We've got vaccines in our arms and dreams of travel in our hearts. But with Covid variants and local breakouts still part of the landscape, shoving ourselves into a plane for countless hours still doesn't sound appealing, no matter what the mask rules are.
That's why, for many, 2021 is going to be the summer of epic road trips. It’s far safer and more controlled than packing your family into a flying sardine can filled with people you don’t know, and it can be a lot more fun with your singalongs and any other collective quirkiness uninhibited by the thought of public embarrassment. Whether you’re planning a quick weekend away or looking for a longer refreshing vacation, this is the gear that's going to get you there in style (and with the least amount of stress).
A Weekend Bag For A Weekend Getaway
Samsara Smart Weekender Bag
Samsara has great battery-enabled smart luggage, and their Smart Weekender Bag is a fantastic companion to the larger aluminum carry-on. It’s also perfectly fine tossed in your trunk on its own. The "Smart" in this case doesn't refer to any sort of electronics, though, but rather the material the bag is made of.
The Smart Weekender is coated with a nanomaterial that repels water, dirt, germs and bacteria. The zippers keep water out of the bag and there's even a shoe compartment so that you can keep grime contained and away from the rest of your packed gear.
Samsara also throws in a dust cover that you can use as a laundry bag, along with a few timely extras (like masks, rubber gloves, and alcohol wipes). It's a smart bag in looks and features and the perfect companion for wherever you roam.
A Travel Bag For Extended Stays
YETI Crossroads 60L Duffel
If you need something a bit more rugged, check out the YETI Crossroads 60L Duffel. The molded base and foam walls help the bag keep its shape and protect its contents. And the main space of the bag has dividers that can be tucked away if you don't need them. The modular compression straps help keep your clothes in place (and makes more room). It's got internal pockets and external pockets, so you can shove all kinds of things into it.
The zipper is chunky and satisfying as well. You're not going to accidentally catch it on something and spill the contents of your bag or have it break under pressure of your ambitious packing job. It's a little more compact than you'd expect (especially if you're used to floppy oversized duffels) but with 60L of capacity, you'll be able to fit more than you expect in less space.
Keep The Kids Entertained And Their Entertainment Safe
Otterbox Kids' Easy Grab Apple iPad Case
Rule number one of any road trip? The kids stay entertained. That means screen time rules are out the window (unless you really want to be in charge of keeping them engaged for every minute of a 12 hour drive and not crash the car into the bozo ahead of you). But back seats are minefields for tablets. They get dropped. Fingers that have been who-knows-where (seriously, don't ask) have been pawing all over them. You're frequently having to grab it from the kids to make adjustments or fix things that go wrong.
This case from Otterbox is exactly what you need to turn your 8th and 7th Gen iPad into a perfect kid companion. The sides are grippy and chunky, made especially so that small hands can easily hold onto it. The material is infused with an antimicrobial silver-based additive. The hands-free stand can also do triple duty as a carry handle or clip onto the headrest supports of your seat. With your iPad in this case, you go from frequent technological annoyance to easy-driving bliss.
Don’t Let The Batteries Die, Or Else...
Otterbox Charging Cord
The other thing you need when taking tech on long road trips? Power. If you're lucky enough to have USB ports in your vehicle or you're bringing along a portable battery pack, grab a pack of these coiled, rugged cables. The audio cable connects at a right angle to protect the port and the cord itself. The Lightning cable has large grips so that it's easy to connect and remove without damaging the port.
Both cables are coiled to resist breaks from sharp tugs. They're also torture tested to last for at least 3,000 bends without breaking. If you've ever suffered through a flakey or dead charging cable on a road trip, you know how important ruggedized cables can be.
Game On The Road
Otterbox Controller Shell
These Otterbox gaming shells fit around just about any Xbox series controller and are perfect for gaming on the go. They're antimicrobial and textured so that you don't lose your grip even with sweaty hands. It fits tightly on the controller, protecting it and adding extra grip without making it cumbersome. It also works with Otterbox's entire gaming lineup.
I particularly like the gaming clip that lets you mount your phone on the controller and the carrying case that lets you take everything conveniently with you. I'm partial to the purple/glow in the dark green option on these grips, but with three different colors to pick from you can eliminate arguing over whose controller is whose.
