the price of 1!

For this new range, Timberland have joined forced with Po Zu – a well established ecological footwear specialist with a whole range of indoor, outdoor and convertible shoes, slippers, sandals and boots!

posted by Catherine on Nov 26

Should you use your waste cardboard and string for kids art sessions?

You often see people giving their kids all the waste packaging from their home to then glue together into ‘only a mother could love’ monsters, castles and flowers, covering them in glitter and ribbon along the way.

But this highlights a serious conflict between the 3 eco R’s.

There is also the enjoyment of your kids to consider, as they no doubt enjoy creating all sorts of things from nothing – and of course spending time with their parents and friends as a part of that.

But should their eco adventures be less wasteful?

ReUse:
Lets kick off with the reusing aspect of this.  Yes, it’s great that out of used boxes, birthday cards, toys, clothes and all – kids can create something that they like and want to give to their parents.

Rather than just throwing them out – your kids can have a go at creating something truly unique.  Maybe making a dress for your teddy out of an old T-shirt would be 1 of the better choices for a creative session, but it is more likely to end up just making a total mess of your dining table, with bits of paper, string, cloth and various pom-poms all over the place and a nasty looking piece of ‘art’ that you will leave on the fridge for a few weeks.

Recycle:
Now, how can you recycle all that perfectly recyclable paper, plastic, string and clothing when it’s all covered in glue, ink, ribbon and glitter?

You can’t.  You will have to throw it all away instead.

Unfortunately once you have added glue and glitter to paper and cardboard etc, you can no longer recycle them – and I doubt they would go down too well in the compost heap either?

They will have become landfill goods.

photo credit: nicksarebi

Reduce:
If you are trying to buy products with less packaging in the first place, then why would you be trying to save enough packaging to make creative monsters?

And why would you be keeping hold of loads of clutter in the home waiting for a creative day.  Why would you have too many old clothes or plastic bottles sitting around.

You could, I suppose, reduce the need for more practical things by designing new things out of old that actually have a practical use like a clothes peg bag from an old tea-towel.  Making a funny-shaped vegetable id peg out of old bottles, birthday cards out of old cards, or creating a brightly coloured draught excluder out of old socks and stuff.

As then it is helping to prevent you buying something new, rather than creating useless – but pretty – novelty!

It might sound a bit harsh to say kids can’t do these things – but just think about making something useful instead.  It can be just as fun designing something that is actually of use as it is to create something to be thrown away!

posted by Catherine on Sep 23

Could eating insects be the best eco friendly move you make this year?

When you see those cooked crickets or giant squidgy bugs for sale at the market next time you are on your holiday – maybe you should try them for the sake of the planet!

We all know that there is a food crisis at the moment – what with climate change, food and energy demands and a growing population, but shouldn’t we all try something new if it could do some good without really putting us out too much.

I mean only the most extreme eco advocates would want to give up all their worldly possessions, electricity, fridge, meat, instant communications and go live in a tent with no running water!

The rest of us want to make a difference – but without to extreme an attitude.  And this new concept regarding food could be one of the things you try.

Eating insects may not appeal instantly as an alternative to a fresh salad or some fries for example, but it could be the answer to some of the planets current woes.

Land Requirements:
Farming cows is a topic that isn’t very popular with many people across the globe today.  Not only do they require a seemingly endless supply of land to graze and roam about on – which was possibly a dense rain forest 6 months ago – but they also require supplementary feeding by crops grown on yet more land.

Insects can live in tubs – all stacked on top of each other in the same barn.

Food Requirements:
And this is where it gets sticky – that land was growing crops that could have been fed to humans instead.  Rather than feeding nutritious food to cows (which are basically more food) it could be used to lower food prices and feed millions of humans rather than shipped across to American or European restaurants as prime T-Bone steak for the very wealthy.

Insects require only small amounts of food – none at all for eggs and grubs!

Living Standards:
Cows also need specific land in which to thrive – and lots of it.  If they don’t have lots of it, and are farmed intensively – then they need tonnes of supplementary food (grown on the land the cows don’t have); supplementary medicines and vitamins to maintain optimum health; and more farmers to watch over them incase of injury, trampling or other problems associated with bored, stressed, confined large animals!

