Road Trip - What to Take

A really good road trip is mostly spontaneous, so you'll have to make fast decisions on what to take along with you. It helps to have a list handy, or a set routine of things to grab as you're flying out of the door. I always make sure to bring:

• The face for my detachable face CD player
• Radar detector (I've had very good luck with my Bel Laser/superwide KA/VG-2 unit)
• CDs. The Case Logic rubber/plastic 12-CD flip cases work great for short (<3 day) road trips; longer trips require a 100-CD cloth case.
• Atlas. I highly recommend the spiral-bound Rand McNally Deluxe Road Atlas & Travel guide. It has maps of all of the states, as well as city maps and local attraction information for major North American cities. It also has mileage charts, tourism and climate information, clear channel radio stations, and tons more. It's small enough to easily toss around, but the maps are quite detailed, and sufficiently accurate. I consider this atlas to be an indispensable Road Trip tool.
• Cash.
• Toothbrush, toothpaste, washcloth, soap, deodorant, etc.

I also always make a stop at a local convenience store before hitting the road. I usually fill up the tank and grab a 12-pack of coke and a couple of bags of chips.

Check out my Cars topic to see what I keep in my car.

Back to the topic list