Essential road trip items (when flying from UK)

[mac]

Hello I thought it would be interesting to post a thread to see what others take on their road trips, especially when they are restricted by airlines etc.

Our friends always laugh when we show them the sorts of things we pack. However after so many journeys we now have things down to a tea. These are our most 'important' items.

**A tray - to make sandwiches on when in the car

** sharp knives, camping cutlery of the joined up type

** Clothes pegs - for air drying swim stuff, washed out clothing etc

** old towels - we ask people if they are throwing out to donate to our trip as we can use these and then throw them at the end of the trip -

** also pillows - they are always much better than Motel 8 types and nice in the car

** also torch - we have been to many places where this has been essential

** laptop - for ease of communication free internet access to book room ahead and contact home etc also to use as route planner and guide also easy to downlaod pics at the end of each day

** photocopied pages of guidebooks that can be recycled once place has been visited

**half bottles of shampoo toothpaste etc to avoid bringing back half empties

**Tea bags and a travel kettle a recent addition but so worthwhile

**and of course our iPod with 35+hours of good ole road trip tunes

Of course there are loads more but I would be interested to see who else takes such a strange case full of objects