Unlock your car, jump your battery, or arrange a tow. AAA membership: Hopefully you won’t have to use it, but the peace of mind that a AAA membership is absolutely invaluable.Windshield sunshade: A sunshade makes a huge difference in keeping the interior of your car cooler while it’s parked.Flashlight or headlamp: In the event you run into car issues after dark, a flashlight or headlamp will be essential to help you troubleshoot and see what you’re doing.If you get a puncture in the middle of your tread (not near the sidewall) you can usually plug the hole yourself using a patch kit. Tire patch kit: You can pick up a tire patch kit at any auto store or gas station.12v tire pump: If you discover you have a slow leak in a tire, having a 12v tire pump can fill you back up until you get the problem resolved.Tire pressure gauge: Lots of modern cars will have internal pressure monitoring systems, but having a manual tire pressure gauge is still nice to have so you can quickly and accurately check each tire. Jumper cables: Forgot to turn off your lights before heading out to explore, and returned to a dead battery? Jumper cables to the rescue! If you’re going to be traveling on lesser-used roads, you might want to consider a jump start battery booster so you don’t have to wait for a friendly traveler to stop to help you.Take five minutes to brush up on how to change a spare tire, too! These are usually stored underneath the spare, but it wouldn’t hurt to double-check that they’re still there. Spare tire + tools: In addition to the tire, you’ll need a jack and a lug wrench.License, registration, insurance cards: Keep these together in an easily accessible place.These are the basic items that you should keep in your car (regardless of whether or not you’re road tripping!) It’s easier to try to stay clean and organized if your car starts out that way. Vacuum out the interior, Armor-All the plastic surfaces, and clean your windows with vinegar. Remove all the extra clutter, random receipts, old coffee cups, etc. We’re not kidding, it makes a huge difference! The cheapest and easiest way to improve the quality of your road trip is to start with a clean car. This is offered as a free service and most mechanics will offer something similar. We often bring our vehicles in to our local Les Schwab Tire Center before a big trip to have them check the state of our brake pads. If your vehicle has given you, shall we say, “cause for concern” in the past, then it might be worth bringing it to a mechanic for a pre-trip check before embarking on an extended road trip. Not only did the Toyota Prius Prime have plenty of room in the trunk for our gear, but it easily accommodated a rooftop cargo box so we could pack some extras to make our trip even more comfortable! Before you go… Bring your vehicle to a mechanic for a pre-trip inspection
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