Road Trip Essentials: Literally Everything You Should Bring On a Road Trip

Ever wondered what to pack for a road trip? Me too! After embarking on several East Coast road trips during the second half of 2020, I finally got my packing list down. Read on for all the road trip essentials you can’t leave home without. (Looking for road trip gift ideas? I’ve got that right here!)

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It’s no secret that road trips will continue to be the trip of choice in 2021. The stats all point to more and more people hitting the road this year, choosing to explore outdoor destinations close to home over getting on an airplane.

Once you realize that road-tripping domestically can be just as exciting as flying abroad, you’ll soon come to love the freedom of traveling by car. It can be as spontaneous as dropping a pin anywhere on the map — and way more affordable, too.

Love for the open road has been secretly spreading for quite some time: In 2019, a study found that more Americans were road-tripping than ever before. And that was before the air travel industry was grounded to a halt.

If you’re here, it means you’ve now joined the rest of us on the road. Welcome!

But, perhaps, you’re just getting started, and you really need to know what the heck to pack.

After road tripping up and down the East Coast last year, I’ve come up with a solid list of road trip essentials for trips of all lengths.

The following road trip packing list is separated into six categories, including road trip must-haves you simply can’t leave home without, clothing, luggage, self-care, entertainment, and, of course, snacks.

»RELATED: 40+ Travel Gift Ideas For Her

Road Trip Essentials: 22 Things You Can’t Leave Home Without

From car chargers to instant coffee and everything in between, here are 22 must-have road trip essentials for trips of all lengths.

Car Charger

No matter the length of your road trip, a two-port car charger is a road trip essential you can’t forget to pack! You’ll likely be using the GPS on your phone quite often during your trip, and that can quickly eat up your phone battery. Make sure to pack this road trip must-have to keep your phone charged and your navigation maps up and running.

Good Navigation Maps

A good navigation map is probably the No. 1 road trip essential. I personally like to use Google Maps on all my road trips. If I know I’m going to lose my internet or cell signal, I download the map beforehand to my phone. Didn’t know you could do that? Learn how here! The Maps.me app is another great offline navigation solution.

Reusable Water bottle

I never travel without a reusable water bottle. Take it from someone who’s experienced dehydration while traveling: It’s so important to stay hydrated while road tripping to avoid feeling ill! Bringing your own water bottle can help you cut back on plastic waste, too, since you won’t need to be purchase those small plastic bottles. This Avana water bottle is my absolute favorite _ it’s sturdy, holds 32 ounces of water and everyone who sees it wants to buy one!

Disinfectant Wipes

It’s a good idea to bring along a pack of disinfectant wipes so you can clean up any road trip spills. If you’re renting a car, make sure to wipe down high-touch areas like door handles and center console to ensure your car is germ free.

Car Pillow

I’ll admit it: I’m the worst co-pilot. I always fall asleep! Something about a moving vehicle rocks me to bed. If you’re anything like me, you’ll appreciate having a comfortable, neck-supporting pillow for those naps on the road.

noise-Canceling Headphones

For anyone who needs to get work done on the road, these noise-canceling headphones are a game-changer. They’re also great for drowning out surrounding sounds, if you want to listen to your own music in the car. Headphones can also come in handy if you want to go on a run to stretch your legs after all that driving.

In-Car Bluetooth trasmitter

Losing radio signal is almost a given during road trips, especially if you’re driving through national parks or the mountains. This bluetooth device connects to your car and allows you to play your own music from your phone on the car speakers. Download your favorite playlists to your phone, and you’re good to go.

Cozy Blanket

Having a cozy blanket on hand is essential for any road trip. Even if you’re not traveling to a cold weather destination, sometimes the A.C. is too much to handle. Co-pilots will also appreciate having a blanket for those quick naps. And it might also come in handy as a picnic blanket.

Thermos

Keep your coffee warm for 24 hours (!!!) in this top-quality thermos. You can fill it up at gas stations or convenience stores when you need that extra caffeine boost for a full day on the road. It also keeps liquids cold for 24 hours. Plus, the lid doubles as a serving cup.

Instant Coffee

Speaking of coffee, if you run on caffeine like I do, you should definitely order yourself some of Joe Coffee’s instant coffee packets! The coffee dissolves instantly in hot or cold water, and it’s a traveler favorite.

Emergency Car Kit

This AAA emergency car kit comes with jumper cables, a flashlight, a first aid kit and a slew of other items that could help in an emergency. An emergency kit is a rod trip must-have, especially for long road trips.

UV Window Shade

This UV window shade can save you from a rough burn on a sunny day on the road. You can get a pack of four on Amazon here.

Road Trip Cooler

It’s always nice to have a portable road trip cooler handy. You can use a cooler to keep drinks cool, store fresh snacks like fruits or bring a packed lunch. This cooler tote collapses into a flat bag, making it easy to pack away in your suitcase.

