Travel Essentials: 42 Things To Bring On A Roadtrip
Don’t leave home without these road trip essentials! Discover the must-have items that will make your journey comfortable, convenient, and memorable. Start packing now with our list of 42 things to bring on a roadtrip – with a free printable list!
Essential Things To Bring On A Roadtrip
Embarking on a road trip is an exciting adventure, offering the freedom of the open road and the promise of new experiences at every turn. Whether you’re planning a solo journey, a romantic getaway, or a fun-filled family vacation, having the right gear can make all the difference. As you prepare to hit the highway, ensuring your vehicle is in good condition is just the beginning.
To make your journey smooth and enjoyable, it’s crucial to have a well-thought-out packing strategy. This guide to essential road trip items will help you compile the ultimate road trip packing list, ensuring you’re well-prepared for everything from unexpected detours to leisurely rest stops. Read on to discover the must-have road trip essentials that will keep the whole family comfortable, entertained, and ready for adventure.
Don’t forget to read all the way to the end so you can download my FREE printable roadtrip packing list!
An Emergency Kit
1. First Aid Kit
2. Spare Tire
3. Basic Tools
Bringing basic tools is a great idea because you may need to handle minor repairs and maintenance. Items like a tire jack, wrench, screwdriver, and pliers can help you fix issues quickly and safely. Being prepared with these tools ensures you can address unexpected problems easily! THIS is a great tool set for emergencies, and it’s less than $25!
4. Jumper Cables
Bringing a set of jumper cables on a road trip is absolutely crucial for dealing with a dead battery. A drained battery can leave you stranded, but jumper cables allow you to quickly restart your vehicle with the help of another car. There is also chargable jump starters you can bring that will jump your car without the need of another car. This simple yet essential tool ensures you’re prepared for battery issues, keeping your trip smooth and stress-free.
5. Solar Charger
Bringing a solar charger on a road trip is ESSENTIAL for ensuring your devices stay powered if you get stranded on the side of the road, or if you are in remote areas without access to electrical outlets. It harnesses sunlight to recharge phones, GPS units, and other essentials, providing a reliable power source. This eco-friendly solution enhances your preparedness and convenience, making it easier to stay connected in an emergency.
6. Car Power Inverter
Bringing a car power inverter on a road trip is helpful for powering electronic devices that require AC outlets. It converts your car’s DC power into AC, allowing you to charge laptops, cameras, and other gadgets. This ensures you can work, entertain, and stay connected throughout your journey, enhancing convenience and comfort on the road.
7. Flashlight
Bringing a flashlight on a road trip is helpful for ensuring visibility in low-light situations. Whether dealing with a nighttime car issue, navigating a dark campsite, or finding items in your vehicle, a reliable flashlight is essential. It enhances safety and convenience, allowing you to handle unexpected situations confidently and efficiently, regardless of the time of day.
Electronics
There are some electronics that are ESSENTIAL to bring on a roadtrip – for both safety and lesiure reasons. Read on to find out what they are!
8. Cell Phone
Bringing a cell phone on a road trip is absolutely necessary for WAY obvious reasons. In worst case scenarios – getting lost, a vehicle breaking down, or an emergency illness or injury, you will need a cell phone to contact the appropriate authorities for help.
9. Chargers + Extra Chargers
Bringing a cell phone charger is important because you will need to keep your cell phone powered up in case of an emergency, and for navigating remote locations that you are unfamiliar with. Chargers do tend to break and get lost on road trips, so it is always helpful to bring a few extras just in case!
10. Camera
A camera is by no means essential for safety reasons, but it is a great idea to bring with you to capture memories along the way! If you don’t have a camera, your phone most likely takes awesome pictures as well!
11. Camera Charger/Extra Batteries
If you do happen to have a camera such as a DSLR, be sure to pack extra batteries and a charger so you can continue to snap memories on the road along the way!
12. Power Strip
I ALWAYS bring a power strip on road trips, especially when I am planning on staying at hotels. A power strip is especially helpful if you are traveling with family or friends and you have many devices to power up, because hotel rooms typically don’t have very many electrical outlets to use. A power strip esnsures 8-10 devices are being charged at once!
