Roadtrip essentials

[TravelingBethelite]

What do you always bring with you/require on a road trip? Here's my list:
-Atlas
-3 days worth of clothes
-Cameras/SD cards
-Cell phones
-Cash (duh)
-1 vehicle of choice in fair or better condition
-Supplies for said vehicle (motor oil, washer fluid, flares, etc.)
-Friends/companions (optional)
-Cooler with snacks/food/drinks in case we get lost/or are in long stretch of road w/o services
-Sleeping bags (Ya never know)
-Reading material if you get bored (But roads never bore anyone here, right?  )
-Portable radio
-Sense of adventure (and humor)

[kkt]

Personal locator beacon, because cell phone reception is marginal more than 5 miles from a town.

[US 41]

What do you always bring with you/require on a road trip? Here's my list:
-Atlas
-3 days worth of clothes
-Cameras/SD cards
-Cell phones
-Cash (duh)
-1 vehicle of choice in fair or better condition
-Supplies for said vehicle (motor oil, washer fluid, flares, etc.)
-Friends/companions (optional)
-Cooler with snacks/food/drinks in case we get lost/or are in long stretch of road w/o services
-Sleeping bags (Ya never know)
-Reading material if you get bored (But roads never bore anyone here, right?  )
-Portable radio
-Sense of adventure (and humor)

- Atlas
- CDs (music)
- Camera
- Cell Phone
- Money
- Blanket and Pillow
- Passport (just in case I end up too far north or south)
- Deodorant, tooth brush / paste, etc.
- At least 10 days worth of clothes (I always over pack) plus big trash bag to put dirty clothes in
- Food / drinks to snack on.

- I actually prefer to travel by myself. That way I can go wherever I want and I don't have to make stops. I can easily drive for 5 or more hours at a time and 12 hours in a day. My limitations are basically gas and bathroom breaks. Driving is the vacation for me. When I go to Chihuahua the week after Christmas the above is all I'm taking, unless I think of more. I guess that is why I want to become a truck driver eventually. I drive around 35000 miles a year which is way to much, but it really is about my favorite thing to do. If gas was free you'd never see me again.

[noelbotevera]

Cell Phones w/ car charger
Headphones
Book
Some supplies for car (windshield wiper fluid, jack, spare tire)
Credit Card(s)/Cash
Blankets and neck pillows
Snacks and healthy stuff
Bubble gum
Sunglasses
Wipes or tissues

I don't really require much for road trips. Rarely do I ever stay in hotels.

[bandit957]

For some people, bubble gum is a must. I'm not sure why.

[noelbotevera]

For some people, bubble gum is a must. I'm not sure why.

The sugar. Yeah bubble gum is a must too.

[bandit957]

Back in the '70s or '80s, Freshen-Up gum had a free road atlas offer. It was for one of those smaller Rand McNallys that had less detail. On the cover, it said something like, "When you travel, take along Freshen-Up!" This was around the time that a dentist recommended that a member of my family chew Freshen-Up. I burst out laughing at the very notion of a dentist recommending bubble gum.

[kkt]

Couple of full water bottles, one in car, spare in trunk.
First aid kit.
Cables for tires.
Cables for battery.
Batteries for camera, flashlight.
Car charger for cell phone.
Road maps. USA road atlas.  Topo atlas of states.

[Pete from Boston]

Nobody packs tools anymore?  It's AAA or death nowadays, huh?

[D-Dey65]

Nobody packs tools anymore?  It's AAA or death nowadays, huh?

I always have some kinds of tools. I wish I could take things like a 3 1/4 jack and a massive air pump/generator, but they'd take up too much trunk space.

[oscar]

I have a toolbox the size of a fishing tackle box, which I keep in my car except when it's in my truck when that's my road trip vehicle. It comes in handy for both my roadside repairs or other people's emergencies, especially when I'm in remote areas where a AAA/CAA card is worthless.

I also have a CB/weather radio for areas with no cellphone coverage. I once also rented a satellite phone (and had to use it to call for help, when an RV slid down an embankment), but the costs and logistics of satphone rentals make that impractical unless I'm going to be really out in the middle of nowhere.

Nobody's mentioned a canister of Fix-a-Flat, which I have in both my vehicles. A tire plug kit is in some people's gear but not mine.