Eggs and larvae won’t even know they are in a small space – and need no food either!

In Summary:
Obviously there will be some ‘grey’ areas to insect farming that I haven’t covered in this article – but in general: farming grasshoppers does seem to have the eco edge over farming cows.

Whether or not insect farming on a scale to feed all 6.87 million of us will be achieveable on a local or at least national scale is something we can only aim for – but in terms or land use – this could be a huge step forward!

So, next time you see a local farmer when on your eco travels selling his locally sourced and locally grown beetle larvae – then maybe you should support him in his work (and for not farming something illegal or destructive – or from America!).

Enjoy your lunch!

posted by Catherine on Sep 18

Time To Find Out If A Change Really Is As Good As A Break?

Rather than wait until your vacations to have a break, why not try a few little things alongside your everyday life to make things a little less stressful and a bit more down to earth.

We all get a bit absorbed by the ‘every day’ things than we need to and sometimes just a little pause or a small change can give us something else to focus on a give our bodies a chance to relax and ‘catch-up’ with ourselves.

And why not give these little ‘daycations’ an eco twist!

1) Switch Off:
Literally switch off everything that isn’t your fridge!

This means anything connected to work, the internet, the tv or any music and DVD’s – switch off the lights, the radio, the kettle, the oven – the lot.

Give yourself a peaceful day by yourself or with your partner (as long as they are switched off too!)

photo credit: *SJR*

Imagine the home-made picnic in the park with soft drinks rather than coffees; the walk along the beach with a pub lunch; the evening in the garden reading a good book; and finally – the candlelight bath.

If you aren’t at work or on call – make sure that they can’t contact you for a really relaxing day; same with the social networking – do you really need to know that your distant friend has ‘had a great night out’ or has ‘only 3 more days’ until something they don’t tell you about?

2) Take Your Time:
Just because you have the weekend off, doesn’t mean you have to fill up your days with the boring things that you think you must do – find things you have always wanted to do but were always in ‘too much of a hurry’ to do.

For example; you always drive past that lovely farmers market in town, but then worry about the parking and where you have to be next.  Well, if you are taking a daycation – then go to that market, and make sure you have nothing planned afterwards.  Catch the bus or train in so the parking isn’t a worry and plan to make a day of it so you can really explore the place.

Go alone so that you aren’t tempted to go to places you didn’t really want to go, or keep stopping for drinks, or rush around as they have their own plans.  It’s your day – so do your thing.

3) Try Something New:
Take something small that you have always wanted to do or try and see how you can fit it in.

For example, make a point of going to Salsa lessons just once a week or volunteering at a local organisation for just a few hours a week.  If you plan something then it will make it easier to stick to.

Maybe there is a book you always wanted to read, language to learn, special meal to prepare or whatever – make a date real soon for it – and stick to it.  Once you have done it you’ll wonder what was ever stopping you before.

Many people feel that they haven’t got time for something new as they get home from work tired and feel that just crashing in front of the tv with a bar of chocolate or a glass of wine (or both) is the way they can wind down – but many people really do find that something different – even if really lively – can help you to forget work and feel great about yourself.

There is always more time in the day than you think – you just have use it wisely!

posted by Catherine on Sep 4

Can I really get through a month without my car?

I spent the past month using public transport instead of a car to see if it was a practical option for the outdoor types.

I was not adverse to traveling any routes, any time or any type of transport – but I needed to get to work and to a few outdoor events along the way.

I physically got rid of the car for the 4 weeks too so that there was no temptation, and told all my friends and family so they all knew my reasons.

Then it began.

The Scenario:
I currently live in Town A, and I work just outside Town B (which is around 10 miles away).  I live with my partner and we are both ‘outdoor types’.  A friend lives 25 minutes walk up the road, but everyone else lives in Town B.

I am right next to a train station at home, but my work is 3 miles away from a train station, and there are various buses that travel within a 30 minute walk of my work from both Town A and Town B.

I like to volunteer in the countryside, visit a few reserves and go for lovely outdoor walks.  I also like to visit my friends across the county.

Problem 1:
Straight away there was a problem – I had to get to a work meeting for 8.30am – and there was no bus at that time – it seems that country buses work on a timetable that nobody can work out!  So favour number 1 came into action: borrow someone’s car!

