30 Things to Pack for Your Next Road Trip
A Honda beauty looking out over the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon
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.
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 list of items will cover your road trip bases from home to, well, home. Keep in mind that depending on where you are road-tripping, you may night be able to bring all of these along (or even need them) but the more you know, the more prepared you’ll be.
A Good Speaker
If you’re going to be driving a newer car, this note is likely not for you. For those of us who might road trip in a trusty old beater, that sound system is probably not pumping out the jams that’ll get you through some of those longer drives. Having a solid Bluetooth speaker like this Bose will ensure you’re entertained for the whole drive.
Charging Cables
One of those so-obvious-you-might-forget items. Always have spare charging cables in your car. For all of your devices! Nothing’s worse than having your speaker die, in the middle of no-mans-land Idaho. It also makes it easier to have cords you can simply keep in the car and not need to bring in and out of your nightly stays.
USB Charging Port
Again, the old beaters likely don’t have all the charging functionalities a new car might but, some new cars also aren’t equipped with more than one USB plug. 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!
Trunk Organizer
These are AMAZING for organizing your snacks (most importantly) but also your random car odds and ends that you don’t want to roll around. These organizers make it super easy to know where what is, whether you’re grabbing it in the car or bringing a snack out for a picnic.
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 if say the McDonald’s drive-through worker filled your Dr. Pepper a little too full.
Tire Pump
I drove back to back 10-14 hour days solo from Oregon to North Carolina. It’s easy to forget how much wear we’re putting on our tires but 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, it’s good to have a backup to check.
Paper Towels
In line with the cleaning wipes note, having a roll of paper towels on hand makes it so much easier to keep your car on the cleaner side during your trip. Whether for bigger messes or simply a napkin for a meal.
Sleeping Supplies
If you’re blessed with a second driver (well, usually a blessing) be sure to pack a pillow and a blanket for the times when you’re not driving. It can also get chilly in the car on long drives but you may not always need the extra cover. Having a simple blanket is also worth it as a picnic option too!
Adjustable Phone Mount
If you have the aforementioned old car (like say a sexy ‘06 Honda with over 230,000 miles on it) 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! Don’t be holding your phone and driving people.
Collapsible Camping Chairs
I just love the idea that I might come across a view that I want to park myself at for a minute. You may also visit a town that’s having a seasonal festival or have found a spot not far off the trail in a park, where you can pop a squat with a good book. My knees aren’t really big fans of sitting on the ground so having a chair is easy enough to throw into the car!
Offline audio content
I can basically guarantee you that you’re gonna hit dead zones on your road trip, and they may not end swiftly. Having at least some entertainment already downloaded to your phone is an easy way to ensure that you’re never bored as you drive. Some of my current favorite podcasts are The Liz Moody Podcast, Death, Sex, and Money, and What Now? w/ Trevor Noah. You can also download free audiobooks (and ebooks!) on Libby - highly recommend Born a Crime by Trevor Noah if you haven’t listened to it. I find that podcasts and books can help the time go by faster on those longer drive days versus a 2-3 minute song (which when it ends, reminds you that it’s only been 2-3 minutes…).
This holds true for maps as well. Especially if you’re driving in another country, downloading offline maps on Google is a safety precaution to ensure that you’ll be able to find your way.
Sunglasses
The sun is bright, 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.
Compression Socks
No, I’m not 80. If you’re sitting for long periods of time, like say on a ROAD TRIP, compression socks can help with blood flow and swelling so at minimum you don’t have baseball ankles and at maximum, you don’t get blood clots. They also don’t have to be the absolutely hideous ones that you see in retirement homes (c’mon old folks, get it together), there are plenty of cute-ish ones!
Sock-free shoes
This sounds like a weird specification but hear me out. If you’re going on a hike, having sandals in the car that you can slip off and on both before the boots, and after all the sweating will feel amazing. Plus, they’ll help to prevent foot itch.
Headrest Hooks
Shoutout to my mother for this one as I would never have thought of it, if not for our last road trip. These bad boys are amazing. Trash bag? Hung. Groceries? Not on the floor. Bags and purses? Out of the way! I love them and honestly, they stay in the car even outside of trips.
