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The Best Gear for Your Road Trips

By Kit Dillon and Wirecutter Staff

A road trip is an adventure. It doesn’t matter how far you go. But all adventures require a little planning (and one or two backup plans, in case things go sideways).

We took our first testing road trip in an age far less complicated than these past few years, but the gear we tested and the advice we’ve gathered here should still help you navigate the roads safely and comfortably.

Our original trip, in 2016, included 60 hours of researching and testing gear to take on the open road. We packed all of our top contenders into a Honda Fit EX and headed out on a four-day jaunt to determine what’s nice to have, what’s great, and what’s absolutely essential for your next road trip.

In 2020 we added a few items to help you adhere to safe-travel guidelines, and those things will always come in handy during flu and cold season. We’ve also added several selections to take on challenging winter car trips.

After traveling for 1,500 miles, through four states and six national parks, we think we have a good grasp on what makes an excellent road trip. In addition to performing our own research and testing, we consulted with half a dozen engineers, mechanics, and other experts to bring you these picks. Our hope is that the recommendations in this guide will help you see more and explore farther down the road than you thought possible.

Below, you’ll find recommendations for cargo boxes , binoculars , coolers , emergency beacons , a first-aid kit , a folding blanket , an ice scraper , an instant camera , inverters for your electronics , a multi-tool , phone mounts , a portable jump starter , ratchets and tie-down straps , a road atlas , stain remover , a stowable daypack , sun shades , sunglasses , a tire-pressure gauge , a toolkit for cars , a travel game , a travel pillow , water jugs , windshield water repellent , wipes , and so much more. These items will help you have a successful road trip, regardless of region or weather.

However, even if you have the best gear in the world, it’s always best to address small problems before they become emergencies. That’s why we asked Christopher Smith , a veteran automotive journalist with a penchant for restoring fixer-uppers, to help us put together some advice on how to prepare your car for a trip . (And he lives in South Dakota, where things are spread out, so he’s always prepared.) We cover everything from checking your tires and dipsticks to knowing what you should do if your car starts smelling like rotten eggs for seemingly no reason.

This guide isn’t specifically geared toward families, though most of the picks would be useful to a family traveling by car. We do have guides to infant car seats , travel car seats , booster car seats , and water bottles for kids —all things that are of particular interest to families on the road.

The research

Stowing your gear, in the driver’s seat, health and cleaning supplies, staying comfortable, refreshments, entertainment, just in case, preparing for a road trip.

Being able to find what you need when you need it—whether it’s water, emergency lights, a change of clothes, or a granola bar—can make the difference between a short, easy stop that rejuvenates and a long, frustrating one that makes you question why you left home in the first place.

It all starts with packing. Don’t overthink it. We like to keep items grouped: emergency gear in the back right of the trunk, water in the back left, spare batteries in the glove compartment along with the power inverter, and so on. After a few days, double-checking that everything is where it should be before heading off becomes a comforting ritual, and it helps mitigate the worry that you left … something … in the motel last night.

And don’t overpack. As with a bag, a well-packed car is one that has less than you think you want to bring but everything that you truly need. You don’t have to bring everything—just the things that are essential. Remember, you want to enjoy the drive. Not having to worry about countless items that someone might lose or misplace is a big step toward that enjoyment.

Cargo boxes

Yakima SkyBox NX 18

The best cargo box.

This cargo box offers great aerodynamics, easy mounting and operation, and a lot of storage at a reasonable price.

Buying Options

A cargo box effectively allows you to double your trunk space by moving bulky items from your car’s interior or trunk to its roof. After gathering up as much intel as we could about rooftop cargo boxes from experts, retailers, manufacturers, customers, and outdoor-gear reviewers, we’ve concluded that of the 21 boxes we surveyed, the Yakima SkyBox NX 18 offers the best combination of features, build quality, and value pricing for most road trips.

The NX line replaces the Carbonite line of Yakima boxes, which included our previous cargo box pick, the SkyBox 16 Carbonite .

The cargo box’s low-drag aerodynamic design minimizes wind noise and reduces the impact on fuel economy. Its 18 cubic feet of space allows it to hold skis, duffle bags, backpacks, sleeping bags and other camping gear, or any random (though fairly lightweight) stuff, and it does so securely—both in solidly mounting to your roof rack and in resisting theft. If you don’t have a rack already, this REI car rack buying guide is a good place to start, but be sure to consult your car’s owner manual to see how much weight its roof can bear.

The SkyBox NX 18 is easy to use. Like most cargo boxes these days, it uses sliding brackets, rather than one or two fixed spots, for attachment to the crossbars, making perfect positioning a snap. To secure the brackets to the crossbars, you use a simple torque wrench (included) that will announce with an audible click—like a gas-tank cap—when you’ve tightened the four installation bolts down securely. The tool lives inside the cargo box, though out of the way of your gear, for safekeeping.

Once installed, the SkyBox NX 18 allows easy access from either side of the car, and its newly redesigned dimensions (a change from the previous model) make it less likely to interfere with a liftgate if you put it on a hatchback or station wagon.

If you need more space, Yakima’s older-generation 21-cubic-foot model (the company has not released an updated, NX 21 version so far) may still be available for purchase. Be aware, however, that this box weighs more and can encourage overloading past your car rack’s weight limit, which might be lower than you expect. It may also be too long in the back to clear some liftgates. As Ken Klaes, general manager of ReRack , a Portland, Oregon–based cargo-box retailer and rental company, explained to us: “A rack designed to carry 150 pounds doesn’t forget that the box is there; the weight of the box itself (often 50-ish pounds) needs to be subtracted from the weight rating to give you a real capacity for the box.”

Roof straps

Keeper Endless Loop Ratchet Tie-Down

The best ratcheting straps.

Easier to use than non-ratcheting straps, these straps ensure that your stuff stays put.

I spent many years working in rigging and rope access on offshore oil platforms, where I played with loads, angles, line pulls, and sheave-block friction percentages—in other words, I know a thing or two about strapping things down. You can find two common types of roof straps: ratchet straps, which have a mechanical lever and gear, and cam straps (sometimes called “lashing” or “loop” straps), which connect to themselves through a cam buckle . If I could choose only one type, I’d get ratchet straps because they’re easier to secure. More specifically, I’d get the Keeper Endless Loop Ratchet Tie-Down .

We spent several hours examining 22 strap options before landing on the Keeper version. Keeper is a reliable brand, and the ratchets are easy to tighten and loosen, thanks to their all-metal construction. ( Cheaper ratchets are hard to release and prone to sticking or breaking due to their reliance on plastic parts.) At 13 feet long, these 1-inch straps are long enough for all but the most strenuous loads on the largest of vehicles, and their nylon webbing’s 400-pound working load limit and 1,200-pound break strength put them right in line with similarly priced straps. You could get something that’s heavier-duty or longer, but you’d be paying more for strength or length you don’t need.

On our trip, driving in a car without a roof rack, we used the Keeper straps to great success. The straps held a full water jug to the roof of our Honda for a few dozen miles through the backroads of Arizona with no issues. Other Wirecutter staffers have owned Keeper straps for years and vouch for their overall strength and durability.

NRS 1″ HD Tie-Down Straps

The best cam straps.

Simpler and cheaper than ratchet straps, these straps have above-average strength ratings.

If you prefer the simplicity of a cam strap or don’t need the extra force that a ratchet strap provides, we like the NRS 1″ HD Tie-Down Straps , which come in a variety of lengths. They’re pricier than more popular options, but their webbing is rated to a 1,500-pound breaking strength (the cam itself has a 2,000-pound breaking strength) and a 500-pound working load, in contrast with the 600-pound breaking strength and 200-pound working load of this best-selling Keeper set . Equipment of this grade may seem like overkill, but Wirecutter’s Mark Smirniotis had several weaker cams fail on him when he was strapping loads to his Jeep. He noted in 2016 that of all the straps on Amazon with more than 25 customer reviews, the NRS straps were the only ones that had no reviews complaining of failed cams. NRS is primarily known as the premier kayaking- and rafting-accessory company, so the folks there probably know something about strapping awkwardly large loads onto cars.

Thule Quick Loop Strap 530

For smaller cars.

This strap offers a quick way to add load-stabilizing anchor points to a small car.

For owners of compact cars who want to move long or oversize loads, such as a kayak, we also like the Thule Quick Loop Strap . You secure these straps under the hood of your car (or the trunk, if you don’t have a hatchback) to create a set of forward anchor points to help stabilize the forward section of whatever it is you’re carrying. Judging from our testing, these straps are very quick to set up, and they can add a welcome level of versatility to tough packing situations.

• Always check the maximum load of your car’s anchor points, such as the roof rack. Ratchet straps can apply a lot of force beyond just the weight of your belongings, so knowing your maximum load will help you avoid over-tensioning the straps.
• If the straps vibrate against the roof while you drive, adding a few twists in them can sometimes stop them from slicing the air.
• Don’t put knots in your straps, especially if you’re applying tension. Knots can cut through nylon with surprisingly little force. A knot also significantly reduces the overall load that the strap can handle.
• Never use bungee cords to hold anything down. They’re fine for stabilizing items but not for securing heavy loads.

Driving can be fun, meditative, exhausting, and torturous. After five hours of driving through the desert, it can sometimes be all of those things at the same time.

A thousand little gadgets promise to make a long drive somehow easier. Most of them are useless and seemingly designed to distract you more than anything else. Try to avoid these items. The best gear is durable, unobtrusive, and easy to use—so you can keep your eyes (and your thoughts) on the road.

You will get bored—500 miles on cruise control with an automatic transmission can be a pretty dull time. Not always, of course, but sometimes it will be boring, and maybe that’s the point. In this frenetic age, that feeling is practically a luxury, and it’s essential to the trip. Revel in it.

It would be impossible for us to pick the best overall sunglasses, since your choice ultimately depends on your personal style. We have picks for cheap sunglasses in a separate guide. But driving sunglasses are different because they’re designed to help you perform a specific task: driving safely. In that regard, Maui Jim makes the best sunglasses around, though they are something of an investment.

The best sunglasses

These are the clearest driving sunglasses we’ve found, with no perceptible distortion.

We compared a Maui Jim pair with more than 20 types of sunglasses, driving or otherwise, and found this pair to be the best of the bunch. The Maui Jim sunglasses had the clearest lenses, with no perceptible distortion, on the lightest frames we tested (0.6 ounce, or about half the weight of a wooden pencil). I’ve never encountered sunglasses that I can wear for hours on end without somehow hurting my nose, ears, or both. But during my trip there were a few afternoons when I had completely forgotten I was even wearing the Maui Jim sunglasses—despite five-plus hours of driving with them on.

The clarity of the lenses was another surprise. The Maui Jim lenses are so clear that it’s borderline unsettling the first time you try on these sunglasses. Thanks to the lenses’ exceptional clarity and polarization, everything—including the scenery around you and the road ahead—looks sharper through them.

As far as specific model recommendations go, I suggest scanning the offerings on the Maui Jim website and reading the fit descriptions to find something that matches your aesthetic sensibilities. Unlike companies that go by lens size only, Maui Jim lists face shape as part of its fit guidelines. That means you’re more likely to find what’s most comfortable for you on your first try. Just keep in mind that bigger lenses tend to be better because they offer more coverage.

Maui Jim glasses come with a two-year warranty . After checking with the company, we confirmed that it fulfills warranties on its sunglasses no matter where you buy them. However, Maui Jim services only authentic lenses and frames that haven’t been modified in any way. You can tell whether the pair you have is genuine (and not a knockoff) by confirming that the Maui Jim logo is etched, not just painted onto the lens.

Smartphone mount

In an ideal world, people wouldn’t use a phone at all while driving, and if you have a copilot, you shouldn’t have to—you can delegate the phone-related tasks to them. But in reality, for many drivers, a phone is the source for navigation, information, messages, music, and (of course) phone calls. However, if you hold the phone in your hand as you drive—or look down at it in a cup holder or center-console bin—it can be a major distraction and safety risk. That’s why we recommend using a smartphone mount.

iOttie iTap Magnetic 2

The best dash- or windshield-mounted smartphone mount.

Whether it’s on a dashboard or windshield, this model is easy to set up, grips securely, and has a strong magnetic mount that supports most phones in any position.

iOttie iTap Magnetic 2 Air Vent Mount

The best vent-mounted smartphone mount.

This model is easy to set up and remove, and it has the same strong magnetic mount as the dash version. It securely held on to our cars’ vent slats.

iOttie iTap Magnetic 2 CD Slot Mount

The best cd-slot-mounted smartphone mount.

This mount attached quickly and firmly to our cars’ CD slots and has the same magnetic mount as the other iTap Magnetic 2 versions.

I enjoy the simplicity of my phone with no accessories, so I like that the iOttie iTap Magnetic 2 mounts offer an attractively easy way to mount and unmount my phone with one hand. In our tests , the magnets in all three versions— dash/windshield , vent , and CD slot —were strong, supporting most of our phones vertically and horizontally over even the roughest terrain. Only the large, 6.5-inch iPhone XS Max gave them some trouble when they held it horizontally; the mounts were solid with a 6-inch Google Pixel 2 XL.

To use the magnetic mount, you have to attach a small metal plate to the back of your phone or to the case. Doing so is safe for your phone, and we found this detail to be small, subtle, and attractive enough that we didn’t mind it. Often you can hide it entirely by attaching the plate to the inside of a phone’s case. But the plate could interfere with your ability to wirelessly charge your phone; if you want to be able to continue to use that function, consider the following options from our guide to wireless charging phone mounts .

iOttie Easy One Touch Wireless 2 Dash & Windshield Mount

Best mount for charging a smartphone on a dash or windshield.

This model delivered some of the quickest charging speeds and earned top results for stability. It lets you easily mount and unmount your phone, too.

iOttie Easy One Touch Wireless 2 Air Vent & CD Slot Mount

Best mount for charging a smartphone on a car’s air vent or cd slot.

This is the sturdiest vent-mounted model we tested, with fast charging speeds, a firm grip, and a quick way to attach and remove your phone.

The iOttie Easy One Touch Wireless 2—available as a dash and windshield mount or a vent and CD player mount —offers a convenient way to charge your phone in the car while also giving you easy access to audio controls, directions, messages, and more. In our tests , both models ranked among the quickest at charging our phones. Their spring-loaded tension arms made attaching or removing a phone of any size simple, and they held the phone steady while we drove. Both models offer a wide range of adjustability for positioning your phone where you can readily see it, regardless of the vehicle. iOttie also offers a magnetic mount (for vent use) that’s compatible with wireless charging.

Rain-repellent coatings

Rain and snow add stress to a road trip, and they decrease your visibility and your reaction time in an emergency. Along with wipers, rain-repellent windshield coatings can help keep your windshield clear. If you want the most effective rain repellent, pick up the classic Rain-X spray bottle and commit to applying it once a month. If you simply want to give your windshield a boost, Aquapel is almost as effective and can last six times longer between applications—but it is very expensive.

Rain-X Original Glass Water Repellent

Cheap but short-lived repellent.

This affordable hydrophobic spray offers effective protection, but it wears off after a couple of weeks.

Most auto-supply shops offer a huge variety of Rain-X products, including wiper blades, gels, and washer-fluid additives, but you should stick to the original Rain-X formula in the 16-ounce spray bottle because it has the most reliably positive reviews from buyers. Once applied, Rain-X forms a hydrophobic coating , which causes water to bead up and quickly slide off your windshield. Most people who have used Rain-X agree that maintaining its effectiveness requires reapplication about once a month. If your wiper blades start “chattering,” that probably means the coating is beginning to wear unevenly, and it’s time to reapply.

Aquapel Glass Treatment

Long-lasting but pricey repellent.

Aquapel bonds to your windshield for up to half a year, but it costs more than twice as much as Rain-X.

If you can’t commit to applying Rain-X once a month, consider Aquapel . Instead of coating your windshield, it bonds to the glass chemically , and it should last for three to six months before you need to pull out another one-time-use sponge and reapply. YouTube user jwardell posted a 30-day comparison video that shows how Rain-X is more effective initially, but after a month Aquapel still works even after the Rain-X has all but worn off.

For either repellent, proper application is the key to getting the maximum benefit. You need to start with an extremely clean windshield. Then clean it again just to be sure. Both of these repellents dry best in warm weather, out of direct sun. Even when perfectly applied, however, these substances have potential drawbacks. Some people who have used them complain that the repellents cause noticeable haziness at night. Others report that they had trouble getting windshield chips professionally filled after learning that the chemicals interfered with repair methods—though Aquapel’s site disputes such claims. Still, if you’re stuck in inclement weather on a road trip or a commute, either the original Rain-X spray or Aquapel can help increase visibility and decrease your stress levels.

Ice scraper and snow brush

Hopkins SubZero 80037

The best ice scraper and snow brush.

Efficient at clearing ice and sweeping snow, this scraper works on vehicles of all sizes.

The Hopkins SubZero 80037 tool combines a scraping blade and ice-crushing teeth to make quick work of thick or thin ice, and its plow-like bristle broom is the best we’ve tested —equally adept at shoveling snow off body panels and brushing it out from tight spots around mirrors and wipers. The Hopkins SubZero has a self-locking extension that’s easy to use when you want to fold the scraper away to make room in the trunk of your car. It’s of average size—39 inches folded up and 60 inches fully extended. But no other contender offers such a complete scraping-and-sweeping package with so few weaknesses.

Paper road atlas

Rand McNally Road Atlas

The best road atlas.

This atlas is large enough to use while you’re in motion, with a logical, straightforward layout.

With the advent of GPS units and smartphone navigation apps (both of which we recommend over the onboard navigation systems that might come with a car), the age of the paper road atlas would seem to be over. But don’t let anyone convince you of that. A road atlas is the heart of every road trip. It’s the inspiration.

Planning a road trip starts with imagining the places you could be next weekend, if you threw a few granola bars and some clothes into the backseat and left everything else behind. Of course, you could bring up Google Maps, look up the top 10 travel destinations near you, plan your exact route, and save a PDF to your digital device so you’d know exactly where to go and how to get there at each stage of your trip.

