Must Haves for Long Road Trips

I have been on several road trips. I did a 5 day trip from NC to Denver. There was a 17 day road trip from NC to the Grand Canyon. Last year I did a 22 day road trip across 17 different states. This year I got my life on a month long road trip from Texas to Colorado. It is so important to make sure that you are thoroughly planning your long road trip to make it as enjoyable as possible. Here are a few of my must haves for long road trips!

Water:

Water is a basic human necessity. I can’t stress enough how important it is to have water with you. When I say water I do not mean any sort of liquid that you want. I am not talking about soda, juice, or coffee. Water in this case is legitimately regular old H2O.

There are several reasons why you should carry water with you at all times. Not only do you need it for drinking, but you can also use it to wipe something down or to clean your hands. You never really know what could happen when you are spending long periods of time in the car. My main reason for carrying water is because you never know when you will run into a stretch of driving that has little to no resources. Elevation changes can also effect the way that you are feeling. If you are in a high elevation or an extremely hot climate where you have to drink more water than usual.

I recommend water over an energy drinks or soda to avoid stimulants. A coffee here or there is fine but you want to avoid consuming drinks that are accompanied by an energy crash. Don’t falsely make yourself stay awake, it’s a safety concern. If you are drinking water you know that you are staying hydrated and having more natural reactions to what is happening to your body.

Cash Money:

Most places will accept a debit or credit card but this isn’t always the case. There are hundreds of restaurants, gas stations, and businesses that don’t take a card. You may also be in a place where you are not comfortable giving someone your financial information. I run into businesses all the time that have minimums before you can use a card. When you are just stopping for a drink you may not want to spend the extra money to buy items that you don’t need, especially if you are on a strict budget.

Having cash money, also some coins, comes in handy if you happen to run into a toll road. GPS doesn’t always avoid toll roads and it is important to be prepared for them. Tolls require cash and if you don’t have it, you risk being pulled to the side and given a ticket. Having some cash on hand is both a safety and practical recommendation. I personally keep about $100 on hand between my car and wallet. If I don’t use it that trip, I can always use it later or put it back into my bank when I get home.

Cleaning supplies:

I always make sure to keep cleaning wipes and also paper towels when I travel. This is mostly in anticipation for spills but you may want to wipe down steering wheels or handles to prevent the spread of germs. When traveling you run into an assortment of people. If you are renting a car or buying souvenirs from different places then it may behoove you to wipe things down.

Snacks:

Snacks can serve a variety of purposes on the road. One, they are tasty and all people should want to eat snacks. Almost all the reasons after that involve health and safety and are less exciting. I personally keep snacks to regulate my blood sugar during long trips. When I don’t eat I get cranky and it’s much harder to pay attention. To remain focused on the road I always make sure to have a few snacks that I can use to keep my energy up.

Having snacks also helps me to stay on track with my budget. I will stop into a Sam’s Club or a Costco and make sure that I stock up on snacks that will keep well in my car. It’s best to avoid things that will melt easily or maybe change flavor when left in the heat. I will buy in bulk and get some ziplocks. This way I will be able to prepackage out my snacks and save money. This also helps to prevent me from needing to stop into convenience stores and buying things.

Charging materials:

I personally drive a car that gives me the ability to use the USB port to charge my phone and tablet. I also drive with a portable charger.  When you are traveling you want to anticipate any sort of unexpected occurrences. There are two reasons why I use a portable charger. The first reason is because I want to make sure that if anything happens with my car that I will be able to charge my phone. The last situation that a solo traveler wants to be in is out on the road and their phone dies. If I at least have my phone, then I will be able to call a reputable source for help and stay in my car (with the doors locked).

The second reason that I keep a portable charger is that I often walk around whatever city that I end up staying in. If I have a portable charger than I don’t have to worry that my phone or Ipod will die while I am out enjoying myself. It is important to keep a charged phone. It helps to look up places to eat, shops to visit, and also to connect to wifi for calling if you have been in remote areas for an extended period of time.

Paper Maps:

I learned the hard way while driving through Wyoming that I needed a paper map. They are often free at any visitor center that you encounter so it doesn’t have to be an added expense. I keep both an offline google map and a paper map for every state that I am traveling through. This way I have a back up just in case I can’t get cell service to work. It isn’t safe to only depend on technology when traveling by yourself. As a backup I make sure that there is a paper map with my destination circled.

Small Trash Bags:

I always keep a stash of grocery bags or trash bags around so that I can throw things away and keep my car organized. When I am on a long road trip it is easy for the car to get disorganized. You may have left overs from the night before, fruit pits, used napkins, and all kinds of other things. I also use trash bags for my dirty clothes. To prevent stinky clothes from fumigating your car you can put them in a trash bag and sit them in the trunk.

Optional: Weapon

This may be controversial but I do travel with a weapon when I am on the road by myself. I don’t own a gun but I do have one knife that I can keep close to me in the front of the car and a larger knife that I keep in the back seat. There is also have a small baseball bat that has a flash light on the bottom of it.

I have never found myself to be in any sort of danger that required me to use a weapon. I do however keep several around. This is both for protection against people and also animals. When you are traveling in remote areas or going on hikes you never know what you will run into. It is important to be prepared.

There you have it! These are my must haves for a long road trip.