I go on solo weeklong cross-country road trips every few months, sometimes into pretty remote areas. This is what I typically carry for my trips.

I’m a woman who travels large distances on road trips alone frequently so some of this is overkill but I prefer to plan for worst case scenarios in case I get in a pickle. I also like to drive around random dirt paths I find throughout the country’s forests and mountains on these trips. I typically will drive around 8ish hours a day, each day although the gear you see here was from a trip to Montana I just got back from where I was driving for around 14-16 hours every day for 6.5 days straight. 🤙🤙 I buy all my supplies before leaving and I sleep in the driver’s seat so my only expenses on my trips is gas and the occasional diner for breakfast.

10 gallons of extra gas, a bunch of bug-cleaner windshield washer fluid since most gas stations don’t carry it and I have to go through Missouri sometimes, where goddamn invincible bugs live. The two stacked grey totes hold clothes in one and mechanics tools (jack, jackstands, wrenches, sockets + adapters for my impact gun, some gear oil for the slow leak at my rear differential, duct tape, etc.). I do typically carry a 6 gallon water container but I neglected to fill it up this trip so I just got some gallon jug and tossed em in, in case I need emergency water. Yellow bucket has an old heavy duty tow strap and long chain for dragging bitches out of ditches. Large grey Igloo cooler (the one with the rubbery latches for $150ish) is perfect for all my food for cooking.
Basic folding lawn chair, a pop up table for next to the chair, and a 3-legged pop out stool for sittin’s when I’m cooking dinner on my tailgate in the evenings. $100 basic propane grill. And a shitload of bungee cords.

Also, see the truckbed in spots appears to be silver? That would be my “slides” as I call them. I built an “M” shaped frame, sized for my specific bed, and put 2 lengths of plywood on 2×3’s to lift them off the bed liner, plus a couple dividers on the slides to keep stuff from shifting much. It allows me to pull each slide out to easily access the stuff I have stored at the front of the bed without climbing up the tire to reach whatever. I just keep heavier shit towards the cab so the slides don’t tip off the tailgate. It’s been incredibly useful. Cost me $50 (pre-covid) and an hour of labor to create.

Inside the cab, I have my work bag (electrician) for general tools in case I break down on the road, a NOCO battery starter, a DeWalt tire inflator, a custom-created first aid kit designed for car accident and animal attack injuries. I also have a Garmin inReach Mini 2 satellite communicator and while I won’t carry a gun, I have a really sharp machete (Barebones brand?), an axe, a K-Bar knife, and a bunch of smaller knives. I also have an air horn and bear spray.

I try to keep tools/materials for possible emergency scenarios on my truck for these trips. Contemplating mounting a winch to the front so I don’t have to rely on someone else dragging me out if I get stuck somewhere. And eventually I’m going to get a backrack I can mount flat gas cans to and put one of those hard shell tents on top.

Any suggestions for other good supplies to consider??

by Quirky_Ralph