10 road trip essentials that you need to have this summer

Ever just wanted to leave it all behind, get in a car, and take to the road?

For most of us, it's hard to drop absolutely everything and do that, but we can take a week or two off work and travel from place to place, without the limitations of delayed flights or train schedules. Once you've plotted your course throughout the country (or further, if you're feeling ambitious), it's time to pack.

It's not just clothes and sun tan lotion you need, but other supplies that are essential to keep your summer road trip running smoothly. Check out the list below for the ultimate guide on what to pack for the drive.

1. Paper maps

Keep things old school with some real maps. Using sat nav and apps on your phone are far easier to use, but you can't always depend on your phone's battery or signal strength.

2. Car booster seat

If you're traveling with your children, you will need to bring a car seat along. For children aged 4+ you should try the mifold Grab-and-Go booster seat, which is more than 10 times smaller than a regular booster seat. mifold is compact, portable and safe, meeting the FMVSS 213 regulatory standard in the USA - and has received a five star rating for “securing the child” from NHTSA. Pack one for your trip – save space and worry less, check them out here.
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3. A camera

We all have cameras on our smartphones these days, but that doesn't mean you'll want to waste all your battery on photos or videos of your trip - so why not bring a nice camera along to document your journey?

4. Spare tyre

It seems like an obvious choice for long journeys - but it's worth bringing up when its absence could spell a whole lot of misfortune for your trip.

5. Some reading material

Whether or not you read much in your downtime, there will be points in the journey where you'll want to kick back and get up to date on the Game of Thrones books. Whether it's a physical copy, audiobook or Kindle version, this could be a great time to immerse yourself in another world.

6. Travel games

Anything that doesn't have a limited battery life is worth bringing to keep all the passengers entertained, and there are plenty of travel-sized versions to bring along for the ride.

7. Blanket

You may be planning on stopping off at hotels or hostels along the way, but that doesn't mean there won't be some cold days or late-night drives where some of you will want to snuggle up or get some sleep in. Throwing in a pillow or two won't hurt.

8. Snacks

If there's one thing you need to keep going on a trip - it's snacks. You can't be stopping off every time you get hungry, and there may not be a restaurant, cafe or diner nearby as it is - so bringing some snacks along is an essential.

9. Car cooler

If you want to keep food or drinks cool on a long journey, this is a must-have.

10. An awesome playlist

Whether it's a Spotify playlist, a CD you've burned or an old-school mixtape, you'll be needing the perfect soundtrack for your travels. And make sure to load up some alternatives so you don't drive everyone crazy with the same songs playing again and again.

All this talk about packing for a road trip has me thinking I should grab some friends and hit the road for a couple of weeks, the first chance I get. I can't think of anything better to do when the summer hits full swing, can you?