Both of my vehicles usually have extra full-size mounted spare tires. The one in the car trunk hogs a lot of space, and I might remove it if I need the extra room and am sure I'm not going to do a lot of off-pavement driving (the standard space-saver spare doesn't work well on gravel).

[SignGeek101]

-Cell phone

Don't forget a charger, one that you can use in your car. Phones these days die very quickly, and a charger is a must... except when you're in the Rocky Mountains of southern Alberta (or anywhere similar) and have no reception anyway.

EDIT: Never mind, already mentioned above.

[mariethefoxy]

Here's my list:

- Change of clothes, Makeup, Hair Stuff, etc. (Thing you'd normally pack for any trip)
- My EZPass Never leave home without it! Given where I live no matter where I go I'm paying a toll bridge to get wherever.
- my iPhone (I plug into the stereo so I got music while I go)
- First Aid/Emergency Kit (it was a set from AAA I got a while back)
- Electric Tire Pump
- Extra Pillows and Blankets
- Air Mattress (if I'm going to someones house instead of a hotel)
- Maps (if it's somewhere new, typically within 1-2 times of going somewhere I remember how to get there.)
- Adequate money for food/souvenirs/emergency
- Pocket knife and a tactical knife (for protection)
- Snacks
--- Traditionally my snacks of choice are: Cape Cod Potato Chips, Gummy Bears, and Circus Peanuts.

[Rothman]

Don't have much to add.  Like a couple of others on here, my little air compressor pump is a must.

I've been toying with the idea of getting a CB radio, though.

Oh, and not necessarily just for road trips, but I keep some rope in my car as well.  For some reason, I've found myself in the situation quite frequently where someone asks if anyone has any rope in their car.  I guess I've decided to be that guy.

[1995hoo]

Things I take on just about every trip:

–My CPAP for sleeping
–Mobile phone and plug-in charger (I don't have a car charger)
–Camera (DSLR) and lenses (I took four lenses on our just-concluded trip and used three of them)
–Sunglasses and regular glasses (both have prescription lenses; my driver's license requires me to wear corrective lenses when driving)
–Usual wallet contents (cash, credit cards, ATM cards, car insurance cards) with some things left behind (grocery store cards, Metrorail SmarTrip card)
–Some amount of clothing and toiletries
–Some tissues for blowing one's nose and the like
–An umbrella or rain jacket (or both)

Things I may take depending on destination:

–Paper maps if we're going somewhere unfamiliar
–If we are not driving my car with its built-in sat-nav, I may take Ms1995hoo's Garmin (very useful on our just-concluded trip because regular maps don't provide the level of detail I needed for city streets) unless we're going to a familiar area
–Air compressor if we're driving one of our own cars (I wouldn't pack it for a trip where we fly somewhere)
–Camera tripod
–iPad and/or Kindle (especially if we're flying or taking the Auto Train)
–E-ZPass and SunPass (if we drive my car, these are always mounted in there regardless of destination)
–Swiss Army knife if we're in one of our own cars (obviously not something I bring on a plane)
–Either water bottles or travel coffee mugs if we're driving a long distance (which depends on what time of day we leave)
–Snacks and a bottle of wine if we're on the Auto Train (no snacks in the car, food is not allowed to be consumed in my car)–we also have wine glass travel mugs!
–A roll of toilet paper in case one gets stricken in an area with no nearby restrooms
–Each of our cars has a blanket in the back seat just because one happens to be there, but we don't take those if we're flying and then driving.

If the trip is one where we're flying out and then driving, what we bring will obviously be somewhat constrained by luggage capacity. We try to avoid checking bags on the airlines when possible, though sometimes we wind up having to do so. Before anyone quibbles with whether it's a "roadtrip" if you fly, on our trip the past two weeks we flew to ABQ, drove 1032 miles over the next eleven days (not counting another 200 to 350 miles riding with my brother-in-law), then flew home, so I think that certainly counts as a "roadtrip."

[bandit957]

In my day, we always brang along a canister of Wet Ones, for some reason. Anyone remember Wet Ones?

[Pete from Boston]

Nobody packs tools anymore?  It's AAA or death nowadays, huh?

I always have some kinds of tools. I wish I could take things like a 3 1/4 jack and a massive air pump/generator, but they'd take up too much trunk space.

