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27 Essential Items Every College Girl Needs On A Road Trip

If you forget the aux cord, it's going to be a long ride.

Christine Moran

Aug 13, 2017

Kansas State University

27 Essential Items Every College Girl Needs On A Road Trip

Travel AARP

This summer, I was blessed with the opportunity to go on an adventure with six of my friends to New Mexico! After 30+ hours of driving from Wichita, Kansas and back, we were able to go home with many stories and memories to share with our families and friends. Nonetheless, we wouldn't have been able to do that without preparing ourselves first and making sure we had all the essentials we needed to have an enjoyable AND safe trip.

Here are just some things that you might want to bring for your road trip!

1. Water

It is SO IMPORTANT to keep hydrated along the way on your road trip. It doesn't matter how many stops you have to take to go to the restroom, keep chuggin'. We brought two extra cases of water with us just in case we were to get stuck on the road. Better safe than sorry!

2. First-Aid Kit

Invest or compile a solid first-aid kit! This is one of the MOST IMPORTANT things you can bring! From band-aids to medicine, you never know what could happen! The number of times my friends and I had to use motion sickness medicine was too much to count. Nevertheless, it helped us feel more comfortable and just overall better.

3. Snacks

Beef Jerky, Slim-Jim, veggies, fruit, anything! Packing your own food keeps you from spending on unnecessary items along the way that are usually more expensive. Try to AVOID junk food or food that makes you feel gross and sluggish. It's best to be as comfy as possible and the things you put in your body can affect how you feel throughout the day!

4. Printed Maps

Maps are great to keep on-hand in your glove box just in case you don't have service on your phone or your navigator gets busted.

5. Extra Cash

For gas, food, emergencies, etc! It's better to be safe than sorry!

6. Games

Entertainment in the car keeps the mood alive and happy! Trust me, the license plate game gets old real quick.

7. Music

Listen to your favorite jams! Keep the volume at an appropriate level just for safety issues. It's good to have fun, but it's more important to be attentive and aware of your surroundings by not having too many distractions.

8. Spare Key

I had someone else keep the spare key and it became extremely helpful when we lost the car keys one day.

9. Pillows and Blankets

Again, try to be as comfortable as possible! This is also very useful if you (God forbid) get stranded somewhere. It'll keep you warm and comfy while help is on its way.

10. Wipes

Antibacterial wipes, baby wipes, anything! It can get pretty messy in the car in a short period of time and having a clean environment helps for less chaos and stress.

11. Small Plastic Bags

You can put trash in here... or use it if someone decides that having TacoBell for lunch wasn't actually a good idea and throws up. Good luck.

12. Paper Towels

^^For the kid that threw up

13. Coins for Tolls

Always keep a good chunk of change for tolls!

14. AUX Cord

'Tis Mandatory. Need I say more?

15. Portable Charger

I always had this bad boy with me at all times! Make sure to have it fully charged before you leave for your trip!

16. ID & Insurance Card

Important stuff, DON'T FORGET IT.

17. Jumper Cables

These can help you jumpstart your car when your battery is dead!

18. Toilet Paper

For that one gas station that forgot to refill the toilet paper

19. Swiss Army Knife or Multi Tool

These are super handy and save a lot of weight and room in your vehicle!

20. Flashlight

This will save you from wasting battery life from the flashlight on your phone! Seems basic, but very helpful!

21. Sunglasses

Again, it's important to be comfortable on your road trip. Squinting from the brightness and struggling to see when you drive is not a good idea when you're on the road.

22. USB Car Charger

Charge, charge, charge!!!

23. Tire Gauge

Checking the air pressure in your tires is like flossing. Not everyone does it, but it's super important. You don't want it too high or too low. Take care of your tires, and you'll get to your destination!

24. AAA Card

Just bring it, you'll thank yourself later.

25. Earphones

Sometimes you just want to block the world out and stare out the window to enjoy the scenery! There is so much beauty in the world so take time and just soak it all in!

26. Deodorant

Boiiiiii, do I even have to elaborate on why?

27. Pepper Spray

Road trips are fun and all, but don't ever let your guard down! Watch out for one another and be aware of your surroundings!

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.

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Recommended for you

27 Essential Items Every College Girl Needs On A Road Trip

If you forget the aux cord, it's going to be a long ride.

1. Water

2. First-Aid Kit

3. Snacks

4. Printed Maps

5. Extra Cash

6. Games

7. Music

8. Spare Key

9. Pillows and Blankets

10. Wipes

11. Small Plastic Bags

12. Paper Towels

13. Coins for Tolls

14. AUX Cord

15. Portable Charger

16. ID & Insurance Card

17. Jumper Cables

18. Toilet Paper

19. Swiss Army Knife or Multi Tool

20. Flashlight

21. Sunglasses

22. USB Car Charger

23. Tire Gauge

24. AAA Card

25. Earphones

26. Deodorant

27. Pepper Spray

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The world is not always sunshine and rainbows, and you do not have to be, either.

It would be so much easier to just pay someone to do it for you

1. Figuring out when to start

2. Searching through list after list to get everything you need

3. Shopping for deals

4. Getting bins to put everything in

5. Figuring what you can’t live without

6. Going through clothes to find what you need

7. Finding out your siblings took something from you

8. Fighting with your parents.

9. Trying to plan things with your roommate

10. The fear of forgetting something

11. Move in day

Relatable moments from one of the best shows I have ever watched.

1. When you fail that midterm you studied so hard for.

2. When your crush finally texts back.

3. When payday comes around.

4. When you accidentally like someone's picture from 108 weeks ago.

5. When someone takes your unassigned assigned seat.

6. When your favorite character in your favorite TV series dies.

7. When that guy/girl you’ve been crushing on agrees to go on a date with you.

8. When you have so much to do, and such little motivation to do it.

9. When someone asks for your last fry.

10. When you try a new health-food craze.

11. When you get new clothing.

12. When you check your bank account.

13. When they're serving good food in the dining hall.

14. When someone tries to tell you what to do.

15. Or just your thoughts about life in general.

We all have that "I don't care" attitude.

1. Most students just take life day by day.

2. That means procrastinating, one day at a time.

3. College students don't mind dressing like crap sometimes.

4. In fact, dressing nice feels weird.

5. College students get so stressed that they contemplate dropping on a daily basis.

6. But most find another solution to deal with that stress.

7. And that solution can be pretty cheap. Anything over $5 is expensive.

8. One of the only things college students will spend money on is coffee.

9. College is just really expensive and you never forget how expensive it is.

10. But hey, we're getting a somewhat high-quality education, right?

11. We all really just want to pet dogs all day.

12. And eat pizza for every meal.

13. And stab the next person who asks us what we want to do with our life.

14. However, despite the stress and student loans, college is amazing and there's plenty of reasons to smile.

Thank you, April, for inspiring us with your wicked relatability.

Life is full of twists and turns, but you have to keep going.

1. Wallow.

2. Cry.

3. Get Angry.

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