The Timbuk2 Power Commute Laptop Messenger ($199) holds a change of clothes and enough juice to charge your iPad or smartphone (twice!). The TSA-compliant laptop sleeve makes it a must for air travel, too.
Stay cool
Preserve beer souvenirs in the Basecamp Fridge/Freezer (from $1,310), which runs off your car's DC power system on the road, then switches to standard AC power when the vehicle’s turned off (but smartly shuts off before it drains the car battery). A remote readout lets you check the temperature from 30 feet away.
Take notes
Remember your drive in beers; jot down notes in the Little Book of Beer ($10 for 3) and use a fresh one for the return trip.
Refuel
Skip the Quickie-Mart meat sticks and chew on Perky Jerky ($3); the beef and turkey varieties are marinated with Guarana (yep, the same stuff in energy drinks) to keep you awake on the most desolate stretches of pavement. Want more jerky? You got it.
Get connected
Car camping means no Internet—unless you get Karma ($79), a no-contract, pay-as-you-go 4G hotspot that’s free when you share a connection or $14 for 1GB of data.
