How I plan a Road Trip - Things to Take

Required Stuff	Strongly Recommended Things	Optional Stuff
Car Stuff

Required Stuff

Here's a list of things I think are REQUIRED Equipment for a Road Trip.

• A cell phone. A must when travelling. There are few places I've found where you can't get a signal these days. However, be aware that many, many times you'll find the only signal you can get is analog, and is sometimes a captive service. (Like on Indian Reservations and in National Parks.) So I do mean a cell phone, and not an iPod, tablet or other 3G/4G/smart device.
• A GPS. I have a Garmin Nuvi 1390, which has saved me a couple of times. Not only can it tell you how to get to where you want to go (a plus in a congested area when you have no navigator), but which lane you should be in, as well as thousands of points of interest, from rest areas to restaurants to Goodyear Tire dealers. I once thought I would never need one, but then Jo got the Garmin for me for Christmas a few years ago, and I've had to change my mind.

You can read why I think both these are necessities here. Got a blow out, and was able to not only tell my motor club where I was, but was able to find a Goodyear dealer who was open on a Sunday morning...

A smart phone is not a replacement for a GPS. There are places out west where a smart phone will not work. A GPS will operate where ever you can pick up a satellite.

• Flashlights. At least one that provides a wide area of light that could say, illuminate a path or stairs (a lantern type device, they make some very good LED lanterns now), and one with very bright beam, that could illuminate a distant sign. I have a 8-LED flashlight that has two different light brightness settings, as well as red and blue LED's for night-vision and high-contrast. It will also flash all the LED's to get attention, even flash in SOS. (And it doesn't even look like a traditional flashlight.) I will also have a AAA Maglight that's carried in my fanny pack, for menus and finding dropped objects in dark places.
• A 5 or 6 outlet power strip. A lot of hotel rooms these days are getting stingy on AC power outlets. Typically, when travelling with another person, I need two power outlets for cell phones, two for my camera and camcorder battery chargers, and one for the laptop at a minimum. I also bring a 6 foot, 3 outlet extension cord. (Hint: Many times it was very convenient using the ironing board in the room as a platform to hold all your charging devices. Sad, but true. Oh, and don't blame me if you can't figure out how to re-collapse the ironing board without drawing blood...)
• Coolers and drinks. A necessity. You should never be without at least water, in case of a break down or accident in a remote place (mostly out West, but even places in the East). Be prepared. Besides, just being in a car driving will dehydrate you as the ventilation system feeds air into the car. It is important you drink enough. And I find cold water better than warm water when it's 90 degrees. That's just me. (I also prefer my soda from cans than those plastic bottles from a vending machine.)

I carry two coolers on long trips, but at least one even on short ones or overnight stays. You want a cooler with a tight fitting lid. This will keep the inside of your vehicle dry, and your drinks colder longer. Test it before leaving on a trip. Put some water in the cooler, put the lid on and turn it upside down. If it doesn't leak, that's the type of cooler you want. If water comes out, get a better cooler. (Warning. With some coolers, *all* the water will come out. Do this test in the bathtub or outdoors.)

My primary cooler is a Coleman 16, which I assume is a 16 quart cooler, (I've never measured it), manufactured in August 1988, believe it or not. It holds drinks: water, a couple of energy drinks and canned pop, with and without caffeine. It fits nicely behind the passenger seat without having to be tied down. My other cooler is an Igloo 6 (a 6 quart cooler just slightly larger than a 6 pack plus some ice or cold packs (with a manufacture date of Feb 89), which is primarily used for food (leftover BBQ is a good example), and for ice when all the ice in that bag you bought won't fit into the larger cooler. (Yes, you read that correctly.) Don't count on being able to mix drinks with food for any length of time without making a mess. (You can get air/water tight containers, but they take up a lot of space, and space is a premium on a road trip. Ziploc bags are not a viable option, as they'll eventually leak, letting water from melting ice in or grease and other stuff from the food into the cooler, which can make a mess.) And remember you'll be removing the cooler a lot from the car, so a big behemoth 60 quart cooler isn't the way to go...

Here's a hint: Freeze water bottles. Not only will frozen water bottles act as ice (because they are) and keep other drinks cold, but will provide cold water as it melts. And you can always pour warm water over the ice left in the bottle to get more cold water. I will often make some wraps or other car food at home before leaving (which is usually better than fast food on the road), and frozen water bottles will keep the stuff cold, with no melting ice water to ruin things. A perfect application for the smaller 6-quart cooler.