Or you could pull out a physical map and highlight a route. You might not know exactly what to expect when you get there, but you’ll definitely know that you can get there. And regardless of electronic-device failures, you will always have a map in hand.

For use in the car, we like the classic Rand McNally Road Atlas —just make sure to get an updated edition. Its oversize shape makes it simple to read and easy to spread out on the hood or in your lap, and the user-friendly design can’t be beat. This atlas’s arrangement of state and keyhole maps is the best for navigation.

As a test, we used the Rand McNally atlas to complete the first leg of our trip, from Ventura to Joshua Tree, California, with no phones and no GPS, on roads we had never driven before. The Rand McNally atlas was simple, functional, and easy to follow. Most important, it was fun to use.

We did read one complaint from somebody who began using that year’s map early: Some of the roads it listed as passable were still mid-construction at the time. If you’re buying a map in the middle of the year or later, you could play it safe and stick with the current year’s edition.

Garmin DriveSmart 55

The best car gps.

Best-in-class directions, driver alerts, points of interest, and free map updates—combined with the best screen we’ve seen on any GPS unit—set this model apart from the pack.

For most shorter trips, a smartphone can provide all the navigation assistance you need. But should your journey take you off the beaten path (and out of your coverage area), we suggest the Garmin DriveSmart 55 . Like the best GPS units, the DriveSmart 55 can also connect to a smartphone via Bluetooth, which lets you send destinations to the device, get incoming messages on screen, and receive extra trip and traffic info. The DriveSmart 55’s extensive points-of-interest database helps guide you to an area’s best sites and businesses through integrated Tripadvisor ratings, Foursquare listings, a database of sites from the History network, and US national park directories (something that other brands’ models don’t offer). Similar to a smartphone, the DriveSmart 55 allows multi-touch gestures, such as pinching or spreading for easier zooming on a map; this feature is a clear step up from the resistive displays of less-expensive units, which allow only single-finger gestures and require you to tap on the plus and minus buttons to zoom in or out.

The DriveSmart 55 also provides helpful traffic info in many metro areas. It responds to voice commands as effectively as the best GPS units, and like other top models it includes free lifetime map updates—in contrast with the pricey updates you need to buy for many cars’ built-in navigation systems.

Sea to Summit Wilderness Wipes

The best body wipes.

Not quite a shower but pretty darn close, these wipes are amazing after a sweaty day in the desert.

Road-trip and backpacking veterans know just how much better a shower can make an adventure after three days and a lot of smelly clothes. When taking a shower is not an option, or even if you just want to tidy up a bit after a long drive, body wipes can provide some much-needed relief.

We considered 22 brands and tested nine different body wipes, including some that were popular on Amazon and others that were recommended on the blogs of seasoned outdoorspeople.

Cheap, portable, and durable, the Sea to Summit Wilderness Wipes were the clear winners.

The wipes come in a resealable package, which helps keep them fresher for longer. You can find them in two sizes, XL (8 by 12 inches, in a pack of eight) and Compact (6 by 8 inches, in a pack of 12). On our trip, we preferred the XL wipes for their extra coverage and longer cleaning power. The fully compostable Wilderness Wipes were among the most lightly scented ones we tested, and their lack of alcohol left our skin feeling clean and moist.

Surface wipes

Clorox Disinfecting Wipes

The best disinfecting wipes.

Effective, EPA-approved, and (usually) easy to find, these pre-soaked wipes need only four minutes of contact time to neutralize the coronavirus—and they’ll kill other nasty bugs you might come across in your travels, too.

Most disinfecting wipes are the same. Although we recommend Clorox Disinfecting Wipes , we advise getting any pack of wipes you can find that contains a disinfectant on the EPA’s List N (most have a bleach or quaternary ammonium base). Clorox’s bleach-free wipes are usually sold in single canisters or in four-packs at a range of retailers. These wipes can eliminate the coronavirus and other pathogens on hard surfaces—countertops, door handles, and bathroom fixtures—in your home, vehicle, or motel room, but not on fabric or other soft materials.

Surface spray

Lysol Disinfectant Spray

The best disinfectant spray.

This aerosol works in 10 minutes and is fabric-safe, but it’s guaranteed to eliminate the coronavirus and other pathogens only on hard surfaces.

Instead of bleach, which can damage car interiors, Lysol Disinfectant Spray uses quaternary ammonium. It’s safe on hard surfaces and most fabrics, and it’s gentler on skin than bleach. It also produces fewer harsh fumes—which is good if you’re disinfecting the same space frequently. The spray eliminates the coronavirus, for instance, on hard surfaces in 10 minutes, but on soft surfaces it only sanitizes (kills most but not all pathogens).

One thing we’ve learned in the past few years is that face masks can be useful whenever you’re sick (with COVID-19, a cold, the flu, whatever) and don’t want to share your misery with fellow passengers, people at rest stops, or anyone else. Fortunately, compared with the situation in early 2020, medical-style N95 and KN95 masks (which many experts recommend as the best protection) are widely available these days. They’re easy to tuck into a bag, which we do now whenever we travel. You can find out where to buy these masks in our guide .

Stain remover

Shout Wipe & Go Instant Stain Remover Wipes

The best stain remover.

By keeping a pack of these in your glove box, you’ll remain tidy through multiple meals at drive-throughs.

May be out of stock

In our testing, we’ve found that if you spend five hours a day in the car on a drive-through-fueled cannonball run, there’s no way you’ll get to your final destination without having some kind of condiments disaster. I met my own inevitable conclusion outside an In-N-Out Burger on the last leg of our trip.

When the unavoidable happens, you’ll need something more than a napkin and ice water to clean up the mess. We recommend Shout Wipe & Go Instant Stain Remover Wipes . We tested them against other instant spot removers and assorted DIY methods to see how they handled wine, coffee, lipstick, and mustard stains.

In our tests, the Shout wipes easily outperformed the popular Tide To Go pen , and the Shout option was the only stain remover that erased almost all traces of lipstick on the collar of a shirt. These wipes also did pretty well on the ketchup I spilled.

The single-use towelettes don’t occupy much space; you can throw a dozen into your glove compartment and barely notice they’re there. Plus, by using a single wipe per stain, you don’t risk depositing an old stain on another piece of clothing, as you might with reusable stain-remover sticks.

Hand lotion

Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Body Lotion

The best moisturizing lotion.

Once it’s rubbed in, this moisturizing lotion is lighter and drier-feeling than competitors. It’s better for people with normal to oily skin.

You might find yourself washing your hands a lot on the road, which can result in cracked and dry skin. Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Body Lotion is thick enough to stay neat in your hand and thin enough to spread quickly and smoothly onto your skin. Unlike its competitors , this moisturizing lotion dries nicely without leaving a greasy film in its wake. And its neutral scent won’t follow you out of the bathroom or into your car.

Can a long road trip be comfortable? I didn’t think so: Long hours of sitting in one position, nights spent camping or sleeping in cheap motel beds, and breaks for indigestible fast food are a terrible combination. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

With a little planning and a few small luxuries, you can keep the enthusiasm of your trip alive. Skip the fast food and instead pack your own snacks and water. Keep off the main highways and pull over when the scenery strikes you (not when you’ve gone a certain number of miles). And stop for as long as you need. The cliché is unavoidable: It’s the journey that’s important, not the destination (though that should be good too!).

Folding blanket

Nemo Victory Picnic Blanket

Comfortable and easy to carry.

Our favorite picnic blanket travels easily, feels comfortable to sit on, and holds up to wear and tear.

There’s only so much time you can spend in a car without needing to pull over to pause, stretch your legs, and take in the scenery. We stopped dozens of times on our trip, and we were glad every time we were able to take a side road, pull out a blanket, and find a place to sit down and share some food.

In 2023, Nemo enlarged the Victory Blanket, which previously fit just two people, to fit four people. At roughly 95 by 95 inches, according to our measurements, the Nemo Victory Picnic Blanket is now bigger than most blankets we looked at; it’s well suited for larger groups of people or for two people who want room for more board games and snacks. For those who need even more space, the Victory Blanket is also available in a truly mammoth extra-large version (120 by 120 inches). Both sizes come with two adjustable, clasping straps that keep the blanket rolled up tight, and those clasps can perform double duty as bottle openers.

Travel pillow

Therm-a-Rest Compressible Pillow Cinch

The best travel pillow.

The redesigned-for-2022 Therm-A-Rest pillow remains a firm and supportive choice that packs down to 50% of its expanded size. It now has a sewn-in cable that you can cinch down to make the pillow firmer.

price may vary by color or size

A good travel pillow is hard to find. It shouldn’t take up much space, and it should be able to expand when it needs to. And, ideally, it should allow you to shape it for use as a shoulder or neck pillow when necessary, such as when you’re on a plane or in the passenger seat of a car.

We found that the foam-filled Therm-A-Rest Compressible Pillow Cinch fit all of those criteria exceedingly well. During the day, it can fold in on itself (a loop-and-toggle closure holds it tight), which makes it easy to stow in a backpack or to toss into the backseat. When it’s in this tightly packed configuration, you can also use it as a shoulder and lumbar pillow. The Therm-A-Rest pillow is a bit larger than your typical travel pillow when it’s packed down—about the size of a tissue box—but saving space is less of a priority when you’re driving instead of flying.

At night, the pillow unrolls and expands into a decent bed pillow, though side-sleepers with larger frames may say it has too little padding. But this is a travel pillow, of course, so it will never feel like your home pillow, which is all part of the fun somehow. I sleep on my side and back, and I found it exceptionally comfortable compared with camping pillows I’d used in the past, although I did have to supplement it with a flannel shirt when I wanted to sleep on my side. In spring 2022, Therm-A-Rest released a slightly redesigned version of the pillow. The “regular” version is roughly the same size and weight as the old “medium” version, but the integrated pocket is now larger (9 inches deep instead of 6), which we found makes the pillow easier to roll up. The pillow also has a cord sewn in a loop into its back; you can tighten the cord and cinch it securely to make the pillow firmer. One other change: A thin layer of polyfill backs the brushed polyester fabric on its face and softens the lumpiness of the foam filling.

The Therm-A-Rest pillow is well reviewed on Amazon and on REI’s site. It’s available in a variety of colors and sizes, but we prefer the regular/medium for its mix of portability and support.

Silk sleeper wrap

Sea to Summit Premium Silk Travel Liner

The best sleeping bag liner.

This liner is a lightweight, moisture-wicking, easy-packing fix for scratchy motel sheets.

Not all motels are created equal. Some are fantastic, with their bright neon signs truthfully advertising a cheap, clean, and convenient place to stay. But out there you can stumble across other motels—desperate, last-chance places you wouldn’t wish on anyone, and cursed by all of the bleary-eyed travelers who’ve been forced to stay in them for a night.

Sea to Summit’s Premium Silk Travel Liner is the best accessory to bring along for these situations. Inclement weather, unexpected traffic, or poor planning (my personal downfall) may at some point prevent you from reaching your expected destination for the night and force you to stay somewhere you wish you didn’t have to. We can’t help you accept your fate, but we can make that night just a little easier to tolerate.

Nidra Deep Rest Eye Mask

The best sleep mask.

Lightweight and contoured, this mask fits comfortably and blocks light well for a wide variety of face shapes (though it’s best for those who sleep on their back). And the mask’s deep eyecups allow your eyes to flutter during sleep.

Not every bedroom on the road is as dark as some people would like. That’s why we recommend the Nidra Deep Rest Eye Mask . Its contoured eyecups rest over your eyes, giving them space to move, which makes this mask comfortable to sleep in—even when you’re sitting upright (as you might in the passenger side of a car). Although the mask is adjustable, with Velcro straps, restless sleepers may want to consider other options in our full guide to sleep masks . If the Nidra mask fits you well, its weightless feel can make you forget you’re wearing a mask at all as you continue to sleep in bright cars or poorly shuttered hotel rooms.

Puffy blanket

Rumpl Down Puffy

The best outdoor blanket.

This blanket offers the greatest warmth and durability for the lowest relative weight, price, and size. It also stuffs away very well when not in use.

The Rumpl Down Puffy blanket, which has a soft yet durable nylon shell that’s stuffed with water-repellent and sustainably sourced down, wards off the cold better for the price than the competition. It helps you to stay warm longer, inside or outside. (A puffy blanket has come in handy for us especially on winter road trips in an EV, when we don’t have the heat of a combustion engine warming the interior of the vehicle.) So far in our testing , the Rumpl blanket has survived four rounds in the washing machine without a snag, and it dries within an hour. And it’s been notably stain resistant after encountering dirt, dew, and even coffee.

Van camping mattress

Hest Sleep System

The best vehicle camping mattress.

Predominantly for van camping or long-term car camping, this blowup mattress takes up a hefty amount of space when stowed away but provides the most comfort of any camping mattress we’ve tested.

Although the size of the Hest Sleep System limits its use to either vans or pickup trucks, we’re including it on this list because of its impressive night-over-night comfort. If your road trips tend to include lots of outdoor activities such as biking, hiking, or climbing, a good night’s sleep is fundamental to having the energy you need to enjoy your days. The Hest mattress takes up about the space of a small cot mattress (78 by 25 inches). Half consists of a dense foam layer, and the other half is a high-pressure inflatable base that needs a pump system to inflate. The Hest mattress is not a small piece of kit when rolled up: It weighs 26 pounds and packs up into a 28-by-16-inch bedroll, including the air pump. If two of you are camping, you can connect two Sleep Systems together, though Hest also makes the Dually two-person foam mattress, which we haven’t had a chance to test yet.

Tinkle Belle Female Urination Device

The best pee funnel.

Sturdy and accommodating yet packable, the Tinkle Belle funnel is easy to use and clean when you’re on the road or hiking a trail.

It’s not always easy to find a secluded spot on the side of the road or a clean-enough public restroom. The Tinkle Belle funnel has a stable, rigid base and a flexible spout, so it won’t collapse under you during use, as Wirecutter senior staff writer Nancy Redd learned while researching the topic. One of the longest and widest of all the single-piece reusable funnels Nancy tested , the Tinkle Belle funnel makes less mess and is easy to use, as the more coverage a funnel has, the lower the risk of leakage or spills. While you’re on the road, a simple rinse works fine for cleaning the funnel. Although the Tinkle Belle funnel is larger than most, it folds up for more-compact storage. You can also buy it with a matching case .

Windshield protector and sunshade

A1 210T Fabric Sunshade

The best windshield shade.

This shade provides effective sun protection and fits a wide variety of windshields. It’s easy to store, too.

If you’re traveling through a sunny area, a sunshade for your windshield is a worthwhile investment. We like the A1 Windshield Sun Shade , which we found to offer the best combination of low cost, decent coverage, and ease of setup. Its pop-up design made it much simpler to install and stow than the accordion-style shades we tested.

Recommending just one sunshade for all cars is difficult because vehicles vary so much in size. But A1 offers several sizing options ranging from 59 by 19 inches to 69 by 36 inches (when the shade is fully expanded). You can compress each of these size options down to fit into a circular carrying case, which you can easily store on the door or underneath the seat. When you take the A1 sunshade out of the case, the compressed plastic arcs inside the sunshade spring open to create a rectangular shape, which you can adjust to fit your car’s windshield. Amazon reviewers mention that the build quality is solid and that the metallic finish does a good job against the sun, particularly in hot Southern states like Florida and Texas. Several reviewers also recommend , however, that you buy a size smaller than you think you need to avoid excessive overhang.

Although we prefer the A1 shade’s pop-up design, it’s not completely foolproof. Even with the choice in sizes, you still might have difficulty arranging the two plastic circles (which provide rigidity) within the A1 shade into a shape that hugs both edges of the front window and balances off the rearview mirror. Gaps, loose corners, or overhangs are almost unavoidable. In the end, what you gain in compactness and decent price, you lose in rigidity and reflective power. If you’re uncertain, measure before buying, or look into a custom shade like the WeatherTech shade described below, which is guaranteed to fit.

WeatherTech SunShade

A custom-fitted, maximum-protection shade.

This custom-fitted shade will ensure that no sun gets in, even in the sunniest climates.

If maximum temperature reduction is your goal, invest in a custom-fitted WeatherTech SunShade . Thicker than the A1 shade, WeatherTech’s shade completely blacks out the windshield when you install it. This shade is also notably bulky—about the size of a yoga mat when rolled up—and difficult to store discreetly. But if you frequent sunny climates, it’s well worth the cost, which at this writing starts at $55.

Passenger window UV protector and shade

Britax EZ-Cling Window Shades

The best passenger shade.

This shade sticks easily to car windows and provides great sun protection for passengers.

We researched 14 shade models and tested two finalists before determining that the Britax EZ-Cling Window Sun Shade is the best around. Available in a pack of two, it’s dead simple to install, and it’s effective. The Mylar on the back provides some protection against UV rays, and it acts like a large sheet of cling film that seems drawn to your windows once you pull the shades out of the box; the black mesh on the inner surface blocks a good amount of sunlight while still allowing you to see through the shade. We like the EZ-Cling shade better than film-only shades because the EZ-Cling design has a support ring of firmer material around its perimeter that makes it easier to install without prompting wrinkles and bubbles. I have way more fun than I rightly should when I’m putting these things onto car windows.

Unlike similar models with suction cups, the EZ-Cling shade doesn’t have any secondary or removable parts. Wirecutter’s Dan Frakes tried four other shades of various types and was dissatisfied with all of them, so he brought two EZ-Cling pairs for testing on a four-day road trip with his family. “They clung to the windows well,” Dan said. “They were a lot easier to install than both the suction-cup models and the flimsy film ones we’ve tried. We also removed them and reapplied them many times as our position relative to the sun changed, and it was easy to do so. Our only real complaint is that they’re small—they don’t cover an entire backseat window.” That kind of half-coverage can’t keep the sun off young children for too long, especially when the sun is low on the horizon.

Quick tip: Be sure to wipe your EZ-Cling shades with water when you first get them. A thin film protects the Mylar sheets during production, and it can leave a waxy residue on your car’s windows if you use the shades right out of the box without first wiping them down.

