Five little tips: summer road trip essentials

Summer road trips can be a hassle to pack for, as are all packing adventures. The endless driving on an endless road can be painful, but some of us love the drive, and the many stops along the way. However, there is fun to be had watching the scenic trees slip by. I personally enjoy watching the wild animals that loiter around the highways. To maximize your experience on the road, consider including these five road trip essentials for the drive:

1. Sunscreen – This is the number one essential for all travel packing lists, regardless of location. Even if you can’t see the sun through a cloudy sky, be aware that there are still harmful UV rays that are being absorbed by your skin. Protect yourself from sunburns. Sitting in your car will also cause some UV rays to hit your skin, so apply sunscreen half an hour before leaving, and again typically every few hours.

   

2. Bug spray and bite cream – Beware the bite of the fearsome mosquito! It seems that no matter where you travel, some species of biting or stinging bugs will be present. It’s best to be prepared with some bug spray and bite cream to make sure that itchy or painful bites don’t end up as major annoyances to your vacation.

   

3. Car friendly snacks – Road trips mean long drives, which have lots of potential for snacking. Buying or making food that minimize crumbs will help you to have a more comfortable trip, and reduce your after-trip cleaning tasks. These foods include fruits, cut veggies (such as baby carrots and celery sticks), candy and chocolate. Sandwiches and crackers and cheese are also okay for in-car food, but tend to leave crumbs if you’re a messy eater. Always remember to bring water!

   

4. A good playlist – Long silences can get tiring, so keep a playlist of good music ready in your car. If you are going to play the music on the stereo, make sure not to bring music that would lull the driver to sleep, and are not too much of a racket that would cause a headache. You can burn the music onto a CD, or save it in your phone or iPod.

   

5. Comfortable clothes – Get ready to sit long hours in a car! Face it, there are not many positions a person can sit in while belted onto a car seat. Wear clothes that are stretchy, because they are more comfy to sit in and move around in. Also, a good investment might be a neck pillow for naps, so that your head won’t bounce around while you sleep.

Last but not least, every trip should be planned out well, or have a basic structure with lots of free time for creativity. It’s good to plan a number of stops along the way to the final destination, so you can have brief breaks and stretch out. Depending on where you’re travelling to, there will be lots of different little attractions on the way, so keep a look out for them. Always bring a printed map of the area, just in case you get lost. Happy travelling!

For some road trip games, check out these sites:

http://www.edmunds.com/car-reviews/top-10/top-10-road-trip-games.html

http://adventure.howstuffworks.com/destinations/road-trips/10-boardless-pieceless-road-trip-games.htm