I’ve made plenty of trips to and from Pitt. With quick visits home, driving home during holiday breaks and even visiting for special events, I have to come to learn the ins-and-outs of my car like the back of my hand. I’ve also learned what is necessary during a five hour road trip and what can stay home. If you have a road trip coming up or are preparing yourself for a visit home, here are the essentials that deserve a spot in your car.
1. Snacks
I don’t know about you, but I get super hungry on road trips. Driving down the highway, I get tempted to stop at the rest stops. However, with a college budget and the desire to get home sooner, I tend to resist the urge to stop and grab a quick meal. From my many road trips, I learned the best way to beat a hungry stomach is to bring snacks, and I mean a lot of them. I promise you, there can never be enough snacks during a road trip. Typically, I go for some popcorn, preferably SmartPop!, or something crunchy that’s easy to snack on. Another one of my go-tos is candy. I rotate between gummy bears or Sour Patch Kids, both that continue the trend of being chewy and easy to snack on. A road trip can never be complete without a variety of snacks.
2. Water
I cannot stress this enough, but you need to stay hydrated. There have been many times where I will be driving and find myself with a dry throat, and thirst that will simply not go away. Typically before every road trip, I fill up my reusable water bottle, and maybe even pack one or two one-liter bottles for the road. Water is such a great way to stay hydrated during a road trip and the perfect thing to pair with snacks.
3. Trash bags / Trash can
During any road trip, it’s super easy to have your car get messy by the end of the trip. Whether it’s full of empty water bottles, random napkins or even half-full cups of Starbucks or Dunkin’, your car may end up very rough when you arrive at your destination. To save you the hassle, I recommend investing in some trash bags to stow away in your car. Typically, I use the plastic bags from my grocery store / shopping errands, and save them in my car’s backseat or trunk. So, whenever I’m in the car I already have the bags ready to use and keep my car clean! You can even decide to invest in an actual mini trash can to keep in your car instead of using plastic bags!
4. Chargers
Whether you’re going on a solo road trip, with a group of friends, or maybe even with a roommate, it’s always best to have chargers in your car. I recommend having more than one. Your car should always have a charger for your phone, but it doesn’t hurt to carry one or two extra. It will especially come in handy when you have some guests on your road trip.
5. Phone holder
A phone holder is so crucial to every road trip. Instead of worrying about holding your phone in your hand, or finding somewhere to place it, I recommend investing in a phone holder. A phone holder allows you to have your phone in a secure place, and ensures safer driving. Put your directions on, set your playlist, place your phone in the holder and head out on the road. There are different phone holders that can fit everyone’s needs and preferences. You can choose a cup phone holder, one that goes on the air vent, one that sticks on the dashboard or you can choose to have one that stick on the inside of your windshield. The phone holders are pretty easy to find. You can find them at your local TJMaxx, Ross, Marshalls and even online at Amazon. This is a definite must for any car – road trip or not.
6. Gum
This may not seem like a car essential, but if you have ever driven through the mountains, you know that gum is a must for every road trip. If you feel like your ears are popping or want some flavor, gum is the way to go. Personally, I end up chewing gum most of the time throughout my car ride, and it has helped a lot when driving through Pennsylvania. My go-to gums have to be the classic mint or watermelon. If gum isn’t your thing, you can always opt for candy or mints.
7. Hoodie / Jacket
There have been plenty of times on road trips where I dress for the weather at hand, but find myself feeling chilly during the ride. Forgetting to bring a jacket, I’ve been stuck fidgeting with the air conditioning between hot and cold, and never feeling comfortable or reaching that just-right temperature. Learning my lesson, I have now invested in keeping one hoodie or zip-up jacket in my car. If I find myself getting cold, I can easily slip the hoodie on at rest stops or even put the zip-up jacket on throughout the car ride. Even without road trips, this has remained a car essential for me!
Road trips have become second nature to me, and hopefully some of these car essentials will come in handy or may even spark some inspiration of your own! Happy driving!