Whether you’ve been waiting on a big trip for what seems like forever or you just decided to go somewhere in the spur of the moment, there are some things you must have for a successful number of hours in a car with maybe not quite enough leg room.

MUSIC

A good playlist is the key to any activity, in my opinion. It’s true that tunes set the mood and we can all have that friend that can’t be trusted with the AUX cord. When you’re in a small space with other people, tensions can rise. Finding songs that you all can jam to in between get-to-know-you games sure helps keep things copacetic. Remember, even if someone is killing it on the AUX, make sure everyone gets a turn! Pass the tunes every X amount of songs or X interval of time. You never know when you’ll find your new favourite song!

CHARGERS

This is a very important follow up to music. You need something to keep the music going since radio stations on long road trips simply cannot be trusted. Unless you enjoy listening to static. I support that, I just can’t do it. You also need to be able to find your destination if you’re heading somewhere new. Say what you want about us millennials and our newfangled technology, but GPS is incredibly convenient. Unfortunately, our tech isn’t so useful when the battery runs out. You could also take a chance on a map. You do you.

SNACKS

I will admit to being a victim of the road trip munchies. It’s probably boredom eating but if the Goldfish crackers are passing by as quick as the mile markers, do they really even count? Science might say yes, but it’s nice to think the opposite. A well-rounded snack bag can keep everyone happy! Be sure to cover your savoury, sweet, and fruity bases. Goldfish crackers, m&m’s, and grapes or clementines are my favourite go-to food items for hours in a car.

TRAVEL BUDDIES

Friends! Buddies! Comrades! Having people with you on a road trip makes the time go by so much faster and keeps you from going insane. Sanity aside, traveling is a bonding experience. Especially when sleeping bags fly off from the outside carrying compartment that wasn’t zipped up all the way. Oh, what fun? I have spent too much time in cars with my quidditch teammates during the last year and I wouldn’t want to change anything about it. I got to know my teammates better than I ever would have thought at the beginning of the season. I’m a really big fan of traveling with cool people, I can’t even describe it. Of course, being able to split travel costs is also pretty rad…

Pictured from left to right: Morgan Parent (me), Paul Davis, Juliet Demars, Devon Anderson, Matt Jackson, and Hayden Brady on the chair at the Chevron gas station in Beaver, Utah on our way to AZ Fantasy (a quidditch fantasy tournament) in March 2016.

GAS

For the love of all that is good in this world, make sure you do not run out of gas! Watch that gas gauge or figure out how many miles you can go in between filling up and make stops accordingly. That also means paying attention to signs and making sure you don’t drive past the last gas station for 100 miles with less than a quarter tank of gas left. Getting stranded on the side of the road is a 0/10 experience – would not recommend. That being said, make sure your car can handle the road trips. Check your engine and oil and make sure that there are no funky lights going off. It’s common sense.

I’m proud to say that all of my road trips so far have been a success by these standards. In just a couple of weeks, I’ll be heading off to the Students for a Democratic Society National Convention in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Even though we’re still figuring out who exactly is going, I’m confident that we’ll have the basics of this list covered.