Road Trip Packing List: 50 Essentials to Bring on Your Next Drive

Whether you’re driving solo or adventuring with a buddy, you’ve got to make sure your car is packed with all of the right gear to make your road trip a success. From charging cables to pepper spray, this road trip packing list will cover your bases from home to, well, home.

I love a road trip. There aren’t many better travel options, in my esteemed opinion. You have control of the transportation, you can stop as you please, hell, if you need to, you can sleep in your car! What more can you ask for? 

I’ve driven around Ireland, Scotland, Canada, the United States, and more. The freedom that a little rental car (or a trusty old beater) gives you helps you see places better than you might by train or plane. 

Road Trip Packing List Essentials for Every Trip

These are the items you don’t leave home without. Double-check your bags and make sure to store them in safe, but accessible places in your car, so they’re ready if you need them.

Car Essentials to Pack for a Road Trip

Emergency & Safety Essentials

• Portable Tire Inflator: It’s easy to forget how much wear we’re putting on our tires. Especially when you’re roadtripping alone, don’t risk getting stranded with a bad tire. A compact tire pump you can fit in your trunk makes it easy to fill up at rest stops. Be sure to pack a tire pressure gauge as well, even if your pump has one of its own.
• First Aid Kit: From blisters to cramps, have a first aid kit that covers the basics in the car.
• Jumper Cables: In case you ever need a bump, it’s good to have a pair of jumper cables in your trunk. Watch a YouTube video on how to use them, or hope the good Samaritan who’s volunteering their car for a jump knows.
• Flashlight: We all have one on our phones, but in the event you run out of charge, a flashlight comes in handy. Bonus: if you get a solid one, you now have extra protection!

Car Organization & Clean-Up Items

• Trunk Organizer: These trunk organizers make it super easy to know where what is, organizing your snacks (most importantly), as well as your random car odds and ends that you don’t want to roll around.
• Cleaning Wipes: You never know what you’re gonna spill or touch. Having some baby wipes AND disinfectant wipes in easily grabable locations will be incredibly helpful.
• Paper Towels: Whether for bigger messes or simply a napkin for a meal, having some paper towels on hand will keep your car clean on a long drive.
• Trash Bags: It’s easy to turn a fairly clean car quickly into a mess. Having trash bags (and backups) is essential for keeping your car neat and tidy.
• Household Supplies: Depending on where you’re sleeping, packing a little laundry soap and dishwasher detergent makes it easy to run a load without buying a whole new container.

Road Trip Packing List Comfort Essentials

Road trips can get really long, so why not pack a few comfort items to make your travels easier? These are some of my musts, from my grandma-badge-wearing compression socks to handy car hooks that keep your bags organized (and off the floor!).

Clothing & Personal Comfort Items

• Slip-On Sandals: Having sandals in the car that you can slip into will give your feet time to breathe (and prevent foot itch okk).
• Compression Socks: If you’re sitting for long periods of time, like say on a ROAD TRIP, compression socks can help with blood flow and swelling. At minimum, you don’t have baseball ankles, and at maximum, you don’t get blood clots.
• Sunglasses: No need to squint. I usually have a few pairs on me, just in case one wanders off or gets forgotten in a booth at a lunch stop.
• Sleeping Supplies: If you’re blessed with a second driver, pack a pillow and a blanket for the times when you’re not driving. Having a simple blanket also works as a picnic option!

In-Car Convenience Items

• Headrest Hooks: These bad boys are amazing. Trash bag? Hung. Groceries? Not on the floor. Bags and purses? Out of the way! I love headrest hooks, and honestly, they stay in the car even outside of trips.
• Adjustable Phone Mount: If you have an old car, you probably don’t have a built-in GPS. Having a handy phone mount that you can adjust to your liking makes long drives much easier and safer!

Food & Drink to Pack for a Road Trip

It should surprise no one that I’m all about the snacks on a trip. Having a variety of munches not only curbs that hunger until you can find a place to stop, but it is sometimes necessary when the drive gets boring.

