Yanitza Ninett
It’s backpacking season! And this means…road trip! Well, close enough. Generally speaking, backpacking usually runs from late September to mid-November–in most places. Here in Florida, the peak of the backpacking season is from December to March. This is when we have the nicest weather and less of the irritating bugs of the wild. Backpacking season is the perfect time to pack your bags with some road trip essentials and go to one of many cool places for hiking in the U.S.
Regardless if you decide on a backpacking destination, a cabin or a hotel, you will still need to pack some road trip essentials. I think of this list as a ‘don’t forget this‘ type of thing. I’m a huge planner. But my skills kind of decline when it comes to keeping everything in check without forgetting.
Road Trip Essentials That you Need to Pack
Are you traveling solo? Is this a road trip you’re taking with kids? Is your plus one bringing in more friends along for the trip? The answers to these questions will determine the changes you need to make to your own essentials list. However, this list that works for me, can work for you too! Feel free to add more personal items that you might need.
Driving/Car Essentials
- Roadside emergency kit
- Proof of insurance, license, registration
- Spare tire. I learned this one the hard way! Because I didn’t really check if mine was still good. Don’t let it happen to you!
- Flashlight
- Umbrella
- Cash/coins for tolls. Even if you have a toll pass, these will come in handy
- Cell phone mount. It’s such a hassle not having one!
- Driver’s permit. If you’re traveling abroad and doing an international road trip, you can apply for an international driver’s permit.
- GPS/maps. Although we pretty much use the GPS directly from our phones, it’s good to have a backup one just in case. I’m also a huge fan of city maps!
Road Trip Essentials for the Kids
- Travel games. I usually get the Road Trip Bingo and the Travel Scavenger Hunt for my niece and nephews. They love these!
- Deck of playing cards. We love UNO cards!
- Favorite toys
- Coloring books. Don’t forget your crayons or coloring pencils
- Pillows
- Blankets
- Snacks. Lots of snacks!
- Insulated water bottle. Although I really love my Myna water bottle, apparently they are discontinued. However, these Hydro Cell bottles are really good too, and are aesthetically similar to the Myna.
Entertainment Essentials
- Cameras. Having photography as a career makes it hard for me to not pack any cameras. What can I say? It’s in my DNA!🤷🏻♀️ I take my Nikon film camera, Instax Film Instant camera, and my Nikon DSLR
- Reading material
- Notebook with pen
- Music playlists/podcasts
- Phone/tablet
- Car charger
- Headphones
Toiletries Essentials
- First-aid kit
- Tissues
- Anti-bacterial hand wipes
- Facial wipes. These are great to freshen up while driving!
- Hand sanitizer
- Lip balm. I cannot live without this! Especially when I’m driving for long hours. My favorite is the Kiehl’s Mint Scented Lip Balm.
- Sport Sunscreen. This is my favorite one to wear when I’m hiking because it doesn’t feel oily or sticky.
- Face Sunscreen. I this every single day so it’s already a go-to item on my bag. The Neutrogena Clear Face Liquid Lotion Sunscreen has been my favorite for years!
- Toothpaste and toothbrush.
- Bath Soap. Because who likes hotel soaps anyways?
- Bug spray. Did I mention bug spray?
Other Personal Items you Should Pack
- Pain reliever/meds
- Sunglasses. I have to mention this because although I have 3 pairs in my car, I went on a different car for my last trip and totally forgot my sunglasses. So, yes, I had to buy another pair on the way.
Get your Road Trip Essentials Checklist!
Save this checklist for your future road trip. You’re welcome 😁
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What a great list! It’s always fun to go on road trips. We need to plan one soon.
Thank you! I love road trips 🙂
A road trip is a good way to travel right now. These are tips that I will remember for my trip
Right? It seems like the perfect time for road trips!
Reading this makes me want to go on a road trip ASAP! I wouldn’t think of packing a roadside emergency kit, but this checklist has made me think twice!
Yeap! I hadn’t thought about either until a year ago when I found myself in the middle of nowhere and needed a roadside kit!
I love that you created a checklist this is so necessary sometimes we like to do road trips but we forget this angel stuff that we need thank you so much.
Yes! And this list works very well for me–which is why I thought sharing it would be a great idea. Thanks for reading!
My daughter just went on a 3-state road trip, I wish I’d seen this earlier!
I hope she had lots of fun!
Great post! We were planning on doing a road trip around our home country now that we can’t go anywhere else. But it’s still quite scary because certain areas are living with COVID while others aren’t!
A road trip might just be the best option right. You can make stops along the way to some non-crowded areas and you can even find some secluded spots that you’ve never visited.
It is great to see that you have included items to keep families safe and also to ensure that everyone enjoys the trip. I find that having card games with riddles work well. Also, games like “I spy” is also a good family favourite.
‘I spy’ is our favorite!
I’ve learned the spare tire lesson myself, when my tire exploded on the highway and I had nothing to replace it with. I was so sure that I had a spare one in the boot, imagine my shock when I opened it and it wasn’t there. Since then I never leave on a road trip without checking that my spare tire is in the boot.
Oh no! Such a bummer when that happens. Since it happen to me too, I really needed that to be on the top of the list! 🙂
these ideas and tips are definitely very helpful and useful one though…glad you shared them with us..found it so helpful one..
Thank you so much! Glad it helps!
I havent been on roadtrip since february 2020. Many things happened in between, I need to get going soon plus these essentials are compulsory!
Yes! Road trips make for super fun moments 🙂
These are all wonderful items to have on hand for road trip essentials. I especially love having a road hazard kit on hand at all times because if you are prepared you usually do not need it.
That is so true!
Yes to all of these!! Must haves for road trips for sure.
Thank you for reading!
Snacks, Coloring books, and more snacks for sure! I always try to remember a small first aide kit when i go on road trips as well.
Lots of snacks! 🙂
Great lists, we always tend to forget something so its nice to have it covered by category.
Thank you! I figured it’s easier this way and less of an overwhelming feeling when thinking about everything we need to take!
Good lists! Several things I had not thot of for our upcoming road trips! Thanks!
Glad it is helpful! Thanks for reading 🙂
Just came back from a road trip through Germany and France, and I can vouch for what you say: these are all essentials! We also learned to not underestimate the importance of a good bug spray!!
Oh, yes! Bug spray is a must. I should’ve had that one on the number one spot 😆
Awesome post!! We love to road trip and I agree… if you aren’t properly prepared, especially with kids, it could make for a long trip!
Definitely! Thanks for reading!
I am so terrible at packing and don’t like to do it at all. This list should help me!
I’m glad it could help! I created this list 2 years ago after a road trip to North Georgia. Needed a couple of things that I didn’t have, so I decided to write them down. I don’t know why I waited so long to share it but at least it’s now at reach 🙂 Thanks for reading!