Summer is basically here and this year — like almost none before it — is dedicated to the Great American Road Trip. But whether your time on the road is all about planning the ultimate route, a spontaneous getaway, or other road tripping pursuits, you’ll need the best gear to make the travel its most convenient and comfortable.
So what gear do you need for the ultimate road trip? In this Pursuitist Top 5, we will showcase our favorite unique and essential items for car travel, camping — and glamping — that you can purchase today.
Drive and discover in good spirits and high style with these essential roadtrip items as Pursuitist presents the Top 5 Best Essentials for the Ultimate Road Trip:
5. A CARSULE ($299.99). Just as most of us found out that having some spare room in our homes saved our sanity over the last 18 months, so can having extra space on a roadtrip. This expandable Carsule provides travelers with a living room in the outdoors!
It folds up flat, but simple pop-up installation allows for expandable space with almost unlimited configuration behind vehicles with lifting tailgates and hatchbacks. Standing over 6 feet tall, the cube is suitable space for a wide range of ‘indoor’ activities while on travel.
Sleep with some extra room. Or hang a lamp or a fan to create a cozy space for work or rest stop games. Waterproof and UV resistant, it’s suitable for any number of destinations, and when secured properly, it can definitely withstand a strong breeze.
Our favorite part is that it has a waterproof flooring and even a thick felt carpet for extra comfort.
4. KFlow Portable Coffee Maker ($50). This portable brewing gadget solves the problem of how to make that perfect cup of coffee when you don’t have access to electricity — though you will need hot water. This coffee maker is so small — it’s about the size of a smartphone — but allows you to enjoy an excellent espresso anytime, and anywhere.
Exceptionally efficient on space, the device has a brilliant foldable design that makes it super compact. It will easily fit in a camping bag or picnic basket, and even comes with two small cups.
Three models are available, so if you are used to using nespresso capsules or dolce gusto capsules, you can conveniently choose the model that uses them and take your brew on your travels. But with the ground coffee version, flavor can be even better adjusted by varying the strength and speed during manual operation.
This coffee maker is great to make coffee and fun to play with, but it does require a mild arm workout. So there’s the extra bonus of getting your exercise in with every pour!
3. Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2 ($99). Because music is a must on any great drive, this surprisingly small cylindrical speaker allows you access to all of your favorite sing-along tunes via Bluetooth and 360 degree sound.
The Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2 is a perfect wireless sound system for travel allowing you to produce well-balanced output with big bass sound wherever you go. And it even has an outdoor boost that lets you crank it loud, especially outside.
Don’t worry if your trip gets rained on — the music won’t get rained out. This speaker can be dropped in a pool or pond and remain undamaged; it even floats! And you can listen to your songs for hours without having to recharge, but when you do, it recharges completely in just a couple of hours.
2. The nomadIQ Portable Propane Gas Grill ($299.99) allows you to cook and grill you favorite fare anywhere anytime. Easily carry-able at just 12 lbs, this mobile grill comes with an easy handle and a convenient shoulder strap. It also has remarkable dual temperature control and over 225 feet of cooking space!
The nomadIQ comes straight out of the box ready to go once the propane (purchased separately) is attached, and it folds up into a minimal and travel friendly package. Sleek and simple and surprisingly steady, the grill is intuitive to operate, even if you’ve never used an open-air grill before.
Aside from all the burgers and barbecue you’ll be able to cook up, the best part may be how little space it will take up in your travels as it easily fits on the floor behind your seat.
1. The Luno Air Mattress 2.0 ($279.99) is for those not living that RV life — but not rough-and-tumble tenting it either. This dual-chamber custom-fitted air mattress turns camping to glamping — even from the back of your own car — redefining comfort on everything from weekend getaways to long-haul trips across the country.
Designed to fit in over 18,000 vehicles, the mattress converts the back of your SUV into a comfortable camping bed. Remarkably spacious, two tall people (up to 6’2″) can sleep comfortably since the mattress and base extenders cover every available bit of square footage in the back of your vehicle. And since it’s made of durable fabric, travelers can rest easy inviting their furry friends to snuggle as well.
Weighing in at just about 15 lbs, the mattress kit comes with a repair patch, storage bag, and its own inflation pump. Inflation takes only a few minutes, deflation and disassembly slightly longer.
Our favorite aspect of this air mattress is that each side can be inflated separately for custom comfort — and if traveling solo, an entire side chamber can be left deflated or folded under to save even more room while you roam.
