Other great gear for road trips
Finally, some goodies for passengers. The portability and touchscreen of a tablet make it an ideal travel companion.
Apple iPad, starting at $329, is powered by its A13 Bionic chip, has a 10.2-inch Retina display, dual cameras for FaceTiming or taking photos and videos, at least 64 gigabytes ( GB) of storage and support countless applications. Use your finger to browse the web, listen to podcasts, play games, browse e-books, and watch videos. If you prefer Android devices, you can try the Amazon Fire HD 10 ($150) or the Lenovo Tab P11 Plus (around $208).
Pro Tip: For video and music streaming services, including Netflix and Spotify, be sure to download media while staying at home with available Wi-Fi, so it doesn’t use any data on the road.
Also consider Apple Arcade, a $4.99 monthly subscription service to access over 240 premium games, all without ads or in-game purchase options.
If cellular reception is spotty, an amplifier can significantly strengthen the signal. SureCall’s products (starting at $200) work with all North American mobile carriers, including AT&T, T-Mobile, UScellular and Verizon, to boost data, text and voice signals.
The Fusion2Go 3.0 ($400) is a powerful solution for rural, suburban and urban areas with up to 50 decibels of amplification gain. It includes a low profile external antenna with magnetic mount for the top of the vehicle and has no monthly fees. Some models are also designed for motorhomes.
