Our Top 5 Summer Road Trip Essentials
July 12, 2022
The long days of summer are here and we’re looking forward to all the feels on wheels! Travel is once again back on track and Americans are eager to hit the road – even the record prices at the pumps aren’t slowing us down this summer season. It’s the perfect season to explore the freedom of the open road, discover new and exciting destinations, tick off bucket-list experiences, and enjoy a classic travel experience with the whole family, even Fido!
Results of the Summer Travel Survey 2022 by the Vacationer show that 81% of American’s are planning to travel this summer, with nearly 80% indicating they will be taking to the open road on a road trip. A road trip is one of the most fun and enjoyable ways to travel and the good news – there’s 50 states, over 3.7 million square miles, and tons of easily accessible and beautiful destinations to choose from.
Long stretches of open highway, chilled road trip tunes, and epic adventures await but whether you’re planning a classic cross-country road trip or a quick weekend getaway, planning is required. Here’s our top 5 summer road trip essentials for a comfortable, fun, safe and stress free summer road trip.
Snacks For The Road
Anyone Hangry? Hangry is a real thing and there’s no place for irritable drivers or passengers on a road-trip so pack the snacks!
Think ahead and pack for the road!
Snacking on fast food and sodas from gas stations gets costly, is unhealthy (mostly!), and causes severe fast food fatigue. Keep the snacks healthy (protein bars, nuts, fruit, wraps), pack of flask of coffee for the driver and cocoa for the kids, plenty of water, and limited sugar!
A soft pack cooler is ideal to squish into smaller places between luggage and don’t forget reusable utensils, eco-friendly wet wipes, and a trash bag for clean-up (#sustainabletravel)! If travel time allows, take a diversion off the beaten path for a picnic, or find a cool roadside diner on your route for a pit stop.
Essential Road Trip Tech Gadgets
Whether you’re dreaming of disconnecting from the digital world on your road trip or have a fun list of shows lined up to keep the kids entertained while driving – your smart phone and tech gadgets are a lifeline to staying connected on a road trip.
Travelers use their smart phones to store vacation rental confirmations (and directions), road-trip apps, playlists and podcasts, and even bank details for tap and pay.
Technology is woven into our daily lives and, for the majority of us, everything is stored on our cell phones. Your road trip packing list should include a multi-port charger (avoid the arguments), a spare USB cable, and a car mount for your smart phone to stay hands free.
Travel First Aid Kit
You should always carry a first aid kit in your car but be sure to stock it before heading out on your summer road trip.
Restock all the essentials (burn treatment, band-aids, disinfectants, hand-sanitizers, etc.), stock up on your favorite family brands that may not be available in your destination and make a note to pack all prescriptions prior to travel.
While most mask mandates have been dropped, there are still limited requirements across the US so pack your favorite comfy face mask or reusable face masks in the event they’re needed along the away, or in your final destination.
Don’t let accidents put a damper your vacation!
Basic Car Essentials & Emergency Kit
Always prepare your vehicle before you travel – check your spare tire, A/C for the summer heat, car seat safety for the kids, and basic car fluids (oil, water, washer fluid, etc.). It’s also smart to prepare for unexpected emergencies so include a tool bag with mechanical tools, and a road side emergency kit with triangle reflectors, a flash light, extra batteries, jumper cables, and duct tape. It fixes everything, right? Last, check the glove compartment to make sure you have all relevant car documents, license and registration, insurance papers, roadside assistance contacts, and certificate of ownership if you’re crossing borders.
Road Trip Apps
Plotting your summer road trip and seeing it all come together is exciting! There are plenty of great navigation apps available, but Google Maps is hard to beat as a free road trip map tool for creating a road-trip travel itinerary and navigation along the route.
Share your route with friends!
Download the free Google My Maps tool and you can add more destinations, customize restaurants and gas stations along your route, save offline maps ahead of your journey, and even share your route and stops with your travel buddies. Travel smart and always have an old-school paper map as back up!
Last summer, travelers were filling up their gas tanks below $3 per gallon, but not such good news for your 2022 summer road trip. If stricter travel budgeting is required, Gas Buddy is a great tool to locate the cheapest gas prices on your route, or point you to the nearest EV car charging stations if you’re driving an electric vehicle.
Whether you’re planning a family road trip or hitting the highways with friends, let the adventures unfold with Xplorie! From iconic National Park road trips and classic coastal highways to scenic mountain byways or the road less traveled, our Xplorie travel experts have epic road trip ideas and the top tips to find a destination that suits your travel style, fun roadside attractions along the way, and the best places to stay with free Xplorie activities every day!
