Road trips offer the opportunity to explore new destinations -- but unlike other types of travel, they do require hitting the road in a vehicle, dealing with on-road challenges and obstacles, and possibly setting up camp along the way. If you know someone who absolutely loves taking regular road trips, they likely travel with some key gear to make their drives and camping experiences enjoyable. This year, as you shop for the perfect gift, consider adding to their road trip arsenal by giving them some items that’ll make driving, camping, and exploring even easier or more exciting!
If you’re searching for the best gifts for the road trippers in your life, these 8 must-have car and travel essentials are options that’ll thrill them and come in handy every time they hit the road.
A Perfectly-Sized Vehicle Air Mattress
While many road trippers opt to travel with a tent or even a camper, you can gift your loved ones the present of being able to camp anywhere with a vehicle air mattress. Sized to fit right in the backseat or truck bed of a variety of different vehicle makes and models, these air mattresses don’t require anything but an air pump (or the lighter port inside your vehicle) to set up. Convenient, compact, and perfect for camping out absolutely anywhere, these air mattresses are great if you know a road tripper who’s also a car camper.
AirBedz and Rightline Gear make a variety of different vehicle air mattresses. You can choose one that suits your recipient’s car, and you can pair it with a pump for a complete ready-to-camp gift they can utilize right away.
Roomy Cargo Bags
Your typical hard-sided or oversized suitcases meant for travel aren’t always the best choice for road trips – after all, road trippers want to have plenty of cargo space for other essentials. One of the best options for stashing stuff and making the most of your available space? Spacious cargo bags, which are tough enough to handle the demands (and dirt) of camping, but versatile enough to utilize for other forms of travel, too.
Outdoor-ready brands like Rightline Gear and CURT offer cargo bags that make great gifts at multiple price points. With these cargo bags, your road tripping friends and family will love how much room they have to pack their gear, stay organized, and still have extra room in their car’s cargo area.
A Light-Blocking Windshield Sunshade
If you’re on a budget, a durable sunshade that can keep harsh sunlight out of the interior of your recipient’s vehicle is a great option. Affordably priced and able to be customized for different vehicles (or bought as a one-size-fits-all gift), road trippers can pop the shade up in their windshield when they’re away from their car, truck or SUV.
WeatherTech makes nicely durable sunshades that protect vehicle interiors from the harsh damage UV rays can cause. Able to fold up compactly for on-the-road storage, these sunshades come in use even when your recipient is at home or commuting daily.
Convenient Wireless Charging Devices
Road trippers don’t exactly have a lot of electrical outlets or places to plug in while traveling. Today, though, everyone needs to power up their smartphones, tablets, GPS units, and other must-have devices at least every few days. Instead of relying on traditional cable chargers, road trippers can greatly benefit from wireless charging devices. Portable power banks, wireless backup batteries, and even solar-powered power banks or generators can deliver on-the-go charging that’s super convenient when you’re outdoors and far from home.
Products like those from Scosche Industries will make great gifts for your travelers who like to hit the road and still need power for their go-to devices. You can find options across an array of price points, as well as different charging devices and options for every kind of road tripper, from eco-minded to the traditional.
A Convenient Portable Campfire
As many frequent road trippers know, not every campsite promises – or provides – space for a campfire. However, fire is an essential when you’re out under the stars; it’s not solely a gathering spot or marshmallow-roasting tool, but also a must-have for cooking meals and warming up when temperatures turn cold. You can ensure your favorite road tripper always travels with a campfire at the ready by gifting them a portable campfire.
Portable campfires are compact and include everything needed to get a safe fire going outdoors, no matter what a campsite is like. Able to hook up to portable propane tanks and light up in no time, these on-the-go campfires come in handy for those who road trip with just the essentials. Plus, we love the accessories offered by outdoor brands like Camco, Camp Chef, and Rome, which make containing and cleaning up after your campfires a breeze.
As an added bonus, you can turn your portable campfire into a more extensive and all-encompassing gift with extras and accessories like campfire-ready cookware and tools from these same brands.
A Versatile Multitool
Road trippers don’t have the space, especially if traveling by sedan or smaller passenger car, to carry a full set of tools. Lighten their load and gift them a multitool! These small, keychain-friendly tool “kits” feature everything from small knives, screwdrivers and files to scissors and even toothpicks. Each offers a different – but exceptionally handy – selection of tools that users might need every day.
Performance Tool makes multitools that will come in handy for every type of road tripper. Featuring different multitool combinations, you can pick and choose how extensive or slimmed down you’d like to go when giving one as a gift. We like to err on the side of more, as extra tools on a single multitool will offer even more versatility and usefulness.
Compact, Foldable Camping Chairs
No matter how your friends or family like to relax when they’re on a road trip, they can always benefit from a comfy, travel-ready chair. The perfect gift to use around the campfire, at sporting events, and even in the backyard, a foldable camping chair is something they can use while traveling or hanging out closer to home. Plus, with compact options from brands like Faulkner that are perfectly suited for cars of every size, they’re easy to bring anywhere.
Look for folding camping chairs that offer a combination of comfortable seating and easy-to-collapse designs. You want the chairs to be easy to pack for road trips, but comfortable enough to enjoy sitting in for hours. The slimmer – and the more durable – the better!
A Versatile Bike Rack
Road tripping and bike riding often go hand in hand. There’s no better way to explore a campground and the natural outdoor environments around them than on a bike, which is why so many frequent road trippers will bring their bikes along with them. The easiest way to do this? With a versatile bike rack that not only suits their vehicle, but also the number of bikes they like to travel with.
Whether you’re shopping for a road tripping family or individual, brands like Thule, Yakima, and Seasucker offer extensive bike rack choices. From single-bike racks that work on sedans and small cars to multi-bike racks suited for vans and SUVs, there are plenty of options at just about every price point. Gift your friends or loved ones one of these racks, and they’ll think of you every time they get ready to ride.