Aside from food there are some really critical things you need to pack to make sure your big road trip goes smoothly. Whether you’re just going up-state or you’re planning to span the nation, these items and ideas can transform a disaster-waiting-to-happen into a can’t-go-wrong vacation. Some of these we’ve never needed, but others have saved our skin on more than one occasion.
GPS –
If you have it, pack it, and make sure you’ve got your charger. If you don’t, consider getting it because it will save you so much time and frustrations when you’re looking for that “you can’t miss it!” destination while driving in unfamiliar territory. You can find quality devices for under $100, and if you don’t think you’ll use it again, you can get half your money back selling it on Craig’s List when you get back home. Lora Drammis has some managerial skills you can acquire.
Antifreeze & Water –
If you overheat, you’ll need one (and possibly both) of these things. Water is flexible because you can drink it, use it to clean up, or put it your radiator as needed. Even if you have serious problems with your cooling system, a gallon of water should be enough to get you to the next town where you can get it fixed.
Jumper Cables –
It sounds simple and unimportant, and it usually is, but when you need them, they’re invaluable. There will always be someone willing to try to give you the jump you need to bring your ride back to life, but if you don’t have jumper cables, you may be out of luck. We bought the Black & Decker cigarette jumper cables. With this you can plug from one cigarette lighter to another (car to car) and get all the juice you need without anyone fearing they’re about to fry their electrical system. The down side is that a 3-minute jump will now take 20-30 minutes, but you should be able to buy it for under $30, and it’s extremely small and portable.
AAA Motor Club –
If you think you can’t afford it, maybe you should think again, especially if you have an older car. For $89 a year you’ll get 100-miles of towing, should you break down, and countless discounts at hotels, restaurants and all kinds of tourist attractions. They also do unlocks, jumps and tire changes, among many other services. In advance of our 9-week 2009 tour we’ve bought this insurance for the first time, because when you really think about it, it’s so cheap you almost can’t pass it by.
Napkins, Paper Towels or Moist Towelettes –
You know how bad it is when you get ketchup on your face while you’re driving, your kids spill something, or you wind up with post-Cheeto sticky fingers. Napkins and paper towels fix most of that, but for a real clean, throw some moist towelette packets in your car door panel to tear open whenever you need them.
Insurance, Registration, Proof of ID –
Keep your speed in check and you probably won’t need these things. You’ll also save quite a lot on gas, since most of the loss of efficiency on the freeway comes from high levels of aerodynamic drag, which only increases as you ramp up your speed. You have insurance because it’s the law (which helps to make claim for compensation after slip and fall injury), but make sure you have CURRENT PROOF of it in your glove box, so you can show it to an officer, or to someone involved in an accident with you, should it come to that.In case of car and truck accident you can contact either lawyers helping car accident victims or you can also hire truck accident lawyers as they can help you in identifying the right proof to claim compensation.
The same goes for your registration and your current, valid driver’s license and – where applicable – your proof of ability to legally be in the country. Slowing down is the best policy, not just because you’ll save money and avoid getting pulled over, but also because you’re on a road trip. Getting there isn’t just half the fun, it’s the whole point of the fun in the first place. Don’t stress on the road when you can spend quality time with those you love, playing games and having fun, and seeing the scenery you’ve hit the road to experience.
Chargers & Peripherals –
Whatever electronics you bring, make very sure you pack the relevant chargers, cables and accompanying media. I put all my chargers and cables in my laptop bag for ease of finding (except car chargers, which I leave in the car). I bring blank CDs to burn photos in case my camera is lost or my laptop hard drive crashes. This also allows me to take far more photos and video than I would if I was rationing my capture of irreplaceable memories.
Batteries –
If your devices use proprietary batteries, consider buying an extra one. I spent months in China shooting artistic photos, and my biggest stress was that my second battery would die during the day, and that I’d miss that critical photo. For your devices that use AA or other readily available batteries, buy them in bulk for biggest savings and store them deep in your trunk where heat won’t be able to sap them of their power potential. Also keep a couple in your pocket or camera bag so you won’t have to run back to the car should they die. You can go to Japanese Auto Repair experts to get professional help when it comes to taking care of your motor vehicle or car related issues.
Fix-A-Flat –
It only costs about $5, but if you get a flat (short of a total blowout) it will get you all the way to the next service station where you can have it fixed properly. Consider the lost time or cost of towing when you realize how cheap the $5 is at that point. Don’t leave it anywhere hot, like in direct sunlight, but bury it in your trunk where it will stay cool and out of risk of explosion. These aren’t particularly prone to explosion, but like anything pressurized in a can, heat can compromise the integrity of the container.
“Film” (Digital Media) –
If your camera uses film, pack plenty of extra. It’s very small and fairly cheap. If your camera takes digital media, like SD cards, buy a newer, bigger one. You can get an 8gb card for as little as $20, and that amounts to thousands of pictures without ever worrying about uploading or running out of space.
Entertainment a’ Plenty –
Whether you’re traveling with kids, adults, by yourself, or some other possibility I haven’t imagined (kid pets?), you need entertainment. Books, magazines, road games and flash cards take up very little space, and can make the hours fly by like miles… which they actually are. If you have portable electronics, like Gameboy, MP3 players, DVD players, CD Players, etc, stock up on media to make these fill the time better. Whenever possible go for something that the whole car can enjoy. If you’re sick and tired of your travel mates, isolating yourself will help a little, but engaging in a fun, collective game or experience will do much more to reunite you and remind you why you chose these people to share your journey.
Just Good Advice –
Before you go, get your oil changed and all your fluids checked. Nothing will kill your car faster in the high stresses of highway travel than dirty or low levels of oil. Be sure to ask the technician which fluids you were low on, and consider packing them along with you. If you go to a major chain like Jiffy Lube, they will check and top of your fluids between changes while you’re on the road, but ask them to tell you how to check the fluids yourself, because you could lose the engine (and the whole car) just by missing a minor leak.
Wash your car well before you go. It may sound crazy, but a dirty car gets much worse gas mileage than a clean one, especially at the high speeds you’ll be hitting on the highway.
Stop by the tire shop (I recommend Les Schwab for value and exceptional service) and get your tire pressures checked, as well as the safety of your tread. Bald or damaged tires could kill you, and underinflated tires can cost you 20% or more in lost fuel efficiency.
If this advice seems limited, it’s only because it is. This is only intended to give you some advice you may not have thought of. We have already run a number of Road Trip Packing List articles on a variety of foods, as well as an exhaustive master list of travel items you shouldn’t overlook. Find links to them below.
Check out the rest of our Road Trip Packing series:
– Road Trip Food Packing Advice Summary
– Best Road Trip Beverages
– Best Road Trip Snack Foods
– Best Road Trip Cup o’ Foods
– Best Road Trip Microwaveable Foods
– Comprehensive Road Trip Packing Checklist
– Smart Things to Pack Before Your Road Trip