In addition to this, I also had to travel on the trains during peak times – so not only was the train packed to the brim with business types, but I had to pay an extra £2 to stand up all the way there – while cowering under some gentlemans armpit for the 30 minute ride!

Problem 2:
I had a training day in the middle of nowhere for the Wildlife Trust.  And although the organisers were very happy to arrange a car share – I would have had to have caught the train to the nearest car to share – in rush hour, changing 3 times and costing £22 return!  Needless to say I decided to decline the event. 

It wasn’t the first event I couldn’t get to without incurring huge costs.

Problem 3:
Well, this was another big one, as everytime a friend wanted to meet up with me – we had to arrange to travel in their car. 

Whether I walked to theirs or caught a bus or train to a meeting place – they had to drive me around like a taxi.  And it didn’t feel too nice either.

It seemed as though I was avoiding using my car by using their instead!  Yes, we were technically car sharing – but we would have been doing that anyway when we met up!

Problem 4:
The shopping was beginning to become a hassle – and I don’t just mean the food shopping.

Yes, I could walk to town and get bit’s a bobs – but nothing too big, as I couldn’t carry it.  Planning the order in which I brought things also added an extra angle to shopping as I had to make sure I brought all the small things first leaving the heaviest things till last.

However, anything too big or bulky was out.  For example I was hoping to get a large fish tank from a car boot sale or the local paper, but there was no way I could go an collect it myself.

With all shopping there was the option to have things delivered to me by other people – but it all added to the cost and sometimes greatly increased the time it took to get to me. Sometimes too long or too much!

Problem 5:
We hadn’t really noticed this one until a few weeks in either – but we weren’t going anywhere for fun.

I had spent so long planning just getting to work and the basics, that we realised that we couldn’t even get to the places we loved.  Visiting a local nature reserve, castle, zoo or park was going to be a logistical nightmare!

Not only would we have to carry everything with us – like waterproof and lunch, etc – we would have to mix and match a chain of transport links to do so – and cut our day short as necessary to get home before the last bus!

And, I wasn’t able to combine journeys as before.  Going to and from work was virtually an A to B then B to A pattern.  Usually on the way home from work I might do the shopping or visit a friend, etc – this wasn’t possible anymore. 

My route to work didn’t really pass by anywhere of any use so either a separate bus ride or a long walk were needed to add anything on to the day – and it was already an extra 2/3 hours a day just doing the basics as it was!

Problem 6:
The money was becoming a key factor too.  I don’t mind spending a bit extra for the more eco friendly options – but over £150 a month just for work.

This obviously didn’t include all the days out I wasn’t having – but there was all the little extras spent on treating all the people who were giving me a lift here and there.  Well, I couldn’t just take lifts for free – so I ended up buying lunch for someone or offering them a few pounds here and there.

Infact, I even started walking everywhere to save money – putting myself out and adding hours onto my day to stem the endless trickle of money from my account!

Or declining lifts and days out with people to avoid having to ‘owe’ people favours!

Solutions?
Well the only way I am going to be able to survive without a car is if I change my lifestyle and get myself a different job!

Basically – the outdoor-loving lifestyle with a job in the countryside cannot work with extreme eco friendly travel – unless money was no issue and there were 4 more hours in a day!

posted by Catherine on Jul 30

Why wash your toiletries into already polluted water ways when you don’t have to!

By investing in biodegradable toiletries and sunscreen etc, for your trip abroad, you can make sure that your hygiene regime doesn’t damage the ecosystem and that your travel products leave the area as naturally as possible.

I mean – why visit a beautiful place if you are going to ruin it!

What Does Biodegradable Mean?
Biodegradable products are those that will break down readily and quickly into virtually natural particles that can be used again by nature. 

These products also have to ‘break down’ readily in a natural environment – for example when mixed with water, buried in the ground or left exposed to the weather.

Products which are not labelled as biodegradable will also eventually break down into smaller particles – but their products will not be ‘natural’ by any means – and can usually not be used in any way by natural organisms.  And these products are normally harmful to the environment and the animals that live in it.

One example would be a plastic carrier bag.  Yes, it will eventually break up in bad weather or if buried under the ground for a few years – but it will only break down into smaller and smaller pieces of plastic until they are so tiny that they can’t be broken down any further.

