Best Road Trip Ever, Part 4: The 15 Best Gadgets And Gear

It’s no secret that many of us are itching to travel, and new data from the Amex Trendex, a survey tool from American Express that researches people’s feelings toward travel and spending, reveals that 41% of consumers would give up internet for a month to be able to travel safely again. The same data, collected at the end of May, found that 62% of people would feel most safe traveling by car, aligning with most trending forecasts that indicate the coming months will be the summer of road trips. To help you pack for the greatest road trips across America this summer, Best Road Trip Ever is a four-part series bringing you the best snacks, bags, gadgets, gear and clothes to bring on your next adventure. In this edition, the 15 best gadgets and gear from Best for Safety to Best for Memories are presented.

For Your Vehicle

Best for Safety

Don’t embark on a road trip without a first aid kit. While many are clunky and messy, VSSL First Aid is the sleek superhero of safety you need for any size adventure. This 9-inch tube of military grade aluminum packs 45 essentials from bandages, gauze and antibacterial cream to gloves, tweezers and tape in a waterproof capsule with an LED flashlight on one end and a compass on the other. Designed with guidance from military and first responders, it’s durable and ready to assist in all the situations you hope don’t arise.

Best for Bums

Long drives are tough on the whole body, but no part suffers like your rear end, so invest in a quality pillow designed to relieve pressure and provide comforting support before setting out. The Aylio Coccyx Cushion is packed with orthopedic foam and a cutout to reduce pressure on your tailbone, and the ergonomic contours encourage healthy weight distribution and spine alignment. When looks matter too, upgrade to the new Socket Seat with vegan leather base, velvet accents and cooling mesh surface (the case is removable for better cleaning).

Best for Quick Cleans

It may be chaotic and messy inside your car—that can be part of the fun of road trips—but you don’t want it to be dirty, and minor repairs or even simple visits to gas stations can bring serious grease and gunk to your vehicle and belongings. GUNK wipes are an easy solution originally intended for cleaning and detailing your car and its parts, but the no scratch, no rinse, skin-safe design makes them ideal for spiffing up any surface where traditional kitchen wipes will fail. Don’t waste precious packing space with flimsy wipes that can only handle dainty jobs; pack GUNK wipes to cover all your bases.

Best for Ambiance

Even on the tamest itineraries, it’s bound to get a little smelly or stale with all those bodies and belongings crammed in a vehicle for serious stretches. Zum Mist Aromatherapy Sprays are intended for both bodies and rooms (that includes cars!), containing essential oils and no chemical emulsifiers for safe, clean, non-irritating pick-me-ups, even in confined spaces. Choose from nearly 20 uplifting fragrances including lavender lemon, sandalwood citrus, eucalyptus and rosemary mint.

For Your Body

Best for Cocooning

It can be hard to achieve total cocooning in a car, where you can’t tuck your blanket under a mattress and keep your toes snugly wrapped, but if your idea of ultimate coziness requires full envelopment, the PediPocket Blanket has you covered (literally). With a built-in pocket for your feet, this super plush blanket keeps every part comfortably covered, and anchoring your feet in the base of the blanket keeps it in place whether you’re sitting in the passenger seat or stretching out in the back. Bonus: It’s lightweight and packs relatively small despite its large dimensions, so you can bring this one on planes in the future, too.

Best for Naptime

Obviously not for the active driver, the Baloo Sleep Stone Mask is the ultimate naptime necessity for dozing off on the road in any conditions. The oversize, pillowy satin mask (more like a wrap) cushions the full circumference of your head to block light and muffle sound without overheating your face or irritating your ears with elastic straps. Even your third eye gets special treatment from this mask, with a hidden pocket that holds flat disc crystals in place over your third eye chakra. Each purchase comes with your choice of four crystals: amethyst, purple fluorite, blue lace agate or rose quartz.

Best for the Homesick

If you tend to experience the bittersweet pangs of homesickness when traveling, consider bringing an extra piece of your heart along with you on your next road trip. Whether it’s your furbaby, grandma or even your favorite possession that just can’t make the trip with you, LifeLike Pillows allow you to bring a super soft, hella fun reminder along for the ride. The ultra-easy process is as simple as uploading a picture, choosing a size and waiting for delivery. Each pillow is hand-cut from velvet polyester, hand-sewn and generously hand-stuffed in Chicago for superior huggability on your journey.

Best for Relief

You may become a bit tense and possibly sore from sitting all day, but The Original Worm combines both ball and roller therapies in a supremely travel-friendly design that brings relief on the road with no fuss. Four rubber balls in a neoprene case form a compact massage roller that relieves stiffness, stress and pain in your muscles and joints, aiding your back, legs, feet, neck or just about any area. The Original Worm is available in two sizes, both in pink or black, and comes in a drawstring, mesh carrying bag for added portability and protection.