Bag Hooks For Your Car

Keep your bags and purses out of the way with these useful bag hooks, which you can strap onto the back seat of the car.

TRavel Hammock

If you plan on visiting parks during your road trip, a hammock is a great thing to bring! Travel hammocks are super lightweight and take up little to no space at all once folded up. It’s a great way to relax after a long day on the road.

Quick-Drying Towel

A quick-drying travel towel is especially useful for coastal road trips. It’s the easiest way to dry up after a spontaneous swim. A towel can super versatile, really, and I never leave on a road trip without one!

Car Trash Can

Keep the car tidy with a portable car trash can. This one has a waterproof interior to protect the car from spills. No one wants to road trip in a dirty car!

Wind-Proof Travel Umbrella

There’s nothing worse than getting caught in the rain at a rest stop — and having to run into the car soaking wet! This travel umbrella is lightweight, wind-proof and super compact (and it has over 13,000 reviews on Amazon!)

FlashLight

You can never be too prepared. A flashlight is an essential tool to bring on any kind of road trip, even if you’re not camping or spending time outdoors. You’ll be happy you have one if you run into any car troubles after dark!

Portable Chair

Find a nice viewpoint or sunset spot? Bring some chairs out to truly enjoy the scenery!

Duct Tape

Is this really a road trip necessity? Well, duct tape can fix almost anything. You can thank me later!

Car Trash Can

Keep the car tidy with a portable car trash can. This one has a waterproof interior to protect the car from spills. No one wants to road trip in a dirty car.

Camera

Don’t forget to pack a camera to capture all your road trip memories. Not sure what kind of camera to buy for all your travels? Check out my camera guide for my top recommendations.

Road Trip Essentials: Clothing

Travel shoes, a rain jacket and comfortable car clothes: Road trip essentials to pack in your suitcase.

HIking Boots

Hiking boots are the best kind of travel shoe: They’re durable, waterproof and ready for adventure. I personally recommend Columbia hiking boots; I have two that I absolutely love.

Rain Jacket

You’re better safe than sorry. I never leave on a road trip without packing my Columbia rain jacket. It’s come in handy plenty of times, especially on rainy hikes!

Sunglasses

Keep your eyes protected on a sunny day with UV-protected sunglasses. I often get headaches when there’s too much sunlight, so sunglasses are one of my top road trip essentials.

Hat

Stylish yet useful: A good hat protects your face from the sun while also being a fun accessory to your road trip outfit.

Pair of Sandals

Outdoor-friendly sandals are always a good thing to pack for a road trip. Teva sandals are comfortable to wear in the car, and they’re also perfect for water sports. They can double as your shower sandals, too.

COmfortable Car Clothes

Make sure to pack some comfortable car clothes to make long road trips less annoying. Loungewear sets or a pair of sweatpants are ideal.

Road Trip Essentials: Luggage

The best kind of road trip bag and organizers, check them out below.

Duffel Bag

My all-time favorite road trip bag is this duffel bag from Pakt. I’m able to fit everything I need in it, including shoes. I like that I can separate my shoes from the rest of my clothes in different compartments within the bag. I also love my Pakt travel backpack; read a full review of it here.

Day Pack

A day pack is an essential part of any hiking trip. You can store your water bottle, snacks and everything else you need for a full day of adventure.

Packing Cubes

I’ve been a religious eBags user for years now. Packing cubes are the best way to keep all of your items organized: I like to group clothing items like dresses or shorts into their own cubes so that I always know where to find exactly what I’m looking for.

Road Trip Essentials: Personal Care Checklist

All the personal care items to ensure your road trip as comfortable as possible. These are the personal care road trip essentials I don’t leave home without.

First aid kit

It’s always good to have a first aid kit around: This one from Amazon comes with bandages and bandaids of all sizes, alcohol wipes, CPR face mask, tourniquet and more.

Emergen-C Vitamin C

Traveling can take a toll on your immune system. One of my personal travel hacks to stave off colds is Emergen-C vitamin C packets; I bring them on all my trips. Gotta keep that immune system healthy while on the road!

Hydralyte

Speaking of staying healthy, it’s important to stay hydrated, too. I like to pour a Hydralyte packet into my water bottle when I’m feeling a bit off: Whether I’m exhausted from a hike or forgot to drink enough water that day, these packets are like miracle workers for hydration.

Chapstick

Keep your lips protected from the sun with a good SPF lip balm. (I personally love this lip balm from Nivea.)

Hand Sanitizer

Here’s something I’m sure you already have on hand. Don’t forget to bring your hand sanitizer with you on your road trip, and if you need to refuel your stock, you can find some here.

Bug Spray

Picking up a bottle of bug spray is probably a good idea if you’re heading into the woods.

Tylenol

Whether it’s a headache or a sprained ankle, Tylenol can help ease the pain. I recommend adding this essential road trip item to your first-air kit.

Sunscreen

Don’t underestimate the sunshine coming through your car windows! Here’s an environmentally friendly sunscreen option to try out.