📍14 Best Random, Overlooked & Unconventional Things To Take On A Road Trip To Enhance & Modernise Your Adventure. (2025.)

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WANT IDEAS ON UNUSUAL THINGS TO TAKE ON A ROAD TRIP TO ENHANCE YOUR TRIP?

Ah, road trips. They are one of the most liberating and rewarding ways to travel. You have the freedom to go wherever you want, do whatever you please, and spend as much time as you like in each place, without any set schedule to adhere to follow except your own.

It’s a phenomenal way to explore, especially in a country like Australia, where, although the cities offer plenty of fantastic finds, there is a whole other unforgettable world out there to discover beyond them, most of which aren’t easily accessible by other means which is why road trips are always my favourite way to travel. However, they always require a lot of preparation and gathering of items as it’s a mostly self-sufficient venture that offers plenty of personal growth.

But while you can easily find a list of essential things to take on a road trip all across the internet, what about some other things that aren’t entirely necessary, but will make life on that road that much better? After all, on trips like these where you are often out of your comfort zone, it’s all about the details as things get messy and gross during this humble way of exploration, especially the longer it is.

So here are some of my top picks of overlooked and unconventional items that I wouldn’t do another trip without from as a road trip enthusiast who spent 3 months travelling through eastern NSW and the ACT, six weeks visiting Bundaberg and the Fraser Coast, plus another six exploring the Gladstone region with a car

👉 My top picks for the best overlooked things to take on a road trip:

  • Sine wave converter.
  • Portable Wireless Tap
  • Wireless Fan.

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Best Overlooked and Unconventional Things To Take On A Road Trip.

1. Pure Sine Wave Converter.

With all the fantastic technologically advanced things out there, it’s significantly easier to bring the creature comforts of home with us on a road trip than ever before. While many things, including several on this list, are USB rechargeable and can be recharged with an inbuilt USB port in the newer cars or a converter into a cigarette/accessories port in the older ones, there are just some things that still require the good old fashion PowerPoint, such as my beloved Canon mirrorless camera and Windows Surface laptop.

And that’s where Pure Sine Wave Converters come into play. I got my Projecta one in 2017 and it has been exceptional for such purposes, not just for when I have it switched on while I am driving, or have the car in accessories mode like with USB cords, but also when the vehicle is switched off thanks to it being directly connected to the battery, which is perfect for always ensuring I have a charged battery for these power-hungry devices.

However, these days there are newer and more kitted-out sine wave converters such as the ones from the company Jackery, which can store their own power after being charged while driving, then used wirelessly to charge things more often and for longer and several different outlets including power points and USB ports, while your sleeping or outside of the vehicle, which is just top tier.

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    2. Jump Starter Kit.

    One thing on this list that has saved me a lot of time, money, hassle and stress when I’m out on the road, even though I don’t use it that often is a Jump Starter Kit. A monumental step up from just having the cables, this thing is such a comfort to keep in the car, knowing that if it dies, you can easily and efficiently get it going again by yourself instead of the traditional way of linking it up to another vehicle.

    This is not just perfect if you know that the battery is coming to the end of its life and only has a few more starts left, but also excellent if you accidentally forgot to turn off the exterior or interior lights, or something you had charging over a long time, which with all the devices I have is a position I’ve found myself in a handful of times.

    And then you either have to ask people for help which feels like you are hassling them, or wait for someone to see you floundering and offer assistance (forever grateful for those who did help me out!) or twiddle your thumbs while you wait for your insurance company, if you’re with one to organise someone to come. And if you’re in the middle of nowhere where there’s no one around and no reception, well then this comes in real handy.

    Hence why this has become such a critical addition to my kit and I can’t recommend getting one enough. Plus, you can also help someone else if they find themselves in this pickle without having to turn your car around so your vehicles are bumper to bumper, which in some situations, like highways, is incredibly dangerous.

    3. Portable Solar Charging Panel.

    Speaking of all those car-battery-draining devices requiring charging, a great alternative to getting them back up to 100% is with a portable foldable solar charging panel.