Problem is, once you leave home, you rarely find a fridge in a hotel room with a decent freezer. If you get a room with a real fridge with separate freezer, then one of the first things you should do is put a few water bottles in it, and start making ice for the cooler. If you get a college dorm type fridge (which happens more often than not), the best you can really hope for is to get warm drinks cool before putting them in the cooler the next morning.

I also carry a variety of packets of ice tea and other flavor mixes, like Crystal Light and Lipton, for electrolytes and sometimes caffeine. They're very good alternatives to soda pop or plain water, and take up little space.

• Clothing. Unless you plan on just going to a nudist camp in the Tampa/St. Pete area, you should consider what clothing to take, as well as planning how to pack. What you pack and how much you pack can depend on a few factors, some obvious.
• When are you going? A trip in winter means heavy clothes and coats, whereas a trip to the South/Southwest in July means light, comfortable clothing, mostly t-shirts and shorts, which take up a fraction of the space sweatshirts and coats do. In real life, I can take two weeks of clothing for a summer trip, but only one week for a winter trip.
• Where are you going? Key West is going to be t-shirts and shorts weather no matter when you're going. So long as you're not going with a tropical depression coming at you. If you're going to go places high in elevation (like the Western National Parks where it's not unusual to be above 8,000 feet), warmer clothes might be called for even during summer.
• Hats. Bring a hat with a brim to shed rain and sunlight, preferably with a cord that can tighten around your chin for windy environments. I have a lightweight hat with a 3" brim all the way around that I really like. (I have three of them. You can see it in many post-2005 pictures of me.) It becomes more important when you have dark hair. I can feel my brain cooking when in intense sunlight in hot conditions.
• Sunglasses are also a must, more than you might think. They should be polarized if possible to reduce glare.
• Laundry. Sometimes, you have to make time to do some laundry. If you think you'll have to, it might be worthwhile to bring your own detergent, since you're limited to what's available in some of the hotel Laundromats. I won't mention the cost of the convenience of being able to buy detergent in a hotel...
• I actually have a system to my packing. I use two suitcases. One is actually a large roller duffel, the best suitcase I've ever owned, and the other is an Eastpack, one of those long, round ones. I will keep two or three days of clothes in the Eastpack, so I only have to bring the larger suitcase into the room every few days. Like when I have a grade level room to the parking lot.
• Remember to bring plastic garbage bags for your dirty clothes. You can reuse them after doing laundry, or tie them off and put them in the dark recesses of your trunk until you get home.

Other things to consider. Make a list and check it twice. Make a list of things you have to take with you.

• Batteries, chargers and cables for all your devices. Phones, cameras, laptops/tablets, etc. A lot of rooms have HD TV's now, and you can connect to the ports on the TV from laptop, camcorder or camera to review or watch video. I was once in a room that has wired internet, but the port was behind the door. So I carry a 15' Ethernet cable....
• Camera equipment. And get specific. Memory cards and/or Video tape, tripod, monopod, etc.
• Meds, both prescription and OTC drugs, like Imodium, anti-histamines, aspirin (or equivalent), Pepto (or antacids), sunscreen, lip-balm, etc. These will sometimes be vacation savers.
• Manuals. It's always good to be able to look up something if you have to.
• Documentation. Make sure you have all the maps you need, the route, the hotel reservation confirmations, etc.

These are just examples. Manually check them off as you pack. I have forgotten hats, tripods, and sundry other things at home.

In the end, remember you're not going to Mars (though there are some places in Utah that you'd question that), and there are always Walmarts and Best Buys everywhere to get whatever you forgot. So it is mostly the custom items to you (like batteries and chargers, meds and the like) that are complete musts to bring.

Strongly Recommended Stuff

Here are some things I take that you might want to consider that are borderline between "must have" and "optional".

