5 Must-Have Items For Your First Road Trip
If you Google “What I need to bring on a road trip” or “What I need if I’m living in a car,” you will see dozens of articles that tell you to purchase hundreds of different things. Some might be useful purchases, but several might be unnecessary items that you’d store in your trunk and forget about until the nexts time you organize.
If you know me, you know that I’m more of a minimalist when it comes to car travel (I DO own like six purses… but I firmly believe that minimalism is about owning what you LOVE and what you USE… it’s not about owning nothing). BUT I do still think that there are several super important/necessary/helpful things that you can purchase for your first (or next) road trip, or if you’re going to be living in your car. I’m going to list five in this blog post, and then probably have a few other blog posts about the same topic at some point in the future. And duh, these are just my suggestions and opinions, but I do think they can be helpful for most people. Okay, let’s go!
Steering wheel desk. You GUYS!!! If you have seen any of my organizing/car tour/”what to buy” YouTube videos, then you’ve probably heard me rave about this steering wheel desk several times. For less than $20, you can finally have a comfortable and easy place to eat your lunch, write in your journal, or use your computer. And it’s thin, so it’s easy to store in a tight space.
Power inverter. A power inverter turns your car’s cigarette lighter into a power outlet. This is useful if you want to charge a computer, camera battery, or even a hair straightener in your car (depending on the voltage or wattage or, you know, some electric thing). While I generally charge my electronics at a library or coffee shop, I will use a power inverter when I’m going to be driving and need something charged, or if I’m parked but won’t be at a library or coffee shop that day. (PSA: Please don’t use your hair straightener while driving!)
Solar charger. YES, solar chargers can be a little more expensive than a typical phone/USB charger, however, it can be used and charged anywhere when the sun is out! So, whether you’re traveling city to city, or you’re going to be off the grid, a solar charger can be incredibly handy.
Body wipes/baby wipes. Sometimes, when you live in a car, you mightttt not shower every day. So, always keep baby wipes or body wipes in the car to take a little car shower, wipe yourself down after a hike, or just clean yourself up if you’re feeling a little yucky. I have mine in a “travel pouch” that attaches to my passenger seat’s headrest, so that I can find them easily.
Reusable water bottle. Instead of spending a ton of money on daily water bottles and wasting a ton of single-use plastic, invest a few dollars into a reusable water bottle, and fill it up at any place with a water fountain or free water (gym, library, Target, fast food place, Starbucks, etc.)
When I write part two and three of this list, I will link them here! But I’d love to hear what necessities you have if you’re living in a car or you’re on a road trip, so let me know in the comments! I love you, and Jesus loves you! <3
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