Safety Protection
We don’t live in the land of la la, ok? Having some pepper spray, a taser, and/or even a small knife is important on a road trip. You’re likely to hit some rural areas or dodgy motels, and it’s always better to be prepared. Just keep in mind that if you’re crossing a border… certain countries may have rules against weapons. P.S. Canada/US border I still think it’s ridiculous that you can’t just take the pepper spray and instead make us chuck it in the grass…
Cooler AND Ice Packs
If you’re going to be driving for a while, chances are you’ll have a few cool items traveling with you from place to place. Having something as simple as a collapsible cooler like this is a great option, just don’t forget some ice packs. Or, you can get a little fancier with one 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 cook dinner or if you want to prep food for lunch.
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 worrying about running to the store as often or buying large quantities of things you don’t need to be carting around.
Sunscreen
Don’t underestimate your sun exposure in a car! From your hands to your face, making sure you’re lathered in sunscreen before you hit the road as well as having some in the car easily accessible, is a must. I love these little organic sunscreen sticks for travel, as they fit as easily in a car as a purse.
Small Change
Even if you’re somewhere where you’re accustomed to an EZPass, keeping some small change (quarters, dimes) and bills is necessary for a road trip. Depending on where you are traveling, cash might be the only option (or at least the easiest, especially if you might forget to pay that toll bill later). You never know when you’re going to come across a street-side farmer’s stand that’s cash-only or even simply a quarter for your Aldi’s cart!
Paper + Pen
I normally write notes on my phone BUT there are times when it’s quicker to just grab a notepad. More importantly, if you are a game player like we are, you need pen and paper to keep score of all the times you beat your mama in 500 rummy.
Games
Expanding on the last point, pack games! A deck of cards is easy and small but if you’re able and have the space, packing a few board games is a must. When we had a rainy day in Québec City we spent the afternoon playing King Domino and Azul, while some chicken pot pie baked in the oven.
Giant Water Bottle
Yes, there may be plenty of water fountains found in national parks or wherever you may be going, but there also may not. Instead of going thirsty (or buying plastic water bottles) bring a gallon insulated water bottle that you can fill up at your Airbnb and use it to refill as needed. My mom always questions bringing it (even though she downs water like an elephant) 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. I love the different Simple Modern bottles!
Trash Bags
When you’re going on a road trip it’s really easy to turn a fairly clean car into a mess, quickly. Having trash bags (and backups) is essential for keeping your car neat and tidy.
Umbrella
I mean… it rains. Keeping an umbrella or two in the car will save you some soggy clothes when you eventually have to traipse through it.
Grocery Bags
In many places, you’re not going to find free plastic grocery bags (yay!). When my mom and I stopped by a Walmart in Maine it was a pleasant surprise to see that you had to bring a reusable bag with you (or buy one). So throw one or two in the car and you’ll be good to go.
First Aid Kit
Hopefully, nothing crazy happens on your trip that needs more attention than a bandaid but it’s good to have a kit that covers the basics, in the car. For simple things like blisters, from all the walking you’re likely to do, or ibuprofen, for those cramps, a first aid kit comes in handy.
All the Sweet, Salty, and Sour Snacks
Snacks are a road trip must. Honestly, this should be number one but I saved one of the best packs for almost last. I love to use one of those reusable containers with a lot of sections in it and place an assortment of sour candy in them. I also like to have snacks that are crunchy, salty, and sometimes chocolatey (though you have to be careful it won’t melt – Oreos are a great option). Plus, cutting up some veggies for the road is a good way to try to stay on top of your nutrition (where you can) on a trip.
Household Supplies
May seem excessive but packing a little laundry soap and dishwasher detergent is in the same vein as the spices. You won’t need these as often as salt but the few times a stay doesn’t have cleaning supplies or you have to pay to use the washing machine, it’s so much easier than buying a whole container of detergent.
The list is long to match the drive. These items will make your road travels much more fun, tasty, and compact (trust me). Wherever you may be driving, have the best time!
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