Road Trip Essentials

Road trips have become a regular occurrence in my life lately. In the last six months, I've driven to Des Moines, Michigan (twice), Delaware (via Baltimore not Chicago) and Nashville. This weekend, I'll be heading up to Milwaukee, a drive I've done many times before and is one of the shorter road trips I've done as of late (in fact, I'm not sure I would call it a road trip, since it's less than two hours and requires no stops). But it came to my attention this week that I'll probably be making a few more road trips in the near future, and it made me think about what makes these long drags on miles of highway a little more bearable. What are the things I absolutely cannot live without on the road? And here it is, my list of road trip essentials.

Road Trip Essentials by vtdtrvlr featuring Wildfox Couture

1. Trail Mix: I'm a sucker for pretty much any of the Trader Joe's varieties, but really any mixture of salty, sweet goodness to tide me over between meals works for me.
2. Sweatpants: Face it, you're in a car for hours on end, you want to be comfortable. Plus, they're super easy to pull on in the morning when you have to hit the road early.
3. iPad: Usually, I'm driving with someone else, and we aren't going to be talking every minute of the trip, so I need something else to keep me entertained.
4. A que of good podcasts: What do I like to do with hours of uninterrupted time? Treat myself to some quality podcasts. Favorites include - Ted Radio Hour, Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me, Freakonomics, The Moth, Planet Money, RadioLab, This American Life and Stuff You Should Know
5. Sunglasses: You never know what the weather will be like as you drive, so it's always good to have sunglasses. Plus, I'm all about preventing macular degeneration.
6. Lip Balm: My lips are always chapped, so I have to have my Burt's Bees lip balm on hand at all times, especially on a long road trip.
7. Music: When I need a break from podcasts or chatting with my road companion, I turn to a great playlist. I find that country music is fitting with road trips. Maybe it's the beats or the lyrics, but it just makes you want to roll down the window, crank up the volume and sing out loud!
8. Tevas: Again, I have to be comfortable while driving, and my Teva sandals are the most comfortable shoes I own. Even in cold weather, I'll bring these along to keep my feet happy on the road.
9. Caffeine: Many of my road trips start early in the morning, so coffee is definitely necessary, especially if I'm taking the first driving shift. And since road trips can be monotonous at times (especially while driving through countrysides with nothing to look at), it's pretty much a given that a few more caffeine stops will be made.

Feel free to try any of these on your own road trips, or share your necessities on the road. I'm always open to new things! Happy driving!