Fuel line failure on I-85 nearly cost me the whole engine

I was driving my 1969 Galaxie to a meet outside Charlotte last Saturday when I smelled gas right around exit 23. Pulled over fast and found the rubber line from the fuel pump had cracked where it passed near the exhaust manifold. That cheap 6 dollar hose sat in the engine bay for 4 years, and I never thought to check it because the car ran fine. A 2 hour tow to a guy named Ray in Spartanburg cost me 180 bucks, and he told me he sees this every summer with older cars. He swapped in braided steel line with proper clamps and now I inspect every soft hose before any trip over 50 miles. Has anyone else dealt with hidden dry rot on fuel or brake lines after long storage? What do you use to spot it before it strands you?