Road Trippin' Essentials

Planning for a road trip can be very overwhelming.  It's hard to anticipate what you'll need along the way - the must-haves and the just-in-cases. While I may not be able to call myself an "expert road tripper", I did learn what it takes to keep both you, and your copilot/backseat driver/husband, sane happy for 4500 miles. 

10 items that we found essential for any multi-day road trip:

1//  iPod/iPhone  Make sure this baby is loaded with audiobooks and a road-worth playlist.  This will save your sanity.  And don't worry, the hours of silence between you and your road trip partner aren't so awkward.

2//  Snacks and drinks Pack a small cooler with lots of snacks and drinks.  It's a good idea to keep some fresh fruit and veggies on hand since you don't always eat the best while on the road. You can even pack some lunch meat, cheese and bread to stop for an impromptu picnic.  This also saves $$!

3//  Eyemask, pillow, blanket  When it's your turn to be copilot, you'll appreciate this one. Day or night.

4//  Toiletries  This includes plastic bags (double as garbage bags), wet wipes, hand sanitizer, roll of toilet paper, roll of paper towels (double as a lunch plate), first aid kit, etc.  Accidents happen, I know I'm always good for a few, and it's better to be safe than sorry.

5//  Chargers Because the last thing you want is for your iPod to die mid-audiobook or your camera to die mid-bear photoshoot. Ruins the day.

6//  GPS, road map, road trip guide A must if navigating unchartered territory.  It is also a good idea to bring some old-fashioned road maps, and even a road trip guide with detailed stops, like the only gas station for 300 miles.  You never know when you'll be driving through a spot that doesn't get satellite reception.  Again, better safe than get lost in the middle of nowhere with no gas.

7//  Camera Road trips are visual buffets, and if you're anything like me, you want to capture it all! Don't forget the extra charged battery and memory cards.

8//  Notebook and pen This is essential, especially if you love to take photographs like I do and don't want to miss a thing! It stayed glued to my hip the entire trip.  I jotted down things like the number of bears we saw, towns we stopped in and any other things of interest.

9//  Games  Whether you like to battle it out word for word in Scrabble or play the license plate game, road trip games are a must! They will help pass the time when you're stuck in a dingy motel in the middle of nowhere and when you're driving on the straight and narrow with nothing to look at.  Some friendly competition never hurt anyone.

10//  A best buddy No explanation needed.

(Note: You may always want to make sure your car if equipped with an emergency kit, but I think that's a no-brainer essential.)

Have you taken any memorable road trips? What are some of your must-haves?

Safe trippin'!

(Linking up with A Compass Rose/Found Love. Now What? for Travel Tuesdays and Treasure Tromp/Brachel Boulevard for Friends Around the World)