So in theory, plastic bags are ‘biodegradable’ in the sense that they won’t be plastic bags for ever!

But, obviously this is not what we mean when we think of biodegradable products – so you really need to rely on manufacturers to tell you that their products are made of natural (or near-natural) ingredients.

The Perfect Rainforest

Biodegradable Labelling:
As with so many assumed categories – there is no specific laws that govern the use of the word ‘biodegradable’ on a product. Basically anyone can use it.

In general the term is used for products that will readily break down into natural particles within 6 months of disposal – and even this is a bit vague.

AND as biodegradable products rely on the natural effects of weather, bacteria and sunlight – eliminating these by incorrect disposal can render them trapped in their complete state!  For example without air – only anaerobic respiration can be used to break products down; and photo-degradation only occurs in sunlight.

Take the human body.  It is made of natural particles and will break down naturally in the environment in most circumstances – but bury in under peat, desiccate it in a desert or trap it in a thick layer of ice and it will be virtually intact thousands of years later!  And we have found entire humans with intact skin and hair all over the world because of this.

So, really you need to aim for more ‘natural products’ – but then again, there is no legal definition for labeling a product as natural!  Oil is natural after all!

The Result:
You can see that the theory of using biodegradable products is 100% eco friendly and can help to reduce our impact on the planets waterways and oceans.

However, the practice part is a little more difficult!

The best you can do really is to think about reducing your dependence on excessive toiletries in the first place.  I mean do your need to remove your nail varnish in the middle of the jungle?  Or style your hair so it doesn’t move all day when trekking up a mountain?

And secondly, look at who is making it.  If a big chemical company is making it – then it probably isn’t the most natural product – no matter what they say!  They know that there is no legal definition for certain things so try to ‘trick’ consumers with flowery pictures and ‘natural sounding’ words.

Basically, if it’s a household name and is found in virtually every supermarket – it won’t be good for the environment!

posted by Catherine on Jun 23

Try something different for your Independence Day Celebrations – July 2010!

Add a little green to your red, white and blue this year to make sure that not only can your celebrations still be as great and grand as last year – but also considering your environment, your neighbors and your pocket too!

How?  Well, just a little bit of forward planning can make all the difference here, and I have put together a few suggestions to help you make the change.

Decorations:
There is always going to be a 4th of July right, so don’t worry about getting hold of specific celebration novelties and flags – as if you pay that little bit extra for the longer lasting things and store them well – they will last you for years, reducing the need for replacements every year.

However, if you can – why don’t you choose flags, garden ornaments and posters with a changeable theme or plain colors that you can mix up a little for different events.  For example, buying separate red, white and blue flags can be more eco friendly than buying loads of Stars & Stripes one’s - as you can’t really use the latter for your birthday party!  But mix in a few yellow or green similar flags and you have Easter parties, birthdays, and yard sales all covered!

Fireworks:
Well, we know we need fireworks – but why all just have a few in your yard throughout the day. Smaller packets cost more, use more resources and can be more dangerous and polluting with all the rubbish every household creates – well you don’t go and pick up all your spent fire crackers and rockets do you?

So why not plan ahead with your neighbors and sort out a few larger displays in one yard or on common ground. That way, you can club funds together and get more for your money – and all the waste is in the same place!

Also, only your family (2-6) people can enjoy your fireworks and only next door (another 2-6 people) can enjoy theirs!  It seems that a lot of fireworks are being let off without many people to see how fantastic they are!  It almost seems a waste of bright colors and bangs!

And don’t forget you can get eco friendly fireworks too now – so you can make the event twice as good for the environment!

Food:
Let’s not forget our bellies!  We all love a variety of great food during the celebrations!  Whether it’s traditional food – or we are trying something a little different this year.

Wouldn’t it be great if your got together with a few families or arranged a community feast instead?  Rather than every home buying 20 burgers and buns, chips and a few bottles of soda and beer (along with all the individual trips to the store and all the individual packaging for smaller product packs) – why not bulk buy 200 burgers and buns, wholesale chips and kegs of beer!

