Video: Driving Smart: Summer Packing

01:31 min

By Cars.com Editors

July 26, 2016

Summer’s here, and you need to be prepared for road trips, for your kids and you, to handle everything from boredom to bugs to breakdowns. On good days, you'll hit up camps, pools and playgrounds, making your car double as a storage unit.

(upbeat music) It's summertime and before you hit the road with your family, make sure you're completely prepared. You'll need two things. You'll need an emergency kit and a prep kit. In the emergency kit, Fix-a-Flat.

You'll want an extra container of coolant in case your radiator overheats. Roadside flares, these will keep traffic away, but also let roadside assistance know where you're at. A couple containers of motor oil in case you run low. Windshield wiper fluid, there are a million bugs out there and you're gonna hit 'em all. And finally, a first-aid kit. Now, when you pack though, you want to make sure that everything is secure because you don't need any projectiles in the car. Now, on the less dangerous side, you've got the Ziploc bag. Now, that may seem weird, but if you've got a car-sick kid, this is very handy for them to use, zip up, and throw away. Sunscreen, you need it, your kids need it. Bug spray for the millions of bugs you didn't kill with the windshield, this will come in very handy. Baby powder, you may not know about this, but this keeps sand off and also makes you more comfortable for the ride home. Extra towels, replaces wet ones, damaged ones, lost ones, very handy to have. And finally, a blanket is a great way to have a picnic, or if you're in the mountains, to stay warm in the car. Now, there's a couple of things you should never have with you. So crayons look like a lot of fun, but will make a beautiful mess all over your dash. And chocolate milk is a potential stench bomb. Leave it behind. (upbeat music)