Ah, the age old question of what you should pack for road trips. This shouldn’t be such a big deal, but more often than not there are many of us who labor over what we should bring with us on lengthy road trips to our relatives’ homes or to friends’ homes or even if we are just going on a brief vacation.
The truth of the matter is that whether you are packing for a long road trip to visit friends and family or a brief trip from your home to your work office, you should always have at least an emergency road kit in your car, complete with a first aid kit, flashlight, batteries, ice scraper, non perishable food, and a couple of bottles of water. It is also advisable that you have an emergency list of phone numbers written down somewhere. As archaic as this may seem, technology is not foolproof. Cell phones can malfunction; batteries can die, and then god forbid- you may actually have to use a pay phone in order to get in touch with someone. Therefore, it is also advisable that you keep a small pouch filled with change (more quarters than pennies, etc.).
In my own vehicle, I keep a small pouch hidden between the driver’s seat and the door panel where I keep any loose change that accumulates from whenever I pay for something with cash. This has actually come in handy when I have needed to vacuum my car out at one of those car cleaning stations. The other things that you will want to pack for road trips will depend on the nature of your trip and where you are heading. For instance, if you are planning an excursion to the desert, you will want to pack slightly different items than you would if you were going to be taking a trip to the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
There are many nifty little organizer-type items that you can purchase for your vehicle at various stores throughout the United States. Any item that will help you stay organized in your vehicle is a good thing, but you also don’t want to overdo it either. For example, if you have children or animals, it may pay to grab a bin with a cover to keep dog food, bowls and toys in so that they are separate from other items in your vehicle and won’t smell up your car quite as much. If you have small children, you may want to have a separate bin for them to hold their toys, etc. There are also organizers that attach to the backs of the driver and passenger seats in cars that contain various compartments in them that you can store toys, magazines, books, movies and more in for your child. In many cases, these are built so that the child sitting behind you can simply grab what they want without having to wait for you to get it.
Whatever you do, when you are planning out a road trip, always plan ahead for the things that you will need. Make a list, check it twice and you’ll be ready to go in no time.
