Road Trip Essentials for Your Next Adventure

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As someone who adores road trips, I thought I’d share a comprehensive list of road trip essentials for your next adventure (pups included)! I frequently road trip along the East Coast, but I’ve also driven from North Carolina to Washington state and back.

I really love road tripping because it feels so much more adventurous than flying. Flying is the only option in some instances, but there’s something so exciting about having total control of your itinerary and seeing more places along the way.

In this blog post, I’m sharing my top road trip essentials for adventures ranging from a short weekend getaway to a cross country excursion.

Ultimate Road Trip Packing List

Disclaimer: This blog contains affiliate links which means I earn a small percentage of every purchase at no cost to you.

One of the nice things about road trips is being able to make pit stops along the way, but it’s convenient to have most of what you need on hand from the get-go. It’s especially important to be prepared if you’re traveling in an unfamiliar area. The following items will make your life a little bit easier and your trip a lot more comfortable!

Organization

Document organizer

Most of us use our phones for everything these days, but I usually print out my reservations after booking to be safe. The main reason I do this is because I find it easier to pull a reservation out of a folder than to search through bazillions of screenshots or emails.

I like to have important documents easily accessible when I need them and this simple document organizer is perfect for that!

Trunk organizer

Keeping things organized is an absolute must, especially on lengthy road trips. There’s nothing worse than sifting through a pile of junk in the dark trying to find your charger when your phone is on 1% (speaking from experience here, folks).

This super affordable trunk organizer saved me a lot of headaches on my XC road trip because it has tons of dividers and pockets. It also has handles so that you can easily take it in/out of your car! This is one of those road trip essentials that will save you so much frustration!

Overnight bag

The perfect overnight bag has to be the right mix of not-too-clunky, but also spacious enough for when I decide that I need 6 outfits for one night. This duffel bag is roomy without being too oversized. It’s a great option for both weekend getaways and longer trips!

Toiletry bag

I feel like this one is a given but wanted to mention it anyways, especially because this particular bag is the bee’s knees. This toiletry bag is water-resistant and perfect for travel-sized toiletries. The hanger allows you to hang it somewhere out of the way if needed AND it comes in a variety of cute patterns/colors.

Car

Emergency car kit

This nifty and affordable little emergency car kit contains jumper cables, an LED light, 2-in-1 screwdriver, gloves, cable ties, and pliers. Something like this is a great thing to have in your car whether you’re road tripping or not since it comes with essentials that could be useful for day-to-day travel.

AAA membership

I didn’t end up using AAA at all during my XC road trip (thank goodness), but I figured it was better to be safe than sorry. I paid $89 for the plus membership. As someone who goes on road trips all the time, I love having the peace of mind that comes with AAA! Also, you receive coverage whether you’re the driver or a passenger as a member.

Headlamp

A flashlight would also work, but I prefer the convenience of a headlamp. I pretty much always have a headlamp in my car for sunrise and sunset hikes anyways! I just have a cheap one off Amazon and keep extra batteries with me.

Some form of light source is crucial if you’re traveling at night in case of emergency or if you need to dig something out of your suitcase in the dark.

Duct tape

On my XC road trip, I used duct tape to secure my homemade window covers. It’s a good thing to have on hand just in case you need tape for whatever reason. You never know!

Comfort

Travel blanket

If you’re a passenger on a long road trip, a good blanket is a must! I love this insulated blanket because it’s cozy, lightweight, and packs down to a convenient size. I like to take my own blankets into hotels and on flights in case I get cold and this blanket is perfect for that.

Comfy clothes

You can’t go wrong with a good loungewear set for travel. I’m all for being able to get away with wearing PJs in public.

Food & Drink

Water bottle

Instead of burning through plastic bottles on road trips, packing a refillable water bottle is a much more environmentally-friendly way to stay hydrated.

