Pretty much everyone loves a good road trip. The emphasis there is on “good”. Being under prepared can make any trip turn bad very quickly. There are some essentials that every road trip needs.
Price comparison website, PriceCheck has these tips on the essentials you’ll need:
Navigation apps and printed maps
This one should be a no-brainer. You need to know where you’re going, right? Make sure that you have the latest version of Google Maps on your phone. For easy navigation, invest in a car phone mount. It makes everything handsfree (handy tip, if you have an Android phone, use the Google Assistant and instruct her to navigate you to your destination) so that you can concentrate on the road. Also, just in case your phone dies, maybe invest in a good ol’ fashioned map book – you never know…
Car charger
Speaking of dead phones, be sure that you have a power bank or a car charger of sorts. There is nothing worse than being on a road trip with a dead phone. No maps, no photos, so social media (because if it’s not on Instagram, did it really happen?).
Numbers in a book
This is going to sound like a strange one, but we recommend that you be prepared for all situations. Keep emergency numbers and the numbers of family members written down in a book, written down on a page in your wallet, wherever. If your phone is dead and you’re stuck in a small town and you need to reach someone urgently, at least you will have easy access to the numbers that you need.
Stocked playlist and an MP3 player
A music playlist can make or break a road trip. If you don’t have your phone stocked up with all the tunes that you need, load the music onto a USB stick and play it through your car. If your car doesn’t have USB functionality, invest in a handy MP3 player that plugs into your car lighter.
Jumper cables
Being stuck in the middle of no where with a flat battery is a nightmare no one needs to go through. Having jumper cables packed in means that anyone who stops to offer help can simply hook their car up to yours.
Road trip games
As fun as road trips are, the long ones can become a bit boring every now and then. Pack some fun road trip games for everyone to enjoy along the way. Road trip bingo is always a winner.
Medical aid kit
Anything can happen along the road. For the smaller injuries, be sure to have a fully stocked first-aid kit packed in. You never know when someone may need a wound wrapped or something for a burn.
Snacks and drinks
Well, this one should go without saying, but we’ll say it anyway – pack sufficient snacks and drinks. And something in which to keep it all fresh and cool! Be sure to stock up on energy drinks and snacks for the driver.
Comfortable travel pillow
This one is for whoever is riding shotgun or in the back. Travel naps are the best. Maximise your rest with a comfortable travel pillow. It’s the best way to get quality sleep on the road.
Camera
Yes, we have cameras on our phones, but these nifty Instax ones print immediately like a Polaroid. You will be happy to have something to capture your road trip memories on and something tangible that you can look back on once it’s all done.