Vehicle Accessories for Road Trips and Camping Trips Summer 2023

The weather is HOT and the roads are hopping with road trip enthusiasts from all over the country. Utah is home to some of the best fishing, camping, and national parks in the world. For us locals, this means that weekend trips to our favorite spots are totally doable and tend to happen frequently. Our goal is to keep road trips FUN and minimizing stress by ensuring your vehicle is ready to go at max power and efficiency for all the joy rides ahead. This includes, most importantly, regular maintenance and inspection, as well as education on what to do if your car is showing any signs of overheating.

In addition to vehicle performance, we also wanted to put together some tips on the top car accessories available for some of Utah’s favorite summer activities. With the right prepping and packing, road trips and summer outdoor activities can go off without a hitch.

1.        Portable power stations

One popular option is the BioLite BaseCharge 600 and 1500, at the high end of the spectrum. You can plug in USB, AC, carport, and DC barrels, as well as use the wireless charging top deck for your phone. It can charge an electric cooler for 15 hours, a laptop nine times, or resuscitate your cell phone 48 times.

If this is a little too intense for your needs, you can grab a $15 USB charging portable from most gas stations and grocery stores. Once pre-charged at home, you can use these portable charges to charge your phone overnight and in emergency situations.

2.        Camp chairs

Mesh folding chairs are always helpful to have on hand. The more compact, the better.

3.        Hammocks

Portable hammocks have become popular among outdoor enthusiasts. There are so many options with adjustable straps that can be used on any two trees or structures the right distance apart. These are great for relaxing by the lake or deep in the forest.

4.        Portable car shades

You can add a portable awning to your car. There are some temporary awnings that are portable and stowable that can be mounted to rails, racks, bare car roofs, and even trees. These can extend to a pull out shade and provide 100-square feet or more of shade on the go.

5.        Pet partition

If you’re bringing your pets and don’t want them jumping from seat to seat, getting hair everywhere, you can install an easy-to-use pet partition and contain them in the rear cargo.

6.        Roof-mounted cargo rack or hitch-mounted cargo tray

Keep the car spacey with extra storage on the roof. You can stow most of your gear in the roof in a cargo rack where it’ll be secure and ready to go.

7.        Shoe storage bag

There are a variety of shoe storage bags on the market that you can attach to a car seat. Some can also adhere to the outside of your vehicle (once you’re parked) to let shoes drip dry and contain any mess that might ruin your interior.

8.        Two-Way Satellite Communicator

One great example is a Garmin inReach Messenger. This small, lightweight device can switch between satellite, cell service, and Wi-Fi within the same messaging app. You can use this in reception-less areas to get help in case of emergencies.

While today’s economy fluctuates and inflation rises, the popularity of car camping and road-tripping is on the rise as well. Use these tips to ensure home is where you park and everything goes off smoothly. Before any road trip or camping excursion to the middle of nowhere, make sure your vehicle is up to date on maintenance and thoroughly inspected for any issues.