Get the whole lot delivered to one place with one journey and share the cost!  All chip in some time to sort things out and get tables set up – and again – all the rubbish and all the people in one place, making everything so much more cost and energy efficient!

Maybe you could even get a local farmer to supply a whole hog for a great hog roast – or a bull depending on the number of people you are inviting!  If yu are using the local municipal grounds – why not get in some bouncy castles and adult games too!

Isn’t the whole point of July 4th to celebrate America?  Not just to sit alone in your own back yard!

posted by Catherine on Jun 2

If I raise enough money for charity – will it off-set the cost of the flight to get there?

A friend of mine is going to be taking part in a Charity Trek across Patagonia later in the year - but it made me think of the eco side of things – not just the ethical part.

Don’t forget that ethical holidays are all about the people – so raising money for a humanitarian charity and supporting the local population as guides and hosts along the way fit’s the bill perfectly.

But what about the eco friendly side?  Flying a group of up to 70 charity trekkers and all their equipment across the globe to the very south of South America isn’t really carbon-friendly is it?

So, can we justify these as Eco Holidays or Eco Adventures at all? They are for charity – and they all have responsible travel codes of ethics – but the flight is a bit of a sore point.

The Eco Side: 
Well, they certainly offer the particient something to remember – and the experience of another culture and meeting like-minded people in their group.  And no doubt, a large percentage of these people will be taking a holiday anyway – so why not make it count?

Added to this, they will have worked hard to raise the money, sharing experiences with other people and opening other peoples eye’s up to the charity they are raising money for and for the culture and country that they are going to be visiting. 

It’s not like they are going to be a drain on the country either.  There is no chance of my friend just sitting around the pool, eating all inclusive burgers and ice cream!  They will be out taking advantage of the natural world and eating local food cooked by local people – maybe even learning the language too!

Not So Eco:
Firstly, think of a group of up to 70 people all turning up in the same place at the same time.  This is certainly something that is avoided on very ethical tours. And for good reason.

Another friend went to Machu Picchu a few years back with a group of 75 people, and a second group of charity trekkers overlapped them in the same hotel – so that’s over 100 people all blundering around Cuzco at the same time, wanting the same things at the same time! 

All those people booking on to the same plane, creating all that waste – and possibly bringing foreign products into the local stores, just through demand.  And could it create a market for child beggars and child salesmen – taking time off school to make money in the markets?

And – what are you raising the money for in the first place?  If it is for an eco charity like WWF -  should you be using all those resources on your journey – including a flight – to raise money to help reduce the effects of carbon in the atmosphere.  I mean flying to the other side of the world to raise money for a company that is spending their donations on trying to reduce carbon emissions couldn’t be more ironic.

But - I fancy a long horse riding ’holiday’ across the Mongolian plains, living in local homes and eating yak butter - and that would be a great eco holiday if I went there by train.  Now, wouldn’t it be a good idea to raise money for a charity at the same time rather than just save the whole experience all for myself?

What do you think?

posted by Catherine on Apr 24

Should we visit somewhere degraded but in desperate need of tourist dollars – or leave it to recover?

I was talking with a friend about the need to show (financial) support for locations that are in danger of being destroyed by construction or farming, etc – and that the best way to show that an area is worth money as it is, would be to take a vacation there and spend money on local services.

But then I thought, if the location is very fragile or in an area that is highly volitile - would it be better to stay away and let it recover before demanding tours and accomodation to be found (or built)?

Add to this as well, the fact that if you choose not to visit one of your favourite destinations or to see an endangered animal – it might have been your last chance before it is lost forever.

What I Want:

I myself am torn between visiting certain locations around the world as I am worried that my trip there and intrusion in the area could actually be supporting the very things that are destroying it.  But if I don’t go, I will have missed my chance to see something truly wonderful. 

Whether it is to experience the march of thousands of penguins in the frozen landscapes of Antartica, to marvel at the giant tortoises and marine iguanas in the Galapagos or the chance to see thousands of bats at dusk flying from a cave in Borneo – the very act of my ‘eco’ trip could put stresses on the wildlife or habitat itself by changing their behaviour. 

It could also help sustain or even create a market for hoards of others to follow afterwards or even affect the culture of the people who have lived there for centuries.

