Our List of Road Trip Essentials
Road trips are the perfect thing to quench my desire for adventure and freedom when I really need it. I find myself on the road often and the biggest problems that we run into are making lots of pit stops, finding places to sleep at night, staying entertained, and saving money (especially on food)!
This guide will help you build your own road trip essentials packing list for avoiding the issues you have on your road trips. Then you’ll never leave home and end up spending hundreds of dollars along the way because you forgot a bunch of stuff at home (hopefully!).
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All images and videos on this website are owned by Caryn Wells and Zack Blake unless otherwise stated.
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Road-Side Emergency Kit:
Be prepared for anything. You never know when your tire will get a screw in it or your car ends up getting stuck in the mud at your day hike location. You can buy all kinds of emergency kits, but these are the items Zack recommends for most people:
Foldable Triangle Reflector Kit
Jumper Cables (maybe a jump box depending on your budget)
Flashlight
Batteries
Duct Tape
Gloves
Tire Repair Kit
Basic Tool Kit
Engine Oil and Funnel
Antifreeze/Coolant
Tire Chains (for snow or icy road conditions)
Rags or an old towel
Garbage Bags
Emergency Blanket
Toilet Paper
First Aid Kit
Reusable Water Bottle
Snacks:
Zack and I love to stop a lot for food, but the cost can really add up. Usually the reason we stop so much is because we didn’t bring a good variety of food for ourselves. Here are some ways to save money on food:
Bring a Cooler
You can broaden your food options on the road if you can keep them cool. I like to bring cheese, carrots, lunch meat, drinks, smoothies, yogurt, and more. Just make sure you have a plan in mind for keeping up the needs of your food like ice, or electricity if you have a plug-in model.
Have a Nice Mix of Snack Options
Variety is key. You don’t want to end up stopping a lot because you don’t have anything that you feel like eating. Bring a mix of everything! i.e. nuts, crackers, jerky, apples, cereal, chips, peanut butter, honey, bread, dried fruit, and protein bars. You’d be surprised, in a pinch a peanut butter and honey sandwich goes a long way!
Holy Grail: Grocery Store Deli Food
If you must stop for food, head to a grocery store. Go to the deli or try out the perimeter method for shopping. Perimeter shopping is when you walk around the edges of the grocery store to shop. The edges tend to be where they keep all the essentials (which are usually more cost-effective in the long run and healthier) and the center is where they keep all of the processed items and junk food (which are usually more expensive and not good for you).
Delis often have a wide range of options such as chicken tenders, Chinese food, hot sandwiches, salads, noodles, and more. The food you’ll find at the deli will be much healthier than buying fast food and can even be cheaper! If you need something quick to get you going in the morning, grab a smoothie from the produce section! They’re packed full of nutrients and will give you energy to start your day.
Medication:
(Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional and you should not take any medical advice I give as professional advice. Make sure you consult your doctor before taking ANY medications or supplements).
This is something often overlooked on road trips. You don’t know what you need until you need it, and that’s not a good situation to be in. I am not a medical professional, so I can’t recommend any specifics, but I like to bring a pain reliever, fever reducer, vitamin C, and anything else I might need. I like bringing papaya enzyme too, as it helps with digestion. If you end up getting sick on the road then you’ll be happy you have these things.
Paper Directions and Itinerary:
You can lose cell phone service in a lot of areas, so be prepared for that. It’s smart to have paper directions, an itinerary, and some maps downloaded on your phone (you can download areas of a map on google maps relatively easily). Getting lost sucks, and a paper map can come in handy when nothing else is available.
Water Bottles, Water Bladder, Thermos:
I like to minimize our waste on road trips, and a great way to do that is to bring refillable, non-plastic water bottles. You can get your water bottle filled for free at a lot of places like fast food locations and Starbucks. We like to use a large water bladder for longer road trips. It lasts a long time, and you can get it refilled at those Glacier water machines outside of grocery stores for about a dollar. It’s cheaper than buying water bottles all the time and if the tap water in the area is bad, it’s better for your health. I recommend bringing a thermos, too. Zack likes his coffee, and a lot of coffee shops offer discounted drinks if you bring your own cup. It also keeps your drink hotter for longer than those crappy styrofoam/paper cups!
The Little Things:
There are many other things that often get overlooked when packing for a road trip, and you’ll wish you had them. These are just some of those things I usually forget.
Pocket Tissues
Chapstick
Sunglasses
Sunscreen
Phone Chargers
Blankets
Pillow
Headphones
Gum
Hair Ties
Wet Wipes
Hat
Lotion
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Let me know if you’d add anything to this list in the comments section below! You can also connect with me on social media just above the comments section, I’d love to hear from you!
Follow Zack and me on social media for additional content, sneak peeks of future content, and current adventures! All our social links are down below, make sure to follow us!
Stay safe and explore responsibly,
Happy Adventuring!
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Hello I’m Caryn!
I’m a Pacific Northwest based adventurer and storyteller. I take a lot of photos, Zack takes a lot of videos, and together we try to bring our fun adventures to life to inspire you to go outside and have meaningful, unique outdoor adventures for yourself!