Road Trip Tips and Gear for 2024

We have a duty to live every moment the best we can.  I mean, really live it.  Even if it means getting hurt.  Because otherwise, what’s the point?  We mustn’t let fear stop us. – Cynthia, Call the Midwife

We mustn’t let fear stop us.  We don’t know the hour or day that our time will expire here on this earth, and I’m determined to make the most of every moment I’ve been granted.  How about you?

Join me as Lexi the Golden and I celebrate the Summer of Wonder!  This is Week #3 as we plan and prepare for an epic month-long summer road trip from Central Pennsylvania to the Rockies and back.  Come with us!

Each year as part of my road trip budget, I include a category that allows for upgrading my gear. Today I'm sharing the three things that I bought for the “Summer of Wonder” adventure to significantly improve our time on the road.  I say “our” because some of these goodies are for Lexi too!

Summer of Wonder

If this is your first visit to WonderBing Travel and the Summer of Wonder Blog, please check out the previous videos and posts on my blog page here, where we began with the creation of our Treasure Map – the best place to start dreaming up a road trip.  In Week #2 we dove into our first truly practical endeavor - Creating a Road Trip Budget You Can Love.

During this Summer of Wonder , I'm taking the best stuff from my #1 Bestselling book, There’s Wonder Around the Bend:  An Inspiring Guide to Solo Road Tripping, and putting it to the test.  I’m pulling out much of what I teach in the book to measure how it all holds up in the reality of planning and embarking on a road trip.  Even more important, I’m modeling for you how to create a road trip full of freedom and wonder that is unique to you and fills you with joy.

Determining what gear best fits you (and your pup, if you have one!) is a vital component of setting yourself up for a joy-filled road trip.  We’re taking a close look at just a few things I've fallen in love with.  Use this as inspiration and a jumping off point for your own planning (and shopping :)!

The Best Bonus a Road-Tripping Girl Could Ask For

There’s Wonder Around the Bend comes with a pretty incredible perk, if I may say so myself.  Anyone who purchased the book gains LIFETIME ACCESS to all the resources, which includes a long list of “Bing’s Things” – links to all the gear that I use and recommend in my book and on my YouTube channel.  It’s taken me years to put all these resources together, and I will continue to update them moving forward as new things become available.  

This treasure trove of resources offer a great deal more than “Bing’s Things”, including:

• dozens of additional lists for packing, food, dog and budgeting
• safety items
• what you need for to know to travel with your dog
• recipes for the road
• navigation and lodging tips and tools

There is so much value for you, and it's all yours forever with your purchase of There’s Wonder Around the Bend.  Grab the book here or at the link at the bottom of the blog.  You'll find information for accessing the resources sprinkled throughout the book.

Bing's Best Road Tripping Gear for 2024

Now let’s dive into the gear.  I can't wait to show you all the things!  Note that you will find thorough reviews and descriptions in the video at the top of this blog, and on my YouTube channel WonderBing Travel.

Coho 24 Quart Cooler

Costco in-store price:  $59.99

Things I love about it:

• Solid material and insulation
• Unlike so many other coolers, it’s tall and more square, so can fit into smaller spaces.
• It's very deep!
• The water release (drain) knob is quite sturdy and I love that the cover is attached so you can’t lose it.
• Everything about it just feels very solid and very substantial.
• Super sturdy and easy-to-close latches on the front that ensure the cooler is sealed.
• I love the white color.
• The handle is an unusual addition.  It makes for easy carrying.

• Perfect height to sit on

What I’ve learned since the video:

• It will keep food and drinks cold for 2-3 days.
• A Yeti of the same size and shape costs $250.  That’s more than 4x more than the Coho!
• On the downside, it really doesn’t fit into the floor area on the passenger side as I had hoped.  My plan was to use this as a secondary cooler that I would keep up front for easy access.  Now I need to rethink that.

