36 Essentials For Your Road Trip Packing List
What comes to mind when you think of road trips?
Epic playlists? Lots of coffee? Windows rolled down? The wind in your hair? All good things.
But without the right gear and preparation, your dream road trip can quickly get derailed and become a bit of a nightmare.
That’s where the perfect road trip packing list comes in! Keep reading to find out what you should bring on the road to make the most of your next journey by car, and how to avoid some road trip disasters by simply packing the right stuff.
Road Trip Basics
These things may seem like no-brainers, but it’s easy to forget essential items when you’re hastily packing your bags and have a lot on your mind. Be sure to bring these road trip basics with you on every road trip:
- Your driver’s license (and a driver’s license for anyone else who may be sharing driving duties with you)
- A copy of your car’s registration or your car rental agreement in case you need it
- Proof of your car insurance policy – be sure it’s up to date and active too
- Cash for tolls, tips, and anything else you can’t pay for with a card
- Paper maps and/or a reliable maps app that can be used offline
Keeping all of these important items in one place (like a pouch or folder in the car’s glove box) will give you peace of mind and keep you from scrambling at the last minute.
Sustainable Items For Your Road Trip
First off, let’s acknowledge that driving obviously has its own carbon footprint. While you can’t really change that, you can make choices to help offset the impact that your road trip will have on the planet! Here are some easy ways to road trip more sustainably:
- Drive during non-peak traffic hours so you’re less likely to get stuck sitting in traffic with your engine running
- Opt for electric or hybrid vehicles if possible (i.e. if you’re renting a car, or have a friend with more fuel-efficient car)
- Carpool if you can, and drive as few vehicles as you can to your destination if you’re in a large group
A reusable water bottle is both environmentally-friendly and keeps you hydrated on the road. By opting out of buying single-use plastic water bottles along your route in favor of using a reusable bottle, you’re doing good for both the planet and your body!
Bring reusable food packaging, like beeswax wraps, silicone pouches instead of Ziploc bags, and metal straws.
Pack a couple reusable totes or foldable bags to use as trash containers, shopping bags, or whatever else you may need.
Staying Comfortable On The Road
If you’re anything like me, comfort is vital when it comes to enjoying any travel experience. There are plenty of things you can’t control when traveling, so it’s all the more important to pack items that will help keep you comfy and cozy in the car. Here are a few favorites:
- A nice, warm blanket for chilly early mornings and late nights – bonus points if it plugs into your car and heats up
- An eye mask for those midday car naps in the blazing sun
- Some sort of pillow – neck pillows or travel pillows take up the least space, but you can always bring your favorite pillow from home if you’d rather
- Soft, comfortable socks to wear in the car (because who wants to leave their shoes on all day?!)
- Ibuprofen, Motrin or some other form of pain relief in case of headaches, backaches, or other aches and pains
- Wipes and toilet paper, for staying fresh, cleaning up messes, and uh, obvious other reasons
- A travel towel in case you go swimming or need to mop up some spills
- Deodorant for all parties involved – no one likes a stanky road trip
Electronics & Gadgets For The Car
Depending on the type of car you have and what kind of GPS system you’re using, you may be draining your phone’s battery like crazy. Even if you’re not using your phone’s GPS and maps apps, playing music or podcasts through your phone will knock your battery down to zero real quick!
If you’re anything like me, you probably have to listen to playlists and podcasts in the car to stay sane and alert. Here are some of my favorites that help pass the time!
- Podcast recommendations: Armchair Expert (my personal #1), Radiolab, If I’m Being Honest, This American Life, Invisibilia, Oprah’s Super Soul Conversations, Awesome With Alison
- A few road trip music recommendations: Bon Iver, The 1975, Neil Young, M83, Jenny Lewis
Stay charged up at all times with a portable phone charger and/or a car charger that plugs into your car directly.
Here are some other electronics essentials for the car:
- Extra charging cords for everyone in the car – someone always forgets theirs
- Your favorite camera to document all those great road trip memories (don’t forget camera chargers and memory cards)
- A portable entertainment system such as an iPad or Kindle
- Headphones, for those times when everyone in the car just can’t agree on what to listen to
Car Safety Essentials For Your Road Trip
No one wants to plan for the worst, but it’s always a good idea to be prepared when hitting the road – whether you’re driving for a day or months on end. Here are some essential items to pack just in case you need them:
- A car jack for changing flat tires
- A first aid kit that is fully stocked in case of emergency
- One (or two!) small but strong flashlights
- Warming items, like a reusable hand warmer, a good coat, hat and gloves
- A portable gas can – filled up if possible for rural, long drives with uncertain gas station availability
- A rechargeable emergency jump starter kit
And there you have it! Your absolute essentials for any road trip – no matter the season. There’s one (very important) road trip item left to talk about, and that is…
The Car You Drive On Your Road Trip
Now that we’ve run through the most essential items you should take on the road, let’s take a minute to talk about the vehicle you’re taking this glorious road trip in! Having a safe, reliable car that not only gets you where you want to go but keeps you comfortable at the same time is key, especially when driving long distances. The right car can make or break your road trip.
On our most recent road trip, we were lucky enough to get to test out the 2019 Mazda6 Signature series, and…you guys. This car has ruined me for all other cars. Let’s do a quick rundown of some of my favorite features in this beautiful baby:
- Heated seats in the front AND back – yeah, you heard that right
- A surprisingly giant trunk, especially for such a compact car
- Crisp, clear 11-speaker Bose sound system
- The open sun roof that let us take in our surroundings from all angles
- Insanely comfortable seats with incredible back support (I told you I was ruined for all future cars, y’all)
- 360° View Monitor with front and rear parking sensors to make tight spots a breeze
- Plenty of leg room for everyone – again, really surprising considering the size of the car
- A dream to drive – this vehicle maneuvered so easily and smoothly no matter the weather (and we drove in bad rain)
Big thanks to Mazda for keeping our chilly bodies warm in torrential rainstorms and safe on winding roads!
The benefits of road tripping:
Taking a road trip is one of the most flexible, freeing ways to travel. The number of travelers choosing road trips over flying to their destination has increased exponentially in the past few years, and for good reason.
Road tripping is an experience in and of itself. The ability to see new towns, discover little restaurants and shops, get tips from locals on your way through town, and witness the natural beauty of all the scenery along the way…it’s understandable why people are choosing to travel by car more and more.
Packing for a road trip can feel a bit daunting, but with the right gear and preparation, you’ll be well on your way to the best road trip ever! Use this handy road trip packing list as your guide and get ready to hop in the car and explore the world.
Pin this packing list for your next road trip so you don’t forget anything!
