5 Rules For The Perfect Road Trip

The road trip is as much voyage of self-discovery as it is a physical journey. The traveler needs doing no more than turning the key in the ignition, shifting gears and heading out into the great unknown. But still there are some “rules” to it, which would make your trip much more enjoyable if you follow them. Check out five rules for a perfect road trip.

This is essential, particularly if you are driving something sporty. Also, you’ll be checking into and out of hotels every day, so you won’t want to waste valuable driving time segregating your socks from your T-shirts in a dozen easily misplaced baglets. A general rule is that you have to be able to toss your luggage into the car. Herschel Supply Co. Novel duffel bag is durable enough to withstand such stylish insouciance while also looking the part. Hand selected leather, stainless steel zippers, thick khaki stitching… it feels good to toss this beauty pretty much anywhere.

Other than marriage or long-term incarceration, it’s hard to imagine a situation that thrusts people together more inexorably than the road trip. So, to avoid long stretches of tedium and even unpleasantness, you’ll want to choose your co-driver very, very carefully.

All good road trips feature a few unpredictable moments, and the best way to go about finding these is by turning off onto a dirt road every so often. You might come across a quaint old farmhouse, or a field of fragrant wildflowers, or a local willing to brief you on the intricacies of lobster trapping – the point is, you never know.

Every epic journey demands visual documentation. The Fujifilm X-Pro1, latest entry into the prosumer interchangeable lens digital camera market, provides a relatively cheap and supremely portable option. You can outfit X-Pro1 – which boasts a new high-resolution sensor – with three fixed-focal-length lenses, including an incredibly versatile 35mm f/1.4. And if your pictures don’t end up being museum-quality, you can always sit and admire the attractive retro styling of the camera itself.

Those slim-fit jeans and T-shirts may have seemed like a good idea, but on a road trip they bind in all the wrong places. A rule of thumb: if you wouldn’t go to bed in it, don’t drive in it.

Using these simple rules, you'll get the best experience from your road trip. If you are thinking about a road trip and don't know where to start, check out road trip ideas with best trips for any taste: Europe, Asia, North America or South America - you choose.