What brings two friends closer together than spending hours at a time in a confined space? In my experience? Nothing. I've had some amazing times on road trips with friends, and the best part is, you can stay within a couple hours of the city and still feel like you're a million miles away. 

 Here, we kick off our lists of summer vacations guides with the essentials you need to hit the road! 

1. Sticky leather eliminates shorts, uncomfortable fabrics eliminate any denim and wrinkle potential eliminates most skirts and dresses. So, what to wear on a road trip? The number one rule is comfort. Leggings offer support and stretch without looking sloppy: American Apparel Leggings (C$32.00).

2. A cozy boyfriend-style cardigan will you warm on chilly nights: T. Babaton Jackie Cardigan (C$95.00).

3. & 6. When you're on the road, you never know when you might find somewhere to stop for a bite to eat. The Bean Ladies make addictive soybean snacks in fun flavours like Chai Latte and Pomegranate & Pear. A healthy and very yummy road snack (C$6.00). For a real bargain, before you leave, stock up on yummy treats like candy, nuts and dried fruit at BulkBarn. 

4. A good drive calls for a good pair of sunglasses. Forever 21 has a plethora of inexpensive, cute sunnies but I think these retro-style sunglasses best say, "I’m driving off without a care in the world": Forever 21 Sunglasses C$6.80.

5. No road trip is complete without music. Griffin RoadTrip FM Transmitter (C$99.95) allows you to play music from your iPod or iPhone and charges it at the same time. Just make sure to load your iPod with some good tunes before you leave; nothing worse than listening to four hours worth of John Mayer on repeat because you forgot it's the only thing you have on there. Trust me.


1. Read Jack Kerouac's classic homage to the road trip, On The Road to provide inspiration and something to do when the lulls set in and you aren't speaking with your travel companion anymore, or John Mayer really is the only music you have in the car. On the Road by Jack Kerouac C$13.36.

2. A great light and breathable sleeveless tee is perfect for the summer and on a road trip. It makes you look chic and cool without any real effort on your part: T. Babaton Carmen Sleeveless Blouse (C$98.00).

3. Picture this: In a hot car for hours, your air conditioning has broken down, you feel the beads of sweat running down your face, you can see your oily reflection in the rearview mirror. You need a refresher. Try Make Up For Ever Mist & Fix Spray (C$28.00), it promises to set and prolong your makeup, even in the heat. Also comes in a travel size!

4. The Vapur Anti-Bottle (C$13.99) water bottle is super cool. It is freezable, compact, environmentally friendly and comes in pink too! It even has a cute little clip for your bag. The bottle is made out of BPA free plastic, when it's empty you can roll it up and it takes up no space at all—perfect for when you are packing light.

5. Prepare for your road trip by watching One Week (C$22.00), about a man who travels on his motorcycle across Canada. The scenery will motivate you and fill you with ideas. An added bonus is watching Joshua Jackson for 90 minutes.

6. Scrabble has come out with an electronic version, Scrabble Flash Game (C$28.93), where you make words out of the letter blocks they give you. Don't act like you are too mature and above it all to play board games—believe me, you will be hooked.

7. Banish the ugly gym duffel bag! A good overnight bag is an investment piece. This Roots XS Banff Tribe Overnight Bag (C$318.00) leather bag is seriously sturdy and big enough to carry the essentials, but small enough that you won’t fall over when carrying it.

What are your road trip must-haves?