5 must-have car accessories when travelling

Travelling long-distance by car can be a real drag. Uncomfortable seats, repetitive radio stations, traffic, confusing street signs, the list could go on and on. However, there are products out there that can make car travel a whole lot more bearable. Here’s my list of 5 must-have car accessories for long-distance road trips.

1. Mobile phone holder

Chances are on a long-distance trip you’re going to need to interact with your phone in some way. This poses a problem as it is a favourite pass time of the Highway Patrol to fine people using there mobiles while driving not to mention it’s very dangerous. A good way to avoid this is to equip yourself with a mobile phone holder. There are a wide range of product options available with a good one being the detachable suction models. These are inexpensive and particularly good for rental cars as you can take them with you and they won’t make a mess when you detach them. You can also get holders that charge your phone at the same time for added usability.

2. GPS

Being good with directions is definitely not one of my strong points. If you’re the same then your life will be much less stressful on those road trips to unfamiliar destinations with a GPS by your side. Not only do they tell you where to go they also have a whole heap of features to make your driving experience more pleasant. For example, most GPS’ will give you traffic updates and you can even set them to automatically re-route you for a quicker journey. Popular brands include Navman, Garmin and TomTom and you can pick one up for under $100.

3. iPod car converter

Good music can be a real game changer for making long car trips seem quicker. Unfortunately if you have a older model car like I do you probably don’t have an auxiliary-out for connecting your iPod/MP3 player and are stuck with crappy radio stations and skipping CDs. Unless of course you have and iPod/MP3 Car Converter. These have been around for a long time now and basically they turn your music device into its own radio station. Simply choose a frequency without a radio station already playing on it, plug the device into the cigarette lighter, press play on your music device and away you go. You’ll have your whole digital music library at the tip of your fingers.

4. Lumbar back support cushion

This may be dependent on the state of your back but for me this is a must. Regardless of what car I’m in after about 2 hours on the road I get a dull ache in my lower back. In the past I have resorted to jamming my right arm behind my back to provide support but this doesn’t exactly lead to safe driving. So now I have a lumbar back support cushion and no longer have pain in my lower back. There are a wide range of options and I have had several but the best has actually been the cheapest. A simple tube shaped cushion does the trick and I would recommend anyone with back pain from car travel to try one.

5. Car mini fridge

Yes, you can get a miniature fridge for your car that plugs straight into the cigarette lighter socket. Perfect for those hot summer road trips when you need your drink to stay cold these little beauties are the perfect summer travelling companion and can be picked up for less than $100. Not only are they good for keeping your drinks cold but also good for travelling with heat sensitive food.

There are 1000’s of other accessories out there that can make life on the easier. This list covers the ones I cannot go without and I hope these they will make your life on the road a more enjoyable experience like they have for me.

Sam Cane is a guest travel blogger from Sydney and contributor to Australian rental car comparison service Rent a Cheapy. For more information click here