If you're going to be on the road for the day, you really want to have good stuff travelling with you. What do I carry in the way of driving amenities?
1. An iPod. I use a Monster Cable fm transmitter, and it rocks. There are effectively no radio signals from about 10 miles north of Redding CA through Roseburg OR, and that can turn into a long stretch of road if all you have available are low-power high school fm stations. I have 3, 4, and 5 hour mixes for the road. This time I also listened to Donald Trump's "How to get Rich", read by Barry Bostwick. It's a good listen, and full of advice even mere mortals can make use of.
2. A cooler. I have a small soft-sided cooler that I bought for a big $5 at Ross. I pack a couple of a the re-freezable fake ice blocks. I put in yogurt (pack a spoon!), mineral water, and soda (currently Pepsi One). The outside compartments have Luna Bars. I tried Builder's Bars this trip as well, but they are too much for one sitting. YMMV on those. I usually go through 2-3 bottles of water, 2-3 cans of soda, a couple of Luna Bars, and a yogurt on a 10-12 hour drive. I generally don't stop to eat on the road--this is all eaten at rest stops.
3. Maps--I don't know about you, but there are places my phone won't pick up Google maps.
4. More water. I've seen too many cars not make it over the pass between CA and OR because their radiators overheated. I always check my fluids before I go, but it never hurts to be prepared.
5. First aid kit. Same thing--be prepared, and hope you never need it.
6. Paper towels and glass cleaner. Because every bug on the I5 will find its way to my windshield. I knew about the record butterfly populations along I10 in SoCal and Arizona long before the press broke the story.
