Have an upcoming road trip? First off, YAY! I love road trips! But second, what in the world should you bring?! This is a question I get asked SO often as a travel blogger, so I decided to compile a list of my road trip essentials so you are never left unprepared on the road again.
Travel Bag & Backpack
First and foremost, you need a travel bag to carry all of your road trip essentials in. But you also need a backpack for when you make stops along the way and go out to adventure. Pro tip: Make sure everything that you need fits into your bag AND there is a little bit of extra room for anything you might pick up along the way, I mean it is a road trip after all, I’m sure you will be coming home with SOMETHING!
Comfy Shoes
Hiking boots are great for when you are actually out of the car and exploring, but for the driving and relaxing portion of the road trip you are going to want comfy shoes. Tennis shoes, flip-flops, Crocs, slippers, literally whatever YOU find comfortable – everyone’s feet are different, lol. My recent go-to camp site favorite are my Staheekum slippers. They are luxury footwear fit for all of life’s adventures!
Leggings
If you have seen ANY of my Instagram posts, you know that I am a die-hard legging lover. Especially those ones with the cute, funky patterns! But seriously guys, if you are going to be spending hours and hours in the car and then also exploring new areas, you are going to want to be COMFORTABLE! And what’s more comfortable than leggings? (The correct answer is nothing, lol)
Blanket
A soft, cozy blanket is a must on your road trip, even in the summer. Okay, hear me out! You know when after a long, hot day exploring a new trail and you’re settling into the passenger seat ready for your travel buddy to start the drive to the next destination? Wouldn’t it just feel AMAZING to cozy up under your favorite blanket and dream of the adventures that will fill your next day? So yes, a blanket is a road trip essential, even in the summer, but ESPECIALLY in fall and winter!
Sunglasses
You know when you are in the car and the little sun visor that you flip down just isn’t cutting it? Having a really great pair of sunglasses is an instant fix and exactly the reason why they are on my road trip essentials list. I would also recommend having a back-up pair in case you lose the first one (been there before!)
Reusable Water Bottle
Being dehydrated is THE WORST. Running out of water while on the road is ALSO the worst! But PLEASE do not buy plastic water bottles at your gas station rest stop. We need to be taking care of our planet earth and making sure we are doing our part to reduce our plastic consumption. One super simple way to do this is by using a reusable water bottle!!
Snacks
While I am sure you will want to try some local cuisines and hidden gems when traveling through new cities and towns, it is also important to make sure you are bringing snacks along with you. You don’t want to have to get stuck buying a $5 bag of chips at a local convenience store. I suggest you go to the grocery store a few days before your trip and get a pretty good stock of non-perishable snacks. A few I’d suggest are trail mix, seeds, dried fruit, nuts, nut butters, chips/popcorn/pretzels, and protein/granola bars.
Toiletries & Towels
Personal hygiene is important. Even if you plan on “roughing it” for your trip, you still need to make sure you have your toothbrush/toothpaste, deodorant, soap/hand sanitizer, etc. Having a towel (or two) is also pretty important in case you A. shower somewhere or B. take a dip in a lake/river/pond/ocean/etc.
First Aid/Medical Kit
Being prepared with a first aid kit is always a necessity. Simple things like anti-bacterial wipes, band-aids, and Tylenol/Motrin in case of any injury. Another great thing to make sure you have in your first aid kit is a pair of tweezers. These are great in case you (or your travel buddy) gets a splinter or bee sting!
Sunscreen/Bug Spray
While these do tend to be more seasonal items, it is summer when I’m writing this, and these are definitely road trip essentials in the summertime. Bug spray to repel mosquitoes and ticks and sunscreen to protect you from sunburn, which can lead to skin poisoning and skin cancer.
Camera
This is an obvious no-brainer in my opinion. When on a road trip you are going to see SO many new places and I can guarantee you are going to want to be able to capture Mother Nature’s beauty. If you don’t have a camera and are planning to use your phone for pictures, make sure you have enough space! Do a quick clean-up/clean-out so you don’t have to worry about not having room on your phone when you are trying to capture a perfect moment.
Phone Charger
Along the lines of making sure you have space on your phone for pictures, you also want to make sure you have your phone charger (and car charger!) Depending how long you will be on the road, you may have friends and family you want to check in with. While it’s good to unplug and “get off the grid,” a working (charged) phone is also really important for emergency situations should they occur.
A Good Book (or 5)
One of my absolute favorite things to do is read. Hoping this doesn’t come as a big shock to you since the name of my site is sarahsreads.com, haha! There is nothing better than relaxing after a long day of road tripping and exploring with a good book. I also 100% recommend Audible if you want to listen to audiobooks while you drive! Looking for some recommendations? Check out my most recent Book Wrap-Up.
And the MOST important item on my
Road Trip Essentials list is…
A Passion for Adventure!!
There is SO much to see in our beautiful world. If you are anything like me, you may spend time daydreaming of the next adventure you are going to take. Planning what amazing parts of our planet you will explore.
I’m so curious to hear, where are you planning to go on your next road trip? Are there any road trip essentials you would add to the list? Share with me below in the comments!
