Staff picks: The best summer road trip gear and snacks

Summer road trip season is rolling in fast. To help you out, we synced with the Roadtrippers team to figure out the sorts of things they’re carrying with them on trips they’ll be taking this summer.

As you might imagine, we’re quite the traveling lot. So you can be rest assured that the grub, gear, and tools we share here have stood the test of the road.

And if you need an extra hand planning out your summer road trips, check out Autopilot™, our very own AI trip planner that combines data from 38 million real-life trips with your answers to create a summer road trip itinerary just for you.

Alexandra Charitan, Managing Editor, Roadtrippers

I’m always dreaming about or planning my next adventure—whether I’m at home or out on the road. Audio and e-books are space efficient, but I still love print books and fold-out maps; Roadtrippers Route 66 is compact enough to fit in my backpack or glove box.
Writing in a journal is a daily practice that I try to maintain no matter where I am and these lined notebooks are my favorite.
AirPods Pro have a noise-canceling feature, making them super helpful if you’re a light sleeper or can’t agree with your passenger(s) on a playlist.
Starbucks Doubleshot espresso drinks deliver enough caffeine to keep me alert on the road without too much liquid. Pringles are available at every gas station and easier to eat in the car than a bag of chips (the cans fit in most cup holders)—but if I need something more substantial, I’ll always brake for a 4-piece Wendy’s spicy nugget.

Louisville vegan jerkey, a black 3-liter hydration back pack, and blue a pop up sleep pod

Sanna Boman, Editor-in-Chief

As a motorcyclist, I’m always trying to come up with creative ways to stay cool while riding in the summer, since I don’t have the luxury of an air-conditioned vehicle. My top gear pick is a 3-liter hydration backpack that I fill with ice and cold water and strap to the back of my bike so I can drink from it without having to stop. It’s a real game changer.
To me, the perfect road trip snack is vegan jerky. It’s tasty, nutritious, lasts forever, and no animals were harmed in the making. I’ve been working my way through the different brands on the market, and my current top picks are the smoked black pepper flavor from Louisville Vegan Jerky Co, the mesquite lime flavor from Primal Strips, and the original flavor from Sam’s Harvest Jerky.

Nick Kelly, Growth Marketing Manager

The SlumberPod was amazing and so helpful on our first road trip with our new baby. The “quick-assembly privacy pod” (when combined with a white noise machine) made it feel like we had a second room for our baby to sleep in.
My favorite road trip snacks are healthy, easy to store, and not messy: apples, bananas, and peanut butter fold-overs (peanut butter on a piece of bread, folded in half).

Ashley Rossi, Managing Editor, TogoRV

A large water bottle and reusable mason jars helped me stay energized and hydrated.
The Roadtrippers app so I don’t miss any stops along the way.
Charging cords are a must, and this one is so long that even those in the backseat can use it.
The Yeti Roadie cooler is perfect for keeping snacks and drinks safe and cold.
The America the Beautiful annual national park pass works at National Park Service sites across the U.S. and covers everyone in the vehicle. Similar passes are usually available for state parks as well.
My go-to snacks are Smartfood popcorn (even though it’s messy), trail mix, Chex Mix, and Chick-fil-A (if we have time to stop).

an 8-gallon water tank and a bag of pretzel and cheese combos

Ace Goulet, Staff Software Engineer, WordPress

I recently built out my Toyota Tacoma as a camping vehicle. I’ve added a bunch of new gear, but the absolute, hands-down best addition has been the WaterPORT Weekender 8 Gallon Water Tank. The tank, which mounts to your roof rack, self-pressurizes as you fill it up from a hose, or you can manually pressurize it with any tire air compressor or hand pump. We use it for showers, dishes, hosing off our dogs after a day at the beach, cleaning off dirty gear after a messy hike, etc. I can’t say enough good things about it. It’s a total game changer.
When I have a craving I’ll pick up a bag of Kettle Brand chips from the gas station (either Korean BBQ or jalapeño flavor).

Kacey McCabe, Senior Growth Marketing Manager

I love picking out a new book to listen to before I start a long drive, and the OverDrive app gives you access to every audiobook available at your local library, for free—all you need to get started is a library card.
I rarely consume Combos in my everyday life, but they always find their way into my car during road trips (preferably the cheese and pretzel variety).

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