13. Electronic Organizer
Going off my last item, it is also SO HELPFUL to have some sort of contraption to organize your electronics and their chargers. It is so easy to lose devices and cords on a trip, and having an electronic organizer can make all the difference, especially when you are carrying luggage and personal items in and out of hotels during your trip!
14. Cooler
Bringing a cooler on your trip ensures that you have a space to put healthy snacks and cold drinks during your trip. Be sure to also bring ice packs, or stop for ice! THIS is a great little travel cooler – I love it because it has a lot of space for snacks and drinks, but doesn’t take up too much space in the trunk!
15. Good Snacks
Before any road trip, I always stop at the grocery store a fill up my cooler with tons of snacks and drinks for the road! This saves me time and money because I don’t have to stop at convenience stores along the way.
Some of my favorite road trip snacks are:
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- Granola Bars
- Protein Shakes
- Beef Jerky
- Nuts
- Fruit
- Trail Mix
- Cheesy Popcorn
- Sandwiches (Uncrustables are a great idea!)
- String Cheese
- Crackers
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16. Plenty of Drinking Water
Bringing plenty of drinking water on your road trip is SO important because you must stay hydrated on your trip. It is very easy to load up on salty/sweet snacks while on the road, and balancing that with a good amount of water is the key to feeling good while driving. Instead of using plastic water bottles, opt for a reusable water bottle and fill it up at gas stations and hotels you stay at along the way. (They usually don’t charge for this) My favorite reusable water bottle is my Stanley – it keeps my water cold all day!
17. Liquid IV
Liquid IV is my absolute favorite electrolyte powder and it comes in so many different flavors! Two of my faovrites are watermelon and sugar free sherbert. While it is more expensive than other electrolytes, I find that it does the job much bettter and tastes amazing. I’ve even staved off several headaches on the road with just Liquid IV alone!
18. OTC Motion Sickness Meds
Unfortunately, car sickness is a thing that happens on the road, and most times you don’t have any idea that it will happen until you’re on the highway, miles away from a pharmacy. Bringing your favorite over the counter motion sickness medication can really help out in this situation should you or any of your passengers get car sick! (Not medical advice, of course.)
19. A Great Travel Bag
Depending on how long your road trip is, you may need different sized travel bags, or bags that are made for different purposes. A tote bag may be fine for a shorter trip, while a duffel bag will probably work better for a longer trip! One thing is certain though – you will need a great travel bag that you love to pack your clothes in for your trip! HERE is a link to my favorite weekender bag!
20. A Coat
Always remember to bring a coat or light jacket on a road trip, since you never know what kindof weather you will run into. (Especially in the mountains!) My favorite light jacket to bring with me is my Columbia windbreaker!
21. Sneakers
A good pair of sneakers is IMPERATIVE to bring on a road trip because you really never know if and when you will be doing walking. Whether it be to a surprise walk to a gas station from the highway, or a gorgeous nature walk. Always bring comfy sneakers to protect your feet!
22. Extra Pair of Shoes (Like hiking boots)
I would also recommend to always bring AT LEAST a second pair of shoes, if not a third or fourth. (Ladies, you know what I’m talking about!) A pair of hiking boots is a great idea if you plan to hike on your trip, otherwise you may just want to bring sandels or another pair of sneakers just in case.
23. Gloves
Gloves can be important to bring depending on whether or not you’ll be driving through winter weather. Mountain road trips can be pretty cold, even during the summertime. Use your own judgement and be prepared!
24. Sunglasses
I don’t even drive to Target without a good pair of sunglasses on, so this item is a must for me! It is important for the driver to at least have a pair of sunglasses to fight road glare.
25. Blanket
A comfy blanket is a great idea to bring on a road trip, especially if you are a passanger and foresee a lot of naps in your future. It’s also a good idea to bring one just in case you get stranded and need to nap in your car.
26. A Good Pillow
No matter what kind of trip I take, whether it be a road trip or flying, I ALWAYS bring one of my favorite pillows to sleep with. Hotels are notorious for having pillows that are way too soft, and believe it or not, good sleep can and will make or break your road trip. Whether you are planning on sleeping in a hotel room or not, bring a good pillow!