• An mp3 player or ipod that will play through your sound system in the car. I used to carry CD's with me. A huge binder of CD's, which took up valuable rear seat area. Now I carry hundreds of hours of music in a player smaller than my cell phone.
• A variety of plastic bags (quart, one and two gallon size Ziploc freezer bags, 13 gallon tall kitchen and 30 gallon garbage bags, etc.) A (new) folded t-shirt or plastic grocery bag takes up no space at all, but can instantly make cameras, cell phones and other electronics rain-resistant. After you use them, you throw them away!
• Some sturdy (disposable) plates, and a set of silverware (mine are actually polycarbonate-ware) for each person. And a small bottle of dish soap to clean it up at the hotel after use.
• Extra batteries, AA, AAA, whatever your flashlights and other portable objects use.
• A real Swiss Army Knife (not a cheap knockoff, and it should have a corkscrew and scissors) and a Leatherman. While they're both multi-tool tools, the Swiss Army Knife has more functionality, but the Leatherman is a more rugged tool.
• A roll of Paper towels. Good for everything from napkins to cleaning your windows.
• Sunscreen and lip balm with a high SPF, especially if you're going to be in the mountains or desert. Insect repellent. Moist towelettes for quick clean-ups and those bathrooms that don't have clean up facilities, etc.

Optional, But Still Recommended Stuff

Here's the optional list, things I do take with me which I've found useful, but you could probably get away without having.

• A portable wireless router. The one I have works well, a TRENDnet 300Mbps wireless N travel router. There are probably better/faster ones now. They are great for places that only have wired internet. You can create an access point for multiple devices, if need be. (This item used to be strongly recommended,
• A variety of zip ties. (Rubber bands dry-rot quickly in cars.)
• My own coffee and filters. Most times, in-room coffee are those little pouches of crappy coffee they laughingly claim will make 4 cups. I also bring a stainless steel thermos that holds about 2 decent cups of coffee. (Hint: A thermos will not only keep coffee hot, but iced tea cold...) (I also recently acquired a 4-cup coffee maker when I was going to be at a place that didn't have coffee makers, and it's probably smaller than the CD case I used to carry...)
• A roll of toilet paper (in a Ziploc bag.) Good for... Go ahead and laugh, it's cheaper than using dollar bills. The Ziploc bag will not only keep it dry, but keep the roll intact.
• A good rain suit. I'm not talking about a crappy disposable type, but a good one, just in case mother nature has something against you for a few days or hours. I have never had to use one in anger on a Road Trip, (I mean the two days I was in the rain forest in the Northwest, it was sunny), but I have had to use it during long fishing trips...
• A cheap 9x12' plastic (disposable) drop cloth.
• A few hand towels in the car.
• An encrypted thumb drive (I have a Kingston DataTraveler Locker) with scans of my credit cards, drivers license, insurance cards and other important stuff in case your originals disappear. I've never had to use it, knock on wood. (Note, do not keep it in your luggage. Hide it in the car someplace. Under floor mats, under the seats, in the spare tire well (if it's in the trunk)... The whole point is to keep a copy of your important information in case you somehow lose your wallet and other identification.

Car Stuff

A lot of this stuff should already be in your car. And make sure your spare is inflated to the proper pressure and you have all the pieces to your car jack. (More in Recommendations.)

• Proof of registration and insurance, including the number you should call in case of an accident.
• A tire gauge. Not a cheap one. An accurate one.
• A tire inflator. Test it before you go. I've notice they break easily.
• Extra fuses, all amperages your car uses.
• Road flares. These days I also have a red LED flasher for places that have fire restrictions.
• Some basic tools, like needle nose pliers, a 10" crescent wrench, a couple different vice-grips, etc. Now, I do admit I use my Leatherman and Swiss Army Knife 50 times more than my 10" crescent wrench. With computers and electronic sensors controlling everything in a car these days, tools are of limited use. I swear I use the tools I carry more for things not car related, so I do find it useful to take them along.
• A bottle of windshield washer fluid.
• A 110V power inverter, with enough amperage to run your laptop. (Okay, I admit this might be superfluous. I used to use one all the time while on the road, but with today's vastly improved batteries, one really isn't needed. But it's nice to have an available 110VAC power supply on the road.
• A blanket. A real one. It doesn't have to be new, but it does have to be serviceable. It will keep someone warm (usually the passenger), it can be used on the grass or sand as a impromptu picnic. I mostly use it to completely cover the back seat to protect the stuff back there from the beating sun and prying eyes.
• A windshield sun shade. As stupid as some of them look, they will help keep the interior of the car from broiling when at high altitude and in the desert.

End How I Plan A Road Trip - Things to Take.

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