8 Essential Items to Take on Your Next Road Trip

It doesn’t matter if you’ve got plenty of experience traveling or not, the chances that at least one of your trips has been ruined by the fact that you forgot to pack one specific item are pretty high.

Your car broke down in the middle of the night and you had to wait ‘till the morning to check the insides because you didn’t have a flashlight. You were about to upload an awesome photo to make your Facebook friends jealous of your holiday, when the battery died… are you nodding as you’re reading this? If the answer is yes, then keep reading, because this list will be your saviour next time you’re packing to leave on a long road trip. If the answer was no, you’re either a professional packer (whether that’s a thing or not) or you let your mum pack your bags for you. No matter your answer, it’s worth checking out this list.

1) A portable phone charger

We no longer live in the Nokia era. We now use our phones for pretty much everything except showering. We lose or break our phones, our lives are over, and the last thing you want is having your phone die on you during a trip. Otherwise, how would you find the shortest way to reach your destination, or let your mum know that you had enough food that day? Plus, that dog-filter selfie with the mountains in the background won’t just magically upload itself to your Snapchat story. Grab a charger and avoid disaster.

2) Sanitizing wipes

They’re a multipurpose essential. Whether some mayo spilled from your sandwich and landed on your shirt, or you got your hands dirty from touching weird plants or dirty sand, wet wipes can save you. Grab a pack or two and avoid coming back home with random stains and unwanted infections.

3) A blanket

Say you’re feeling tired and want to take a nap while it’s freezing cold outside, or you really want to take that Instagram-worthy picture on the wet grass — a blanket can come in handy. You can also roll it up and turn it into a pillow, or use it as a cape in case you want to play Superman for some unknown reason.

4) A flashlight

If you’re spending the night in the car in a deserted area and suddenly feel the urge to go to the toilet, wouldn’t you want to have a flashlight to find your way in the dark? Sure your phone has one, but it’s nowhere near as practical as a hand-held flashlight.

5) A pocket knife

Whether you want to spread your peanut butter on your slice of bread or you need to cut something like a chord or a wooden stick, you’ll be thankful that you brought a knife with you. You never expect to find yourself in a situation that requires a knife, but as always, it’s always best to be safe than sorry.

6) Speakers

Music is an essential part of any trip. If you’re traveling with friends or your radio breaks down, a portable mini speaker could save you from awkward and dreadful silences, and keep you awake while you drive on an empty road for miles on end.

7) Towel

You drink water and you spill it on you. You go check out a lake and you fall in it. You go for a walk and you get caught in the rain. A towel would always be there to help you out, if you remember to pack it.

8) First-aid kit

This one should be obvious, but we generally like to pretend like we’re invincible and end up regretting bringing a band-aid for our newly acquired cut, or that much needed pill to settle our stomach and prevent a smelly disaster. Acknowledge your weaknesses as a human being and bring the kit with you.

Tick all these items off your list and you’ll be good to go. Hit the road, Jack!