A conversation I was involved with today ended up with a question; what items should be included in a so called "Roadgeek Starter Kit?" To that end my assumption wound be that such a kit would solely consist of items that one would need on a road trip. My first entry would be toilet paper for "surprises" that may be encountered in some remote locale. Rather than run a list myself I would be interested to hear from the community as a whole what you would put in your Roadgeek Starter Kit.
Hard copy road maps.
I know what NOT to bring: a GPS
:sombrero:
Emergency gear for your vehicle; I used Fix-a-Flat [available at Pep Boys and likely their competitors] once and it worked great.
Some aids for road photography: bottle of glass cleaner, paper towels, squeegee. Good for handling bug strikes in between fuel stops, or for when the gas station let their glass cleaner well run dry. Black drop cloth to cut down on dash glare.
Quote from: M3100 on October 17, 2020, 09:22:02 PM
Emergency gear for your vehicle; I used Fix-a-Flat [available at Pep Boys and likely their competitors] once and it worked great.
I got a little further given the crappy roads I tend to drive. I have a full size spare, donut, compressor, and impact wrench in my trunk. Those have pulled my ass out of some bad spots (like CA 62 in 2011) a couple times.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on October 17, 2020, 11:23:53 PM
Quote from: M3100 on October 17, 2020, 09:22:02 PM
Emergency gear for your vehicle; I used Fix-a-Flat [available at Pep Boys and likely their competitors] once and it worked great.
I got a little further given the crappy roads I tend to drive. I have a full size spare, donut, compressor, and impact wrench in my trunk. Those have pulled my ass out of some bad spots (like CA 62 in 2011) a couple times.
Donut and full-size spare? Must take up some space in that trunk.
Most of these items recommended so far are just normal items recommended anyone bring on a trip for emergencies.
A roadgeek trip would involve a tripod with camera facing out the windshield for instant pics or running video, a checklist of routes and counties available for clinching along the way, a list of incorrect signage, road markings, etc.
Strangely I've never made the move to a camera mount for my windshield. I use a black pillow case I got from Walmart and a iPhone 11 for photos, I just used to the angle I need to take quick shots from.
Quote from: Rothman on October 18, 2020, 01:29:08 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on October 17, 2020, 11:23:53 PM
Quote from: M3100 on October 17, 2020, 09:22:02 PM
Emergency gear for your vehicle; I used Fix-a-Flat [available at Pep Boys and likely their competitors] once and it worked great.
I got a little further given the crappy roads I tend to drive. I have a full size spare, donut, compressor, and impact wrench in my trunk. Those have pulled my ass out of some bad spots (like CA 62 in 2011) a couple times.
Donut and full-size spare? Must take up some space in that trunk.
Not really, the donut is down in it's well and the spare is stacked atop of it (the impact wrench is between the two). I keep the spare in place with my three tool boxes and my chains (another essential for winter out west). On a trip last month I was able to fit three travel bags and four hiking bags back there easily (in a Subaru Impreza).
(https://www.ssoworld.org/pics/I_am_a_roadgeek_starter_pack.png)
(should be in Roadgeek Memes (https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=21687.0) though)
Road porn, glass cleaner (for the bugsplats - towels sold separately), camera (tri-pod and windshield reflection block sold separately), map, relics (old signs or similar), and car.
Quote from: ozarkman417 on October 17, 2020, 08:26:03 PM
Hard copy road maps.
Quote from: CoreySamson on October 17, 2020, 08:30:34 PM
I know what NOT to bring: a GPS
:sombrero:
YES to these an infinitesimal amount of times!!!!
Maybe pack a little heat in case nature attacks...snakes & gators don't like you EVER!
An ice chest for drinks & snacks to help save money.
Quote from: SSOWorld on October 18, 2020, 09:52:31 AM
(https://www.ssoworld.org/pics/I_am_a_roadgeek_starter_pack.png)
(should be in Roadgeek Memes (https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=21687.0) though)
Road porn, glass cleaner (for the bugsplats - towels sold separately), camera (tri-pod and windshield reflection block sold separately), map, relics (old signs or similar), and car.
This was what I was expecting this thread to be. Thank you for not leaving me disappointed.
Tack on CrAiG cOuNtY on we're good to go.
Quote from: cjk374 on October 18, 2020, 11:03:09 AM
An ice chest for drinks & snacks to help save money.
I use an electric cooler on the road, for all the diet sodas I go through. The cooler can plug into your cigarette lighter/power outlet. I park mine behind the passenger seat, where I can reach in to grab a soda.
I also pack in my overnight bag an AC adapter for the cooler, so I can use it at a hotel without an in-room refrigerator.
Quote from: SSOWorld on October 18, 2020, 09:52:31 AM
(https://www.ssoworld.org/pics/I_am_a_roadgeek_starter_pack.png)
(should be in Roadgeek Memes (https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=21687.0) though)
Road porn, glass cleaner (for the bugsplats - towels sold separately), camera (tri-pod and windshield reflection block sold separately), map, relics (old signs or similar), and car.
Exactly what I had in mind, although I prefer Stoner Invisible Glass (recommended to me by someone either here or on MTR; it does seem to work a lot better than Windex), and I find that a DeLorme atlas (or atlas at similar scale) is more indicative of serious roadgeeking than a Rand McNally, since the DeLorme has a sufficient level of detail for showing old alignments that might yield interesting signs or bridges.
Quote from: Scott5114 on October 17, 2020, 09:57:16 PM
Black drop cloth to cut down on dash glare.
This. If you're serious about good highway photos, put a dark-colored cloth on the dashboard under your camera.
Quote from: cjk374 on October 18, 2020, 11:03:09 AM
YES to these an infinitesimal amount of times!!!!
(https://memegenerator.net/img/instances/65606295.jpg)
YES