Advertorial : 10 essential items to pack ahead of a road trip

Roadtrip (1)

Millions of motorists agree that taking a road trip is one of the most liberating and exciting ways to travel. Jack Kerouac even went as far as to proclaim that ‘the road is life”. But whether you are embarking on an odyssey across the country or heading to the nearest stretch of coastline, the key to a successful road trip is preparation. Here is a list of ten essential items to pack ahead of your road trip.

Before you get started, you should make sure that your car insurance and breakdown cover are up to date in case the worst happens. Allianz Your Cover (www.yourcoverinsurance.co.uk) allows you to build your car insurance policy to suit your particular needs.

Before you start your trip, Allianz Your Cover recommends that you take the following essential items on your trip:

  1. Map or SatNav – unless you have an encyclopaedic knowledge of UK Geography or a fetish for getting lost, you will need help navigating on your road trip. The traditionalists and technology averse among us should pack an Ordnance Survey map, whilst for the rest of us, a GPS SatNav will talk you through every twist and turn along the way. Just make sure you choose a voice that you can stand for the whole trip.

  2. Drinking water – your first stop may not come for some time and dehydration can cause a loss of concentration, so pack plenty of drinking water to keep you sharp and focused.

  3. Cooler – you may want to stop for a picnic along the way or enjoy some cold items on the move. A small cool box is ideal for keeping perishables chilled for the first few hours. Make sure you pack a picnic blanket in case you spot a picturesque place to stop.

  4. Non-perishable food – pack some non-perishables such as granola bars, rice cakes and fruit and nut mixes to stave off hunger during the long stretches between destinations.

  5. Music – a driving playlist is essential to keep spirits high and set the mood for the trip. Iggy Pop’s ‘The Passenger’ should feature on every road trip playlist.

  6. Cash – once you veer from the beaten track, the likelihood of places taking your card for payment will decrease significantly. Cash is universal, so make sure you have enough to buy anything you may need, from hot drinks to ice creams.

  7. Toiletries – a car full of people can make for mess, so pack plenty of toiletries such as wet wipes and hand sanitizer. These will come in handy when you encounter the more unsavoury public toilets out there.

  8. Warm clothing – it can get chilly driving at night, so pack warm clothing and comfortable pillows and blankets so your passengers can get cosy whilst they watch the world go by.

  9. Power adaptor – pack a power adaptor so you can keep your devices fully charged. Games consoles help to keep younger passengers entertained and keep the trip running smoothly and your mobile phone needs battery in case you need to make an emergency call or look up good places to eat. A power adaptor will help in both instances.

  10. First Aid Kit – as much as fun and adventure should be at the heart of every road trip, safety is also vital. A first aid kit should be a staple of the inventory in case any accidents happen.

Keith Adams

9 Comments

  1. In in the old days. BEER. I’d add that for older cars I’d add some basic tools & spare parts- hoses, water, oil.

    I always carry some gaffer tape, zip ties, bulbs & hose clamps too.

    And my RACQ card for breakdown service. I dunno how the AA/RAC is for roadside repairsm but the RACQ here in Australia is more focused on towing cars than fixing them on the side of the road.

    Mind you its gettting harder to find mechanics who know what a carby & distibutor are!

  2. Plastic bags so that you can put all the crap in prior to finding a bin. And the complete works of New Order and Bruce Springsteen (espcially Racing in the Street)

  3. Spare bulbs/warning triangle too, and a fire extinguisher…And plenty of sweets, and in Mike H’s case at least 200 fags 🙂

  4. For the over 70s, a box of tissues on the rear parcel shelf, some anti-macassars (preferably embroidered), a pork pie hat, and a fish sticker on the back bumper in order to warn following motorists about possibly unprompted and completely random braking and manoevres (fish stickers seem to say ‘I may be a completely inept driver bordering on the downright dangerous, but God loves me so Up Yours)!

  5. The blankets should be a black / red tartan.

    A hat worn while driving is a sure sign of a “sunday or bank holiday” driver.

    I remember my Dad getting worked up after being stuck behind one of the above & pointing the headgear.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*


This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.