45 Must-Have Road Trip Essentials For Your Next Road Trip

Is it almost time for your next road trip? Are you wondering whether you’re covering all your bases when it comes to preparing for the trip? We’re here to help!

Road trips are great because of the flexibility and control you have of the itinerary and the journey. You also get to pack whatever you want and however much you want! Still, now is not the time to get crazy with the packing. You’ll still have limited space in the car, but you do have more flexibility (like full-size toothpaste, bottles of contact solution, and lotions).

Over the course of my countless road trip travels, from the Pacific Northwest to Arizona, Utah to all over California, I’ve gotten to perfect my road trip packing list. With all of my previous expertise (some gained from making so many mistakes in the beginning) and lessons learned, I’d like to share my tried and true list of road trip essentials with you today.

If you’re just starting to understand what it takes to have a successful road trip or you’re just double-checking if you’ve got everything covered, this road trip essentials guide will help you out. My road trip packing list will help you minimize stops, save time, keep you entertained, and even save you money along the way.

This post may contain affiliate links. You won’t be paying a cent more, but in the event of a sale, the small affiliate commission I receive will help keep this blog running/pumping out useful and free content. Thanks a lot!

PLANNING ON RENTING A CAR FOR YOUR ROAD TRIP?

If you don’t have a car or don’t have a reliable car you trust to get you out of your starting city and back in one piece, I suggest you pick up a rental car for your road trip.

We like to rent from Hertz. Why? Well with their Hertz Gold Plus Rewards program (completely free to join), you’ll get counter-free pickup at select locations, and even mobile alerts with your exact rental car and its location before you arrive. Book your rental car with them here.

If you are more the type to compare prices between rental car companies, use Priceline’s rental car search. Not only does the tool allow you to compare rental car prices, but most of the time you can book with no prepayment and no cancellation fees.

Regardless of which rental car company you decide to go with, make sure you have the appropriate car rental coverage. Our credit card benefits typically cover car rental insurance, so we usually stick with that as our primary insurance.

Lastly, we highly recommend a AAA membership. Though membership does not cover car rental insurance, there are some awesome, exclusive car rental perks.

• You get to take advantage of savings at Hertz, up to 20% off the base rate, when you include your designated AAA Discount code (CDP#) in your reservation.
• Perks include 24/7 roadside assistance including towing, fuel delivery, and lockout service,
• Other rental car benefits include free child safety seat, no additional driver fee, no young driver fee,
• You’ll also get great discounts on flights, hotels, and cruises

• SNACKS

  Make sure to bring a good mix of healthier foods like fruits, nuts, beef jerky, and crackers. You never know what you’ll be in the mood for, so bring a mix of sweet and salty options.

  Don’t forget to pack some junk food as well. I’m talking about chips, candy, and juice drinks! And even a McDonald’s breakfast run (if you’re into that like we are). After all, isn’t that one of the simple pleasures of road tripping, getting to eat whatever you want?

  WATER BOTTLE

  Bringing your own water bottle not only decreases your plastic usage but also helps you save money. If you’re traveling in the summer or traveling to hotter destinations, a Hydroflask is great because you can throw ice in it to keep your water cold and refreshing for hours.

  If you’re planning on hiking a lot and find that a metal bottle is too bulky, I recommend a collapsible water bottle. They pack down into almost nothing when empty.

  Looking to bring a lot of water with you for your road trip? Try this 5-gallon foldable water cube. This is a great way to cut down on plastic use as your need to buy extra bottles of water at the gas station/supermarket decreases dramatically.

  COOLER

  Plan to mostly eat out in your destinations and just need snacks for the ride? Then, a high-performance soft cooler bag will be the way to go. It’s lighter, easy to carry, and packs away nicely when not in use.