The excitement was at an all time high as we loaded the van for our road trip, but I had that feeling inside of me that I was forgetting something. Yet, I couldn’t put my finger on it. What could it be?
I checked my clothing list, everything was there. I checked my food list, yup, all here. I checked all my other lists, I had everything. Yet, I still had that gut feeling I was forgetting something. Without knowing what it was, I continued to load the van and we hit road. Putting miles between me and our home, I worried I would forget something.
Turns out I overlooked a few things!
Read on to discover the most overlooked road trip essentials.
Embracing the views while on a vanlife road trip to Grand Teton National Park. Photo by Dalton Johnson
1) Snacks
We all know food stress is not fun, so don’t forget your snacks as you pack for a road trip. Personally, I like to plan my meals out and go grocery shopping before I head out, but often times I forget the snacks. You know what happens when you forget the snacks on a road trip?
When I forget the snacks on a road trip, I start to get hangry, then stop into a gas station and pick up some unhealthy snacks like potato chips or sour candy. Then, what do you know, I feel horrible for the next few hours of the road trip all because I decided to forget the healthy snacks while I am grocery shopping.
Good road trip snacks:
Carrots and hummus
Energy bars
Nuts and dried fruit
2) Caffeine
Let’s be honest, we are all addicted to caffeine. I mean, yes, there are some of you who are the exception and I am jealous of you, because that means you are not on the struggle bus every morning waking up and waiting for that cup of caffeine to seep into your blood stream. With that said, you would think we would all pack the caffeine and you are right. We all typically pack our morning beverage of choice, but I am come to find that afternoon cup of coffee is hard to find while on the road.
Gas station coffee doesn’t cut it for me and if I have a tea bag to steep, that means I have to get hot water at a gas station, which always feels a little weird and it tastes wierder. So, I have learned that I need to pack some instant tea/coffee that can go directly into cold water. Yup, that is right, if I am on a road trip I will drink a bunch of cold instant drinks. They are great!
Good Instant Caffeine Drinks
3) A singing partner (or a podcast debater)
Okay, I will admit, this one is kind of a joke, but not completely. My singing voice is horrible, but finding a good song and belting it out while on the road has a place in my heart. There is something about it that is safe, carefree, and fun. I am pretty sure I am tone-deaf, but who cares, you are in the car.
If you aren’t into singing, podcasts might be better. What is really fun to do is listen to a podcast that challenges your way of thinking and then talking about it with your co-pilot. The choice is yours, but don’t chose a topic that is going to offend the other person, you have a long ride and sitting in silence isn’t that much fun.
4) Gas Money
Yeah, yeah, yeah we all know that you need some money to pay for gas. Why is this even on here? Well, sometimes you can’t pay with a credit/debit card for your gas. Yes, I know it is the 21st century, but this has happened to me a couple of times where I roll up and they say, our card reader is down, cash only. The issue, I am in a remote place and there isn’t another option. Well snap! What now?
You need cash. So, I have found it is helpful to carry enough cash to fill up one tank of gas while you drive. This is a “just in case” kind of deal, but it’s better to have it than not have it.
5) Camera
If you are going on a road trip, bring a camera. I know this may sound silly, but having photographs that you can look back upon is really important. At least for me. I think road trips are opportunities to change the way you think and see they world as you are constantly shown a different side of the world. Things are just a bit wierd, crocky, different than how you do them. So, don’t let that hold you back, or fade from your memory. Bring a camera.
Now, which camera should you bring to go on a road trip? Honestly, any of them. A phone will do you wonders. Even though my career is “adventure photographer” and have a bunch of camera, I still love snapping images on my phone. They work great, they take great images, and I look back at them more than I do with my cameras.
6) A plan
Having a plan. Yup, that is right, if you are hitting the road you should have a plan. Decide to do something on your road trip. Put a reason behind your driving all over the place. This doesn’t have to much of anything and it surely doesn’t need to be about saving the world (although that would be cool). I have said this a couple of times throughout this blog, but road trips can and should change the way you think. Every interaction you have with another, each landscape you visit, every bit of food you consume, all add up to something.
Overtime, all of those little things on your road trip will help you in the future. They will show up in your life in such an unexpected way, but they will show up. So, make sure to have a plan when you take off.
Something I learned a few years ago: “Planning to not have a plan is a plan” Take a little bit of time to think about that and accept it.
Road trip plan ideas:
Rock Climbing Trip
Foodie Trip
Introspection Trip
Off roading in Baja Mexico while on a road trip. Photo by Dalton Johnson
There is nothing worse than having that feeling like you are leaving something important behind, so I hope you found this article to be helpful as you plan your next road trip. Make sure to double check you have all of your necessities and all of the overlook-able road trip essentials, then hit the road. If you feel anything else should be added to this list, please drop a comment below so other travelers can learn!
