The Essential Road Trip Packing List
Matt - October 24, 2020
When you find yourself on a long drive to your next adventure, the last thing you want is to realize you forgot that important thing three hours into your trip. This packing list of road trip essentials covers everything you'll need so that you're not kicking yourself, or your travel partner, when you're on the road.
Since so many road trippers have been hitting the road to get outside and immerse in nature, we've included packing essentials for hiking and camping along the way.
Electronics and Accessories
Here's everything you'll need for inside the car and out on the trail on your next road trip. Keep your electronics from getting wet on the trail and in the rain.
- Car phone holder
- USB car charger
- 3-in-1 USB cable
- Thanks to this bad boy, we never have to remember to bring the right cable for the right phone or accessory. This is always the right cable!
- Portable battery
- Dry bag
Safety Tools
Be prepared for emergency situations, like a dead car battery, personal health issue, or surprise bear visit when you're camping on the road.
- Swiss army knife
- We can personally attest to this saw and can opener being very handy on the road. This is one of those things you'll buy once for the rest of your life and never regret it.
- Bear spray
- First aid kit
- Jumper cables
- Car safety hammer + seatbelt cutter
- Headlamp
- Snow brush and ice scraper
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Comfort
When you find yourself in standstill traffic from an accident for fours hours, you're going to want a comfortable setup to sit outside. Trust us. you'll also want some lights at night.
- Portable chairs
- These chairs are so comfortable, you'll love having them on the road and just for a day in the park back home. Sitting in them feels like a hug.
- Portable table
- Collapsible solar LED lanterns
Eating
You might find yourself eating a lot of packed and canned food, so be ready with the right utensils and containers for eating in the car. Don't forget, your Swiss army knife has a can opener (here's how).
- Reusable water bottle
- Portable spork
- Very portable and sturdy. We've loved having this for on the road and during camping trips to help us down a can of chili or a bowl of soup. Also helps to reduce your waste footprint. =)
- Portable stove
- Portable food containers
Sleeping
Long road trips require the right sleeping arrangements to make it a great trip. A good nights rest will make things go sour very fast, so be sure to make yourself comfortable whether you're tent camping or car camping.
- Sleeping bag
- Tent
- Inflatable pillows
- Inflatable sleeping pad
- A sleeping pad will be especially helpful if you're planning to spend some nights in nature. Your sleep will be much more cushy, but it'll also keep you a lot warmer if you're hitting the road when it's cold at night since the ground can be very good at seeping heat from you through a sleeping bag.
- Ear plugs
- Sleeping mask
Toiletries and Personal Care
Road tripping and camping doesn't mean you need to sacrifice personal care. Stay fresh and clean with these essentials.
- Portable toothbrush
- Portable toothpaste
- Floss
- Portable hand soap
- Portable hand sanitizer
- Camping toilet tissue
- Baby wipes
- If you'll be going more than a day without access to a shower and you're not alone, consider these a must-have. When you're sweaty, sticky, and not smelling your best, these wipes are an incredible backup to showering.
- Quick dry towel
- Deodorant
- Lip balm
- Portable mouthwash
- Sunscreen
- Bugspray
- Tweezer
- Nail clipper
Games
On rest days between epic hikes and all-day adventures, you'll want some relaxing downtime during your long road trip. Here are some of our favorite games to keep the fun going on rest days.
If we were forced to choose based on fun, it'd probably be a tie between Azul and Ticket to Ride. If we're choosing based on portability and flexibility, you just can't beat a standard deck of playing cards.