I pre-charge and bring my smallest cordless driver set, the tiny DeWalt 20V, and socket set at a minimum.  A couple of pairs of Vise-Grips and a 6-in-1 screwdriver as well.  There's usually electrical tape and a razor knife kicking around, too.

I started driving long distances before I could afford breakdowns, and I would still rather limp home rather than be hosed by a small-town mechanic looking to soak a rube.

I'm kind of surprised at the number of folks packing air compressors.  To me this is like packing a coffee pot–its benefit can be had countless places along the road for mere pennies.  Rarely do I have a tire too low to get to the next gas station that is going to hold any more air.

In my day, we always brang along a canister of Wet Ones, for some reason. Anyone remember Wet Ones?

Which day was that?  I think of the canister version as a relatively recent development, though I guess I could be wrong.

My parents singlehandedly kept the Nice-Pak company of Orangeburg, New York in business through the astounding volume of Wet-Naps that went through their glove compartments.

I keep at all times a generic canister of disinfectant/cleaning wipes in the vehicle at all times.  Perfect for all kinds of hand-wiping and much more.  I dust off the dash with them at long lights. 

[Pete from Boston]

I also like to keep this very sharp little scabbarded Kuhn Rikon paring knife handy for various eating needs:

[bandit957]

Which day was that?  I think of the canister version as a relatively recent development, though I guess I could be wrong.

'70s and '80s. They were in a white and blue canister.

[1995hoo]

....

I'm kind of surprised at the number of folks packing air compressors.  To me this is like packing a coffee pot–its benefit can be had countless places along the road for mere pennies.  Rarely do I have a tire too low to get to the next gas station that is going to hold any more air.

....

For me it's more a result of the fact that I simply store the air compressor in the trunk of the car I drive most frequently because it's convenient to store it there and because I remember where it is. I originally put it in there to have it available at football tailgates, so I'm simply used to it being there. Plus it's powered by the lighter plug, so it might as well be stored in one of the cars because it can't be used otherwise (unless I plug it into the portable jumpstarter, but I don't normally carry that thing in any of the cars).

[bandit957]

I also like to bring along hydrogen peroxide. Putting hydrogen peroxide in your ears reduces the threat of a common cold.

And every time I go on a road trip, I put peroxide in my ears the night before.

[Brandon]

Dihydrogen monoxide is a must, IMHO.  Just be careful not inhale it.

[noelbotevera]

Redoing my post:

Wipes/Tissues
Cell Phones w/ car charger
Sunglasses - usually leave at 8 AM
Umbrella/jackets
Spare clothes ONLY IF we ever go to a water park or swimming pool.
Rarely do we ever bring snacks - we either eat breakfast a couple miles into the trip (around 30 or so), or buy snacks at a Sheetz or something.
Rarely do we bring blankets and wear neck pillows, only if the trip is 3 or more hours.

Mainly for the car and myself. I myself can starve a little bit before needing to eat - I rarely have to eat in the car.

[Pete from Boston]

I also like to bring along hydrogen peroxide. Putting hydrogen peroxide in your ears reduces the threat of a common cold.

And every time I go on a road trip, I put peroxide in my ears the night before.

I recommend ear candling at red lights instead.

Dihydrogen monoxide is a must, IMHO.  Just be careful not inhale it.

But I'm inhaling it right now.

[roadman]

Surprised that nobody has mentioned jumper cables yet.  I've always carried a set since I bought my first car in 1987.

One of my roadtrip essentials is a scanner.  Most models these days have the CB channels and NOAA weather frequencies pre-programmed, so you can access them at the touch of a button.  Many scanners also allow you to program the frequencies into your computer, then download them into the radio - I've found this feature to be very useful for multi-day trips across several states, as I don't have to put everything into the radio at once.  And inputting the information into a computer first is much easier, and faster, than trying to use the radio's keypad for programming.

The only caution about having a scanner in your car is that some states restrict or prohibit mobile use of them.  Per Federal Law, licensed ham radio operators are generally exempt from such state and local restrictions (this is because most mobile ham radios have extended receive capability).  The sole exception to all of this appears to be Kentucky, which both refuses to acknowledge the ham radio exemption and apparently allows the State Police to confiscate any radio equipment on sight if a person is stopped for another traffic violation.  Not an issue for me, as I've managed to totally bypass Kentucky so far on my roadtrips.