What to Bring on a Road Trip

There are the necessities for road trips, and there are the items that will improve the quality of your road trip. Both can be equally important to have a good time on your trip...from technological help like navigation systems to old, trusty road atlases, here are some products that will make your trip a little easier. Read on to find some road trip essentials like a good atlas, cooler, and other items that will make your road trip more enjoyable!

It's almost a requirement that you bring an ipod on your road trip. Loading your favorite tunes, new songs and mutual favorites will make your trip much more fun. The Nano has received the best ratings on Amazon out of all ipod models, and is very convenient.

On a road trip, you'll find yourself consuming several bottles of water a day (at least you should be drinking that much anyway!). This adds up to a lot of plastic, and a lot of cash. This extremely well-rated bottle has an individual filter to filter water. Fill up at the hotel or local restaurant on your trip and consume less water and save some cash!

Of all of your road trip essentials, this should be your #1. This first aid kit provides everything you might need for situations from cuts to burns.

"Terrestrial" radio can get pretty boring and annoying on your road trip. Typically signals will last for 100 miles or less for a single radio station on regular radio. Satellite radio provides uninterrupted service across the United States...it hardly ever blanks out! The only time it is interrupted is in tunnels. Having a constant radio station to count on is much more convenient, and unlike ipods, you'll be provided with fresh content and a couple of hundred stations ranging from rock, reggae, hip hop, Howard Stern, comedy and classical.

It's obvious you will need a camera for your road trip. Canon's Powershot is a go-to camera for quick, easy, perfect shots for your road trip. This camera is extremely easy to operate, compact, and very easy to upload.

...but still easy to operate, this Nikon camera will surely take some excellent shots for your trip. Received nearly flawless reviews on Amazon.

Video cameras are one of the best ways to immortalize your road trip. Here are some tips for your road trip filming:

• Narrate each shot. You may not know what you are looking at down the road!
• Try to block the wind from the microphone. It gets amplified tremendously and can block out your voice.
• If shooting while driving, try to shoot straight forward. Filming out a side window will look like scrolling trees or dirt on film, and not much else. Don't roll down the window, either, just keep the window clean...the wind will be pretty annoying.
• Get up close! Zoom in on far away wildlife, buildings, citiies, panoramas and more.

Another more budget friendly camcorder that I recommend is the Flip Ultra Camcorder. This camcorder is not only cheap, but great quality for the price. It's also small, and less than half the price of this one. Something to consider anyway.

A good sunblock will not only block sun, but provide lasting hydration to your skin. Apply sunblock to your arms, face and neck while driving. It's easy to get burned! Don't forget your legs if you're wearing shorts, either. A sunburn will simply ruin your good time, so don't risk it.

One of your best friends on your road trip will be your sunglasses. Be sure to protect them with a sturdy case that is crush-proof (in case you sit on it!). For sunglasses, try buying polarized glasses that will block harmful rays from damaging your eyes and provide maximum shade.

You might have forgotten about this one! Your toothbrush is rolling along brushing right up to your deoderant, makeup, lotions and powders, yuck! Cover it up with a toothrbush holder and you'll have peace of mind and an assuredly clean brush.

A spiral-bound road atlas will be a wise investment. The larger non-spiral atlases look great in theory, but become quickly tattered and useless by the end of your trip. The last thing you need is a missing page from your book. This atlas is just the right size, and is a little sturdier than the typical large atlas. Stow it under the seat and keep it handy, clean and looking new.

Navigation is a handy tool for your road trip. Instead of asking the locals at that sketchy looking gas station for some directions, rely on your Garmin for accurate navigation instead. It's reliable and easy to use, not to mention widely approved by customers.

A must-have! Checking your tires for air every other day will prevent flats and provide much better mileage on your car. A full tire is much more likely to deflect sharp objects, handles better, and saves gas and cash. Stay away from digital tire pressure gauges...they may be cheaper in some instances, but you'll be sacrificing reliability. This one doesn't rely on batteries, a definite plus.

Restaurants are fun, but you'll be sick of fast-food and sit-down restaurants before long. Try stopping into a grocery store for some cold-cuts, bread, yogurt, milk, cheese, fresh veggies and fruit to get away from the unhealthiness of on-the-run eating. When checking into your hotel, ask for a room with a fridge to freeze your ice pack and store your food. This cooler is just the right size, very thermal, and not too bulky.

A nice treat on your trip! Acai is a powerful antioxidant and tasty juice that will provide a good alternative to plain old water and the normal bottled juices you might encounter in the gas stations.

It's inevitable that you will be eating out on your road trip, but that doesn't mean that you have to eat poorly. Learn how to make wiser restaurant decisions quickly and feel better on your trip with this well-received book.

There are so many things to see in the United States, you'll want to get a handy guide like this one to make sure you don't miss a thing. Pick out your favorite destinations, plan the best route, and get some valuable tips in this compact guide.

Are you a video game lover? Have some kids coming along that get bored easily? This might occupy their time or yours during those long expanses of road that might not be your thing. PSP makes an excellent system with plenty of games to choose from.

Here's a list of things you may want to bring on your road trip to make your life a little easier. Some are mentioned above, but here it is in a convenient checklist format:

• Sunglasses & Sunglasses Case
• Sunscreen
• Bug Repellent
• Chapstick
• Aloe Vera/Burn Relief (for sunburns)
• First Aid Kit
• Dry road trip snacks (like chips, crackers, etc)
• Cooler & ice pack(s)
• At least 2 credit cards with plenty of available credit for the entire trip...try getting one with points or rewards
• Light timers (for your house while you're away)
• Clothing for the trip, pack enough to change twice a day
• Toothpaste & toothbrush
• Toothbrush cover
• Toiletry case to enclose liquids
• Soap (hotel soap can sometimes be pretty bad!)
• Shampoo/Conditioner(same deal here)
• Music (ipod, CD's, MP3, ipod transmitter)
• Road atlas, spiral bound
• GPS Navigation system (makes your life much easier!)
• Any prescriptions, medical items, vitamins, supplements
• Digital camera, charged battery, empty memory card
• Cellphone (charge the battery!), cellphone charger
• Laptop (optional)
• Books & magazines (for pooltime)
• Hiking shoes, walking shoes, dress shoes (if applicable), sandals
• Local city travel guides (buy ahead!)
• Bathing suit (this is often forgotten!)
• Hair brush, hair products, cosmetics, cologne, perfume
• Scissors (you'll use these more times than you would think!)
• Razors, shaving cream, electric razor
• Cash (enough for the trip, try to avoid ATM visits to save time, fees, and potentially losing your card)
• Decks of cards, board games, handheld video game systems, portable DVD players, anything to occupy your time if you get bored in the car!

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• How to Plan a US Road Trip
• What to Bring