Titan High Performance Ice Packs

Costco in-store price - $14.99

I'm adding a little bonus item here because I picked these up at Costco too.  I purchased the larger size Titan Ice Packs a few years ago and have loved how long they remain frozen.  As I was buying the smaller cooler, I decided to grab this box of smaller-sized ice packs as well.  These came with 8 in a pack - 4 small square, 4 foldable rectangular size.

Things I love about them:

• You can use them over and over.
• They don’t take long to freeze.
• They last for a few days in a well-insulated cooler.
• It’s easy to layer them with food items (like lasagna ) so you can add a few layers of packs to the cooler.
• They last longer than ice and no mess!

PupFlask large dog water bottle

Amazon - $24.99

If you hike with your dog, or just have a pup you take on long walks, you’re going to want this.  How I’ve missed out on the PupFlask to this point I don’t know, but now I don’t want to ever be without it when Lexi and I hike.  It’s so ingenious!

What I love about it:

• The bottle itself is stainless steel and very lightweight.
• The rubber sleeve comes off for easy cleaning.
• The design is very clever!
• You can share water with your dog without cross-contamination by simply removing the lid to take a drink.

What I’ve learned since I made the video:

• You can conserve water by allowing the water from the sleeve to slide back into the bottle when your pup doesn’t drink it all.  Of course then you likely don’t want to share the bottle with your pup!  I love this idea because I almost always end up dumping part of the water I give her.

Rouwinne Back Seat Extender for Dogs

Amazon (price fluctuates). I paid $74.99

Large Space, Dog Car Seat Cover Hard Bottom Holds 400lbs, Sturdy Backseat Extender for Dogs, Waterproof Dog Hammock for Car Dog Car Bed for Car, SUV, Truck

I’m pretty excited about this particular item, and so far it’s lived up to the hype. Five years ago I purchased a cocoon-style back seat cover for Lexi, and it has served her fairly well and protected the back seat admirably.  However, I feel that ultimately it has been better for the preservation of the car than the comfort of the dog.

A few months back I started seeing ads for covers that created more space for the dog as they extend across the wheel wells, considerably widening the base area for the dog.  It works because the backside of the base is hard and unbending.  Not only that, it can support up to 400 pounds of weight.  Amazing!

The top side, however, is soft, breathable, and waterproof.  Hooray!  Even better, the middle front-facing section is mesh, allowing for air to circulate from the center console air conditioning unit straight into the back seat.  A huge improvement over our previous cover!

Other things I love:

• It folds up easily into the carrying case it came in.
• You can wipe it off and clean it easily.
• The clips that go around each of the seat backs are substantial and sturdy.

• It even comes with a short tether that neatly slips into the middle seat belt.  This acts as a leash to tether your dog and keep her safe and stable while still providing enough room to take advantage of the entire back seat.

What I’ve learned since I made the video:

• It really does clean up easily.
• Lexi is a swimmer and just this morning hopped onto the seat when she was very wet.  Nothing soaked through and it dried quickly.
• It occurs to me that in a pinch, I could actually sleep on this surface.  It’s wide (and I’m not that tall) and strong enough to hold me.  It’s flat so no rolling back toward the seat.  While it may never happen, I like knowing it’s a possibility!
• Lexi loves it!

 NOTE:  If you use any of my links to purchase the Amazon products, I do receive a small commission.  I do not receive a commission from Costco.

It's Your Turn

While this particular post focuses on very practical gear, the heart of WonderBing Travel is seeking freedom and wonder on a solo road trip.  These items serve as a few helpful practicalities to aid you on your way.  Each week, I encourage readers to take action for their own planning and dreaming. 

Take some time to sketch out the items you think you'll be in need of as you plan to hit the road.  If you're stuck there are YouTube videos like this that can help, as well as all the lists and guidance in the book.  I'm here to help however you need it!

 For an in depth discussion of all the road trip gear you'll need, and help to equip and inspire you to create your own solo road trip, get the book!

Don't have your copy of there's Wonder Around the Bend yet?  No problem.  Pick it up here 👈.  The Kindle is just $4.99 for a limited time.  Also available in paperback and hard cover.