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Coaster Road Trip Essentials

SilverArrow

Certified Ride Geek
So I'm going to be embarking on my first "big" US road trip in a couple of weeks and I've been pondering on the essential items to bring. I've done european ones before but nothing on this scale. I know quite a few others here have big US road trips imminent as well.

So, well travelled CFers, what essential items (cred related or not) do you take on your epic coaster-marathon trips? Any apps or gadgets you make sure you bring?
 

Snoo

The Legend
Nope. I would pack like I would for any other trip. Bring the essentials as well as an open mind and extra snacks for driving.
 

Will

Strata Poster
If 'road trip' means lots of time in the car/driving then: satnav, energy drinks, painkillers, emergency snacks, big bag of change for toll roads and lots of good music.

The non-car stuff is fairly obvious: clothes for hot weather/wet weather/less hot weather, camera, suncream... I reckon you probably know how to pack for a holiday. I also like to bring games to play in long queue lines - usually the old faithful roller coaster Top Trumps. If I'm being REALLY goony and I'm going to a big park, I might bring a list of the creds to help me make sure I get them all and I've usually made a spreadsheet of where I'm going with postcodes, distances and what time I have to get up/set off at.
 

nadroJ

CF Legend
Not something to bring with you, but we discovered a 24 porn radio station on our last US road trip. Driving to a theme park at 8AM listening to a woman talking about shoving her stiletto up some dude's ass was pretty entertaining tbh. Vivid FM if I recall.
 

SilverArrow

Certified Ride Geek
If 'road trip' means lots of time in the car/driving then: satnav, energy drinks, painkillers, emergency snacks, big bag of change for toll roads and lots of good music.

The non-car stuff is fairly obvious: clothes for hot weather/wet weather/less hot weather, camera, suncream... I reckon you probably know how to pack for a holiday. I also like to bring games to play in long queue lines - usually the old faithful roller coaster Top Trumps. If I'm being REALLY goony and I'm going to a big park, I might bring a list of the creds to help me make sure I get them all and I've usually made a spreadsheet of where I'm going with postcodes, distances and what time I have to get up/set off at.

Yeah, I mean I was wondering about what little quirks like your spreadsheet that people have really. Just a "just for fun" topic. Think I'm definitely going to need some kind of cred list or way to note down what I've done or need to do, on paper or digitally.
 

Youngster Joey

Strata Poster
Snack and a Water bottle/Bottle drinks (though i'd stay away from overly sugarly drinks myself). Otherwise pack as normal.
 

MestnyiGeroi

Giga Poster
Yeah, I mean I was wondering about what little quirks like your spreadsheet that people have really. Just a "just for fun" topic. Think I'm definitely going to need some kind of cred list or way to note down what I've done or need to do, on paper or digitally.
I bring my phone and check off the creds on the coaster-count app.
 

Will

Strata Poster
You can still get the coaster-count site on android and it works just as well, though for the most part it's better to enjoy the parks rather than faffing about with phones, tablets etc.
 

MestnyiGeroi

Giga Poster
You can still get the coaster-count site on android and it works just as well, though for the most part it's better to enjoy the parks rather than faffing about with phones, tablets etc.
I'm fairly faff-free in this respect. The phone stays in my zipped pocket, turned off, but every few hours when I take a break -- such as to eat -- I take out the phone and check off on the app the last three or four ridden coasters. It's satisfying, too. :D
 

CanobieFan

Strata Poster
Maannn, I love me a good long road trip... and ones with coasters along the way are even better. Over the last few summers I've done 4 +3,000 mile road trips... and 2 that were +4,000 mile <3

I'd say outside of the GPS... an amazing playlist is all I need. Get me a good trance set and I'll zone out and just drive and drive. I've done a few trips that had 1,000 miles driven... in a single day.
 

Howie

Donkey in a hat
^Wow, most I've ever done in one go is about 450 miles (Las Vegas to Monument Valley) and it properly did me in, took about 9 hours. I was ready to kill the missus after about 300!*

*yards ;)
 

CanobieFan

Strata Poster
Haha, I tried to recreate some of them with GoogleMaps... but it had so many stops I had to split it into 2
2016 Part 1 - https://goo.gl/maps/fPC6vgCtPbP2 // Part 2 - https://goo.gl/maps/JVNn49D81U12
2017 Trip 1 Part 1 - https://goo.gl/maps/HBTNcpWtbcv // Part 2 - https://goo.gl/maps/jUheHsq5weo (This trip got cut short due to Tropical Storm Cindy and the tornado's and super-cells it sent my way while I was at Beechbend (and on my way to Alabama Adventures before giving up and diverting to Atlanta making what should have been about 7 hours drive become 13 hours)
2017 Trip 2 Part 1 - https://goo.gl/maps/sF5yCzTmjfo // Part 2 - https://goo.gl/maps/afya2LY9bex

On deck for 2018
Trip 1 - https://goo.gl/maps/BSxaUjdT5zH2
Trip 2 - https://goo.gl/maps/3EXEb4cVPB82

(haha, I tend to make a lot of stops in DC because my best friend moved there a few years ago)
 

SilverArrow

Certified Ride Geek
You can still get the coaster-count site on android and it works just as well, though for the most part it's better to enjoy the parks rather than faffing about with phones, tablets etc.
Well the idea would be to faff around whilst being a passenger in the car or whatever rather than in the parks. Still wish they did an app though, it would be great!
 
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