For Your Meals

Best for Sips and Spoonfuls

Road trips are notorious for fast food meals and convenience store snacking, but that doesn’t mean you have to add to the single-use plastics problem by grabbing new utensils and straws at every stop. Invest in the Ultimate Mermaid Travel Set to tote your own fork, knife, spoon, straw and even chopsticks in psychedelic style. The full set comes in a cloth travel wrap for condensed stowing, and those less interested in the flashy fun of mermaid colors can shop from the solid black Siren collection.

Best for Keeping Cool

When space is tight and you don’t want to give up half of your back seat to a giant cooler (that stays giant even after it’s empty) streamline your approach with the Freezable Utility 9-Can Cooler from PackIt. Capable of containing 9 cans, 2 large meals or a whole bunch of snacks, the collapsible container is freezable and keeps contents cool up to 10 hours, eliminating the need for wasting space on ice packs. An exterior zip pocket holds napkins and utensils while the “skylight” mesh pocket below the handle can hold keys, phones, wallets or anything you may want to tote along if you take the cooler for an on-foot detour. Best of all, you can collapse it when it’s empty to give yourself extra space for the rest of the ride.

Best for Containing

The Porter collection of to-go containers for every aspect of your meals and snacks makes it easier (and more stylish) to bring mindful bites on the road instead of relying entirely on processed foods from service stations, and reduces plastic waste from packaging and servingware. The silicone-wrapped ceramic Porter Mug and Porter Bowl are perfect replacements for paper or plastic alternatives and both come with spill-resistant lids ideal for road trips, while the stainless steel Porter Utensil Set comes in a pliable silicone carrying case to keep these essentials clean. The full collection includes bottles, straws and even glasses (wrapped in silicone) for that end-of-the-day wine that doesn’t belong in a plastic cup.

For Your Organization

Best for the Little Stuff

Medicines, toiletries and even jewelry can be among the toughest items to pack and keep track of on road trips, where bumps, spills and a lack of defined storage spaces make organization tough. Cadence Capsules are 100% leakproof containers made from recycled ocean-bound plastics that organize your tiniest tag-alongs and sensitive products in airtight, customizable containers. They’re magnetized to keep everything together in your bag, glove compartment or anywhere in the car and on the go, and you can choose from 36 magnetic labels for each capsule (or create your own label or $3) to kiss little bothers goodbye as you easily locate and identify all of your essentials during your trip. Best feature: The capsules feature a concave interior base for seamless scooping of creams and liquids that leaves nothing behind in cracks or crevices.

Best for Tech 

You’ll surely be packing a device or two (or ten) to pass the time on the road with music, movies, games and more, and all of these require charging, so you’ll have plenty of wires and cords clogging up your car. Avoid tangles and incessant searching for the right wire by organizing them in Trekeffect’s Waterproof Gadget Pouch Organizer with 9 compartments in a padded case to keep all of your cords and small electronics separate, secure and even safe from spills on bumpy roads. Pro Tip: While ideal for your electronics and their accessories, you can store, organize and protect just about any small items in this zippered pouch.

For Whenever

Best Versatility

Whether your road trip itinerary highlights lazy beach days, picnics in fields, swimming in mountain lakes or just about anything outdoors, you’ll want to bring along a couple of Teema Towels to enhance your fun. These handcrafted Turkish towels are lightweight (read: perfect for travel) and absorbent for quick dries after a dip, but also ideal picnic blankets, beach blankets or even just you-blankets during air-conditioned car rides or chilly evenings outdoors. When you’re not traveling, they double as chic throws in your home or car and can even be worn as shawls. All woven by artisans in a small Turkish mountain town, Teema towels come in a huge variety of colors and styles, but most runs are limited so grab what you love when you see it.

Best for Memories

It’s almost a guarantee that you’ll want to take plenty of pics of your road trip shenanigans, but that doesn’t mean you have to be attached to your phone the whole time. Bring along a Polaroid Now to add some vintage flair to your modern adventure with instant photos from an iconic brand. An autofocus lens, long-lasting battery and accurate flash make this point-and-shoot as intuitive as your smartphone, but the physical memories it produces are ten times as special. Choose from 5 classic colors, black or white, and don’t forget the film!

You can find Best Road Trip Ever, Part 1: Snacks here.

You can find Best Road Trip Ever, Part 2: Backpacks And Weekenders here.

You can find Best Road Trip Ever, Part 3: Clothes And Accessories here.