The Best Travel Gear For Fall Road Trips

Whether you travel by car or RV, take advantage of the cooler autumn temperatures, and set out on a leaf peeping trip. After all, there are so many places to explore where multi-hued fall foliage is on display—from the Blue Ridge Mountains in Georgia to the White Mountains of New Hampshire to the Finger Lakes Region in New York to the Southern Pacific Coast in California to the Olympic Peninsula in Washington to the Gulf Coast in Florida to The Great Lakes in Michigan. Along the way, you can hike, picnic, and camp in diverse national and state parks.

Putting together a thoughtful travel kit ahead of time—the best shoes for on-the-go hiking, walking, or running; top equipment to keep you safe and comfortable inside your vehicle; moisture-wicking clothing for big adventures—will allow you to focus on being in the moment when you’re ready to explore in the outdoors.

Stylish Apparel to Take You from the Car to the Trail

Lolë, a smart clothing company based out of Montreal, Canada, has mastered easy-to-wear outer, active, and lifestyle layers for women and men. From rain jackets to tunics to hoodies to leggings, this active brand will help you transition from life on the road to life on the trail. The Step Up Ultra High-Waisted Ankle Leggings are versatile, super soft, and durable—they’ll quicky become your most coveted compression bottoms. Plus, there’s a side pocket big enough for your cellphone.

Safety on the Road

For peace of mind, be sure that your car is not only up to the task (oil changed, air in the tires, plenty of windshield wiper fluid), but also, that it’s stocked with safety essentials. The Michelin High Capacity Portable Jump Starter and Power Bank is crucial, especially if you’re traveling to areas where cell service isn’t great and roadside assistance is more difficult to come by. You can also pack a tire inflator, tire pressure gauge, and spare wiper blades into your kit.

The Perfect Backpack to Hold Your Travel Essentials

Your water bottle, keys, wallet, sunscreen, electronics, and snacks need to go somewhere—whether you’re en route to see the changing colors of fall or on a day hike in the mountains. Your best bet is to choose a bag from a well-established outdoor gear company that wins awards for their design and innovation. Enter: Black Diamond. The Nitro 26 Pack has a well thought out back panel and hip belt construction as well as plenty of pockets to stash your stuff.

Airstream Branding in a Comfy Shoe

The Airstream brand has created quite the cult following and many companies have partnered up for limited edition products. Sanuk, for example, recently launched their second iteration footwear capsule collection offering four distinct styles in neutral colors for men and women. The travel-friendly Donna shoes are designed with hidden stash pockets, collapsible heels, and molded rubber Airstream trailer license plate distinctions on the outsoles.

A Variety of Curious Snacks

No road romp is quite complete without a variety of nibbles and noshes. Rather than stop at a gas station for snacks, consider ordering yummy delights from around the world from Munch Addict. Choose a box size—5,10, 15, or 60 snacks—and interesting and fun international munchies will arrive at your door each month. This is particularly fun, and educational, for kids and will inspire great conversations as your heading out on your fall road trip.

Travel-Friendly Game

If you’re road tripping with your family in tow, you might want to bring along an engaging game to get your little ones off their electronic devices. Jabuka is fresh on the play scene and accessible in a small transportable package. It will not only entertain your brood, but also, it will boost their brain power and inquisitiveness. This word-making game, similar to Scrabble, comes in coffee bean-shaped pieces and is played with an easy twist of logic.

Fundamental Moisturizer for the Lips

It seems like such a small thing to consider, but when you’re getting from point A to point B it’s easy to forget about how dry your lips can get, especially if you’re not drinking enough water. Keep your kisser moisturized with NCLA Beauty’s Balm Babe Gummy Bear lip butter. It’s vegan and made with shea butter, coconut oil, agave nectar, avocado oil, and vitamins.

A Well-Designed Outer Layer for Extra Warmth

Craft designs lightweight performance footgear and garb for running, cycling, and outdoor fitness for men and women. The new PRO Hypervent collection, which includes t-shirts, tank tops, shorts, pants, and jackets fashioned with recycled fabrics, will most certainly be your go-to grab as you pop out of the car for a quick run or to stretch your legs. The PRO Hypervent Running Jacket in particular, is brightly colored, lightweight, packable, and reflective for safety.

Hard to Live Without Diet Nitty-Gritties

If you’re the type of person who loves a smoothie every morning, you don’t have to give it up just because you’ll be on the road for a spell. BlendJet, which comes in a variety of fun colors, is a portable blender, with a rechargeable USB battery, that you can operate roadside. To clean, just add water and a few drops of soap to the container and power it up. You can also purchase ready-to-use single-serve protein smoothie packs—Blueberry Acai, Orange Mango Pineapple, Peanut Butter Power Breakfast, or Strawberry Banana—to give your drink an extra healthy boost.

A Walk on the Clouds

For a versatile athletic shoe, that’s created with fun and bright colors, look no further than Saucony’s Endorphin Pro 2.This is the footwear to usurp all others, built with a quality hard-wearing design. You’ll notice a snug fit in the heel, and a mesh upper that’s lightweight, and a seriously durable outsole. Toss a pair of these in your trunk and make them your ultimate go-to running shoe for on-the-go adventures.