If you're heading out on a road trip with your friends and family, it's important to stay hydrated along the way. Here are three thirsty-quenching tips to follow.

Pack Big Water Bottles

The key to staying hydrated on a road trip is to have enough water in the car with you. You may not be able to stop to buy drinks often, so loading up the trunk with full water bottles is essential. But instead of buying the smaller 500ml water bottles you'd usually grab when you're out and about, consider packing bigger water bottles—around 1.5 litres in size. For one, one 1.5 litre water bottle takes up less space than three 500ml water bottles. It also creates less packaging waste, which can be a big help when you're driving with no time to stop and throw your rubbish away. On top of that, bigger bottles make it easier to keep track of water intake. If you haven't finished your 1.5 litre water bottle by the end of the day, you know you haven't had enough fluids. You can even mark the outside of your bottle with lines that remind you how much to drink every hour.

Choose the Right Snacks

No road trip is complete without snacks, but the wrong snacks could make you very thirsty. Potato chips are a particularly common road trip snack choice, but they're also one of the worst because they're high in salt. When you eat salt, it's absorbed into your bloodstream and begins to try drawing fluid out of your cells. To combat this, your brain triggers your thirst centre so you drink enough water to replace it. So if you eat salty snacks on your road trip, you could find yourself gasping for water even after you've finished your supply. Instead, opt for pre-cut, water-dense fruits and vegetables as snacks—melon, berries and fresh salads.

Don't Turn the AC Up Too High

When you're in a hot car for a long time, it's only natural to turn the air conditioning on to keep you cool. However, it's important to note that alongside cooling the air, AC also removes moisture from the air. Without the usual humidity, the air becomes dry, and breathing in this dry air begins to deplete your body fluids. So while there's no way to avoid switching the AC on during a summer road trip, make sure you don't use it excessively. Keeping it at a temperature that's just comfortable will help reduce your risk of dehydration.