Portable extending shade

Shade extension

This extending shade attaches to a variety of vehicles, whether you have a roof rack or not, and whether you attach it to metal or a composite material such as a pickup-truck bed cover.

Although the MoonShade works best on SUVs and trucks, it’s lightweight and adaptable enough to work with smaller vehicles. When deployed, the MoonShade covers 9 by 7 feet, and its height adjusts from 78 inches to 96 inches. The shade mounts in three ways: directly to a roof rack, with very strong magnets, or with surprisingly robust suction cups for composite materials. We found that all three methods are secure enough for most situations, though as you might imagine, the suction cups are somewhat less stable than a direct mount on a rack. The MoonShade weighs 8 pounds and stows away into a carrying case that measures 28 by 6 inches, which is small enough to fit in the trunk of most cars. The MoonShade is great if you like to pull over in the middle of the day and set up a lunch, or if you tend to do activities outdoors in predominantly shadeless areas, as in the Southwest.

You could cross America with no plan at all and survive solely on fast food as your nourishment, without ever having to leave your car. But we don’t recommend that. Packing your own snacks and bringing your own water is not only healthier but also safer—you never know when you might be stranded somewhere along the way.

We got stranded on our second day of driving, somewhere east of Joshua Tree, California, when we pulled off the side of the road onto a soft, sandy shoulder (we were new in this part of the country). The car’s dash thermometer read 105 degrees Fahrenheit. As we waited, I was thankful that we had full water bottles, more water in the trunk, and plenty of food.

A highway patrol officer drove up, gave us a little lesson about sand, and pushed us out with no trouble. So things turned out fine. The beauty of a road trip is in the unexpected moments. You can be prepared for most of them by having a little food and water on hand.

RTIC Soft Pack Cooler 20 Can

Best soft cooler.

This simple lunch-box-style cooler is insulated with thick closed-cell foam and made from a durable coated nylon.

Capable of carrying everything from healthy snacks to emergency ice packs, a cooler is one of those items that can make long trips a lot more enjoyable. After several 500-mile days on the road, having a chilled container filled with cold drinks and body wipes is a gift. We recommend bringing along our favorite soft cooler , the RTIC Soft Pack Cooler 20 Can .

The lid of the RTIC cooler is capped by more than 2 inches of closed-cell insulation , and its walls are a touch thicker than those of the far more expensive Yeti Hopper Flip. When we tested them head-to-head, all that extra insulation seemed to give the RTIC cooler an insulating edge. The exterior of the RTIC cooler is made of a durable, thickly coated nylon—waterproof and tough—and the zippers are waterproof, as well. Still, don’t leave the cooler out in the sun, as the light and heat can degrade the material and slowly wear it out.

When the RTIC cooler is open, it stands erect like a grocery bag, providing easy access for loading and unloading.

Coleman 70-Quart Xtreme 5 Marine Hard Ice Chest Cooler

Our hard-cooler pick.

Better insulated and less expensive than the competition, this cooler keeps ice for a week. And its well-designed drain port makes it easier to clean.

If you need extra insulation for longer hauls and don’t mind sacrificing a little extra space, we recommend the Coleman 70-Quart Xtreme 5 Marine Hard Ice Chest Cooler . Our testing shows that a hard cooler will almost always outperform a soft cooler in insulating ability (five-plus days, versus a soft cooler’s two-day average) and durability. So the hard cooler is a great pick for RVs, trailers, or boats. But hard coolers are huge, so you might not have room for one if you’re carrying a bunch of other equipment.

Water bottles

CamelBak Eddy+ (25 ounces)

Great for the car.

A bottle with a straw is the easiest way to quaff water and keep your focus on the road since you don’t have to tilt your head back while drinking.

The 25-ounce CamelBak Eddy+ is the most reliable, most versatile water bottle for road trips that we found. This bottle has an integrated straw in the lid that features a plastic bite valve to keep it sealed (something that anyone who has owned a CamelBak hydration pack will be familiar with). Just bite down to open the straw, and release to seal it shut. That leak-free lid makes this bottle an ideal driving companion—it fits in a cup holder and is easy to sip from while you’re keeping your eyes on the road. The straw lid twists off to reveal a wide mouth that makes adding ice to your drink easy, which is handy if you like to keep your water cold. However, this is a plastic bottle, so adding ice could also make it sweaty; if you want to avoid that, the insulated version should prevent moisture from accumulating on the outside of the bottle.

Contigo Autoseal Transit Mug

The best mug for road trips.

Contigo’s Autoseal Transit is a wider mug that may fit better in cup holders than our top travel-mug pick. It doesn’t retain heat as well as our top pick, but some people may find its flat lid easier to drink from and to clean.

The Contigo Autoseal Transit Mug is a very different mug from the Zojirushi Stainless Steel Mug—our top pick for travel mugs —but it offers several features we like for road trips. The lid has fewer parts, is easier to clean, and prevents spills with its Autoseal button, which you have to hold down to keep the sipping port open. Plus, the flat lid won’t bump your nose or get in your line of sight while you’re drinking, as can happen with the Zojirushi model’s flip-top lid. Although this Contigo mug doesn’t keep drinks nearly as hot as the Zojirushi mug over a long period of time, some people might prefer that (we’ve heard complaints of the Zojirushi model keeping drinks too hot in the past). In addition, the Transit is a little wider than the Zojirushi mug, which is good if you want your mug to fit more snugly in a car cup holder or if you use a device such as an AeroPress, a pour-over dripper, or a tea steeper directly with your mug.

Edward Abbey wrote an entire book about being alone in the desert , long before portable screens, streaming music, and the best and worst of what instant entertainment can bring. He saw incredible things. But then again, Abbey wrote that book before he had kids.

Being in close proximity on a road trip can bond families and friends. Of course, a packed car could also become a pressure cooker. Some games, toys, and electronics can provide welcome relief.

Even more important, on our trip, every 100 miles the scenery around us changed drastically, and being able to charge our cameras allowed us to capture some wonderful personal moments.

Bestek 300W Power Inverter

The best inverter for simple devices.

More-sensitive gadgets may not function correctly while using this DC-to-AC converter, but a smoother converter costs $100-plus.

Lots of newer cars have USB ports capable of charging plenty of smaller gadgets. But to plug in bigger items, such as a computer, or certain items that have larger batteries, you need an inverter to transform your car’s round-plug, 12-volt direct current (12 V DC) outlet into a three-prong outlet with the same 120-volt alternating current (120 V AC) you have in your home. After sending our three favorites, culled from a list of 18 top-rated inverters, to physicist Jim Shapiro for testing, we recommend the Bestek 300W Power Inverter for simple devices such as water boilers. Not all inverters are equal, however, and you need to know what you’ll want to plug in before deciding which one to buy.

The Bestek unit—like every inverter that sells for less than $100—creates AC power, but in what’s called a “modified” sine wave. Shapiro examined this phenomenon using an oscilloscope. “Although the Bestek and similar units produce voltage at the same 60-hertz frequency as house voltage, the waveform has sharp corners, unlike the smooth, curvy sine-wave signal from your local power company,” Shapiro explained. “Those sharp corners give rise to higher frequency harmonics that are not friendly to electronic devices.”

However, because many electronics, including laptop computers, use power supplies to convert AC back into DC before delivering the power to your device, a higher-quality power supply can make the arrangement work—as owner reviews attest. Shapiro was able to charge an iPad without any problems via the AC outlets on the inexpensive Bestek inverter. Charging a Dell Chromebook, on the other hand, caused some problems: “The screen flickered, and I noted that when I asked the computer to display the charging time left, it oscillated between giving that time and ‘calculating,’ indicating that the software was having problems.”

While we were on the road, we realized that the Bestek inverter’s dual USB ports and dual outlets offered a nice benefit, particularly for people traveling in an older car that didn’t have USB ports built in everywhere. You shouldn’t have issues charging USB devices because they charge on DC voltage anyway. And though you can’t see the inverter’s safety features, such as over-voltage and low-voltage shutdown, they’re included as well.

For powering a TV (for tailgating) or any other demanding piece of electronics during a road trip, we used to recommend the Go Power GP-SW150-12 Pure Sine Wave Inverter. It now appears to be out of stock almost everywhere (or discontinued). As an alternative, we recommend looking into a portable power station , which is basically a large battery in a protective box, with AC outlets and other ports built in. They tend to be expensive, so for road-trip purposes we recommend our budget pick, the Jackery Explorer 300 . If you need to power only a laptop during your trip, we have several recommendations for portable laptop chargers . Note that portable power stations and laptop chargers both charge on wall outlets and can’t draw power from a car outlet.

Nekteck PD 45W Type-C Car Charger

The best car charger.

This model can charge phones, tablets, and computers from its USB-C port, plus it has a second port for charging USB-A devices. It adheres to USB-C fast-charging standards and includes a quality cable.

If your electronic gear doesn’t require AC—for instance, you’re charging smartphones or Bluetooth speakers more than laptops or portable TVs—you can save a few bucks and a lot of space by getting a car charger . Compared with the familiar USB-A port, the smaller USB-C port can charge most modern phones faster (if you’re using the right cable) and can even charge tablets and laptops. And the Nekteck PD 45W Type-C Car Charger provides the best of both worlds. When you’re using a USB-C–to–Lightning cable , the charger’s USB-C port can charge an iPhone about three times faster (at 18 watts) than the USB-A wall charger that comes in the box from Apple; your phone can charge from empty to roughly 50% in just half an hour. This Nekteck charger’s 45-watt output and included USB-C–to–C cable also support the maximum charge rate on Android phones (such as the Samsung Galaxy S10), the 2020 iPad Pro, and even many laptops. And you can use the 12-watt USB-A port at the same time to charge a second phone or other device with any USB cable you already have.

Bluetooth kit

Besign BK01 Bluetooth Car Kit

Best bluetooth adapter for cars with an aux-in jack.

The Besign BK01 kit offers great sound quality for music and good sound quality for phone calls. It also lets you pair two phones and access your voice assistant with the press of an easy-to-find button.

If your car lacks Bluetooth support—which you may want for wirelessly listening to music or connecting your phone calls over the car’s stereo system—and you aren’t willing to swap out the stereo for a new one that has such a feature, your best option is a Bluetooth kit. The best and easiest way to add Bluetooth to cars with a line-in jack is to get an aux kit. The Besign BK01 Bluetooth Car Kit provides good sound quality for music, clear-sounding voice audio for hands-free calls, and access to Siri or Google Assistant at the press of a button. It also allows you to connect two phones at once, so you and your passengers don’t have to duke it out for the aux cord.

iPad headrest mount

Depending on the length of your trip and the temperament of your passengers, you may need to find a way to keep folks occupied. Providing their favorite movies or TV shows on a tablet is an option. After testing six top tablet-mount contenders, we determined that Arkon’s Center Extension Car Headrest Tablet Mount is a great pick for viewing by multiple backseat passengers.

Arkon Center Extension Car Headrest Tablet Mount

For multiple viewers.

This model positions a tablet solidly between the front seats for easy viewing by all backseat passengers.

The Arkon mount anchors with a pair of adjustable clamps that tighten around the metal rods that support a front seat’s headrest; the tablet holster is located on the end of an extendable pole that you can move to a position between the front seats, where all three passengers in the backseat can view it.

We had recommended the LilGadgets CarBuddy Universal Headrest Tablet Mount for people who preferred a mount that’s best for just one backseat passenger. It appears to have been discontinued, but it’s a good find if you can get your hands on one.

Instant camera

Fujifilm Instax Mini 12

The best instant camera.

Fun and simple to use, this camera takes good-looking wallet-sized photos for 60¢ per print.

Fujifilm Instax Mini Film (Twin Pack)

Instax mini film.

Buying Instax Mini film in twin packs helps you get the best price.

With a smartphone, showing a photo to hundreds of followers is as easy as pressing the share button. But if you want to create something tangible, an instant-film camera can add a fun and welcome dose of analog charm to your digital world. Our pick is the Fujifilm Instax Mini 12 , which provides high-quality, retro-cool prints at a reasonable price.

Also, when your phone is serving as a radio, a map, a restaurant guide, and whatever else, you’ll appreciate having a dedicated tool that does one thing: take instant shots that look great.

After doing extensive research , we found the Instax Mini 12 to be the best instant-film camera. Its compact body feels durable, and thanks to its minimal controls, anyone can easily learn how to use it. The 3.4-by-2.1-inch prints cost only about 60¢ apiece , so documenting your trip won’t break the bank. Its photos aren’t perfectly sharp, but they are pleasingly colorful and creamy, with a classic look that we love.

Travel game

Chat Pack: Fun Questions to Spark Conversations

The best silence-breaker.

The questions are not always the most thought-provoking, but they sure can spark a conversation.

You can find countless travel games for all ages, from magnetic chess boards to Adult Mad Libs , and we’re not about to review them all here. (You know what kinds of games you like to play.) So instead we’ll tell you about the game we chose, Chat Pack: Fun Questions to Spark Conversations .

I am, as a rule, generally wary of anything designed to prompt conversation. But by day three of our trip, with 1,100 miles behind us and 400 miles ahead, my then girlfriend (now wife) reached for Chat Pack and told me it was time.

It’s hit or miss with Chat Pack. Some of the questions are oddly inspiring, if clunkily written: “What is one item you own that has virtually no monetary value but has such sentimental value that you would not sell it for $1,000?” So, what item do I have that has no value but remains precious? My grandmother’s wire glove stretchers. And that became an hour-long conversation.

Some of the questions were abrupt duds: “If rain could fall in any scent, what scent would you want it to be?” “Like rain,” we both answered. Who doesn’t love the smell of fresh rain? The feeling of camaraderie in the car was strong; we agreed that it was a dumb question. We were a young couple on an open road in full accordance with each other, and that’s not a moment you take lightly.

So get a Chat Pack. Your mileage may vary. But this pack helped us pass the time, and it takes up barely any space.

Make time in your trip for the detours. If there’s one bit of non-gear-related advice we can give, it’s that the complicated route always proves to be more interesting. There will be times in the car when a sort of tunnel vision can set in, and the destination becomes all-consuming. At my worst, as I pressed down on the accelerator, I found myself mentally calculating the time saved for every increase in miles per hour—as if the scenery I was flying past wasn’t what I’d come to see in the first place.

The first time we pulled over without a plan was on some Bureau of Land Management stretch east of Zion National Park in Utah. We were alone, on an outcropping overlooking a shallow canyon. Someone had built an impromptu fire pit. But somehow it wasn’t until we finished lunch that we realized there was no point in going any farther.

You can find many ways to plan a trip. But once in a while, take a risk and make a left when all the maps and devices are telling you to go right. You won’t know where you’ll end up—and that’s the whole point.

Athlon Optics Midas ED

The best binoculars for nearly everyone.

Amazingly affordable with great optics, these binoculars offer performance comparable to that of many models costing thousands more.

Binoculars might not be a necessity. But when you’re standing on the edge of a trail in Zion National Park and looking for nesting peregrine falcons or lying at the edge of your campsite in Joshua Tree watching a pack of coyotes move under a full moon, will a good pair of binoculars come in handy? Yes. Yes it will.

The waterproof and lightweight Athlon Optics Midas ED binoculars boast a rugged shock-absorbing exterior. And this pair’s optical clarity and extra-wide field of view allow you to see more of the scene, more clearly and accurately. In fact, the professional ornithologist who tested binoculars for us said that things looked every bit as good through the Athlon binoculars as they looked through his $2,500 Leica Ultravid pair.

And the optics of the Midas ED pair aren’t the only strong suit: These are exceptionally durable binoculars that easily withstood the humid, dusty, and hostile environment of the Mexican rain forest and the harsh sun of the Californian desert. Also, their focus dial adjusts reliably and smoothly across a wide range of depths, making it easy for you to focus on what you’re trying to see, no matter where it is.

Stowable tote or daypack

It’s always a good idea to have a bag on hand for spontaneous off-the-road excursions. But anything that will take up space on a trip needs to be functional enough to hold cameras, snacks, jackets, maps, and souvenirs. And it needs to be durable enough to survive beach trips, sightseeing excursions, picnics, and museum tours.

Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Travel Day Pack

A pack that won’t crowd your trunk.

Toss this lightweight, phone-sized packable bag into your trunk or under your seat, and you’ll never get caught without a spare bag again. If you need something to carry every day, though, you’ll probably prefer one of our more-structured picks.

After researching dozens of packable daypacks across a spectrum of portability, features, and prices, and then packing, unpacking, loading, wearing, and drenching the top-rated finalists during multiple rounds of testing, we’ve found that the Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Travel Day Pack is the smallest and lightest packable backpack of the bunch. Packed up, it is very discreet, nearly the size of a keychain accessory. The bag itself is a no-frills sack made from a paper-thin siliconized Cordura nylon, so it’s very light and water resistant. The Ultra-Sil bag also has reinforced stitching at stress points, which allows it to carry more weight than you might expect. That said, since this pack is made of such thin, light material, carrying large or awkwardly shaped loads is somewhat uncomfortable, especially in comparison with our more structured picks.

If lightness, waterproofing, comfort, and organization are more important to you, check out the alternative picks in our review of packable daypacks for travel .

Blue Lizard Sensitive Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50+

An easy-to-spread physical sunscreen.

This physical sunscreen lotion absorbs easily and is free of added fragrance. Though this water-resistant formula can feel greasy, like most physical sunscreens, and leave behind a white cast (especially on darker skin), we’ve found its dependable coverage to be worth the trade-off.

On most road trips you’ll be exposed to the sun, whether it’s your arm out the window or your legs and neck during a pit stop, so we recommend bringing our favorite sunscreens along for everyone to apply. (The one exception: your youngest passengers. Do not put sunscreen on an infant. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends keeping children who are younger than 6 months out of the sun entirely.) Although most sunscreens containing only physical UV blockers are notoriously harder to spread and more visible on skin than sunscreens with chemical UV filters, Blue Lizard’s Sensitive Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50+ formula spreads relatively quickly and easily, and it absorbs nicely. Formulated with both zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, this sunscreen provides broad-spectrum protection, from both UVA and UVB rays. Blue Lizard says this formulation, which contains no added fragrance, is sweat resistant and water resistant for 80 minutes (the highest such claim allowed by the FDA). It comes in bottles that uniquely change color, from white to blue, in the presence of harmful UV light.