No Wi-Fi Is Almost As Bad As A Dead iPad...
Netgear MR5100 - Nighthawk 5G WiFi 6 Mobile Hotspot
The hard truth about tablets for kids is that parents recognize how crucial they can be but don't want to spend a lot of money on something that's often just used at home. That means you skip the cellular connectivity and go for Wi-Fi-only. That's great until you're on the road. Grab the MR5100 from Netgear and you can share a fast 5G connection with up to 32 devices anywhere there's AT&T service.
Even better, it's Wi-Fi 6 enabled. That means that more Wi-Fi 6 devices can connect and stream data simultaneously and that no one device can act as a bottleneck for others. This doesn't always play a big part in home network traffic, but when you're on the road and the only devices connected are Wi-Fi 6 enabled (like your iPhones and iPads) then it can make an enormous performance difference. You can even set up a guest network and share your bandwidth with others around you if you're feeling generous.
But If Wi-Fi Isn’t An Option...
Crucial X6 Portable SSD
Here's the thing that you might easily forget having been at home for over a year: not every place in the country has reliable Wi-Fi or cellular service. So when you find yourself stuck in the middle of nowhere and you've taken in all the local color and "nature's grandeur" that you can stand, you want to have a way to watch a few movies or shows.
Grab Crucial's latest X6 SSD, one of the smallest, fastest solid-state drives I've come across, load it up with downloaded entertainment, and toss it in your bag. Seriously. Let it sink to the bottom and get knocked around with everything else. You can't hurt it. It's water resistant, drop resistant, shock, vibration and temperature resistant. And with up to 4TB of capacity on a device the size of a makeup compact, you'll never be without every bit of data you need.
Seriously, Keep Those Batteries Charged
Mophie Powerstation Go Rugged with Air Compressor
You need a battery pack when you're on a long car trip, that's a given. Why not make it one that not only charges your devices, but can jump start your car or fill up your tires? The Mophie Powerstation Go Rugged has a built in air compressor with universal nozzle.
Even better, you can dial in the tire pressure you need and it will fill automatically, no jumping back and forth between filling up your tires and measuring pressure. The included mini jumper cables are spark-proof and can start a 12V battery in seconds. With a smaller footprint than a sheet of paper and weighing only 2.5 lbs., it's a no brainer to toss this in your glove box until you need it.
Capture Memories And Enjoy Them Instantly
Polaroid Go
Yes, you're already taking a million pictures with your camera phone. Maybe you even have a DSLR that you're snapping professional shots with. But there's something deeply satisfying about pulling out this tiny Polaroid Go camera, taking a pic, and having an instant print in your hand (just don't shake it... a hard habit to break for us Gen Xers). You can even get artsy with it with a double exposure mode. The selfie timer with the built-in front mirror is fun as well.
The camera is so small that it's perfect for little hands and helps get your kids off their phones for a little bit. Just make sure you pack lots of extra film. Chances are the family is going to have so much taking pictures with the Polaroid Go you'll burn through the 16 prints that come with the starter pack before you're even out of town.
Emergency Snacks And Drinks At The Ready
YETI Hopper M30 Soft Cooler
Maybe it's because my family was frugal on road trips, but I can't think of summer travels without also thinking about rest stop lunch breaks. Your parents would pack a cooler full of sandwiches and you just hoped that they lasted till your Dad finally got hungry enough to stop ("just for 30 minutes, no longer").
With the M30 Soft Cooler, you can ensure that those rest stop picnics are perfect. Load it up with a 4lb Yeti Ice pack and things will be just as cold (if not colder) than when you left. The M30 uses coldcell foam insulation which keeps the bag flexible, but just as effective as a hard shell cooler at retaining the cold. The outer shell is puncture, abrasion and UV resistant, so it'll stay looking sharp no matter how often you employ it into service.
What I really like about the Hopper M30 is the magnetic closure. Rather than a zipper (which my kids will inevitably leave undone) the top of the bag seals itself automatically after you get what you need out of the cooler. It's brilliant in practice and is the difference between keeping your rest stop sandwiches fresh and having to get something questionable at Joe's Fuel & Feed. Plus the bag is leakproof and has an attachment grid on the outside where you can connect Yeti's Molle bottle opener—important for when you've finally stopped for the day.