However, my needs I suppose are only for my own pleasure, unlike the people and the wildlife involved.  Just because ‘I want’ to do something, should I do it – even if the trip is ‘eco friendly’ and ‘responsible’?

The Alternatives?

If I decide not to go myself – how else could I help?  Well, finding a charity or NGO which was working in the area would be a great start, then donating money or time to them will be of endless help.

Don’t forget you don’t need to offer them directly for that specific location or creature, as all their time and funds are intricately linked.  So offering your spare time to them in your local town will ultimately help them spend money to work in the area you are rooting for abroad!  I mean if they are able to spend less money in 1 country, they can spend more in another.

And by creating other demands at home you can affect change.  Examples include the more obvious ones like choosing not to buy certain products, or products made in certain countries, or by subscribing to eco magazines.  Investing in certain energy suppliers or financial companies is another powerful way of showing businesses where you want to spend money and where you don’t.

Even creating a demand for cuddly toys might change future plans for charities and larger companies.  How?  Well, if more and more people start buying toys and products linked to rainforests for example, then it will be picked up as a national trend and things will eventually happen.

Take for example, the current demand for eco friendly cars.  They wouldn’t be making them if nobody was buying them would they?  If people were not so interested in the environment these days – the cars just wouldn’t sell – and as result, they wouldn’t make any more. 

Imagine if in the 60′s before we knew what ‘climate change’ was, they started making hybrid cars that cost more than ‘normal’ cars – would you buy one?  Do you think there would have been a successful business in the 40′s selling carbon credits?  What if someone today set up a charity to help save seagulls or raccoons – would you donate money to them?

Everything you do today, has a huge effect for tomorrow – so don’t rush into anything to quickly.

posted by Catherine on Feb 1

Use the MOT test requirements to check your car’s road worthiness for your vacation!

The annual MOT car test for cars covers a whole list of things to check that make your car safe to be on the road. So you can use this before heading off on a long journey like a vacation to make sure that you and your family will be safe.

Obviously, there are parts of the MOT that are not something you can check – like you cars emissions – but that isn’t a safety feature anyway…….

So here is a quick checklist of things to do or look out for on your car before heading away from home (and away from car mechanics, garages and motor stores!):

Seat Belts:
Make sure that all seat belts fit securely into their holders even if you are not planning to use them – as you may need them at some point! Make sure that when sharply pulled they jam up as they should. And all seats should be able to be secured in the upright condition to allow the seat belts to work properly.

Mirrors:
All the mirrors in your car are clean and not cracked. It is not illegal in the UK to drive with a damaged or missing passenger mirror, but obviously inhibits your ability to drive as normal, and could cause you to look behind you when driving to check for other cars.

Boot & Bonnet:
Both of these need to be able to close securely as do all the doors on the vehicle – which also need to open freely as well for exiting the vehicle safely.

Lights:
Check that all your lights are working either with a friend watching in the evening, or by reversing close to a window or mirror in the dark to see that everything is in order. If someone can’t see you are braking or want to turn left or right, they could come right into the back of you!

Windscreen:
Obviously there needs to be nothing on this that restricts your view forward and the windscreen wipers need to clean the entire windscreen and the washer fluid must exit freely. Obviously, a large crack in the windscreen on the drivers side is very dangerous – and that a small crack left untreated could cause the entire pane to crack at any time!

Tyres & Steering:
Your tyres have a minimum tread allowed before they are illegal and too little tread will mean that they will not grip the road safely, especially in difficult weather. So make sure that they are fully inflated as per your guide book and that they have ample tread depth.

If tyres are not properly inflated they will make steering a little bit harder and will also damage the tyre itself and the frame itself. Steering can also be a problem if there is too much ‘pull’ to one side or the other when driving at speed, so make sure this is all checked before you head off on the motorways.

Brakes:
It goes without saying that your brakes need to be responsive to touch otherwise your vacation could be cut very short indeed – so judge for yourself if they could do with being checked before you head off – as a car loaded up with people and belongings can take a lot longer to stop at speed than and empty one!

And finally…..

Recovery Services:
Ideally before you set out on a long journey or if you drive regularly, you should make sure that you a a member of a roadside and recovery company. That way if anything you can’t check for above goes wrong – someone will be at hand to help fix it or to take you to a garage that can!