27. Lotion
Lotion is a definite MUST on a roadtrip, especially if you will be driving through dry climates. Pack a travel size bottle of lotion that contains collagen and vitamin E, your skin will thank you later!
28. Sunscreen
Sunscreen can be very important, depending on where you are traveling and what whether patterns you will be spending time in. I always have non-toxic sunscreen in my car just in case, but I would definitely bring it on a road trip, especially because I have littles in tow!
29. Chapstick
A good chapstick or lip balm is also important, especially in dry climates or during summer time. Protect those lips and prevent them from becoming chapped and painful!
30. Hand Sanitizer
I would say that this is one of the most important items on this list, especially after living through 2020. We should all probably have hand sanitizer in our cars regardless, but I would say that it’s VERY important if you plan on being in and out of high traffic places like hotels, grocery stores, and gas stations during the cold and flu season.
31. Paper Map
Google Maps is super useful and gets the job done efficiently, but I don’t think that most of us think “how will I navigate if I am in a no service-zone?” until it’s too late. Definitely bring a paper map for any state that you plan to drive through! And perhaps spend a bit of time looking at them before you depart so you can get the hang of reading them as well!
32. Cash & Credit Cards
Bring a credit card (if you have one) and plenty of cash on a road trip with you just in case you end up somewhere that doesn’t take cards, or doesn’t take your type of debit card. For example, in Washington (where I live) there are so many coffee shops that only take cash, among other service based businesses.
TIP: Always let your bank and credit card companies know that you will be traveling out of state, that way your cards will not be cut off for suspicious activity.
33. Insurance Card
This should be a no brainer, but you should always have your insuranc ecard placed in your glove compartment (or wherever your prefer it to be) just in case you are pulled over, or get in an accident. If you don’t have car insurance, The Zebra is a great resource to compare rates and find the best insurance plan for you!
34. Ice Scraper
An ice scraper can be important to bring if you are going on a winter road trip. Use your best judgement and be prepared!
35. Umbrella
An umbrella is important to bring on a road trip if you plan on stopping in areas where it is known to rain frequently, such as Seattle. I would suggest a compact umbrella that doesn’t take up much space in your car!
36. Backseat Organizer
A backseat organizer is a MUST if you have kids that you will be bringing on your road trip. Most backseat organizers can fit around a car seat and store things like toys, books, water bottles, and devices.
37. Headrest Tablet Holder
This is another item that I would recommend if you plan on road tripping with young children, especially for long road trips! a headrest tablet holder is a great way for kids to watch movies from their car seat, and have hands free for snacks and drinks. It really keeps them busy during long days of travel!
38. Baby Wipes
Baby wipes are an absolute essential for road trips whether you are bringing kids or not, in my opinion. You never know when you will get in a sticky or messy situation – spills, injuries, road side emergencies, etc.
39. Car Trash Can
A car trash can is a a great idea to bring so you can keep your car organized and clean the whole way there and back. A messy car is a chaotic car, and a chaotic car is a distracting car! If you don’t have a trash can, a plastic bag works just as well too! Just remember to bring a few of them so you can throw them away once they are full and start a new one!
40. National Park Pass
A national park pass can elevate your road trip in the most beautfiul of ways! If there are any national parks on your route, I definitely recommend grabbing one and squeezing a few hours in at a park to see the beautiful sights up close. There are many options to choose from, from an annual pass, to a single visit pass. Grab yours here!
41. A Great Road Trip Playlist
A road trip is only as fun as the music that you listen to along the way, especially on a LONG DRIVE! Create a playlist of your favorite songs, or find an already made one on Spotify that you will enjoy. Satellite radio is also a great idea for a road trip. Don’t forget to download your favorite road trip podcast for when you run out of songs!
Apple Car Play is an absolute must for me, if your car doesn’t have it, THIS PRODUCT is a great alternative and connects super fast!
Thank you for reading my post about road trip necessities. Don’t forget to bring the above essential items on your next road trip! Leave a comment below and let me know if I missed anything that is a MUST to bring on a road trip!
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