Driving the Alaska Highway — Mistakes To Avoid
With over 50 trips now behind us we thought it was prudent to discuss some of the useful tops we have learned from the mistakes we have made when driving the Alcan in the past. Mistakes to avoid when driving the Alaska Highway is meant to help you plan for the trip and to make the very best out of all that there is to see and do.
12 Biggest Mistakes to Avoid when Driving the Alaska Highway
Tip #1 — Watch your speed. Regardless of the posted speed limits there is an urgency to the fact that driving above the conditions of the road will lead to failures. We see it all the time, the posted speed limit may be 100 KPH and when conditions are optimal there is no problem with that. The problem comes in when the road is in need of repair after the long and cold winter freezes. Frost heaves and pot holes can severely damage your vehicle when encountered at high speeds. Areas north of Kluane Lake need to be treated as potential hazard areas as the road through here has been the cause of many hardships from over-driving the given conditions.
Tip #2 — Never overload your vehicle. Years of experience has us believing that you are wise to travel no more than 5% under the vehicles recommended gross weight limit. This is especially true for RV's and trailers of all kinds. Even moving trailers when overloaded break down all too often along the Alaska Highway. Weight distribution is also critical to a trouble free trip.
Tip #3 — Upgrade your headlights by adding a set of LED or HID driving lights if you plan on any driving at night. Both LED and HID lights will light up the eyes of animals long before you need to slam on the brakes. Our favorite combination has been HID's in the headlights and LED's in the driving lights. A 4300 or 5000 Kelvin color temperature is best for simulating daylight driving conditions. There are a number of excellent do-it-yourself headlight conversion kits available for swapping out from standard halogen to HID (High Intensity Discharge) headlights.
Tip #4 — Inflate your tires to maximum pressures to increase your payload capacity and to aid in preventing damage from any rough road surfaces that you encounter when loaded heavy. When you're running with an average load inflate your tires to the manufacturer’s optimum or recommended tire pressure for your car. This pressure can be found on a sticker in the door jam, or in your vehicles owner’s manual.
Tip #5 — Start with tires and brakes that are in very good condition; your tires and brakes are going to be put to the test: a lot of miles and a lot of steep hills to descend. Make sure your tires and brakes are fit for a wilderness road trip. I prefer to have a professional mechanic inspect the tires and brake system. I have used Les Schwab and Kal Tire for this for years now.
Tip #6 — While credit cards and debit cards are the universal form of payment these days I can never emphasize enough that you need to carry enough cash to cover all your expenses for at least two days. In the north there are times when communications go down. At these times using a credit card machine may not be possible. If you need fuel, food, lodging or whatever and you don't have cash than it can be a problem that might not be east to overcome. Cash should be in the form of local currency but we have never found a Canadian business yet that refuses to accept American currency. But to be safe, exchange some cash or use a local ATM at the beginning of your trip and put this emergency money away to carry you in case of that dreaded communications blackout.
Tip #7 — This one is also a must, Bring Extra Keys! Everyone in the vehicle should carry a door key and a hidden set of keys on the outside is prudent and advised. Do this or expect Murphy's Law to come for a visit... guaranteed.
Tip #8 — Cell phone providers like AT&T, Verizon and such offer plans for international calling. Check with your provider and see if you can get one for the time you're in Canada, this can save you lots of cash and headaches if you need to use your phone. There even is packages for internet access available too. These can be a bit expensive as it's for megabytes not gigabytes so be ware using maps too much or surfing for the sake of surfing. SEE Cell Service along the Alaska Highway
Tip #9 — Preplanning every minute of the trip can be a bit frustrating especially on your first visit to this area. There is so much unwritten about what you will encounter that not allowing time to explore means missing out on lots of things that would be of great interest to you. In each day I typically like to allow time for exploring, taking pictures and trying my luck at a little grayling fishing too.
Tip #10 — Packing a vehicle roadside emergency kit and some basic hand tools can go a long way toward ensuring you have a safe and smooth road trip. A spare belt, a few quarts of oil, duct tape, tow strap and jumper cables just for starters. A blanket and flashlight for each occupant plus some candy bars and peanuts are included in our must have survival kit items. Plus, including some disposable glow sticks, emergency drinking water, bandages, instant heat and ice packs should be included in your first aid supplies.
Tip #11 — Not visiting with the locals is one of the biggest mistakes you can make. By meeting the people that live in these areas you will discover what it is that makes the north so attractive. Sure the scenery is breathtaking and yup, there are lots of animals to be scene too. But of everything the north has to offer a visitor it pales to the windfall from awarded by getting to meet the people that call this place home.
Tip #12 — Whatever happens just relax and have fun. Remember that you are on vacation so enjoy it by doing those things that make you happy. This will guarantee that your Alaska Highway road trip will be one you will remember for life.
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