10 Road Trip Essentials

Avoiding Rutger Haur's character from "The Hitcher" was #11 but we had to trim it.

Not Available Lead
Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

Not Available Lead

A necessary summer rite of passage is the road trip, preferably done among a bunch of friends with little planning, only a vague destination in mind, and no hesitation. Crank your music and revel in the open road because soon you won't be able to do this anymore; you'll have a job and responsibilities. Taking a week of your summer to get unhinged in a moving car traveling to parts unknown won't forever be an option.

While it is, though, ensure that you'll have a road trip to remember. We know planning shouldn't be emphasized here, but by stocking these 10 road trip essentials in your ride, you'll hedge your bets against disaster. And we mean true disaster, not what passes for disaster but is really just fodder for a great story once you're off the road and back in the world. Throw these items in your car. Then we encourage you to shut off the part of your brain that says "no" most frequently.

Radar Detector

Not Available Interstitial

Something to Stash Your Stash In

Not Available Interstitial

Sunglasses

Not Available Interstitial

Thermos

Not Available Interstitial

Pad & Pen

Not Available Interstitial

Cooler

Not Available Interstitial

Weapon

Not Available Interstitial

Camera

Not Available Interstitial

mp3 Player

Not Available Interstitial

GPS

Not Available Interstitial

Latest in Pop Culture