Banana Boat Light As Air Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50+

A lightweight, oxybenzone-free chemical sunscreen.

Although it contains added fragrance, this easy-to-apply chemical sunscreen lotion doesn’t have an overpowering sunscreen-y scent. It rubs in nearly transparently and appears colorless on most skin tones.

Banana Boat Light As Air Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50+ is our favorite chemical sunscreen that doesn’t contain oxybenzone. Fairly runny and lightweight, it blends seamlessly into a variety of skin tones. Although it contains added fragrance, it’s not strongly scented. It’s water resistant for up to the maximum-allowable claim (per FDA guidelines) of 80 minutes, and it costs far less per ounce than our physical-sunscreen pick.

Having an emergency kit in your car is a great idea for day-to-day driving, but it’s pretty much a necessity for long-distance road trips. Although it’s tempting to buy a preassembled kit and be done with it, we haven’t found a great one yet. Even the most promising options suffer from having jumper cables that are too short, too thin, or both. Basically, if you want a good kit, you have to make it yourself, and we’re here to help.

We spent hours researching and testing each of these essentials to confirm that they’ll be useful in case of an emergency, whether it’s your own or someone else’s.

On a desolate stretch of two-lane highway in northern Arizona, we were driving behind a rental camper van just as it had a rear-tire blowout after hitting a rumble strip. The couple driving the van couldn’t find their jack, didn’t know where the spare tire was, and had come to a stop just past a low dip in the road. It wasn’t a good scene. But it couldn’t have happened at a better time (for them, at least), and it gave us a great opportunity to put our emergency gear to the test.

It’s also wise to get a membership to a roadside assistance program. We don’t have a single best recommendation for everyone, since your options and needs vary depending on what car you have, how you use it, and where you live, but here’s a good guide by Popular Mechanics on what to look for in choosing a plan. Basically, make sure your plan fits your needs. For example, if you live in a city, 3 miles of free towing may be enough. But if you’re going on a road trip across the desert, paying for more range is worthwhile.

First-aid kit

First Aid Only 298 Piece All-Purpose First Aid Kit (FAO-442)

All the basics.

This kit is chock-full of bandages and cleaning supplies that are suitable for minor incidents.

On the road, a first-aid kit is useful for keeping someone comfortable until people with real medical expertise can help. It’s much more important to have a basic kit with you—and to be sure that the bandages haven’t degraded and the disinfectants haven’t expired—than to have a 432-item, war-zone-worthy kit sitting at home.

We like the First Aid Only 298 Piece All-Purpose First Aid Kit . It lacks some of the higher-quality tools that we recommend for a wilderness first-aid kit , but it comes with plenty of bandages, alcohol prep pads, pain relievers, and equipment to treat up to four people’s minor cuts and scrapes on a weekend trip. (For an extensive list and comparison chart, see our full guide .)

Snow shovel

Voilé Telepro Mini Avalanche Shovel

The best car shovel.

This small shovel slices through icy snow and can be disassembled for car storage. It isn’t cheap, but it’s what we’d want to have in a roadside emergency.

After spending two years researching car shovels and testing five contenders, we found that the best one to keep in the trunk for an emergency is the Voilé Telepro Mini Avalanche Shovel .

The tool, popular with ski patrols and people clearing backcountry trails, has a solid metal scoop and a two-piece handle that clicks together to form a sturdy shovel. Our tester keeps the Voilé shovel in her truck every winter, and it has come in handy more times than she can count. Though the Voilé shovel is too short to be a primary shovel, it’s perfect for any kind of fast shoveling. When you aren’t using it, you can tuck its three pieces neatly under a car seat or in the back.

Accu-Gage RRA60X

The best tire gauge we’ve found.

This is the favored tire gauge of all the professionals we interviewed.

Checking your car’s tire pressure (including that of the spare tire) is like flossing: It’s something that everyone should do but many people don’t do. Proper inflation is vital . Too much, and you’ll feel every bump and have more difficulty stopping your car; too little, and your tires will wear faster. Worse, they’ll also overheat, which can separate the treads and blow the tires, something we saw happen right in front of us in the middle of nowhere in Arizona. Don’t let that happen to you.

When we asked three different San Francisco Bay Area tire shops which gauge they used, they all pointed to the Accu-Gage 60 PSI gauge with shock protector . After our testing, which included road-tripping with the tool ourselves, the Accu-Gage model has emerged as our favorite tire gauge for several years running. It’s accurate and durable, and unlike a digital gauge, it has no battery to wear out. The Accu-Gage model is available in several different configurations , but the performance is largely the same. We prefer a version with a hose attached and a straight chuck, because that design makes it easier to hold the gauge and check the tire pressure at the same time. The version we tested even comes with a removable rubber bumper in case you drop it.

Portable jump starter

A portable jump starter is essentially a lightweight battery attached to two jumper cables that you use to jump-start your car. It’s easier, safer, and less intimidating than old-fashioned jumper cables that you attach to another car—and it’s something that you can use if you’re alone, instead of waiting for roadside service/a kind stranger/a friend/a relative to show up and bail you out.

Weego Jump Starter 44s

Staff-favorite jump starter.

This jump starter has the right safety features and contains enough juice in a small package to start most cars and SUVs.

Wirecutter has recommended Weego gear since we first published our guide to portable jump starters in 2017. Guide writer Mark Smirniotis researched 40 lithium-ion jump starters and tested 12. Two Weego portable jump starters (both of which are now discontinued) became picks: the Weego 22s (the top pick; about $60) and the Weego 44 (the upgrade pick; about $150). Though we no longer maintain that full guide, many of us at Wirecutter still keep a Weego jump starter in our cars . But now, in many cases, it’s an updated version, namely the affordable Weego 44s , which hovers around the same price as the 22s model, its less powerful predecessor.

Measuring 5.62 by 3.44 by 1.04 inches (LWD), the Weego 44s jump starter is about the same size as a cell phone in length and width. It also weighs less than a pound (around 12 ounces, according to my kitchen scale) and has safety features that help prevent you from hurting your car or yourself: If you incorrectly attach the jump starter to your battery (which can potentially damage the battery or your car’s electrical system), the unit’s reverse-polarity protection feature activates, issuing a red light and an alarm alerting you not to proceed.

The Weego 44s is rated to work with a wide range of vehicles, including gas engines up to 7 liters and diesel engines up to 3.5 liters. It can jump-start pretty much any gas- or diesel-powered passenger-vehicle engine—anything from a Mini Cooper (2 liters or less) to a Dodge Ram (as much as 6.7 liters)—and it fits that power into a package that’s small enough for most glove boxes.

The Weego 44s comes partially charged out of the box and takes about 2.5 hours to charge from zero. A USB-A–to–Micro-USB charging cord is included, but it doesn’t come with a charging cube, so you need to plug the USB-A end into your own USB phone charger that works in regular household outlets or use an outlet with a USB-A port . According to the company, the unit can stay charged for more than a year in storage, though you should make sure to top it off every three to six months. With regular use, it’s rated to last for about three to five years or up to 1,000 recharge cycles. Plus, it can provide multiple jumps before it needs a recharge itself (five lights on the side of the unit indicate its remaining battery life).

The Weego 44s has checks and balances to ensure that you safely jump-start a car, but its lithium-ion polymer battery comes with certain caveats. Though the manufacturer indicates that the unit will operate in temps of -4 °F to 140 °F, leaving it in a car in extremely hot or cold conditions is not a great idea. “Most devices that contain a lithium-ion battery, whether it’s your smartphone or a portable jump starter, should not spend long periods of time in extreme temperatures since it can cause permanent damage to the battery,” says Wirecutter senior staff writer and battery expert Sarah Witman. “You should also keep in mind that car engines need more power to get started in freezing temperatures, so it’s especially important to keep your jump starter fully charged when driving in cold climates.”

Jumper cables

If you’re a die-hard jumper-cable partisan, make sure that the cables you get are long enough for most scenarios and thick enough to carry sufficient current to jump most vehicles.

Lifeline AAA Heavy Duty 16-foot 6 Gauge Booster Cables

The best cable option.

This cable is long and durable enough for any situation, with a current rating that can handle SUVs.

After scrutinizing the specs of dozens of jumper-cable options and having an electrical engineer analyze three top-rated models, we recommend Lifeline’s AAA Heavy Duty 16-foot 6 Gauge Booster Cables . As this image illustrates, these cables are long and thick enough for most situations, and their 400-amp current rating means they can handle most vehicles, even trucks and SUVs. They also come with a surprisingly sturdy and convenient mesh storage bag.

One thing that sets these Lifeline cables apart from other cables we found on Amazon is that the 6-gauge description is accurate. For example, Capri sells a 4-gauge, 20-foot cable that reviewers say is closer to 8-gauge. That’s no good, because thinner cables can fail to deliver sufficient current to start trucks, SUVs, and other larger vehicles.

If you’re unfamiliar with how to use jumper cables, familiarize yourself . But lest you forget, Lifeline includes a handy diagram in the bag. The important thing to keep in mind: Do not attach the black clamp to the black post of the dead battery. Instead, clamp it to an unpainted metal surface under the hood. Also, don’t touch the exposed parts of the clamps together while the cables are hooked up to a battery; they will spark.

Decked x BoxoUSA Tool Bag with Tool Roll

For the at-home mechanic.

This tool roll is designed for off-road emergencies. The handy roll and its mix-and-match tool configurations offer almost everything necessary to keep a vehicle on the road.

If you don’t own any tools for car maintenance, this kit is a great start. With 65 individual tools, the Decked x BoxoUSA Tool Bag with Tool Roll has nearly every tool that a home mechanic (especially those who own a truck) might need to keep their vehicle on the road. As the kit was designed originally for off-roading, bringing the whole thing and all its contents would be overkill for most people (the entire kit weighs 31 pounds). But selecting the necessities—the ratchet and wrench set, for instance—depending on the kind of journey you’re planning is easy and efficient due to the built-in compartmentalization. Included within the kit are combination wrenches, sockets, impact sockets, hex and torx keys, breaker bars, and a family of hammers, pliers, and screwdrivers. The heavy-duty Cordura nylon bag is built to last, too. If you’re at all interested in doing some of your own car maintenance, or if you want to be prepared in case of emergency, this toolkit offers a solid foundation.

Petzl Actik Core

A rechargeable headlamp.

This headlamp emits bright light with the highest beam quality. And it stays charged for days, whether you charge it via USB or use AAA batteries. It’s the perfect headlamp for backpacking trips.

We’ve been testing headlamps since 2012, including our latest round of research and testing in 2022. For a road trip, we like the Petzl Actik Core because it’s rechargeable, so you won’t ever get caught with a dead battery, as long as you have a USB car charger on hand. Its 450-lumen light ranks among the brightest of all our picks. (As of early 2023, the Actik Core was updated and now has a 600-lumen beam ; we’re currently testing the new version.)

Twice during our trip we pulled into our camping site late, and our headlamp was the first thing we reached for. Knowing that it was always charged meant that we didn’t have to hunt for batteries or use our car lights and disturb neighboring campers.

Right out of the box, the Actik Core was easy to use. It has just one button and three brightness options: low (6 lumens), medium (100 lumens), and high (450 lumens). If you hold down the button for several seconds, the color turns to red; double-pressing lets you access the strobe setting. Compared with some other rechargeable headlamps, which require complicated button-press configurations to reach the desired setting, we found this one to be simpler, though we lamented its lack of a flood beam. We also liked the double-button setup of the Black Diamond Spot 400 and the Vitchelo V800 a bit better than the Actik Core’s single button.

Flare alternative

StonePoint LED Emergency Beacon

The best emergency beacon.

Crushproof and waterproof, this set of three beacons comes with magnets for car mounting. And these are much safer than traditional flares.

To keep yourself safe while your car is parked on the side of the road, we suggest StonePoint LED Emergency Beacon flare alternatives.

We like the StonePoint set because, for the price of one high-intensity model like the PowerFlare device, you get three separate lights that are all crushproof to 20,000 pounds, waterproof, magnetic, and easy to set up and turn on. The magnets are important because they let you mount the beacons on your car, which adds height; having a flare anywhere above the surface of the road greatly increases your visibility. By putting one on the road (preferably elevated on something and located about 100 feet before your car), another on the trunk, and another on the hood, you create a very visible early warning for drivers.

Traditional magnesium flares will almost always be brighter and more visible. But their hazards—both to your health and to the environment around you—are substantial. (Read the health and environmental hazards section in this report [PDF] for a breakdown of the risks and the potentially harmful chemicals involved.) Combine that with the fact that you can mitigate any differences in visibility simply by elevating an electric flare, and you end up with a compelling argument against using traditional flares.

Of the three beacon models we tested, we couldn’t figure out how to open or turn on the Wagan model. And the Smittybilt U.F.O. safety light, though tough, wasn’t especially effective during the day and came only one to a package. Only the StonePoint beacons were easy to fill with batteries and place on the road exactly when we needed them. They also happened to be the brightest flare alternatives we had with us.

I should take a moment here and repeat what the responding officer told us when he arrived on the scene. Regardless of what safety beacons you have laid out behind you, “Stay off the road, and when in doubt stay in your car.”

Leatherman Skeletool CX

The best multi-tool.

This light, slim multi-tool is easy to carry and built to last.

No emergency kit is complete without a multi-tool. Most minor situations—such as a loose Phillips-head screw or a need to create a rag for checking your oil—are easily fixed as long as you have the right tool. Multi-tools are small enough to carry in a jeans pocket or to attach to a belt, so you can take a set of useful tools almost anywhere. Our choice is the Leatherman Skeletool CX , which comes with pliers, a bit driver, a pocket clip, and a carabiner/bottle opener, in addition to a high-quality, 2.6-inch 154CM carbon-fiber stainless steel blade. The Skeletool CX stood out from the other 22 multi-tools we tested because it focuses on the functionality, ergonomics, and solid construction of a few essential tools, instead of cramming dozens of different tools into a single bulky body that makes it difficult to use. That means it’s easy to carry but still has just about everything you could possibly need (short of a hammer and a socket set) to make an emergency repair in the field and on the road.

Duck Brand Max Strength Duct Tape

The best duct tape.

This tape is super strong and sticky, flexible enough to wrap around corners, and easy to tear in a clean, straight line.

If you can’t duct it, fuhgeddaboudit . We tested the heck out of 11 rolls of duct tape and chose Duck Max Strength tape above the competition for its perfect blend of attributes, namely high material strength, a strong adhesive, and superior overall flexibility for easy wrapping around odd shapes and curved surfaces. Is it an absolute necessity on the road? No. But the moment you need to fix a ripped tent wall or to keep unruly motel shades shut, you’ll be glad you packed some duct tape. It can even handle first-aid duties when the right materials for the job are unavailable. Duct tape is, as any MacGyver fan will tell you, a very useful tool.

Reliance 4-Gallon Aqua-Tainer

The best water jug.

This water jug holds enough water for two people for two days, and it has a spill-proof screw-on vent cap.

The general rule for water in an emergency is that one person needs one gallon of water for one day. But four to five gallons is a good amount to throw into your trunk—enough to get you through being stranded, even with a passenger. You should increase that estimate if you plan to go out in the middle of nowhere, or if your travels take you to a desert region or some other dry place. We found on our trip through the Southwest that we were refilling our water bottles a lot more than we were stopping for gas.

After researching 16 different types of water jugs, we recommend the Reliance 4-Gallon Aqua-Tainer for most situations. The Reliance jug has two standout features: a screw-on vent cap and a spigot cap that reverses in on itself when not in use. These features work together to prevent major spills. The screw-on vent cap doesn’t come undone, unlike the pull-top vents on some competitors, which tend to pop open and spill water as soon as you hit anything other than the smoothest roadways. Spigot caps can be a weakness for some jugs, too. In contrast, when not in use, the Reliance jug’s spigot unscrews and drops into the jug itself, sealing up the whole canister nice and tight. On our road trip, we used the 4-Gallon Aqua-Tainer, which can provide water for two people for two days; for more people, consider the 7-Gallon Aqua-Tainer .

The Reliance Aqua-Tainer jug is made from BPA-free molded plastic. It’s easy to pack around in the trunk of a car—certainly easier than large, bladder-type jugs (like the MSR Dromedary Bag ), which, though excellent for camp showers and good for a backpack, are too difficult to pack around in a trunk because of their non-rigid shape. The Aqua-Tainer’s hard sides also make it easier to use for dispensing water from, say, the roof of your car. But be sure to throw a shirt or towel under the Aqua-Tainer before setting it atop your car like this: We learned the hard way that the molded plastic edge can scratch your car’s paint job if you’re not careful.

Before investing in a jug, you should know that water kept in plastic bottles won’t harm you, even if left in a hot car . A 24-pack of Poland Spring is not environmentally kind, but it is safe for a brief trip. Avoid gallon jugs, since they’re typically made out of HDPE plastic, which punctures easily. (Such jugs also have caps that pop off easily.) We wouldn’t buy collapsible jugs, either, since they are prone to leaks and are unruly when pouring.

It takes only a few minutes to get your vehicle checked out for a proper road trip. When in doubt, or when preparing for an especially long trip, see a mechanic first. There are plenty of potential mechanical troubles that a professional can identify—and that you’d rather learn about in their shop than on the side of a highway. Use these tips to determine where to go for help, based on the age of your car and what you need done.

• Dealership service departments: newer vehicles covered by factory warranty, or when specialized service is required
• Independent mechanics: general maintenance items such as brakes, steering, suspension, exhaust, and fluid changes
• Quick oil/lube centers: oil changes only

Getting word-of-mouth advice from family and friends remains a very good way to find reputable mechanics. Sites such as RepairPal and Yelp are also helpful. And don’t forget to check local Facebook community groups.

The vehicle inspection: Six key areas

• Under the hood: Check the engine oil, transmission fluid, engine coolant, windshield wipers, washer fluid, and brake fluid.