    These compact items that harness the power of the sun are great for when doing activities that involve being away from the car for a long time, such as going on hikes, outings on the boat, visiting museums or doing tours and activities. I typically put mine on the front or back dashboards, whichever I think will get the most sun, taking into account where it will move as the Earth rotates.

    They’re also excellent for overnight trips by or away from your vehicle, such as when I went camping at North West Island in the Great Barrier Reef, I put it on my kayak on the beach, or when I go multi-day hiking, it’s hanging over the bag. It’s also a great backup for a power bank if that runs out and sunny days are ahead. But as the name suggests, it doesn’t work at night or on cloudy days and is typically slower at replenishing the battery than other methods, but it’s a great take-anywhere solution.

    4. Wireless Fan.

    Australia is infamously hot. While overall, our winters are typically milder, (except for Tasmania which is off doing its own thing, and Victoria which seems like its weather device is permanently malfunctioning because you never know what the hell you’ll get at any given moment. Seriously. One of its most iconic taglines is “4 seasons in one day.”), it appears like the intention of summer is to be the literal temperature of hell.

    And it’s not just during the day. The heat continues long after the sun has gone down, which is great when you want to dress up and enjoy a night out on the town, or observe the galaxy from a dark place in the countryside. But when it’s time to nod off in the car or tent it is quite unpleasant being in temperatures that are warmer than the daytime temperature in winter, causing sleep to be sweaty and gross. It’s one of the caveats of road trips especially one that doesn’t involve a hotel every night. Luckily spring and autumn are a lot more pleasant.

    Still, that’s where portable fans come in handy. These fantastic USB-powered wireless devices can effectively circulate air and keep you cool when the temperatures are up. They have different speeds to suit your preferences and many have hooks to hang them up and lights so you can use them to see, rather than your car light, headlight or lamp, making them a great two-in-one product to keep you cool.

    5. Window Mesh Screen.

    Going hand in hand with the previous item are mesh screens. While you can get any soft, close-knit mesh from hardware stores such as Bunnings, the special ones designed just for vehicles are especially useful for car camping. This is because they look more like a tinted window than one that just has fabric hanging over the side allowing it to look more like a parked car than something someone is sleeping in, great for while having the glass down to let the breeze in while keeping the mosquitos out.

    6. Dry Bags.

    Dry bags are another great item to have for road trips. My favourite use for them is on the kayak so my camera doesn’t get wet from water splashing up while paddling and more importantly if it falls into the drink.

    But the strong and waterproof nature of the bag makes it great for many other uses too, such as keeping the sand out at the beach, your stuff dry when rain is predicted or while taking a shower in a public bathroom, or wading through water during a hiking adventure, along with being great for temporary general use.

    7. Compressible Bag.

    Keeping within the same vein, one thing that I love to have with me is a compressible bag. Something that can pack down tiny and take up little space has come in handy so many times, no matter the type of outing, which is why it’s great to keep in the car, camera backpack, suitcase or hang bag as you never know when you might need an extra to accommodate carrying something extra, like when you’ve bought souvenirs on your trip that you have nowhere else to put

    It’s also useful as a substitute bag to take less. For example, I’ll put my camera in it if I don’t want to take the whole bag or have it hanging around my neck the whole time.

    8. Cup Holder Storage Unit.

    As much as the freedom and spontaneity of road trips make it the ultimate way to travel, one of my biggest pet peeves is how messy, and quickly, the car gets.

    Even when you’ve just organised, it’s incredible how fast the tidiness just divulges into chaos. This is especially true in the front seat for me. Despite having a box for many of the most frequently used items helping keep things looking neat, the top and area beside it always end up doing my head in. This is because after a long, tiring day of activities and running around, things are just put down and before you know it, it looks like a disaster zone.

    A fantastic solution to keeping this a little less in particular less looking like a bomb went off is to get a cup holder storage unit, which sits in one of the recesses and a tray that allows you to put some of the loose items there, where there’s less chance they could go down the dreaded abyss between the seat and centre console.

