Ultimate Essentials For Your Next Road Trip – 32 Must Haves!

There’s nothing like a good old-fashioned road trip. Especially now, when things are so uncertain, you may be thinking about staying close to home and doing a little road trip this Summer. And, you’re probably thinking about what you should pack for the road. Our packing list includes all the necessities and essentials you’ll want to pack for your USA road trip.

What Should You Pack for A Road Trip?

Road Trip Essentials For Your Car

These are all basics that I’m sure you already know, but sometimes you forget things when you’re packing. These are the Step 1 Essentials.

• Insurance Card
• Driver’s License & Registration
• Owner’s Manual
• Spare Tire
• Roadside Kit with Jumper Cables
• Hardcopy Map

Road Trip Essentials For You

These are the basics for a decent road trip. You don’t want to just jump in the car empty handed. You have to do a little planning for an excellent road trip. These I consider Step 2 Essentials.

• Mask
• Hand Sanitizer
• Alcohol Wipes
• Ibuprofen
• Sunscreen
• Pen & Paper
• Snacks
• Paper Towels
• Toilet Paper

Road Trip Packing List – The Comforts of Home

In my world, you absolutely need some extras to make your road trip epic and comfy. So here goes. It doesn’t matter where you’re going on your trip – the beach, the mountains, just exploring the wide open spaces. For any type of road trip, these are all pretty much no-brainers in my book.

• Lip Gloss. Because we always need our lips. YES I’m a total girl!!
• Blanket. I get cold easy. And a blanket makes the car so comfy.
• Joggers. No buttons!!
• Hat. To keep the bad car hair covered and the sun off your face.
• Flashlight. Always a must. You never know.
• First Aid Kit. Same as above. Better safe than sorry.
• Cooler. So you can have yummy snacks & drinks without stopping.
• Backpack. Just throw everything in the pack for your daytrips.
• Wine for when you get there!!! Oh yeah baby, I’ll share my wine secret with you. I’m not a wine snob, but I am working on my wine education. My absolute favorite wine these days is Malbec. Hands down, no contest. You have to try it!

Road Trip Essentials: Electronic & Entertainment

Let’s face it, there’s no way we could do a road trip without our electronics. It’s just not possible. And while there are many electronic gadgets you could go with, there are truly only a few essential electronics that are musts. Here is the list of absolute must have essential electronics to make your road trip awesome.

• Portable Charger
• Portable Speaker
• Awesome Podcasts
• Kick Ass Play List
• Audio Book
• Real Book
• Football/Frisbee

Other Road Trip Considerations

What Should I Wear on A Road Trip?

You can wear whatever you want on a road trip! I like to wear my joggers and a 3/4 zip up (this one is SO CUTE!!!) with a t-shirt underneath so I can take layers off it I get hot. In the Summer, I’m usually barefoot in the car (unless I’m driving). I just throw sandals in the backseat & grab as needed at stops.

What Should I Drive?

You can drive whatever you want as long as it’s road worthy. Just take it to a mechanic before you hit the road to make sure all good. We always drive whatever our current vehicle is, although once we rented a big SUV for a really long trip. It was work it. I have a future road trip in mind in Florida along A1A where I’ll be in a convertible like this Mustang!! I say go for it!

How Do I Choose My Destinations?

I like to map out my route before I leave. Not that I follow the route to a T, but it gives me a good idea of what I want to see, where I want to stop and how long travel time is between stops. Some people I know literally jump in the car and go with only a rough direction of which way they’re headed (Let’s go South!) I like more of a plan than that.

Where Can I Sleep & Shower?

Pretty much anywhere you want (that’s what’s so awesome about a road trip. You can be as free or as tied down as you want). If you have a big enough car on your trip, you can sleep in your car and save plenty of money. Just pull into a rest stop, truck stop or even most Walmart Parking Lots. A truck stop also offers showers so keep that in mind if you want to wash off.

Or you can grab a cheap room while on the road. It’s rarely an issue to book last minute and it’s super easy to book from your phone. My favorite hotels (that I collect points for) are Hyatt, Marriott and IHG. They’re all moderately priced and you can find one just about anywhere.

What About Internet Connection?

I use Cricket & get unlimited talk, text and data for way cheap. So I can almost always use my phone (I have had some dead spots is super out of the way places like middle of Nebraska!) You can also go into coffeeshops or libraries & use their wi-fi for free.

What About Food?

I like to go to opposite ends of the food spectrum. On the one hand, in the car I don’t eat a lot because I hate feeling full & bloated while I’m driving. Plus eating a bunch makes me tired. So I don’t eat much on the road. But, once I get where I’m going, all bets are off. I love, love, love to eat at all the cool little local spots that always have the best food. No chains for me.

How Much Money Should I Budget for My Road Trip?

You can spend as much or as little as you want on your road trip. You can go on a super duper tight budget or you can go more along the lines of Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous. Either way, you will have a great time. I don’t like to spend a lot of money, but I do like some comforts & good food, so I’m middle of the road when it comes to budget – probably on the low end of middle. As long as you can cover your gas, your food, accommodation & entertainment costs can be whatever you want them to be. And if you bring your cooler with a lot of food, you won’t have to spend a bundle on food. So it’s all up to you.

Are Road Trips Fun?

They’re one of my favorite ways to travel, especially if I really like the people I’m with. We took one of the best road trips ever when my son was in high school. I originally wanted to fly but airline tickets were expensive so my friend talked me into driving to Georgia with her & her son. We listed to podcasts and actually TALKED to our 17 year old sons for two days. They had no where to run, so they had to talk to us. It was great!! It really is about the JOURNEY, not the destination.

What’s the Best Time to Take a Road Trip?

It depends where you’re coming from, where you’re going and whether you like to drive in snow!! I don’t like to drive in snow, so I would road trip in non-Winter months. Obviously, Summer is the busiest season on the road and at campsites, so if you can avoid going in Summer, you might like that. If you can’t avoid it, or Summer is your preferred time to travel, go for it! Everyone loves an epic Summer road trip.

No matter when you go, just GO! You’ll be so glad you did. The U.S. is a huge country full of open roads just waiting for you to explore.

Be sure to drop me a line and let me know where your road trip takes you! I can’t wait to hear!