Snacks & Easy Road Trip Food Essentials

• Coolers AND Ice Packs: Chances are, you’ll have a few cool items traveling with you from place to place. Having something as simple as a collapsible cooler is a great option. Don’t forget some ice packs. Or, you can get a little fancier with a cooler that plugs in and stays refrigerated while you drive! 
• Reusable Containers & Baggies: Having baggies is a must for a road trip. Buy a bag of carrots and want to take a few on a hike? Covered. Collect sea shells and don’t want them to get lost? Zip ‘em up! Containers offer great storage as well for the nights you might have leftovers or if you want to prep food for lunch on the road.
• Spices & Food Basics: The last thing you want to buy is a bag of sugar on a road trip. My mom has to have her daily sweet tea, so she always packs tea bags and sugar. Also, things like spices (salt & pepper shakers are great!), seeds, oatmeal, and more just make it a little easier to travel without needing to carry around (or buy on the road) bulk items.
• All the Sweet, Salty, & Sour Snacks: I love to use one of those reusable containers with a lot of sections in it and place an assortment of sour candy, salty and crunchy bites in another, and some cut-up veggies as well.

Drinks & Hydration Essentials

• Reusable Water Bottle: We all need water, and don’t be someone who buys throwaway plastic bottles. Having an insulated water bottle is a must for your road trip packing list and will keep you hydrated and your drink cool.
• Giant Water Bottle: Instead of going thirsty, bring a gallon insulated water bottle that you can fill up at your Airbnb and use as a refill as needed. My mom always questions bringing it, and then is always really happy we have it filled for refills in the car. Make sure you pack your reusable individual-sized bottles as well.
• Travel Mug: For those early mornings or when you want to take a hot beverage to-go, but maybe don’t trust the flimsy paper cups.
• Electrolyte Packets: My skin is always parched when I’m away from home. Keeping some electrolyte packs on hand to stir into my water is an easy way to stay hydrated!

Entertainment & Tech for Road Trips

Tech Essentials for the Car

• Bluetooth Speaker: Another one for my old beater drivers. Having a solid Bluetooth speaker will ensure you’re entertained for the whole drive. 
• Charging Cables: Always have spare charging cables in your car (for all of your devices!). I recommend having a set you keep in the car, and one that comes in with you at night.
• USB Charging Port: If you’re going for long driving days, you may need to charge more than one device at once, so having a car charging port like this one with dual plugs is amazing!
• Offline Content: When you hit that deadzone, you’re gonna want to have some offline options to pass the time. Having at least some entertainment already downloaded to your phone is an easy way to ensure that you’re never bored as you drive.

Technology-Free Entertainment for Long Drives

• Paper & Pen: For notes, doodles, or when you need pen and paper to keep score of all the times you beat your mama at 500 Rummy. 
• Games: A deck of cards is easy and small, but if you’re able and have the space, adding a few board games to your road trip packing list is a must. When we had a rainy day in Québec City, we spent the afternoon playing King Domino and Azul, while some easy chicken hand pies baked in the oven.

Nice-to-Have Extras for Your Road Trip Packing List

• Collapsible Camping Chair: For those of you who love the idea of coming across a view for a pit stop, a picnic in the park, or happening through a seasonal festival. My knees aren’t really big fans of sitting on the ground, so having a collapsible chair is easy enough to throw into the car!
• Safety Protection: Don’t live in the land of la la, ok? Having some pepper spray, a taser, and/or a Swiss army knife is important. You’re likely to hit some rural areas or dodgy motels, and it’s always better to be prepared.
• Sunscreen: Don’t underestimate your sun exposure in a car! Having some sunscreen in the car easily accessible is a must. I love a sunscreen stick for travel, as they go from car to pocket perfectly.
• Small Change & Bills: Even if you’re accustomed to an EZPass, keeping some small change (quarters, dimes) and bills is necessary for a road trip. Think tolls, the buggy at Aldi’s, or that cute street-side farmer’s market that’s cash-only.
• Umbrella: Keeping an umbrella or two in the car will save you some soggy clothes when you eventually have to traipse through it.
• Reusable Grocery Bags: In many places, you’re not going to find free plastic grocery bags (yay!). Throw one or two reusable bags in the car, and you’ll be good to go. 

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