Often times people spend so much time planning the details of a road trip such as where to stop, hotels or campgrounds to stay at, and packing clothes that they forget about little things that they may need. Here is my list of seven road trip essentials that you may not think to bring.
1. An auxiliary cord
This one should be fairly obvious when it comes to a long period of time in a car, but it could be easily forgotten. The limited songs that rotate through radio stations will be exhausted quickly. So, an aux cord is a necessity whether it's for a playlist, full album, podcast, or audio book.
2. Multiple car chargers
If you are going on a cross-country road trip, one can only assume there will be at least one other person with you. There's no way to avoid your phone battery depleting itself between using it for music, a GPS, and social media to keep yourself entertained. The last thing you want on a long trip is to argue about who gets the car charger. Do yourself a favor and get two, or better yet, an adapter to plug multiple USBs into!
3. Pillows and blankets
One of the best parts about traveling across the country was when I got to sit in the backseat and relax or nap. Because we stayed in multiple cabins and camped, we had to bring our own pillows and blankets. Although this may seem like an inconvenience, it is such a good use of space and turns the backseat into a haven.
4. A cooler with waters and snacks
When you have a schedule for each day and want to make it to each destination by a specific time, stopping for snacks or drinks is the last thing you want to do. To avoid unnecessary stops and added time to your trip, pack some simple snacks and plenty of waters and put them in a cooler that can easily be reached.
5. Bottled protein shakes
This is not something many people would consider, but if you are waking up early each day to travel to a new destination, thinking about breakfast as soon as you wake up is not ideal. On our trip, my friends and I got into the habit of waking up, getting ready and getting in the car, and drinking a Muscle Milk to tide us over for a few hours before we actually wanted to think about eating breakfast.
6. Printed trip ticket
As soon as I reached South Dakota during my road trip, I lost service and did not get it back until we got to our final destination that was a larger city. Although your service will definitely depend on your carrier, it is a good idea to print out a trip ticket with directions for each leg of your trip just in case. Better safe than sorry in case you lose service and cannot use a GPS!
7. Phone holder
Using your phone as a GPS (if you have service) is the norm on most road trips today, and having a phone holder that sits on your dashboard or in your vents makes it much simpler to see and control. Having your phone in front of you makes it easier to see, as well as allows the passenger to change music and see any texts that come in for the driver.
