Every one loves a good road trip, whether is across the state or across the country. And, every road trip starts with excitement and the best of intentions. Last fall my sisters and I drove from Wisconsin to California on a week-long trip. Learn from our mistakes! For the best possible road trip experience, be sure to take into consideration my tips on Must Have items for your next excursion.

1. Audio Arsenal

What is the soundtrack to the road trip of your dreams? Are you cruising to some indie tunes? Are you belting classic ballads? Are you exploring new thoughts via your favorite podcast? Or learning a new language over an 8-hour stretch of open road?

Whatever you fancy, be sure to have reinforcements. Considering technology today, most road trippers will first think to look to their trusty smartphone for music and pod casts. In doing so, you may run into a few obstacles:

• Make sure you have an Aux cord if needed. Does your 2012 Mazda 6 have Bluetooth? Probably not.
• Make sure you have charging capabilities. I was so excited to use my brand new iPhone 8 on my last big road trip, I didn’t realize I could only plug in the charger OR the AUX cord at one time.
• Are you using too much data? Keep in mind, you may be driving long stretches of boring roads (hello South Dakota!) where an audio book or pod cast may be the perfect companion. Make sure you download whatever you’ll be listening to, before you depart on your trip. Most likely, you’ll want to save your extra data for the GPS in case you get lost.
• Consider bringing an old school iPod stocked with your favorites. This will free up your phone so you can simultaneously play hours of Candy Crush while your bestie is behind the wheel. (Apparently Ipods are old school? I still use mine almost daily!)
• Bring a few CDs. Most cars still have CD players, right? Did you have to think about this? When worst comes to worst, and your AUX cord dies as you find yourself driving through Wyoming, you may be forced to listen to some fuzzy local radio OR that mix CD you burned in 2003, casually hidden underneath the passenger seat. Plan ahead by picking up some cheap CDs, or burn some new mixes (can you still do that?) before the trip.

 

2. Save-the-Day Snacks

Not sure about you guys, but a happy tummy is key to my overall happiness whether I’m in a car for (what feels like) 100 years or just living my normal day to day life. Road trip snacks are a must to keep that tummy happy and to save on the cost of restaurant/gas station food.

Can you go a whole day without buying a meal? Save some time and money by grocery shopping ahead of time.

• Bring a small cooler with sandwich fixings
• Whip up some trail mix for an energy boosting snack
• Grab a variety of granola bars to munch on
• Don’t forget fruits and veggies! Fruits with their own “wrappers” travel well (think oranges, bananas, etc.) It won’t matter if they spill in the car, you don’t have to eat the dirt!

 

3. Travel Pillow and Blanket

Invest in a travel pillow and small blanket to share in the car. Inevitably, someone will get cranky and need a nap. Travel pillows are the way to go to prevent those weird car sleeping arrangements and unhappy, stiff necks. A travel pillow and extra blanket might also come in handy if you are camping or staying in budget hotels with questionable cleanliness (you gotta do what you gotta do).

 

4. Safety Gear

Flashlight, Jumper cables, first aid. Think of the worst possible road trip situation and prepare for it to actually happen. Hitting a deer in rural North Dakota? Or getting a flat tire in the desert? What if there is no cell reception? What if it’s at night? What would your Dad do in this situation? Plan ahead by bringing:

• Jumper cables
• A flashlight
• First aid kit
• Flares and safety vests, etc.
• Gas can
• Know where the spare tire is and how to change it

In my experience, if you bring these items, you probably won’t need them. But it’s better to air on the side of caution than to panic if a situation does arise.

 

5. Paper maps

Don’t rely solely on your Google Maps App. There are so many areas of the country where you won’t get a signal (hello Grand Canyon!). There is also the chance your phone will die or get lost (gasp!). It’s usually in those moments you’ll need directions most. Pick up a few paper maps, just in case technology fails you. If nothing else, you’ve got a cute prop for photo ops and maybe some kindling for a campfire.

 

6. Air Fresheners

Kinda goes without sayin…

 

So now that you’ve got the essentials, where to? Check out this post on How I Planned My Cross-Country Road Trip

OR

Follow my Road Trip Diary on each day of my drive from Wisconsin to California.

 

Bon Voyage!