Road Trip Safety Essentials: Resources and Recommended Gear

Below are resources and items I regularly rely on during my travels, compiled from years of hard-earned experience. Originally created as a reference for participants of our workshop, Nomadic Know-How: Mastering Safety on the Open Road, I’ve made this list public here to keep it updated and to benefit others who may find it useful.

Resources

Weather Awareness 

I use the following resources to ensure I am not traveling through areas with severe weather as well as to ensure that the temperature won’t be too extreme. 

  • WeatherBug App: For receiving real-time weather alerts for your location. Also has a nice radar functionality. 
  • NOAA Storm Outlook: Good to check every day or two to avoid traveling through areas with severe weather.
  • Ryan Hall Y’all: Ryan Hall publishes great US forecasts on YouTube.
  • Ventusky: Great web & mobile app for visualizing temperatures, wind speeds, and more across your route.

Vehicle Maintenance


Helpful Items & Gear

I personally rely on all of these items to ensure my journeys are as safe and smooth as possible. For your convenience, I’ve included Amazon Affiliate links for most of the items, which help support this site. However, feel free to find them at other retailers if you prefer.

Vehicle Maintenance/Road Safety

Tire Air Pump

  • Budget Option: Good enough for topping off smaller tires. This brand will honor their warranty, which I know because I’ve burned through a few filling up my larger tires.
  • More Reliable & Convenient: This is what I use and recommend now. It’s more expensive, but I’ve put it through strenuous use and it hasn’t burned out on me yet. It’s also quicker to use and more convenient due to its use of a rechargeable battery. 

Jumper Cables

  • Basic Set: The basic budget option. Reliable, but requires another vehicle. 
  • Portable Jump Start: My preferred jump start, even when helping other people. It’s extremely easy to use, and I don’t even have to move my van to jump someone else’s vehicle. The main reason I have this is so that I can jump the van quickly without relying on another vehicle. Can also be used to charge small electronics in a pinch.

OBD Code Reader

  • An OBD (On-Board Diagnostics) code reader can help diagnose vehicle issues on the go. Even if you are not able to fix the issue yourself, you’ll be more informed about the issue and how safe it is to drive. This one is a good budget option suitable for most people (myself included). Most auto part stores are also willing to scan your vehicle for free and typically have a more advanced scanner, but you have to be able to drive there. 

Safety Vest

  • Wear a safety vest when working on your vehicle by the roadside to stay visible to other drivers. I store mine in my tire air pump kit as that’s when I find myself using it the most.

Windshield Wipers

  • I’ve tried several different brands of windshield wipers, and I find the Rain-X brand to last the longest and be the most consistent in terms of not streaking or jumping. Make sure to get the right size(s) for your vehicle. 

Carbon Monoxide Detector

  • Having this gives me peace of mind, especially if sleeping in parking lots where people are likely to be idling their vehicles, or when cooking in my vehicle. This one is super small, AAA battery powered, and easy to adhere somewhere inside a vehicle. 

Fire Extinguisher

  • Hopefully you never need it, but it could come in handy, especially if you are making campfires, cooking in your vehicle, and/or using a portable stove.

Off-Road Camping/Driving

Shovel

  • A sturdy, portable shovel is invaluable for digging out of snow, mud, or sand when getting off the beaten path. Any old shovel will do, but the one I have folds so it is easier to store. 

Traction Boards

  • Traction boards provide extra grip in slippery conditions, and can help you get unstuck without external assistance. After burning through a different traction board in Baja, these are what I use now. I like that they have metal grips (can’t burn those up), replaceable nubbies, and are fairly long and wide. Hopefully this pair lasts longer. 

Tow Rope & Shackles

  • When you’re so stuck that digging and traction boards won’t cut it, having a durable tow rope on hand can help to allow someone else to pull you out. For most people this is probably not necessary, but if you are traveling deep into National Forests or down into Baja, it is a must. This heavy duty Rhino Tow Strap and Shackles helped to pull me out several times in Baja and show no signs of wear so far. If you have a lighter vehicle, you can likely get a thinner strap, but make sure its rating exceeds your vehicle’s weight. Broken tow straps are no fun and the snap can be dangerous.

Misc

These are not explicitly safety related, but are items I have found particularly useful regardless:

Laundry Detergent Sheets

  • Great space saver and better for the environment than liquid detergent.

Rechargeable Book Light

  • Nice for reading or when you just want a little light at night. I’ve tried a few different kinds and this one is my favorite. Easy to clip on, has good battery life, and is USB-C rechargeable. 

Jackery Power Station

  • I’ve had this Jackery for almost 4 years now and it’s still going strong. Before I had solar on the van, this was my full power station and would charge my laptop, phone, and various other electronics for a few days before needing to be recharged. Most of the time I was able to keep it charged up just off the 12v outlet while driving. This one is technically an older version now so it can usually be purchased with a significant discount.

If any of the information is outdated or inaccurate, or if you have any questions or suggestions, please contact me! I want to engage with others and keep this as helpful as possible. 

Last updated date: 8/20/24