• Tires: Check for proper inflation and good tread that doesn’t show uneven wear. For inflation, consult your owner’s manual to find your tires’ recommended PSI; don’t go by what’s printed on the side of your tire, which is the maximum PSI. For tread wear, stick a penny into the center (not the edge) of each tire’s treads, with Lincoln’s head facing down—if you can still see the top of Lincoln’s head, the tire is worn out. Also, if you have a spare tire, check it and make sure that a jack and a lug-nut wrench still accompany it. If you don’t have a spare, consider getting one from a dealer or a salvage yard. Or invest in an emergency roadside repair and inflation kit—like the Slime 50107 Smart Spair Emergency Tire Repair Kit —which includes sealant for small punctures as well as a small air compressor for reinflating tires. At the very least, bring along a portable sealer kit like Fix-A-Flat , but be aware that these options work only on very small punctures in the tread and could ultimately require you to replace your whole tire. So it’s really better to have a spare, if possible.

• Lights: Check all the bulbs, including the turn signals, headlights (high and low beam), brake lights, parking lamps, reverse lights, and license-plate lights.
• Smell test: You can sniff out potential problems in your car by paying attention to its odors.
• Sulfur/rotten-egg smell: You have trouble with your exhaust or emission system that could be dangerous. Get your car to a mechanic immediately.
• Sweet smell: This scent indicates an engine coolant leak; the smell could be strong when you’re using the heater, and accompanied by fogged-up glass. The coolant is toxic, and when it runs out, your engine will overheat.
• Burning carpet/paper smell: Your brakes are hot. Smelling this after you’ve used your brakes hard (such as after coming down a mountain) is not unusual. But if you smell this while you’re driving around normally, it means your brakes might be stuck, which is a serious problem.
• Musty/mildew smell: This odor is generally attributable to water getting stuck in the ductwork for your heating and air conditioning. It usually indicates that a drain plug is blocked, which you sometimes can fix just by running your fan on high for a few minutes.
• Burning rubber smell: Unless you’re doing burnouts, this smell can be caused by slipping engine belts or a tire rubbing. In these cases, the smell is usually accompanied by a noise, namely squealing (with belts) or grinding (with a tire rubbing).
• Noise test: Cars make lots of noises, and the following are some that should get your undivided attention.
• Clunking or rattling over bumps: This sound can indicate a variety of problems with the steering or suspension, but it often points to worn plastic or rubber bushings that allow contact between metal components. In extreme cases, these components can fail, causing major damage or even loss of control if the vehicle is moving.
• Clicking or groaning sounds when turning: Clicking is a sign of imminent axle shaft failure on front-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive vehicles, so get to a mechanic immediately if you hear this sound. Groaning noises are less serious and occur because of a lack of lubrication in steering components or bushings.
• Loud humming that increases steadily with speed: This sound almost always points to a bad wheel bearing, especially if the noise gets louder or quieter when the car is turning.
• Grinding, squeaking, or squealing when stopping: Squeaking and squealing happen when the brake pads are worn and need replacing. Grinding means the pads are already gone, and you’re pushing metal against metal when you stop.
• Feel test: The following are a few situations that should warrant a visit to the shop.
• Soft or spongy brake pedal: Brakes should be firm; a soft pedal means something is wrong. Either you have a mechanical problem or the brake fluid is leaking.
• Shimmies or vibrations: These sensations usually indicate that a rim is bent or that a tire is out of balance, but they can also be signs of loose steering or suspension parts.

Pre-trip planning

Before heading out, check these commonly taken-for-granted aspects of road-tripping.

• Update your GPS system. Factory-installed GPS devices generally receive updates once a year and require CDs, SD cards, or USB thumb drives purchased from the manufacturer for installation through a dealership. Mobile third-party GPS units get updates throughout the year, and you can install the updates via most home PCs through a simple download from the GPS manufacturer’s website.
• Make sure that you have maps or a paper atlas. Sometimes technology fails. Having a current map for backup is always a good idea.
• Make sure you’re covered by a roadside assistance program. Auto-club programs are the most common source of roadside assistance plans, with companies such as AAA and Good Sam offering coverage to members regardless of what vehicle they drive or its age. Most new cars, however, come with complimentary roadside assistance that lasts a certain number of miles or a certain number of years, whichever happens first. So check your owner’s manual (and read the fine print, since these plans can be very limited). Many auto insurance companies also provide vehicle-specific roadside assistance, usually for a monthly fee. Some credit card companies offer a mix of complimentary and basic fee services, and even cell phone companies are now offering basic services to customers. Verizon’s roadside assistance plan costs $5 per month and covers any vehicle, as long as the phone is present. Most of these plans have limitations and plenty of fine print to study, so carefully review your coverage before hitting the road.

This article was edited by Ria Misra and Christine Ryan.

Meet your guides

Kit Dillon is a senior staff writer at Wirecutter. He was previously an app developer, oil derrick inspector, public-radio archivist, and sandwich shop owner. He has written for Popular Science, The Awl, and the New York Observer, among others. When called on, he can still make a mean sandwich.

Wirecutter Staff

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Further reading

Road-Trip Essentials

by Eve O'Neill

We spend a lot of time driving each year, and this is our list of essential road-trip gear to include in your packing list.

Traveling With Little Kids Can Be Tough. The Right Gear Can Help.

by Kerry Davis McGuinness

From compact car seats and cribs to portable blackout shades and white noise machines, the right tools for travel can lead to less fuss—and more fun.

The Gadgets We Bring on Every Trip

by Haley Perry

You don't have to be a digital nomad to travel like one. Here are a few gadgets and accessories to make travel as painless as possible.

How to Sleep Well (or at Least Better) While Traveling

by Christine Ryan

Our sleep and travel editors recommend gear for coping with travel-induced insomnia, vetted through hours of testing and years of personal experience.

25 Practical Tips for Long Road Trips

By Jason Barnette | Travel writer and photographer with 15+ years of road tripping experience

• Last Updated on May 25, 2024
• Published on July 7, 2021

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my Affiliate Disclosure here .

You’re finally ready to embark on that epic road trip that will take you across the country from sea to shining sea. The gas tank is full, you’ve checked off every item on the packing list, and you’re ready to hit the road. But are you actually ready for a long road trip?

The longer a road trip, the more complicated it can get. I didn’t say would get, but it certainly can get complicated. Have you packed enough clothing for the entire trip, or will you need to do laundry along the way? Are you ready for chilly nights, rain, and unexpected adventures? Unfortunately, these are the kinds of questions many people don’t consider until the road trip is underway – and it’s too late to make many changes.

These 25 practical tips for long road trips will help you get prepared long before you leave home, save money along the way, and help you spend more time enjoying the road trip and less time dealing with those pesky complications.

Buy food at grocery stores instead of gas stations

Road trip snacks are almost as necessary as gasoline for the car – they even perform similar functions. But one of the worst things a person can do on a road trip is to buy the snacks spontaneously at random gas stations along the way.

Save money and time with those snacks at grocery stores or bulk purchase stores. Stock up on all the snacks, drinks, and coffee at a fraction of the price of buying it along the way. The more you save, the longer you can drive.

Get your car inspected

Before leaving home, get your car inspected. Most national chain auto repair shops offer free inspections because they want your business when they find something wrong with the car.

But it’s an excellent way to get all the fluids topped off, tires rotated and balanced, and the hundreds of moving parts of a car inspected before you leave. Spur of the moment auto repairs during a road trip can be prohibitively expensive – not to mention you might have to shack up at a roadside motel for a few days while the work is done.

Keep your car maintained

Did you know properly inflated tires can lead to better gas mileage? Under-inflated tires cause a drop of 0.2% miles per gallon for every 1 PSI of all tires. That may not seem like much, but it can add up on long road trips.

Consider a 5,000-mile road trip in a vehicle that gets 30 miles per gallon. This would require 167 gallons of gas to complete the trip. However, if all four tires are underinflated by an average of 4 PSI, that means the vehicle is only achieving 27.6 miles per gallon. This would require 182 gallons to complete the trip – an increase of 15 gallons.

Beyond tire pressure, be sure to maintain fluids for the radiator, brakes, and engine oil to prevent damage to the engine. Replaced burned out headlights and taillights immediately. Keep up with oil changes and tire rotations for trips longer than 5,000 miles.

20 Essential Travel Apps for Awesome Road Trips

Set a reasonable daily mileage goal

The point of a road trip is to enjoy the journey as much as the destination. Driving 500 miles per day on the interstate highways doesn’t make for a very enjoyable road trip adventure. Driving that far on two-lane roads is incredibly tedious and exhausting.

By the time you stop at a couple roadside attractions, go for a hike in a state park, sit down for lunch, and take a short detour, the number of miles you’ll be able to cover in a single day will be limited at best. But that’s the point of the road trip! Set a limited number of miles to drive each day, giving yourself plenty of time to enjoy everything you’ll discover along the way.

Avoid rush hour traffic and peak dinner times

Sitting in congested traffic and waiting for food are two of the biggest examples of losing time on a long road trip. In fact, those are the biggest time wasters for just about any kind of travel. But there is a simple way to avoid losing time: avoid rush hour and peak dinner times.

Eat breakfast after 9 a.m., get lunch around 2 p.m., and consider dinner either early at 4 p.m. or wait until 7 p.m. During those time frames, you’ll get seated faster, and food served quicker. Also, when driving around town or between destinations, avoid the rush hours of 7-9 a.m. and 4-6 p.m.

As an added bonus, use a navigation app or dedicated GPS device in your car that includes traffic information – this information will help you spot potential traffic jams from congestion, construction, or accidents and usually includes optional detours. Using an app like OpenTable ( iOs | Android ) will allow you to make reservations at many restaurants – cutting down the time spent waiting for a table to open.

Road Trip to the 8 Presidential Sites Throughout Northern Ohio

A void Small Town Travel on Sundays and Mondays

Roll into almost any small town with a population of less than 20,000 on a Sunday or Monday, and you’re likely to find every restaurant, museum, and attraction closed. It’s not from the owners’ lack of business sense but rather because the owners often work in their businesses, and they want a couple of days off each week.

Sundays and Mondays tend to be the most common days these local businesses are closed. However, it may also include mid-weekdays like Tuesday and Wednesday. Instead of visiting the small towns, consider spending the night in state or national parks, driving scenic routes, or just taking a couple of days to relax.

Pack everything – including the kitchen sink

I own six rain jackets, four sets of trekking poles, and two pairs of Crocs Swiftwater shoes . It’s not because I want a particular color combination for each day of the week, but instead because I kept leaving the items behind, thinking I wouldn’t need them.

Pack everything you can possibly fit into your vehicle for a long road trip. Go beyond your tentative itinerary and think about things you enjoy doing that you might want to do along the way. Take those golf clubs or stunt kites, pack the fleece hoodie, and bring more than two pairs of shoes. Although it’s impossible to prepare for every eventuality, every little bit helps save money in the budget.

Fill the gas tank on Monday

GasBuddy ( iOS | Android ) conducted a survey a few years ago to determine the best and worst times for gas prices. Interestingly, Mondays were the cheapest day of the week to get gas on average, with the best time coming around 10 a.m.

Also, interesting – though not surprising – was that the worst day to get gas was Friday or the day before a major holiday. During those days, gas prices tended to spike first thing in the morning.

18 Essential Items That Belong on Every Road Trip Packing List

Don’t rely on cellular service

One universal constant of any long road trip is the eventuality of running into a cellular dead zone. Rural areas in the Midwest, rugged terrain in the Rockies, and sporadically throughout the Southeastern United States are areas in between cellular towers that will leave your cellphone or tablet as useful as screen doors for submarines.

Be prepared to eventually lose cellular service during your long road trip. Download Google Maps ( iOS | Android ) for offline use, make sure all your apps are up to date, and download movies for entertainment. Doing as much of this as possible while connected to WIFI will prevent you from breaching a monthly data limit.

Plan to do laundry on the road

Depending on the length of the road trip, the activities you plan to enjoy along the way, and your fashion style, it just might not be possible to pack a new outfit for every single day. So rather than pack five suitcases stuffed with every stitch of clothing you own, consider doing laundry somewhere along the way.

As a rule of thumb, pack at least five of each type of clothing. Shorts, pants, tees, polos or blouses, underwear, and socks. On top of that, pack something for chilly nights and rain. This will give you about a week of clothing – but you’ll need to get used to wearing those shorts and that shirt more than once in between washing.

Buy a laundry bag and take it with you on the road trip. However, do not buy laundry detergent ahead of time. The heat and humidity will ruin most detergents and leave your car with an overwhelming smell. When you finally decide to do laundry, be sure to take enough quarters to complete your load, never leave your laundry unattended, and always use a laundromat during daylight hours.

Get organized

Organizing all your clothing, gear, food, and accessories is a crucial and often overlooked aspect of any long road trip. But, after two, three, or four weeks of restacking bags, hunting for that small item, and shifting cargo around every curve of the road, you’ll be on the edge of losing it.

Buy stuff sacks or use gallon-sized Ziplock bags to organize smaller items. Buy midsized duffel bags or plastic totes for organizing smaller bags. Stackable totes that can lock together are best for keeping the totes from sliding around in the vehicle. Label everything and always leave the most frequently used items on top.

Get plenty of sleep

The first few days of a long road trip, you’ll likely feel energized by the excitement and tempted to stay up 18 hours a day. I can typically keep that level of stamina going for about the first three weeks of constant travel – but eventually, everyone slows down.

Getting plenty of sleep is important to maintaining your mental and physical health, not to mention keeping morale high. Spending too much time traveling and not enough sleeping will eventually lead to exhaustion, depression, and moodiness.

On a long road trip, plan to take one or two days a week off from travel. Find a nice roadside motel, splurge on a super nice hotel with a free hot breakfast, or settle into a campground for two nights. Avoid the temptation to go out and explore the area – just focus on rest and relaxation.

Road Trip Along the Scenic Route from Gatlinburg to Asheville

Keep the car clean (inside and out)

The day before any road trip begins, I always find one of those really nice car washes with the conveyor belt that pulls the vehicle through a wash cycle. Then, after getting the exterior cleaned – included RainX and a tire shine – I visit the vacuum cleaners. There is no greater feeling than starting a long road trip with a squeaky-clean vehicle.

On long road trips, it will probably be necessary to do a little cleaning along the way. Car washes are easy enough. Instead of relying on their vacuum cleaners – or paying for them – consider buying the THISWORX Car Vacuum Cleaner . It uses 12v power with a removable collection bin and comes with a nice travel bag.

For an added touch, the Little Trees Vent Wrap Car Air Freshner’s “new car smell” will make your vehicle smell brand new after getting it clean.

Join a roadside rescue plan

Most auto insurance companies and cellular providers offer some sort of roadside assistance rescue plan. If you don’t have the option for either of those, consider buying a AAA membership to access their roadside rescue plan.

At the very least, roadside rescue plans will unlock a vehicle, tow your vehicle to safety, and provide gas in case you run out. Better plans will include longer towing distances and more gas. It’s the one thing you never think about until you need it – so this time, plan ahead.

Road Trip on the Scenic North Carolina Waterfall Byway

Keep up with monthly bills

Only about 40% of Americans use auto pay for monthly bills like utilities and credit card payments – I’m not one of them. One of the biggest mistakes with long road trips that last more than a month is forgetting to take care of those bills before you hit the road or somewhere during the trip.

It’s easy to pay those bills with the home computer with your login information saved, but could you pay those bills on the road with a cellphone or tablet? Be sure to take your login information with you and keep it in a safe location like a locked glovebox or portable security case. Add the due date for any bills to your travel itinerary – and remember that cellular service is not a guarantee everywhere.

Life Pro Trip: Many credit card companies and certain utilities allow you to choose a due date for your monthly bill. Aligning all these bills for the same due date makes it easier to keep up with – especially while you’re traveling.  

Leave room for souvenirs

I know I said “pack everything – including the kitchen sink” earlier, but don’t go overboard and fill the entire vehicle before you hit the road. More than likely, you will want to buy some souvenirs along the way.

Smaller souvenirs like clothing, décor, and Christmas ornaments – my favorite type of souvenir to buy – are easy enough to pack into a bag or tote in the vehicle. But if you buy more oversized items like artwork, glassware, or large gift items, ask the retailer if they can ship them to your home or a relative’s home for safekeeping. Often, the shipping is included, especially in areas of high tourism where they expect the buyers to be non-locals.

Insider Tip: An easy way to keep up with souvenirs on a long road trip is to mail them to a friend or relative. The Flat Rate boxes at the United States Postal Service come in several sizes and are indeed a single flat rate – ranging from about $5-$15 per box – no matter where you ship it in the continental U.S.

Bring your favorite ___________

Do you have a favorite coffee mug? Slippers? Or what about a television series you love to watch? Just because you’re going on a road trip doesn’t mean you can’t bring some of those with you.

Bringing your favorite items with you on a long road trip can help you feel more at home and relaxed. Instead of missing that perfect coffee mug or comfortable slippers, you’ll feel much better having them with you.

Have an itinerary but leave room for spontaneity

It’s always good to have a travel itinerary. It’s essential to know the business hours of museums, restaurants, and attractions, so you don’t arrive too late or on a day when they are typically closed. Building an itinerary can help you avoid those frustrations.

However, leave room for spontaneous detours that will inevitably come along during a long road trip. Be prepared for entire destinations to change as your route progresses. Take advice from locals and be willing to give something new a try!

Road Trip on the Blue Ridge Parkway

Fill all prescriptions and bring extra

For three years, I worked as a certified pharmacy technician at CVS/Pharmacy in Emerald Isle, North Carolina. During the hectic – sometimes chaotic – summer months, we would sometimes fill thousands of prescriptions in a single day. The most common type of prescription was for someone who had left the medication at home.

If you have any kind of regular medication, be sure to pack that for your trip. But for long road trips that last more than 30 days, you might run out while on the road. Make sure your prescription has refills on file with your pharmacy or take a new prescription with you – as long as it is not a controlled substance. If your insurance allows, consider getting two or three months’ worth filled at one time for your long road trip.

