Packing for a big road trip is a special kind of chaos, eh? There's excitement for the adventure, but you're also trying to cram an almost-impossible amount of gear into your car. My wife and I were in the thick of it, packing for our third road trip across Canada.
I had bags and bags and bags, an e-bike, cooking gear—you name it. On a whim, I decided to try a little "hack" as I was packing my ski-boot bag. I pulled out my phone, hit record, talked through what was in the bag. I figured it would help me remember where I packed things.
I had no idea that 3-minute video was about to become the most valuable thing I packed for the entire trip.
The Moment Every Traveler Dreads
Fast forward: We're in Winnipeg, staying overnight at a hotel. We had just checked out and were blissfully imagining what we'd do that day, but as I walked towards our car I was hit with that sinking feeling...
The bike was gone.
Our car window was smashed in and ripped out.
They had taken my wife's e-bike off the rack and stolen a bunch of stuff from inside the car while looking for the battery, including my ski backpack.
After the initial shock, the real stress begins: the police report.
We had to fill out a report so our insurance would pay to replace the stolen items. And here's the catch: the insurance agent was very clear they would only replace items that were on the police report. If we forgot to include anything, we wouldn't get the money for it.
Now, try to remember—under pressure—every single item you packed in a bag a week ago. Go ahead, I'll wait.
My mind went blank. I knew the big stuff—ski boots, helmet, goggles—but what else? Were my snow pants in there? Gloves? What was I missing??
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The "Hack" That Became an Insurance Lifesaver
This is where my 3-minute packing video saved us.
I pulled out my phone, and played back the video I made of myself packing that exact backpack. If I had had the SmartStow app then, it would have been 10 times easier. As I filled out the police report, I started listing items from the video that I had already, completely forgotten about:
- My snowpants
- Two pairs of ice cleats
- ...and three different pairs of ski gloves.
I had packed a mid-weight pair, a heavy-duty pair, and some spring mitts. I never would have remembered all three. That's hundreds of dollars in gear that I would have lost—not just to the thief, but to my own stressed-out memory.
The "hack" I thought was for organization was actually the ultimate, stress-free boost to my insurance policy.
The Real "Travel Hack" for 2025: Your 3-Minute Insurance Log
We all think we'll remember what we packed. We won't. That's why I created the SmartStow app.
This incident taught me that a "packing list" isn't just for before the trip; it's your single most important tool if things go wrong.
So here is the hack. Before your next trip, do this. It takes just a few minutes.
- Lay out the items for your next bag.
- Hit record on your phone and just talk, "Packing my ski-backpack: one pair of black gloves, two pairs of Snowline Chainsen, my goggles, ..."
- Upload that video to your SmartStow app. That's it.
The break-in was awful. But driving away knowing that we had a perfect, time-stamped record for our insurance claim? That peace of mind was priceless.
Don't rely on your memory. Give yourself that proof.
Before your next road trip, protect your gear. Start your 30-day free trial of SmartStow and try the "3-Minute Insurance Hack" for yourself.
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Coming Soon in Part 2: This hack is a lifesaver for road trips, but it's even more critical for air travel. In our next post, I'll cover how to use this exact method to protect yourself against lost luggage and airport theft.