Important Things To Bring On A Road Trip (Or Even Just For A Long Ride In The Car)

by SharonKurheg

Who doesn’t love a road trip? Your spend hours in the car, talking, singing (OK maybe arguing a little bit here and there), seeing parts of the country that you may have never seen before.

We’ve given some advice for road trips in the past, from how to find out what restaurants, gas stations, hotels, etc. will be at the next exit, to learning what kind of interesting things will be along your route, to the pros and cons of the various map/GPS programs out there and even what to bring and NOT to bring in your suitcase. But what you bring specifically for the actual road trip can be just as important as all of those and, in some extreme cases, might just save your life.

For Comfort and Convenience

  • Paper towels
  • Tissues
  • Toilet paper roll (cuz you never know when that rest stop will be out of it)
  • Baby wipes (besides being good for cleaning your booty, they’re good for cleaning the rest of your body in a pinch)
  • Garbage bags
  • Bug spray
  • Hand sanitizer
  • U-shaped neck pillow in case you fall asleep (not for the driver LOL)
  • Travel blanket
  • Travel pillow
  • Travel mug for your drinks
  • Umbrella (check the weather forecast first. But I’m a Floridian, trust me…umbrellas are also good to prove shade)
  • Phone charger (with car adapter if car doesn’t have USB input)
  • Notepad and pen (sometimes you need to write things down the old fashioned way)
  • Age-appropriate road-friendly games for kids
  • Any app you may need for your trip

For Health and Safety

  • First aid kit
  • Emergency food supply (granola, energy bars, peanut butter crackers, etc. And bottled water…either a gallon or two, or many small bottles)
  • Sunscreen (the sun’s rays CAN go through a window

For Roadside Emergencies

  • Make sure your spare/doughnut is in good working order
  • Jumper cables
  • Windshield wiper fliud
  • Tire pressure gauge
  • Reflective triangles
  • Window breaker
  • Tire changing supplies
  • Fire extinguisher
  • Car owner’s manual (Really. You never know…)
  • Gas can
  • Multi tool
  • Duct tape
  • Printed maps (again, you never know)
  • Work gloves
  • Flashlight (with extra batteries)
  • Tire sealant
  • Red bandana (tie it to your antenna or car door handle to alert other motorists)
  • Roadside emergency kit (will have several of the things I mentioned, plus more)

During the Winter

  • ice scraper/snow brush combo
  • Snow shovel
  • Something to give you traction (kitty litter, carpet remnant, sand, whatever)
  • Another blanket (or an extra coat) to keep you warm

This list is, by far, not complete. Tell us what we missed and we’ll add it to the list. We’ll even give you credit!

Many thanks to Lisa H. for her assistance in compiling this list!

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This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary

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