Watch out for 140-degree heat in the car

On sunny days during the summer months, vehicles’ internal temperatures can rise 30-40 degrees higher than the outside temperature. When I was a kid, I remember going for a walk to the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse during a family vacation. When we returned, my mom opened the back of the car to make snacks – only to discover the Cheese Whiz had exploded all over the car!

The high internal temperatures of vehicles can ruin more than just pressurized cans of food. Contact lenses, prescriptions, electronics, and coolers are all susceptible to damage from temperatures over 100 degrees.

You can reduce those internal temperatures by using a windshield sunshade. Close the sunshade on the moonroof. You may even consider buying curtains for the side windows – it’s not as silly as you might think.

Set a daily and final budget

My first road trip adventure of 2021 was a spontaneous, itinerary-free adventure along the Gulf Coast from Gulf Shores, Alabama, across Florida to Vero Beach. After a week exploring that area of Florida, I was considering heading south to Key West for what would have been my first visit. But when I looked at my bank account, my heart hit the floor when I realized my travel budget was at an end.

I’ve never been good at creating or keeping to a travel budget, and that resulted in a road trip cut short. So the better method is to create a daily budget and stick to it. But also give yourself leeway for those rare opportunities to do something awesome and set a final budget for the entire trip.

The advantage of a long road trip is that if you’re on the road long enough, you might just get an extra paycheck while you’re traveling. So how many vacation days do you have saved up for your long road trip?

Only travel by day

Some people only travel at night to avoid any traffic congestion at all – and that’s a good idea. But driving on unfamiliar roads at night poses some safety issues – not to mention what would happen if your vehicle broke down at 3 a.m.

The safest and surest way is to only travel by day. It will be much easier to keep aware of the unfamiliar road ahead, and you’re certain to get roadside assistance faster during normal business hours.

The Ultimate Road Trip on the Skyline Drive Through Shenandoah National Park

Choose the best road trip route

My #1 Rule for Road Trips is no interstate highways. There is just no reason to take a road trip route onto the interstate – you’ll miss everything along the way.

But what is the best road trip route? National scenic byways are a good start – there are dozens across the country. But sometimes, the most scenic or exciting road trip route is just a simple country road connecting interesting destinations. The best way to find those is to ask the locals – they always know the best route.

Document the trip

After returning home from an epic long road trip, it might be difficult to remember precisely where you found that amazing cheeseburger or savory salted caramel ice cream cone or watched that stunning sunset. It can be downright frustrating when you realize you don’t have a single photo to share or any clue where to find the name of that restaurant.

But what exactly does it mean to document the trip? I am not advocating for ten thousand photos plus an additional five thousand selfies from your long road trip. Don’t become one of those people who jump out of the car on the Blue Ridge Parkway just long enough for a selfie and then leave just as quickly.

It starts with the photos. Capture an exterior photo of every restaurant, museum, and attraction you visit – and be sure to include the name of the business. Capture an interior photo and then one or two photos of every meal or activity.

Take a journal. Jot down notes of the places you visit. Feelings. Smells. Sights. Take note of the business name, details of the food you eat, and reaction to museums. Draw pictures and maps, create word maps, put any word to paper that comes to mind. It will all be wonderful to see all the photos and notes again when your long road trip is finished.

Keep in touch with regular updates

One of the most important safety measures you can take during a long road trip is to let someone know where you are and where you are going by the end of the day. Particularly in places where cellular reception could be spotty, it’s good to tell someone that by nightfall, you should be at a particular destination and able to call them again.

That way, if your vehicle breaks down while in a cellular dead zone with little traffic, at least someone knows the route you were driving to send rescue your direction.

5 Responses

Great tips. Do you have a good app that we can use to track how our car is doing. So like we put in the mileage and it does the calculations for us of how many miles to gallon and stuff like that?

The best app I know about is called Mile IQ. It’s meant for contractors who have to keep up with their mileage for bookkeeping, but it works for road trippers as well. Give that a look and let me know if it works~!

Wrote down some of the tips that I want to remember before the trip. Changed the idea of minimizing clothing to being sure to cover (see what I did there) all bases. Like having a warm hoodie even though I am planning a trip, late June, to the South. Having something & not needing it is so much more logical that getting something I already have but not bringing it. Thank you for your tips.

Thank you very much for taking the time to put these tips together! Very helpful!

Great tips, thank you! My son is traveling the month of May on a solo road trip for the first time so wanted to pass these tips on to him!

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Road Trip Essentials to Pack for a Long Drive

By Karthika Gupta and Madison Flager

All products featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

There is certainly something to be said about the magic of an open road no matter where in the world you are. Near or far, long or short, road trips offer a sense of freedom and adventure and are often the most satisfying of journeys. While technically you just need keys, a driver's license, and a set of wheels, these road trip essentials—from the best car organizer to comfortable shoes and coffee kits to keep you caffeinated on the go—will make your journey that much more enjoyable, whether you're heading to a national park , cruising along Route 66 , or taking in fall foliage along the Blue Ridge Parkway .

This article has been updated with new information since its original publish date.

Organization and luggage

No matter how big or small your vehicle is, being organized is key to maintaining your sanity as you travel, especially during a long road trip, or one with kiddos in the back seat.

The Duluth Trading Seat Back Bunker neatly organizes all your essentials, from road trip games, snacks, and Kindles to emergency preparedness kits, hand sanitizer, wet wipes, repair tools, and more. It has three tiers of storage including mesh pouches, see-through zippered pockets, and a full-width zip pocket. Collapsible aluminum poles provide a strong-yet-lightweight framework and keep the organizer secure as you drive.

A good duffel bag is worth its weight in gold, especially on road trips where space may be limited, depending on the vehicle and the number of passengers. Filson’s versatile, lightweight bag pulls double-duty as a duffel or a backpack for hands-free carry. The zippered lid is U-shaped so you'll have easy access to its contents. It has one exterior zippered pocket with an internal zip pocket to keep small gear and accessories like keys or a wallet easily accessible. The other nylon-coated pocket expands into the main compartment to keep shoes or wet or muddy gear separated from the rest of your load.

If a roller bag is more your choice of luggage, Yeti’s Crossroads 22-inch suitcase is perfect for road trips. It is made with rugged nylon material that can take any adventure thrown its way. It has removable modular compression straps that can be used internally to pack down gear or externally to compress the luggage overall, making it fit neatly in small spaces like car trunks or overhead car racks.

Packing cubes are just as helpful in keeping your backseat or trunk organized as they are your suitcase. Get a few different sizes with this Paravel quad, and assign each one a different purpose to store supplies, tech accessories, bug spray and sunscreen, toiletries, or anything else you don’t want rolling around. 

Tech and roadside emergency

Whether you are driving cross-country or just across the state line, there are certain tools, gadgets, and tech items that are absolutely required to make sure you get where you are going safely and on time, whether you're in your own wheels or a rental car .

Rule number one of any road trip is to always be prepared for any emergency that could happen and derail even the most well-prepared travel plans. The Always Prepared Roadside Emergency Kit will ease your mind when it comes to any potential car troubles. It contains more than 100 useful (and neatly organized) items, including jumper cables, a reflective safety vest and warning triangle to keep you safer if you have to pull over at night, a self-powered flashlight, two light sticks, an emergency rain poncho and mylar blanket, a full first-aid kit, a tire pressure gauge, and more. If there's one thing you add to your road trip packing list, make it this kit.

For something a little smaller and more compact, Leatherman’s Free P4 multi-tool is perfect for all the little things that need to be fixed. With over 20 tools all packed into one, the Free P4 is a must have for any road trip. Whether it’s used to replace a dim headlight, fix a broken antenna, or even cut open a snack packet without having everything spill onto the seat, the P4 rises to the challenge.

Whether you’re embarking on a solo road trip or have a travel companion who’d rather not dictate directions, a phone mount is a key road trip packing list item that makes it easier to keep an eye on your route safely. And since doing so can quickly drain your battery, we recommend one that doubles as a phone charger (this one has two USB charging ports, so you can charge it and other devices simultaneously). This one has an adjustable width to fit most cell phones, and a flexible gooseneck to angle it however you prefer.

In the interest of safety, you may want a dash cam in your car, should you get into an accident or pulled over. This one records clear, crisp video that syncs to your phone through the Nextbase app, allows for voice control commands thanks to connected Alexa technology, and offers a unique Emergency SOS service, which detects serious collisions and alerts emergency services of your location if you are unresponsive. You'll need to buy a Nextbase U3 microSD card to use with it, and use the included charger to keep it juiced up. The camera records continuously when it is plugged in and the car is on, and has an optional intelligent parking mode that automatically records any bump or physical movement on the vehicle when left unattended using the camera's internal battery.

If you're driving more than a few hours and have a car full of fellow travelers, keep a  headphone  splitter in the glove compartment. This one has five jacks, which means everyone can pull up a movie, music, podcast, or an audiobook on the same device—and when you're tired of the road trip playlist , you don't have to hear a thing.

Comfort and seating

Long hours of sitting upright can do a number on your back. Do yourself a favor and add a seat cushion or some lumbar support to your car setup. Plus, a few more creature comforts you might want to have on hand.

Just as handy for sitting on an uncomfortable dining room chair  while working from home  as it is on long car rides, this gridded seat cushion will make sitting for extended periods of time comfier—plus the design leaves room for air circulation. It comes with a zippered case for easy transport, too. The Simple cushion should be plenty for your average road trip, but if you’re heading cross-country or planning to make very few stops, pick up the more supportive  Ultimate cushion , designed specifically for truckers and long-haul drives.

Several hours behind the wheel can leave your back feeling less than stellar. Strap one of these lumbar support shells around your seat to make your ride more comfortable: It cradles your back, helping to improve your posture and keep you from sinking into the seat, with the added bonus of a mesh fabric to keep your back cool.

If you’re not too tight on space, consider adding a compact, foldable chair to slide into your trunk. You never know when you'll find yourself in need of a dry, comfortable chair on the fly—be it for extra seating at a roadside picnic table or to enjoy a secluded viewpoint at sunset. REI’s Camp X chair is made of quick-dry mono-mesh and polyester material and comes with a carrying case and two cup holders for impromptu lunch breaks.

If you’re not the only driver in the car, you’ll be happy to have a  neck pillow  while napping during your off shifts. OstrichPillow makes all kinds of interesting contraptions to help you get some sleep wherever you are, but we like the memory foam, velcro-close OstrichPillow Go travel pillow best for car rides.

If you still have a Little Trees Black Ice hanging from your rearview mirror, it's about time you elevate your air freshener game. Pop this inconspicuous diffuser onto one of your car's vents to make the space smell just like a Diptyque 34 Boulevard Saint-Germain candle. Another fresh-smelling option: this under-$20 essential oil diffuser , which  Traveler  editor Rebecca Misner is a fan of.

A lightweight towel comes in handy during any number of road trip situations: Use it for spontaneous swims, roadside picnics, or as a buffer between the hot leather seat and your legs in the car. This extra-smooth Turkish cotton towel is as absorbent as a standard bath towel but much more compact.

Clothing and accessories

When dressing for a road trip, you want clothing that is comfy, breathable, and works in various climates. Bonus points for pieces that are stylish, too.

We love a good pair of compression socks for long travel days . And during pandemic-era road trips, when stops might be less frequent than usual, they work well at keeping the blood flowing and reducing swelling during long seated stretches in the car. Our favorite brand, Comrad, makes knee-high socks that come in 10 different colors and can be worn three to four times before washing, so you can throw 'em on more than once during multi-day trips.

No matter the excursion, Viev’s Gemma Mid Jacket is a great outer layer. It is lightweight and made with durable Gore-Tex fabric. Its design optimizes breathability to the torso and softness in the arms, back, and hood, making it extremely comfortable to wear even when you are driving. Plus, there are multiple pockets to securely store keys, a wallet, or phone, so your hands can rest comfortably in the outside pocket when you step out to take a break and stretch your legs at rest stops. The rain jacket's bonus is the storm hood brim, which maintains its shape when activated and lays flat when down without being overly rigid.

Along with a good pair of socks, a versatile boot that offers all-day comfort and durability is another must for long road trips. Red Wing Heritage boots are comfortable enough to keep on during long car rides and easy to pair with any outfit or climate, no matter where the road takes you. The Classic Moc is made with soft leather and a polyurethane traction tread outsole for faster break-in and comfort. Wear them in and out of the car, in all kinds of weather.

Drinks, snacks, and hydration

Another must on our list of road trip necessities: food and drinks. And while road travel is often synonymous with gas station coffee and oversized sodas, it doesn’t have to be so. There are plenty of healthy hydration options that change the relationship between road trips and caffeinated drinks.

You've got your insulated reusable water bottle , but if you want to keep your coffee hot, you're going to need a reusable thermos. Zojirushi’s stainless steel travel mug keeps hot drinks warm for up to six hours, and it has a slim design that allows it to easily fit in your car's cup holder. (And if you need to throw it in your bag, it won't leak either.)

The Pakt Travel Mug is in the running for perfect travel mug, too: It is a leak-proof vacuum-insulated double-walled mug that keeps beverages securely sealed and the perfect temperature (8 hours for hot and 24 hours for cold), making it an ideal travel companion. Plus it is sized to fit into most any cup holder.

If you are tired of terrible coffee on the go, the Pakt Coffee Kit has everything you need to make quality coffee in one sleek, portable package. All you need is water and electricity, so you can use this with an adaptor in your car’s charge port, at a rest stop, or at your accommodation. The pour over kit comes with an electric kettle, travel mug and lid, coffee grounds container, and collapsible stainless-steel dripper that packs down into a compact carrying case. All you need is to bring your favorite beans .

It is crucial to stay hydrated on the road, especially when you’re sitting still for hours at a time. Nuun offers a potent blend of electrolytes, vitamins, and botanicals that help with blood flow and support everyday health. The drink tablets are fizzy, tasty, and loaded with electrolytes that keep you healthy and hydrated. Plus, they are certified vegan and gluten-free and have a net-zero carbon emission footprint—good for you and for the environment.

Ritual coffee, based out of San Francisco , sources sweet, clean, single-origin coffees that are simply delicious. They have an ever-changing seasonal espresso blend, the best decaf around, and a single serve instant coffee mix for those times when the cup of gas station coffee just won’t do.

For something to carry, store, and keep all your drink options cool on your next road trip: the soft-shell Yeti Hooper Flip 12 cooler tote. It is leakproof with a wide mouth opening that makes it easy to access food and drinks. It even has a hitch point grid on its sides to help attach it to other gear for more compact packing options in the car.

While most of our favorite  road trip snacks  come in pre-packaged containers, for anything fresh or homemade (like trail mix, sliced fruit, or overnight oats), we turn to containers like S’well’s spill-resistant snack bowls. For those embarking on family road trips, there are plenty of kid-friendly patterns , decorated with Disney characters, dogs, pretzels, and more, all of which have a pull-out handle. For adults, there are  neutral colors like teak wood and marbled patterns available in 16- and 21-ounce sizes.

37 BEST Road Trip Essentials You Need to Pack in 2023

By: Author Kim Tate

Posted on Published: February 15, 2023

Are you getting ready to pack your car for your next road trip adventure? There are some important road trip essentials you’ll want to bring on the trip. Our family has been on a lot of road trips, including an annual multi-day trip from Seattle to Edmonton, Alberta, and driving from Seattle to California. Over the years we’ve discovered some important things to pack!

When you’re planning to spend hours in the car on a long road trip, these essential items will help you stay safe and comfortable and are super easy to pack. I’ve included items that are essential for comfort, cleanup, staying connected, and entertainment.

This post contains affiliate links, I might earn a small commission if you make a purchase from my links. Thanks!

It’s important to pack your car well for a road trip ! That includes bringing useful items that will help you clean up messes, stay comfortable in the car, and even something to help with bad smells.

Some of these essential items might be easier to pack if you’re driving your own car. If you’re renting a car, consider using this list to determine each essential item you should pack in your luggage to bring along.

List of Road Trip Essentials to Pack

We find ourselves using wet wipes/diaper wipes all the time on road trips. My husband especially likes to use them after filling up the gas tank. I also love using them to clean our hands after eating. Individually wrapped wipes can work well for cars since they don’t dry out like multipacks.

We’ve all learned way too much about how we spread germs lately, so disinfecting wipes are also a big essential item to pack on a road trip! Just know that baby wipes can work well for hands and faces, but disinfecting wipes are normally best for surfaces.

Hand Sanitizer

Having a bottle of hand sanitizer is a road trip essential. We store a pump bottle in the cupholder between the front seats and everyone can access it. Works well for eating on the go and after being outside.

Paper Towels

Paper towels take up a bit of room, but they are very helpful for spills and messes. Families will find that paper towels can serve them well for cleaning up kid messes. We’ve also used paper towels to clean off messy shoes after a muddy walk. And they can be helpful if you’re eating in the car.

Toilet Paper

A roll of toilet paper can be useful in a couple of cases. Sometimes you might need to stop at a park or rest stop and they might not have toilet paper stocked.

You might also want some if you’re stuck using a “green latrine” at some point (FYI – that means using the bathroom in the woods). Just make sure you pack your toilet paper in and out. :)

Facial Tissue (i.e. Kleenex)

Facial tissue is always a good thing to bring along if you need to blow your nose. It’s good to keep in mind that allergies might affect you when driving in nature with plants you might not be accustomed to. They can also be extremely useful for wrapping up chewed gum to throw away!

Odor Eliminator

When a few people start spending hours together in a small space there’s a chance there will be some smells. Fast food smells, dirty shoe smells, or human gas can make the car stink. Pack some sprayable odor eliminator and consider an air freshener, too.

This is one of the most vital road trip essentials if you want to keep your car organized on a road trip . I like to tell people to pack a garbage bag for each “row” of seats.

We love using this car trash bag between the front seats, but each of our girls gets a plastic bag to keep near their seats to put garbage into. At the end of the day, we can throw the whole bag of garbage away at our stop for the night. We pack one plastic bag for each day we’ll be in the car.

No one wants to ride along with someone who is hangry, so be sure to pack plenty of road trip snacks . With kids consider packing a separate pack of snacks for each kid so no one has to hear arguments about who ate too much of what.