    But you might be thinking “Hold your horses”. That’s occupying precious space for my drinks. However, some versions of this item don’t actually reduce the amount of cup holders that you have. This dual-purpose item replaces the cup holder that you have with a wider one it allows you to put bigger cups, flasks and drinking bottles in them solving another annoying thing about road trips and driving in general.

    9. Wireless Portable Vaccum.

    Speaking of messes, there are always the inevitable bits and pieces of dirt, crumbs and debris that end up floating over every surface, nook, cranny and crevice. And with road trips, it tends to pile up faster than anywhere else because of the small space and constant movement of things, not to mention tracking in dirt and sand from your outdoor pursuits.

    And this is where the unsung hero comes in: the vacuum cleaner. These days you can get small, nifty, compact, USB-rechargeable ones to easily tackle those loose messes, keeping your car or van feeling more tidy and homely without taking up much valuable space.

    10. Wireless Portable Tap.

    One of the most useful devices I have in my road trip arsenal is a portable wireless tap. Having on-demand running water to wash my hands and cookware, and fill up my water bottle and bucket for showering is an absolute godsend. It’s one of the things that have levelled up my road trip experience the most, because not only is super easy and convenient to use, but it also adds the most homely luxury to what can otherwise sometimes be a gritty journey.

    It was the best thing I took on my 10-day camping trip to North West Island, where I used it on the barrel of water I got from Curtis Ferry Services, who took me over there.

    11. Camping Shower.

    Speaking of showering, and levelling up the road trip luxury, another thing that has made travelling this way much more comfortable is a camping shower. There are a few options, with the most common being a sealed bag you hang over your head. I had two of these and hated them. Most are heavy and flimsy to lift to a suitable hanging height when full, and despite trying to store them well, they always inevitably got a nick in them, causing them to leak. Plus, the flow was terrible, and they’d never dry properly as the walls were always touching each other.

    You can also get hard jerry can or cooler-like containers that feature pressurized pumps attached to them, which look fantastic as you can keep them on the ground, but hold or hang the shower head above you. But they tend to be expensive, and you can’t see how much you’ve used.

    My setup is a bucket that I feel using the aforementioned wireless tap from my water jugs, and using a more affordable shower kit that has a pump that sticks to the bottom and sucks water up into the showerhead that you can be hand-held or suctioned somewhere, which has been a camping and travelling game changer Plus, I love that I can see how much water I am using.

    12. Exfoliating Brush or Glove.

    Ah, the humble exfoliating brush or glove. These often overlooked things are elite when it comes to road trips and showering because there is nothing like getting all the sweat, grit and itches off you after a long day driving around and seeing the sights, and especially after doing physical activities like hiking, running, cycling, climbing or swimming.

    13. Backscratcher.

    Another thing that makes a big difference to whether you have a great road trip or an uncomfortable one is a backscratcher. Even more overlooked than the previous one, this thing is the best because there’s nothing worse than an itch you can’t scratch.

    And, I don’t know about you, but when I go road-tripping, my nails usually end up pretty short because of all the activity my hands are doing and breaking them. This not only makes it impossible to satisfyingly scratch whatever itches, but sometimes it’s smack bang in the middle of my back, which no amount of yoga-like poses and stretches can my unflexible body reach, so you can see it is one of the most essential random things I take.

    14. Nail Clipper, Tweezers & Nail Files.

    Speaking of hands and nails getting beat up while road-tripping, something that can be easily overlooked are nail clippers and nail files. These are great for making your keratin-laden fingers and toes look less gnarly for aesthetic reasons and sharp, which has the potential to tear your skin into a new one if you have a particularly insatiable itch and didn’t bring the aforementioned.

    Tweezers are also a fantastic thing to take to get the grit that gets underneath them out which seems to be way more challenging when travelling, plus for their usual application which is for grooming to remove unwanted hair, and removing splinters.

    Conclusion: Best Overlooked Items To Buy For A Road Trip.

    With so many things to consider, plan for and get together for vehicular adventure, it’s easy to just get the essentials together and set off. However, there are some fantastic things to take for a road trip that are often overlooked, such as a sine wave converter and a wireless fan, that make the trip so much more modern, easier and convenient.

    If you plan to visit Australia, consider looking at these other posts.