this post was submitted on 03 Sep 2025

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I've got a road trip planned. It'll be about 2800 mi, 4500 km. I think I'm prepared but sure I'm overlooking things. I'd love to hear your tips and recommendations; your holy grails! (lemmy.world)

submitted 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) by tpyo@lemmy.world to c/asklemmy@lemmy.world

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2 adults and 1 younger teen

We're going on a two week road trip that'll be fairly leisurely. Stopping by some parks and sights as we go and a few nights at our ultimate destination

I had my car recently serviced. It all checks out

I have a steam deck on the way! Any recommendations here for travel accessories? Or just in general?

We've all got devices and chargers and their respective blocks. I'm looking at a power inverter for the hungrier devices
I was debating bringing the oculus to give whomever a bit of isolation if they need; is there anything specific I'd need to do to use it where there's no internet? I haven't used it enough to be very familiar with most of its abilities

We adults have ps5s. Most likely won't bring one. I've seen portable monitors that people use with a local device; does anyone have experience using one for remote play for the ps5?

And making sure we've got entertainment downloaded to our devices; obviously books and offline/non electronic entertainment will be brought, as well

I'm really looking forward to this and want to make it the best experience for all involved! I look forward to hearing your tips

Edit to add: the point of the road trip is to bury my grandfather. And I'm petrified of flying in the current state of the US

Since we HAVE to make this trip we're trying to make the most of it by stopping by some state/national parks and other landmarks/pois during which we'll be present. But there's going to be LONG stretches of literally nothing exciting. Like corn fields. Many hours of corn fields. Most days are 6 - 10 hours in the car

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[–] TehBamski@lemmy.world 3 points 4 days ago

I'm gonna categorize things, as that's how I would want to see my info while planning. These are just in order of how they came to me and not of importance.

Comfort

Pillows: Sure, hotels and motels have pillows for you, but you have to be there to use them. I recommend everyone bring at least one pillow. If you have room or a demand, bring more than one. Being able to nap or just get a bit more comfortable in the car goes a long way.
At Least One Pair of Lightweight Footwear: Comfort is important while on a trip. You want to be able to have something to wear while you're just moving in and out of the car, hotel/motel, or even walking around most indoor attractions. Breathability and lack of weight can help keep people from dropping down into "grumpy pants territory," while on your trip.

Safety

Emergency Kit: It is crucial that you have one of these in your car. You want to be prepared for the worst of things and hope you don't have to use it. Nearly all of them have these stample items in them:

Emergency Water: The American Red Cross says that you should pack 1 gallon of water per person, per day.
Emergency Food: Non-perishable and easy to prepare items. Since it's just a road trip, you can keep the freeze dried food packs at home. But think about how much of the non-perishable foods you would need for each person to survive for three days if you got caught in a storm or disaster.
Durable Flashlight: A good flashlight should last you over a decade of use. A lot of people (and myself included,) recommend a highly recommended headlamp. Think durable camping headlamp or flashlight when searching.
Extra Batteries: Batteries are needed for a lot of things, such as your headlamp or flashlight. Just be mindful to cycle them out of your Emergency Kit every few years as they use their charge over time.
First Aid Kit: An absolute have. The American Red Cross sells a variety of First Aid Kits on their website store. Of course, you could make your own or get it from elsewhere, but the list of content in the kit is something to go off of while choosing/making yours.
SPF 30-50 Sunscreen: It's never a bad idea to have a bottle of SPF 30-50 sunscreen in your car and/or in a travel bag. Even if it's cold out or winter time, the sun's UVs are still out. And that's what you want to block long exposure to. Turns out, SPF 15 blocks 93% of UVB rays, SPF 30, 97% and SPF 50 blocks 98%.

Tools and Items:

Multi-Purpose Tool: Better to have one and not use it, than it is to need it and not have one.
Emergency Blanket(s) (aka Space Blanket): This is a great thing to have in your car or with you while camping as it's low-weight, low-bulk, and heat-reflective. "Their design reduces the heat loss in a person's body, which would otherwise occur quickly due to thermal radiation, water evaporation, or convection."
Water Purifier: It didn't seem like it, but if you ever go backpacking more than a few hours away from civilization, I recommend getting a water purifier stick. Do your research. There are plenty of low quality ones out there.
Tire Repair Kit: Most cars have one, but if you don't, get one suitable for your car. It's best if you have learned how to fix a tire on your car before you're out there. I wise tip I learned from online, was to keep a large section of cardboard folded and put it in your car. You can use it as a mat to keep your tools and body heat from being lost and your clothing from getting dirty. An alternative to this would be to have AAA or something similar, where you could call them to come out and fix it for you.
Plastic bag(s): It's wise to have a few of them while on a trip as you can use them for loose trash, organizers, dirty clothing/shoes, etc.

Trip Planning

Map it Out:

Trip Planner: There are plenty of websites that can greatly help you plan your trip by mapping it out, giving suggestions of places and things to do, and often general info about the area. I'd recommend checking out several and see if they help you out any.
Gas Price Finder There are several websites or apps that offer updates to gas prices by location. Some even offer a trip planner to assist in this. And while it's not gonna have you saving enough to go see your favorite band/artist in the fancy seats, it will at least help you not spend so much during your trip.