Portable Cooler

If you plan to pack your own lunches or snacks that need to stay cool, make sure to pack a small portable cooler . We also own an electric cooler and it’s nice for longer trips where ice packs can’t stay cold. Using a cooler can help you pack some healthy snacks in addition to all that road trip junk food. :)

If you’re using an electric cooler and staying in hotels overnight on a long trip, be sure you have a DC adaptor for the cooler in order to plug it into a hotel outlet overnight.

Gum / Mints

Most people won’t be brushing their teeth during the day while driving, so mints and/or gum are a good thing to pack. They’re going to help keep your mouth feeling a bit fresher and save others from smelling bad breath.

Reusable Water Bottle

While you don’t want to make a lot of bathroom stops, it’s still important to stay hydrated. Bring your own water bottle so you can refill it at restaurants and avoid single-use plastic bottle purchases. An insulated bottle is great for keeping your drinks cold, too.

Having a water bottle on hand is also a good idea if you’re planning any hiking or tourist stops in state or national parks.

Talking about making stops make sure you pack a day bag that you can easily grab when you’re making stops. I pack mine with my wallet plus snacks and a water bottle. It’s great to use whether we’re heading on a small hike or just running into a local store.

Facial Towelettes

This one works for men and women. Paul and I both like to use some facial wipes after we’ve been driving to help us feel refreshed.

Dry lips can be really irritating, especially when you’re stuck in a car for hours. You also might have a change in humidity during your long drive or stops, so lip balm will come in handy.

If you have trouble with dry eyes, or if you wear contacts, pack some eye drops for the trip. I wear contacts and find that driving with the air blowing on my face can make my eyes dry out.

Dental Floss

I can’t tell you how many times we’ve relied on these flossers to help us get rid of something stuck in our teeth after eating on the go.

This is another comfort item, dry hands can be frustrating if you’re stuck in the car for a long time.

If you wear glasses, make sure to pack a lens cloth so you can keep your glasses clear.

I’m sensitive to sunlight so I couldn’t imagine taking a road trip without bringing a pair of sunglasses. Consider getting polarized sunglasses to help with harsh sunlight glares.

I wear my RayBans, but Amazon has some well-rated polarized sunglass options.

Slip-On Shoes

Wearing slip-on shoes is a must for road trips. If you’re not driving then you’ll want to slip off your shoes and having to keep untying and retying them for each stop can be frustrating and time-consuming. I shared some of my favorite shoes in my road trip outfits post.

Passengers will appreciate having a pillow on the long trip. You can pack a full-size pillow from home, or use a small pillow or travel neck pillow .

If you’re on a solo trip, you might be planning to sleep in your car and a sleeping bag paired with your travel pillow can come in handy for throwing on the back seat.

We are a family that prefers different temps in the car. While driving, Paul likes to keep it cooler, which makes me miserable. Bringing a blanket can help everyone stay comfortable, and help keep the driver cool and alert!

Travel Towel

A travel towel that is compact can come in handy for a few reasons. Perhaps you stop by a beach and walk into the water. Or you might get stuck in a rainstorm and need to dry off your hair. These are portable and easy to pack, an extra item that can come in handy if you’re planning to make multiple stops.

Picnic Blanket

If you’re planning to stop at parks for a break or to eat then packing a portable picnic blanket can come in handy. Throw in a frisbee, too!

First Aid Kit

While you should make sure you’re covered for serious medical concerns and can access a hospital, minor scrapes can be fixed with a travel first aid kit . Definitely remember some ibuprofen/acetaminophen, stomach chews (Pepto Bismol), allergy pills, and bug bite cream. We’ve used them all on road trips.

Keep in mind if anyone suffers from motion sickness while traveling, and be sure to pack some items to help with that. You can use medicine like Bonine, essential oils, or a Reliefband tech bracelet that uses electricity to help combat motion sickness.

Roadside Emergency Kit

You can either buy a pre-made car emergency kit or put one together yourself with some absolute essentials. An emergency kit will have the necessities and some extra precautionary supplies but will have only jumper cables which won’t help you if you can’t find another motorist to give you a jump. I recommend packing a car jump starter so you don’t have to count on having another car to provide a jump.

And don’t forget to make sure your car is road-ready and any car maintenance is up to date. You’ll also want to make sure your spare tire is in good condition and ready if you get a flat tire.

There are also some important things, like an ice scraper, you’ll want to pack for a winter road trip .

Car Jump Starter

Having jumper cables won’t help you if you can’t find another motorist to give you a jump. I recommend packing a car jump starter so you don’t have to count on having another car to provide a jump.

While we all rely on google maps on our phones these days, there’s always a chance you’ll lose your coverage while driving. Make sure you pack a road atlas so you can navigate yourself if needed. If you’re staying in one particular state or region, you might consider a paper map for that state that you can just store in your glove compartment versus a whole atlas.

Also, keep in mind that digital maps will probably tell you the best way to go to save time or mileage, but it might not be the most scenic way to go. A road atlas can help you look for scenic drives and routes.

Also keep your hotel info, like the address and telephone number, printed somewhere so you can access the info in case you can’t get an internet connection.

Phone Mount

If you are using your phone for driving directions, a good phone mount is a road trip essential. I like the ones that fasten to our vents, but others might prefer dash mounts.

Multiport Charger

You also might need to pack a car charger unit if you have multiple people in the car that will need to recharge their phones or devices during the drive. This multiple-port charger is useful for families with members in the backseat.

Car Power Inverter

If you’re looking to get some work done or charge larger electronics than phones, a power inverter can come in handy. We use one of these to charge our laptops on long road trips.

Don’t forget to make sure each person packs their own headphones. There will be times when each person might want to listen to their own music/movie.

Signal Booster

This is definitely a splurge and not really an essential. But, if you’re planning a long trip and want to have excellent cell phone reception during the drive, you might consider a signal booster. weBoost is a popular brand of signal boosters and they have devices that can help boost the signal of a single device or for the whole vehicle – great for families!

Games & Activities

Don’t forget to pack some things to keep the whole family entertained while in the car:

• Road Trip Games – these printable games are great for kids (you can also buy some fun travel games )
• Books (digital or paper)
• Audiobooks (30-day free trial for Audible, titles like Percy Jackson and Pride and Prejudice!)
• Portable DVD Players or tablet mounts (we like DVD players that allow the girls to watch the same movie or different ones at the same time)

Just consider what each person might need to have a good time while riding along in the car. And drivers should remember to think of any road trip playlists or audiobooks they’ll want to listen to while driving. Each person will want to pack a small bag at their feet that contain their activities and any personal items they may need.

Credit Cards

Don’t forget to bring credit cards with you on your long drive. You’ll be filling up with gas often and most gas stations use pay at the pump. You may even need to rely on pay at the pump during off-hours at some small-town stops.

You can also bring some cash on your trip since you may want to make a stop at a roadside booth and buy some local food. I find that sometimes these roadside vendors only accept cash.

Important Documents

Lastly, make sure your car insurance and registration are up to date and you have that information with you in case you run into any issues on the road. Also, consider if a travel insurance plan would be useful for your trip.

Now you’ve packed all the road trip essentials and you’re ready to hit the open road!

FAQs about Road Trip Essentials for Car

What essentials do i need for a road trip.

Most road trip essentials are for comfort, like lip balm and snacks, for safety, like emergency gear and navigation, and for entertainment, like music and/or books.

How do I prepare my body for a long road trip?

It’s important to be well-rested and hydrated. It helps to take frequent breaks to stand up and stretch. Also, be sure you wear comfortable clothing.

What to do during long car rides?

Staying entertained depends on your interests. Listening to audiobooks and podcasts can be a popular road trip activity. You can also watch movies that you download. Playing sign letter games is another classic thing to do during long car rides.

What’s the longest you should drive in a day?

Driving over 8 hours is when it starts getting harder. Driving 10 hours or 12 hours, just means you need to take more breaks and start earlier. If sightseeing along the way, I recommend not driving more than 5-6 hours a day.

Coming Soon: Road Trip Packing List

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Sunday 30th of May 2021

Kleenex are a brand. The word you are looking for is "facial tissue"

Tuesday 1st of June 2021

That's so true - I say kleenex and don't even think of the branding. I actually think we use Puffs a lot of the time! :) Thanks for the recommendation.

Monday 21st of September 2020

Thank you so much for sharing these amazing tips with us!! I will surely keep these essential with me in my jeep.

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Tuesday 19th of May 2020

Road trips are now the way better option compared to flying. I bet a lot of us will be doing family road trips!

Wednesday 20th of May 2020

Yes, I bet there will be a resurgence of the "Great American Roadtrip".

15 Brilliant Road Trip Hacks – Two Frugal Moms

Sunday 16th of July 2017

[…] 11. Top Road Trip Essentials To Have On Hand […]

15 Brilliant Road Trip Hacks – We LOVE Frugal Finds

Monday 19th of June 2017

[…] 11. Top Road Trip Essentials To Have On Hand […]

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30 Absolute Crucial Road Trip Essentials You Need To Be Packing

Post Summary: Road Trip Essentials To Put On Your Next Packing list

So, you want the freedom of the open road, with nowhere to go but onward.

But what the heck do you need to pack?

Berty and I always find ourselves on the road ( our Instagram pretty much consists of road trip pictures! ), so we  created a list of road trip essentials to minimize stops, keep us entertained and save us money along the way. 

We’ve perfected this road trip packing list for countless trips – from Alaska to Utah , the Pacific Coast Coast to the Olympics in Washington .

If you are in the beginning stages (or dreaming up your next destination!) this post provides a great list to get you started, along with other road trip tips along the way!

Planning A Trip? Make Sure To Read These Posts For More Road Trip Essentials:

Car Camping 101: The Guide To Sleeping In Your Car (For Free!)

20 Brilliant Car Camping Hacks For Your Next Road Trip

How To Find Free Camping In The USA

101 Fun And Random Road Trip Questions To Ask Your Friends

15 Essential Road Trip Planning Apps To Use

30 Necessary Road Trip Essentials You Must Be Packing

Note: This post contains affiliate links of seriously cool items we love. Any purchase of things we recommend here will help us fund our next epic road trip to share with you all!

Ever been with a hangry passenger?  Snacks absolutely need to be on your road trip packing list, especially if you want to  save money while you travel . Make sure to bring a good mix of healthy foods like baby carrots, apples, nuts, and crackers.

Bring a mix of sweet and salty things, but also indulge in some junk food as well. Need meal tips? Read our post full of easy camping meals .

2. Good Navigation Apps

Have you ever lost your way, and lost cell service at the same time? It’s a jarring experience – one we don’t like to be in! Before any journey now, one of our most important road trip essentials is downloading a navigation app , especially one with offline features.

Currently, we’re loving The Dyrt and their new road trip planner feature! It helps us plan out stops like the best places to get gas, camping along our route, and it can even work offline.

We also recently upgraded to The Dyrt Pro Membership to find places to stay near some hot springs in Idaho, and it was so helpful to have these maps downloaded offline to look on the go! Try their pro membership free for 30-days when using our code MANDAGIES !

3. Kleenex / Hankerchief

If you are feeling under the weather, Kleenex can prevent further germs from infecting your other car mates too. Looking for a sustainable option ? Try to purchase a few bandanas instead, and washing them with the rest of your clothes on laundry day!

4. Emergen-C / Vitamin C Tablets

Speaking of sickness, in addition to packing lots of vitamin C rich foods, Emergen-C or an electrolyte drink mix/tablets can be a great way to support your immune system and overall health on a long road trip. We like to add these items on our road trip packing list because they usually come in a tablet or dry form, which is easy to store and carry.

5. Chapstick

Sometimes air conditioners can dry out the inside of the car. Add chapstick to your road trip essentials to help! We like buying from the brand Burt’s Bees , because they have lots of flavor options and are made with natural ingredients!

6. Car games/cards for delays or waits

If you are waiting, say, for a ferry or a traffic issue to clear, it’s always nice to fall back on classic card games (just not the driver!) or classic road trip questions to keep spirits up and your mind off the delays! Have kids? Download these free printable games and puzzles to keep them busy!

7. Headache Medication

Sitting in the car for long periods of time can take a toll. Ibuprofen, Advil, or other similar headache medication can be a great addition to any packing list because this over-the-counter product not only can relieve headaches but reduce fevers too.

8. Sunglasses

Driving into the sunset can seem romantic, but not when you’re staring straight into the bright lights for hours on end. Save your vision and protect your eyes with these road trip must-haves!

9. Car Chargers

Berty and I have loads of tech we use on a regular basis during long road trips. To make sure our batteries are charged we have this car adapter to use when we’re driving from place to place. We’ve had it for years and we love that it not only has USB ports but regular ones for bigger items like laptops!

10. Slippers

For me, I like to take off my shoes and get comfy on long road trips. We absolutely love the Ember Mocs made by Teva , because they have a collapsible heel. You can easily slip them on and off, or lift up the back for a little more grip on your foot.

When putting together your road trip packing list, bring a pillow for those times when it’s not your turn to drive. A pillow is also useful for when you need some quick shut-eye at rest stops to regain your energy and stay alert on the road.

We own two of these super comfy neck pillows (one on the driver side and the other on the passenger) and we actually use them as pillows for a clever car camping hack too.

12. Headphones

Headphones are excellent road trip essentials for those times you need to have a little bit of space to yourself . These noise-canceling ones from Bose are a little pricey, but worth every penny for peace and quiet. Alternatively, you could purchase wireless ones , that easily fit in your pocket and take up very little space.

13. Clothes/Shoes

Don’t forget to account for enough clothes on your road trip packing list. Pack enough for the number of days you will be gone, or pack less and plan forr stops at a laundr0-mat. On any given trip, we recommend no more than 3 pairs of shoes and always pack more socks and underwear than you need. Find our PNW Packing List here !

Stylish and functional, make sure you have something to cover your eyes and protect your skin on an extra sunny day.

15. Audio Choices (Road Trip Podcasts, Playlists + More)

Entertainment is one of the most important road trip necessities!

Download playlists on Spotify so you can listen to them offline. We also highly recommend >audiobooks too, so that you can “read” while you drive. We listened to 20 hours of Ready Player One on our road trip around Vancouver Island , and we couldn’t wait for long stints in the car!

Want to learn new things? We have a list of the best road trip podcasts to check out, ranging from true crime to The Office recaps!

16. Little Bluetooth Speakers

Bluetooth Speakers are helpful in case you reach certain areas with poor reception, but still want to listen to music. We own this one!

17. A Cozy Blanket

Whether it’s cold at your destination or the air conditioning is too much to handle, a blanket is an easy go-to comfort on a long drive. You can also use it as a privacy screen if you are sleeping in your car.

It’s okay to have your favorite indulgences on your road trip packing list! That little burst of sugar will give you energy for the long drive ahead. Our favorites are gas station candy, which includes some combination of Sour Patch Kids and something chocolate!

Studies show that chewing gum can help you concentrate on the task in front of you . So grab your favorite flavor and get driving!

20. Paper Directions/ Road Trip Apps

Berty and I constantly lose service when driving on remote roads to find free camping spots . Make sure to screenshot the route on your phone, or track it on a map with a pencil in case you go out of cell range. Have a smartphone? Download these essential road trip apps to make your life easier!

21. Water Bottle

A hydrated driver is a happy driver! Easy, go-to water bottles here , here , and here . Need a LOT of water for your road trip? Try this 5-gallon foldable water cube for easy water transportation.

22. Thermos

Ask at gas stations and convenience stores if you can fill your thermos with coffee instead of using their disposable cups. This reduces YOUR waste and probably does a better job of holding your hot beverage. I’ve got my eye on this Stanley thermos as my next purchase.

23. Empty Tote

Bringing an empty tote is an excellent addition to your road trip checklist for its many uses. Pack a tote full of food and have a roadside picnic or bring it with you to a local farmer’s market to pick up goodies.

Our favorite universal tote is this one , which has carried all sorts of things for us! You can also find our favorite adventure bag picks in this post .

24. Duct Tape

Duct Tape seems to be the fix for everything.

25. Flashlight /Headlamps

It’s important to bring extra lighting for camping, night adventures, and emergencies alike! Pick up a few of these inexpensive headlamps from Petzl for keeping in your car to see at night.

26. First Aid Kit

A simple first-aid kit will do. Make sure to keep it in your car, even on short weekend trips!

27. Batteries

Make a list of items that may need a battery change on your journey and have a few extras of those on hand.

28. Proof of Insurance/ID

A driver’s license is a no-brainer as far as road trip essentials go, but make sure you have a hard copy of your proof of insurance too! In addition, make sure your tabs won’t expire during your trip and you’ve got the proper registration forms.

29. Jumper Cables

Jumper cables are one of those things on your road trip list you hope to never use! They can save you from being stranded, but you can always help out a buddy who is stuck too. Here’s a video on how to do it properly.

30. Car Fluids

Things like oil and antifreeze are a must. If you’re taking a winter road trip , make sure to read our winter emergency car kit of essential items to keep in your car during cold weather!

Did we miss anything? What are YOUR road trip essentials? Let us know in the comments!

Read road trip essential tips.

9 Ways To Keep Your Tech Safe While Traveling

10 Strategies for Finding Discounted Outdoor Gear

8 Vital Reasons To Travel With Your Friends

How To Travel on A Budget In The Pacific Northwest

Follow our Road Trip Board on Pinterest for some inspiration for other road trip essentials!

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Download this guide to get your kids outside and off screens.

53+ Road Trip Essentials (2023): The Ultimate Packing List

Our first road trip as a family took place about a decade ago in a KIA Sorento.

Lord, have mercy , we put that little cross-over through its paces.

Knowing what I know now, I would have planned better. Heather and I were just kids who, as it turns out, had a kid, and our wanderlust drove us to abandon the every-day in search of … well, whatever was out there.

I learned a lot on that 5,000-mile journey: the importance of rest stops on a long drive (as opposed to being in a hurry to get there); the fact that state and national parks are better places to stay than the finest hotels and resorts, and that the open road is just as exciting as the destination.

The important things come to light with experience. Like, the things you need on a family road trip that make it less of a trek and more of an enjoyable adventure.

