By Madeline Klein on June 20, 2017 in travel
Whether you're taking one of Market Watch's 12 best American road trips this summer or making a route of your own, we've got the summertime essentials for your packing list.
Preparedness:
According to Ally.com, the summer heat is notorious for causing dead batteries, tire blowouts and coolant issues. Be sure to check your battery, tires and coolant levels prior to embarking on your trip, and just in case, pack:
- Jumper cables to jump any dead batteries
- Tire pressure gauge to make sure your tire pressure doesn't go above its recommended level
- Spare tire (with tire iron and jack)
- Water in case anything happens, and you have to wait in the heat a while
Protection:
From sunburn to bug bites, your trip is going to be a lot more comfortable if you take the necessary precautions. Pack:
- Mosquito repellant/bug spray
- Sunscreen
- Sunglasses
- Hat
- More water (we'd really like to reiterate your hydration needs)
Practicals:
Sometimes you need a few practical items to keep trips running smoothly. Consider:
- A cooler to keep your goodies cool. (If you're on the hunt for a good cooler and don't know where to start, TheSweetHome.com researched and reviewed the best soft and hard cooler for road trips.)
- A trash can to keep your car clean and organized. If the regular trash bag doesn't appeal to you, Lifehacker.com got nifty and used a cereal dispenser as a trashcan.
- Wet wipes. Melty snacks and spilled drinks can get real sticky in the summer heat. Have a set of wipes handy.
Noms:
Every time we do one of these posts, we always include snacks. Why? Because they're important. And while everyone (usually) knows to bring snacks, sometimes they require a little inspiration. So here's our summer road trip snack picks:
- Fit Foodie Finds' Banana Sushi
- Roxy's Kitchen's Four-Ingredient Smoothie
- Food Network's S'mores Granola
- Martha Stewart's On-The-Go Trail Mix
Entertainment:
Another must. Summer road trips are a blast, but they don't come without some lulls. Here are some ways to keep you and your fellow passengers entertained:
- Games: If you haven't checked out our not-your-average-car-games post, check it out! If you still need some game ideas, iMom.com came up with some printable game templates, including the license plate game, bingo and alphabetical I-Spy. Use the templates or make your own versions!
- Music: Timeout.com came up with a list of the 50 best summer songs to help set those summer vibes. If that's not enough, both Spotify and Pandora have summer genres you can rock out to.
- Podcasts: Want to really dive into the adventure side of your road trip? Check out the three travel adventure podcast picks suggested by TomsBikeTrip.com.