I’ll usually buy a few of the gallon jugs from Walmart or Target and refill my Hydro Flask as needed. I find this method especially helpful if I’m traveling in an unfamiliar area and don’t want to go into random gas stations or simply don’t know when I’ll see a gas station again.

Cooler

I took this Igloo cooler on my XC road trip. It fit perfectly in my front passenger seat. You might need something bigger for a family, but this cooler is perfect for 1-2 people and fits a 10lb bag of ice perfectly.

I had to change the ice pretty often on my XC road trip, because I was traveling during summertime. Now that I’ve used it on a few camping trips, I’m super impressed with hot long the ice lasts when it isn’t 95 degrees outside!

Silverware

If you plan on preparing your own food at any point during your road trip, make sure to pack some reusable silverware!

Travel mug

I don’t like using the cups/mugs hotels provide, so I always pack my own travel mug! I always end up using it for coffee and/or wine. This Hydro Flask mug is great, because it’s comfortable to hold and I never have to worry about it breaking.

Electronics

Extra charging cables

Because if you’re anything like me, you’re bound to lose at least like two chargers on any given trip.

Phone mount

I’m not generally a phone mount type of person, but they definitely comes in handy on long road trips. I purchased this affordable phone mount off Amazon! It was easy to setup and stayed on my dash nicely.

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Entertainment

Podcasts

Podcasts are great for long drives, especially if you’re traveling solo! I don’t know what I would’ve done without Brené Brown and Crime Junkies on my XC road trip. There are so many incredible, free podcasts on Spotify! If you need some ideas, check out this list.

Audible

Audible is another great option for road trippers! An Audible subscription is $14.95 a month for Amazon Prime members. Being cooped up in the car is the perfect opportunity to listen to that book you’ve been meaning to read for months.

For Your Pups

We’ve driven our dogs (two large German Shepherds) from NC to upstate NY and back on multiple occasions. It’s about a 12 hour drive one way, so we want them to be as comfortable as possible.

We make sure not to feed them any big meals before road tripping. It’s also important to stop every few hours to let them stretch their legs and use the bathroom! The items below are road trip essentials when we’re traveling with our pups.

Collapsible bowls
Seat cover
Backseat barrier *make sure to find a barrier that fits you vehicle’s measurements
Towel
Waste bags
Collar & custom tags
Favorite treats
Favorite toy(s)

Best Road Trip Snacks

A road trip isn’t a road trip without snacks. I also have a tendency to eat in the car when I get bored (whoops), but I like to pack mostly healthy snacks to keep me feeling good while traveling! I like to pack energy bars, cheese crisps, turkey jerky, popcorn, trail mix, fruit, yogurt, and maybe a little bit of candy 🙂

Best Apps for Road Trips

HotelTonight

HotelTonight is perfect if you need to take a break from driving and book a last-minute stay! This app saved me on my XC road trip. I was in Seattle and the camping plans I’d originally made fell through at the last minute. Using HotelTonight, I was able to book a really nice hotel at a super affordable price at around 8PM for that night.

GasBuddy

GasBuddy is much better than maps because it not only provides gas stations along your route but also gives price comparisons and directions!

Roadtrippers

I wish I’d known about Roadtrippers sooner because all you have to do is enter your destination and it will provide you with not only the estimated time and mileage but also estimated fuel costs.

The app also functions as a trip planner in that you can view your route and add all sorts of destinations such as restaurants and attractions along the way).

Waze

Waze is great for live traffic updates and finding alternative routes!

Google Maps

Does anyone else’s Apple Maps ALWAYS take them to the wrong place (particularly when trying to find a more remote destination)? Or maybe it’s just me. I find Google Maps to be far more reliable. I find it helpful to download offline maps in advance when I know I’ll be in an area I’m unfamiliar with!

I absolutely adore road trips, but they can quickly become not-so-fun if you aren’t prepared. These are all my must-have items for road trips, and I hope you found this list helpful! What are some of your long road trip essentials?

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