7 Road Trip Essentials You Need to Pack for a Hassle free Experience

Roadtrips should be about unbundled fun, cascading peels of laughter and some unforgettable memories. But more often than not, when you take a trip down memory lane, you find that your past road trip was not such a pleasant experience due to several reasons! Well, no more!

We make lists for everything, so why not have one for what constitutes as road trip essentials. Listed below are 7 such road trip essentials that you need to pack for a hassle-free experience. With this list, you will be able to focus more on the beauty of the scenic route, the exhilarating feel that you get while zipping down on the highway and of course, have smiling (and non-screaming) travel companions!

1. Technical Gear

Without our gadgets, we would be totally lost. Therefore, the first thing you should include should be your phones and gadget chargers. Charged power banks, laptop inverters, tablets/iPads loaded with movies, games, and audio books and USBs preloaded with good songs or playlists from Saavn or Gaana. GPS, camera gear, and extra set of batteries and memory cards should be added as well.

Melodious and happy memories are guaranteed with this full-on list of technical gear. Don’t be surprised if your friends and family refer to you as the RDJ (Road trips DJ) from now on!

2. Medical Kit

Nothing trips a road trip more than stopping every few seconds to accommodate diarrhea and puking, courtesy greasy road-side food. That is why, besides the general first aid kit, you should have all the medical essentials like band-aids, over-the-counter or prescribed medications for headache, motion sickness, fever, upset stomach, pain, allergy, etc. for both kids and adults, disinfectants, mosquito repellents, SPF 50 sunscreen lotions, and cold packs.

3. Emergency Kit

It is prudent to be always prepared for the unexpected. That is why, it is never a bad idea to have a small pack outfitted with emergency items like flashlights, first-aid kit, water bottles/hydration tablets, a small blanket, rain coat, hand sanitizer, etc. lying handily in your car.

4. Clothes for unpredictable weather

Warm clothing, flip-flops, blankets, neck pillows, walking shoes, hats, rain gear and swim-wear should also be packed for a road trip. This will allow you to be prepared for the unpredictable weather, as required. Blankets and pillows will give you the warmth and rest you need during a long crammed-like-sardines road trip.

5. Food and Water

A road trip is incomplete without food to munch on. Therefore, a cooler stuffed with water bottles, juices, aerated soft drinks, snacks,and assorted packets of chips, cookies, and dry fruits should be packed in for your long journey ahead. Just remember to scoop the debris in the trash bag or you’ll be like the princess from the Princess and the Pea for the rest of the trip.

6. Car Kit

Besides the above mentioned essentials, your car should also be equipped with roadside assistance emergency kit, spare tyre, tool kit, warning triangle, and breakdown cover. Before embarking on a long trip, it is good sense to get your car checked for oil and water, tyre pressure, and brake action. Also get your car’s engine, battery, and air filters checked out.
Nothing puts a brake on a good vacation than a broken-down vehicle in the middle of nowhere, full of accusing stares and unending I told you so’s’!

7. Documents

You never know when you might need important car and personal identification documents while you are out on a road trip. Therefore, it is never a bad idea to create and carry a document kit with you. It should contain your PUC (Pollution Under Control) Certificate, RC (Registration Certificate), Car Insurance card/document, RSA (RoadSide Assistance) number, important phone numbers, and copies of IDs like passports, driving licence, Aadhaar cards, etc.

Besides the above mentioned 7 essential categories, you can also add the following to be part of your travelling indispensables; car air purifier, shades/sunglasses, sun blinds for windows, wet wipes, garbage/disposal bags, phone holder, headphones, travel mugs, binoculars, quick-drying towels, stain removing wipes, kitchen towels, maps, travel guide, etc.

Get this right and you will be the legend whose road trip planning skills will be recounted over every family gathering for years to come and without whose input, no road trip will be planned, ever!