13 Road Trip Essentials You’d Never See Today
A nostalgic ride through the quirky, forgotten items that once ruled the open road.
- Chris Graciano
- 3 min read
Before smartphones and GPS, road trips were a whole different adventure—one packed with oddball gear and outdated must-haves. From clunky gadgets to questionable snacks, these items were once staples in every car’s back seat or glove box. Buckle up as we revisit 13 essentials from yesterday’s road trips that would never make the cut today.
1. Fold-Out Paper Maps
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Before navigation apps, road warriors unfolded giant maps that took up half the dashboard. They ripped at the creases, blew out the window, and always required a co-pilot with origami skills.
2. Disposable Cameras
Hakeem James Hausley on Pexels
Snapping pics meant waiting days to see if you even got the shot. There were no previews, no do-overs—just hope and finger-crossing.
3. Cigarette Lighter Phone Chargers (for Flip Phones)
Markus Bärlocher on Wikimedia Commons
These chunky adapters only fit into the car’s ashtray lighter port. Designed for early cell phones, they were finicky, slow, and barely held a charge.
4. Gas Station Atlas Books
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Thicker than a Bible and just as revered, these spiral-bound atlases were the road trip navigator’s holy grail. They were bought at gas stations and had every state’s roads meticulously drawn out.
5. Handheld Travel Games (No Screens)
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Kids passed the miles through magnetic checkers, water ring toss, and plastic maze puzzles. They were silent, screen-free, and endlessly frustrating. If you lost a piece? Game over.
6. Bench Seats with No Seat Belts
CZmarlin on Wikimedia Commons
Yep, safety took a backseat—literally. Families piled into long bench seats, arms touching, windows down, and not a buckle in sight.
7. Roadside Emergency Flares
Dvortygirl on Wikimedia Commons
Forget LED hazard lights—people lit literal fire sticks and tossed them on the pavement. These burning red flares looked like mini road bonfires and came with every car emergency kit.
8. Car Ashtrays Full of Pennies
The DK Photography on Unsplash
Ashtrays doubled as change holders for vending machines and toll booths. Nobody used them for smoking by the ’90s, but they overflowed with sticky coins and lint.
9. CB Radios for Car-to-Car Chatting
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Before cell phones, convoys stayed in touch with CB radios and cool call signs. “Breaker breaker one-nine” wasn’t just trucker talk—it was family fun.
10. Windshield Sun Visor Screens with Cartoon Characters
Mikhail Seleznev on Unsplash
These bright, goofy shades protected your dash and amused passing cars. Whether it was Looney Tunes or smiley faces with sunglasses, they added flair and sun protection.
11. Cassette Tape Organizers
Esra Korkmaz on Unsplash
Backseat pockets held boxes of carefully chosen mixtapes. Each one hand-labeled with scribbled track lists and mood-specific vibes—“Rainy Day,” “Sing-Along,” “Mom’s Picks.”
12. Car Window Shades with Suction Cups
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These flimsy plastic shields stuck on with tiny suction cups that never stayed put. Meant to block sun for the kids, they mostly flopped over or fell off mid-drive.
13. Snack Stashes in Tupperware
Vanessa Loring on Pexels
No gas station junk—just home-packed goodies in big plastic containers. Think PB&J, baby carrots, and maybe some questionable deviled eggs.