You don’t realize how much you need certain travel products until you’re already on a road trip. That’s when you’re digging through your bag for a band-aid, dealing with a dead phone (or a dead car battery), or lugging an old, heavy hard-side cooler up three flights of stairs to your hotel room.
I’ve been there, done that.
These products make every road trip a bit easier. And they’re all built to stand the test of time. Make the investment once (especially since you can save money during Amazon’s Spring Sale, and have peace-of-mind on your travel adventures for years.
Prices and availability are accurate at the time of publication. Geek Travel Guide may earn a commission from links in this article.
I frequently (okay, almost always!) work on the road. Whether I’m keeping up with deadlines for clients, tackling a content strategy, or creating content for this website, I usually take a few hours at night to work. At home, I use a three-monitor set-up for efficiency. Dropping down to one screen on the road slows workflow dramatically.
The Arzopa Portable Travel Monitor turned out to be my solution. This ultra-slim monitor offers 15.6” of screen in a streamlined package, with a handy kickstand to prop it up anywhere. It connects easily via USB C or HDMI. This may have been the best $75 I’ve spent for my family road trips in the summer of 2022, and it’s still going strong.
Taking working vacations means packing lots of wires and cables! From phone chargers to power cords, we need to keep it all organized. The Thule Subterra Powershuttle stores and sorts everything in a handy carrying case. We’re big fans of the Thule brand in my family, and this case goes wherever I go.
Working on the road also means I need a sturdy, reliable, and affordable laptop bag. For under $100, the Conmigo ULTI does the job! I like that it comes with a detachable device sleeve to protect my laptop. It is lightweight with plenty of pockets to stow snacks, my ketones, and a shaker bottle. Plus, I love the bright blue color, although you can also get it in basic black. P.S. Read my exclusive interview with the company founder here at Nifty50+.
As a travel writer, I’ve evaluated several brands of luggage over the past few years. Some sturdy and stylish, like Monos, and some that dented after a few uses.
If you’re looking for a great budget suitcase. I recommend the Samsonite Freeform Carry-on Luggage available for under $100 on Amazon right now. They are sturdy, easy to wheel, and I love the modern look.
My son and daughter both have Samsonite models similar to the one in Amazon’s Spring Sale right now. His is black, and hers is an eye-catching deep turquoise. I gave it to her for Christmas a few years ago packed with skirts and tees from Hot Topic. Best. Gift. Ever.
If you are planning a summer vacation, consider gifting suitcases with a bathing suit, towel and some cute clothes! Or what a cute, last-minute idea for an Easter basket to get them excited for an upcoming trip.
Whatever luggage you carry, compression cubes are the key to easier packing. I use the Monos Compressible Packing Cubes, which feature mesh on one side so you can find your clothes, bathing suits, and pajamas at a glance. No more guessing or trying to remember which cube is which! But Monos cubes can be pricey, at $95 for a set of four.
You can find much, much cheaper packing cubes, but the zippers may not hold up, the cubes may tear, and they never compress down as much as you need.
COR Surf packing cubes, on the other hand, deliver the perfect balance of low price and high quality. The design makes it easy to pack the cubes full and then cram them into your luggage. I also like the convenient carry handles. If we are planning a quick, overnight stop during a long road trip, I pack PJs, underwear, a bathing suit, and my outfit for the next day all in one cube. Then I can leave the rest of my suitcase in the car if I feel comfortable doing so! The COR Surf five-piece kit even includes a laundry bag to separate dirty clothes from clean for the journey home.
Whether it’s a day-trip to Six Flags: Great Adventure or a longer journey down I-95, we never travel without a fully stocked cooler of Dr. Pepper, ice tea, and my Keto Up energy drinks!
I can’t even tell you how many times our hard-sided cooler tipped over and opened, spilling ice in the back of our SUV. There had to be a better way!
This soft-sided cooler from Titan by Arctic Zone keeps beverages cold and keeps ice frozen for up to three days. It holds 30 cans, yet it’s surprisingly compact and lightweight. And, it doesn’t fall over when you make a hard right turn. It actually fits neatly on the floor of the backseat between the kids, keeping our beverages handy at all times. Choose from a variety of colors to match your car, your backyard decor, your camping gear, or the branding of your travel website. (Guess which one I have!)
If you’re taking it to the beach or park, you can tuck your keys and phone, and maybe even a few snacks, in the front zipper compartment. Best of all, it’s super easy to wipe clean, inside and out. Because you know that family travel can get messy!
I love the Anker 140W USB-C multi-device charger for so many reasons. First of all, it charges four devices at once, with three USB-C and one conventional USB output. It displays the power available on a handy LED display. And it plugs straight into the wall, which means you don’t have to hunt down a cube or an additional charging cord. It’s basically perfect.
Looking for a lighter weight, lower cost alternative? The Anker 621 Magnetic Portable Charger basically never leaves my bag (except to charge, of course). It’s super lightweight and is perfect to charge your phone when you still want to use it, like when you’re walking around Chicago and snapping selfies in front of “the Bean.”
It’s pretty obvious we are Anker fans in our family. When my daughter came into my office one night complaining that her Apple Watch charger wasn’t working, I pulled the Ultra-Compact 3-in-1 Qi2 Charger off my shelf of technology review products. She hasn’t stopped using it since. Compact (cute, even!), lightweight and perfect for at-home or travel use, the charging station charges any 3 Qi-compatible devices simulteanously, including iPhones, wireless earbuds, and the Apple Watch. It is not a power bank and needs to be plugged in to work.
I reviewed the TRTL travel pillow (with some help from the kids!) last fall. This is a unique, yet surprisingly comfy, travel pillow that supports your head and neck at any angle that’s comfortable for you. The lightweight design keeps you cozy without making you too warm. It comes in a handy zipper-up carry case that can clip onto your luggage, too. And at less than 5 oz., you won’t know it’s there.
Don’t let bug bites and minor injuries ruin your vacation. When you travel with kids, you absolutely need a first-aid kit for everything from cuts and scrapes to mosquito bites. Keep>Going First Aid Kits feature 60, 130, or 270 pieces for virtually any road trip mishap. The 130-piece includes latex-free band-aids, Ibuprofen, safety pins, lip balms, stickers for kids, and even a mini-sewing kit. The larger kit includes nosebleed plugs and scissors. Everything is organized in separate sections, making items easy to find when you’re dealing with a mini-emergency.
Sometimes it’s not the people in the car facing an emergency. When you have a dead battery, this NOCO Boost BH40 jump starter will save the day — and your road trip. This handy device can jumpstart up to 20 vehicles on a single charge.
Plus, it’s also a portable power bank for your phone, laptop or earbuds. It also includes an LED flashlight with 7 modes, including an emergency strobe. Gone are the days of asking a random stranger in a parking lot if they can give your car a jumpstart. There’s no reason not to carry this device on your next road trip, especially when you can grab it for under $100 during the Amazon Spring Sale.
Road trips and snacks go together like … well, pecans and Stuckey’s? (I have a soft spot for the brand after interviewing CEO Stephanie Stuckey last year!) But packing snacks for the family can be a challenge. Large bags of chips or packages of crackers need chip clips (which we often forget to bring!) and smaller bags get crushed or created lots of extra trash to toss.
When I spotted these top-rated “snackle boxes” from Sort & Snack, I knew they’d offer the solution I need. Especially since everyone in the car likes different treats! I picked these up for Easter for the kids and plan to stock them with all their favorite snacks in lieu of Easter baskets. Then, they can use them for future family road trips. Best of all, it empowers them to pick and pack their own snacks, taking one more task off my plate!
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