After all, this isn’t survival school; it’s a vacation!

So, can I share with you what I’ve learned over 40,000 miles of road-tripping with my family?

15. Emergency Roadside Kit

19. flashlight.

• 21. Road Atlas 

24. Books [or E-books]

26. tire chains, 29. compact foldable chairs, 33. towel [and washcloth].

• 38.  Tablet or Laptop

43. Paper Towels

• 46. Shelf-Stable and Travel-Friendly Ingredients 

51. Packable, Lightweight Jacket

• 55. Hangers 

The Essentials You Can’t Leave Out of Your Road Trip Packing List

While planning your route and  creating a realistic budget  are critical for a successful road trip, so is ensuring that your vehicle is stocked with items, gear, and supplies to be prepared for any number of scenarios, foreseen and unforeseen.

This road trip checklist is your ultimate guide to a successful road trip. Follow along and start packing!

Personal Carry Items

1. license and registration.

“License and registration, please” – the first words you’ll hear in a routine pull-over.

Consider these to be the most essential of road trip necessities. Nothing will ruin an otherwise fun-filled time on the highway faster than being caught without it.

In an emergency, having a dependable supply of cash on hand can be a lifesaver. You may need it if the establishments you head into do not accept credit cards, are experiencing internet service issues, or if you lose your credit card.

Helpful Tip: Don’t keep all of your cash in one place. In case your wallet or purse goes missing, be sure to have a cash stash somewhere else in the car or on your person , safe from prying eyes.

3. Credit/Debit Cards and Wallet

Obvious, yes; however, when your mind is preoccupied with packing everything else, sometimes the obvious gets left out!

These plastics are the go-to method of payment, so don’t leave the house without them. It’s also nice to have a secure place to store them, and in most cases, it comes in the form of a wallet, purse, or concealed money belt .

4. Pocket Knife

A pocket knife or a multitool such as a Swiss Army knife can come in handy more than you would think.

Our Best Camping Knife post features some foldable knives that would make great travel companions!

A daypack is a commonly forgotten item on most beginner’s road trip packing lists. They focus so much on what they need for their day-to-day, they forget to include a daypack for their adventures away from their luggage.

We suggest keeping a separate smaller bag or pack equipped with cash, water, a small flashlight , a small first aid kit , a self-defense item , and other preferred personal items.

Emergency and First Aid

6. proof of car insurance (auto, rental, and travel).

You will need copies of your auto, rental car documents (if you’re using one), and travel insurance (or whichever is appropriate).  Your driver’s license and this go hand-in-hand.

Accidents can happen on the road, so we should always be prepared for the unexpected. Having a copy of your insurance is essential if you get pulled over.

All rental car companies should provide you with all legal documentation; so, when renting, double check your rental paperwork and the rental car’s glove box to ensure they have followed through.

7. Car Manual

In case you have to do some road-side troubleshooting ensure your car’s manual (or the rental’s) is stowed in the glove box.

8. Alternative Forms of I.D.

If the only form of I.D. you take with you is your driver’s license, you’ll be in a pickle if it becomes lost or stolen. Take a passport, CHL, or other form of state or federal issued I.D. and store it somewhere apart from your license.

9. Large First Aid Kit

A family-sized first aid kit stocked with basic meds such as painkillers, gauze, scissors, bandages, and antiseptic is a priority road trip essential.

Familiarize yourself with the contents and restock previously-used items. You could be miles away from the nearest town when you need medical aid, so it’s a good idea to have a first aid kit to rely on during your road trip.

10. Bug Spray

Depending on where you’re headed, a supply of bug spray could be an emergency or comfort item.

Road trips and itchy red welts just don’t mix.

11. Su n screen

Even if you don’t plan on a lot of outdoor time on your trip, sunscreen is among those items you’ll be glad to have if you need it.

For example, a broken-down vehicle in a hot climate can turn into an oven quickly. You and your family will need to wait outside for help to arrive (or, if you’re handy and well equipped) until you get the car up and running again.

12. Duct Tape and [Super] Glue

When things break and you’re miles away from a repair shop, some handy duct tape and glue (or super glue) can hold it together until you get there.

13. Emergency Radio and Power Bank

A well-equipped emergency radio can get you the latest NOAA weather updates, evacuation notices, provide a light source, and store power for your devices.

14. Satellite Phone or Communicator

With a satellite phone or communicator , you’re not limited to areas with cell reception, just as long as you’re covered by a satellite. In the face of natural disasters or when traveling through no-service zones, it’s a handy device to have on your road trip packing list.

An emergency roadside kit should have all the small things your car needs such as an ice scraper, folding shovel, and a tire puncture seal just in case you need to do some quick repairs yourself while on your road trip.

Road Trip Car Essentials

The following items should always be stored in your car whether you are planning a road trip or not.

16. Spare Tire

Sometimes a puncture seal just won’t cut it. In this case, you’ll need a whole new tire; so, make sure your spare is in good condition … and that you know how to change it!

Being equipped and able to change your own tire will potentially save hours of waiting on a roadside rescue, save hundreds of dollars in service fees, and prevent a mere inconvenience from escalating into a situation that threatens your family’s safety.

17. Car Jack

You can’t change a tire without the jack. make sure it’s stowed and locked down.

You can normally find this next to your spare tire in the trunk, under the car, or under your seats depending on which vehicle you have.

Refer to your owner’s manual if you have trouble locating it.

18. Jumper Cables or Jump Starter Box

A dead battery is just as likely as a flat tire. Don’t depend on the average passer-by to have jumper cables on hand.

Or, if you don’t want to wait on a good samaritan to stop to help, equip your car with a jump starter box.

You can keep a flashlight in your emergency roadside kit, but we suggest keeping a big one handy in the glove compartment or under your seat so you won’t have to rummage around in the dark to find it. 

These days, global positioning system apps are standard on our phones; however, if you’re traveling through no-service zones, you may consider one that is satellite-linked.

21. Road Atlas 

GPS systems and Google Maps have and will crash from time to time.

A road atlas will not! Have a backup road atlas ready in case your electronics fail while road tripping.

Entertainment

22. road trip games.

Not essential to your survival but definitely a must for your sanity, don’t forget fun games on the road to combat boredom. 

23. Playlist

Depending on where your travels take you, you may or may not be able to depend on streaming internet radio such as Pandora or Spotify.

If music enhances your family’s road tripping experience, purchase a list of your favorite songs and download them to your device.

Then, you can keep rocking when the internet can’t hang.

Time flies by when you’re engrossed in a good story. Whether taking turns reading out loud from a book or streaming an audiobook, make the trip a little smoother with a good page-turner.

Inclement Weather and Environmental Gear

25. umbrella.

When it rains, it pours. Don’t forget to pack some travel umbrellas to keep your family dry.

Winter road trips to the north are likely to see snowy weather, and tire chains give your tires more traction on slippery surfaces.

Comfort and Convenience

27. sleeping bag, blanket, and pillow.

Who knows where hotel blankets and pillows have been, or maybe you want to be comfortable in the backseat with your own blanket and pillow.

You can’t go without a sleeping bag when you’re camping, so don’t forget to bring all of the one, two, or all of the above!

28. Earplugs

It may not be essential for everyone, but earplugs have their benefits. You can block out the sound of the outside world (or the family snore champion) no matter where you are. 

Compact foldable chairs can be considered essential if you want to be able to pull over anywhere, anytime outside of city limits for a respite from the car.

You’re bound to come across some scenic overlooks or historical sites, so pull over, pass around some snacks, sit back, and enjoy the view!

Personal Hygiene and Cosmetics

30. hand sanitizer.

Washing with soap and water is best, but not always possible. After a stop at any public facility or after a spontaneous hike through the woods, have some sanitizer on hand for the interim.

31. Wet Wipes

From spilled coffee to runny noses, wet wipes will be your best friend through countless mishaps whether you have young children or not.

32. Personal Toiletries

Personal hygiene is important no matter where you are. In your road trip toiletry kit, you should include a brush, toothpaste, toothbrush, hair ties, a small mirror, floss, bodywash, and anything else you need to clean up after a long day.

Who knows how sanitary hotel towels are, so it’s always a good idea to bring your own travel towels .

If camping or swimming is on your itinerary, be sure to have something to sit on when you jump back in the car.

Tech Essentials

34.  car charger with [back-up] battery.

Your phone is necessary for emergencies, so don’t let it run out of juice.

Be sure to include car chargers for your devices.

35.  Power Inverter

Having a power inverter turns your car’s 12-volt DC outlet into a 110-volt AC adapter, making it easier to share the power supply among multiple devices.

36. Wireless Earbuds [or Headphones]

Sometimes, you just need some me-time and on a family road trip, a good set of headphones can provide just that.

Or if you’re granting the kids some backseat screen time, they can enjoy the entertainment without the whole family having to hear it.

37.  Camera

You can use your phone, but special camera lenses can produce high-resolution and authentic pictures that a phone just can’t do.

38.  Tablet or Laptop

You may just need to get some work done on the road or want a bigger screen than your phone, which is why a tablet and laptop are handy to have. 

Food Storage, Prep, and Clean-Up

39.  cooler with ice.

You need food and snacks on this trip, especially if camping is involved. It’s nice to have a cool drink in hand while relaxing by the lake, so keep a good soft-sided car cooler stocked full of ice to keep your favorite beverages and treats cool.

40.  Portable Camp Stove [with Fuel]

It’s nice to have cold food and drinks, but sometimes it’s nice to warm your belly with hot soup and cook your own meals – this is where a portable camp stove comes in. Don’t forget to bring some fuel !

41.  Cooking and Eating Utensils

You don’t want to end up two hours outside of town only to realize you have nothing to eat or cook with. Aside from the portable camp stove, pack a well-equipped mess kit so that eating on the road is as enjoyable as possible.

42.  Dish Soap and Sponge

That mess kit will need to be cleaned up before hitting the road again. Take along a small bottle of dish soap and quick-dry silicone sponges to make things quick and easy.

Paper towels are useful to keep around to soak up any spills, dry your dishes and cups, and wipe stuff down after eating. 

Food and Water

44. water and snacks.

You can buy everything while you’re on the road, but why not come prepared so you can enjoy more time on the road? Have some bottled water for long drives, and some snacks to curb your hunger if you want to avoid stops early in the trip.

45. Road Trip-Friendly Foods

By road trip-friendly foods we mean ones that can last on the road, are relatively healthy, and are easy to eat without making a mess. Here are some examples that you can keep in the cooler, in the car, or cook on the camp stove:

• Your favorite beverages
• Protein bars
• Travel-friendly fruit and veggies (grapes, apples, carrots, celery, etc.)
• Popcorn (pre-fab)
• Canned beans (careful … you might want to crack a window …)
• Corned beef hash
• Canned corn
• Sweet potato stew and more canned food options to reheat over the stove
• Fruits such as grapes and orange and apple slices for the cooler
• Veggies such as carrots and celery for the cooler
• Hard-boiled eggs for the cooler

46. Shelf-Stable and Travel-Friendly Ingredients 

Here is a quick list of travel-friendly ingredients that can elevate your self-cooked meals

• Butter (kept in the cooler filled with ice)
• Packets of salad dressing if kept in the cooler
• Salt and pepper
• Dried herbs such as thyme, oregano, and basil
• Packets of mustard and ketchup

Variety of Clothing

47. shirts, pants, and shorts.

You can’t forget to bring a change of clothes because you may not always have access to a laundromat or laundry service. You certainly cannot wear the same clothes for an entire trip.

Or, maybe you can … and that’s gross.

48. Socks and Shoes

Your socks need changing even more often than clothes, especially on a road trip, so toss a couple of pairs into your luggage. You can rely on a trusted pair of sneakers, but just in case they wear out on a hike, we suggest packing one more.

49. Weather-Appropriate Accessories

Mother Nature is spontaneous, and even if the weather forecast claims to be sunny skies for the week, the dark clouds could still rain on your parade. We suggest being overly prepared with all the weather-appropriate accessories you can think of such as a rain jacket and rain boots.

50. Disposable Underwear

Not that I’ve tried these … I didn’t even know they existed. But, apparently, it’s a thing.

I’ll stick to my usual skivvies and my family is adept at relieving ourselves in the woods or a conveniently-placed shrub.

Still, if you want to go-on-the-go … and sit in it (!?!) …

… I can’t. I just can’t.

Even if you’re not in the midst of winter, it’s still a good idea to bring a packable down jacket . Even in the desert, temperatures can plummet from blazing hot to freezing overnight.

Better to have it and not need it …

Storage and Organization

52. plastic bags [and/or tubs].

Bringing along plastic bags and plastic tubs of multiple sizes can keep you organized.

Aside from your luggage for clothing, you need a way to keep food, and gear, games and other items neat and easy to access and find while on the road.

Not only will it be easier to find what you’re looking for, but it also makes cleanup and packing much easier.

53. Packing Cubes

Packing Cubes help keep smaller personal items from getting mixed together in your luggage. These make packing and unpacking along your various stops efficient and quick.

54. Reusable Shopping Bag or Tote

Avoiding grocery-store plastic bags is always a good idea. Plus, having are usable bag or tote is handy if your family stops at a location popular for small boutique shopping.

55. Hangers 

Lastly, we suggest keeping a few hangers among your belongings. These can come in handy if you’re faced with heavy rain or a thunderstorm. You can hang them on a tree or even in your car using the handles above the windows.

Wrapping up the Road Trip Essentials

There you have it! We know it was a good long read but now you’re fully prepared for your next road trip!

Not all of these items may be essential for you. Personalize our road trip essentials list to fit your family’s needs and what’s appropriate for where your trip will take you.

Safe travels! Now, get out there!

Joshua Davis

Road Trip Essentials: Packing Checklist (with Printable PDF)

This is what I pack on every road trip. My printable packing checklist will help you get organized so you don’t forget anything at home!

Road-tripping is my favorite way to travel. With two dogs and now a baby, I’d much prefer to drive somewhere than fly. Also, there is an undeniable magic to a good road trip: the freedom of the open road, the opportunity to get off the beaten path, and the surprises that you stumble upon along the way.

However, packing for a road trip can be super stressful. While I consider myself a packing pro these days, I’ve definitely made the mistake of forgetting something really important, like the time I left my hiking shoes behind. I can’t tell you what a huge bummer it was to have to stop and spend $150 on new hiking shoes when I have so many pairs at home.

So, to help myself (and you!) stay organized, I created a road trip packing checklist that has all of the essentials you need for a successful road trip. I keep a condensed, printable version of this packing checklist on my phone to make sure I don’t forget anything.

Download a PDF version of my road trip packing checklist !

In this post, I’m excited to share all of the details of what I bring on my road trips, including safety gear, clothing, food, and other gear.

Vehicle Road Trip Essentials

This is the basic safety gear that I always pack on all of my road trips.

• Driver’s License, Registration, and Proof of Insurance
• Car Operation Manual : Your car manual will come in handy if your check engine light comes on or you need to change your tire.
• Spare Tire and Tools : If you get a flat, you’ll need a lug wrench, a jack, and a portable compressor that you can use to pump up your tire.
• Jumper cables : If your battery dies, you can save yourself a call to roadside assistance by having jumper cables, or even better, a self-starting battery jumper
• Communication device : I’d argue that the Garmin InReach is a road trip essential if you plan on exploring remote backroads where there is no cell phone service. The Garmin InReach allows you to send custom text messages no matter where you are or to call for medical help if you are in an emergency situation. I once had a dead battery in my Sprinter Van and no cell sevice, and I used the Garmin InReach to text my dad who was then able to call a tow truck.

Road Trip Navigational Tools

While part of the fun of a good road trip might be getting lost and exploring remote back roads, it is crucial to have reliable navigational tools so you don’t end up utterly lost. Here are my recommendations.

• Atlas : Although we all know Google Maps is essential for directions, I personally like carrying a paper map too. Plus, hopefully some of your itinerary will take you off the grid and out of cell phone service. Paper maps are also better than phone apps for telling the difference between a well-graded gravel road and a gnarly 4×4 road. My favorite paper maps are the Benchmark Road and Recreation Atlases which also detail public lands, camping areas, National Parks, and more.
• GPS: A GPS is handy for navigation when you don’t have cell service. If you don’t want to purchase a GPS, download Google Maps for offline use.

Road Trip Apps

Before you hit the road, download these apps. These are the apps I rely on daily when I’m on a road trip for finding camping and other services.

• Gas Buddy App : This is a helpful road trip app that will help you find the cheapest gas prices so you aren’t wasting money when you fill up.
• The Dyrt App : The Dyrt is one of my favorite campsite finder apps that has reviews and photos, and you can even use it to make reservations at some campgrounds. Sign up for the Dyrt Pro and try it for free for 30 days.
• iOverlander : Another one of my go-to apps for finding free dispersed camping on public land. For details on how to use it, see my iOverlander review .
• AllTrails : The most popular trail finder app for hiking trails on your road trip. If you upgrade to AllTrails+ you can download trail maps for offline use which I find to be super handy when I’m are visiting remote areas.

Looking for more helpful apps? Check out our post on Must-Have Van Life Apps . Many of them are also great for road trips!

What to Wear on a Road Trip

Packing for a road trip means filling your bags with versatile, well-fitting, and durable clothes that allow you to do a little bit of everything. The key is to not overpack, otherwise, your luggage will be overflowing and your car will get messy quickly.

I like to pack clothing, footwear, and accessories that:

While crazy patterns can be fun, I prefer to pack solid prints that will go with everything. That way, you don’t have to really think about packing specific outfits. Here is a list of the types of clothes I bring on a road trip. If you click on the links it will take you to my blog posts with female-specific suggestions.

• Quick dry shirts (short and long-sleeve)
• Leggings / Hiking Pants
• Hiking Shorts
• Warm Jacket
• Wool Socks – Darn Tough are my favorite!
• Hiking Shoes

Road Trip Entertainment

Road trips are all about having a good time, right? Right. Make the drive fun with the following entertainment essentials. I also recommend keeping your day hiking essentials in your trunk too so you’re always ready for a spur-of-the-moment hike, should you need them.

• Music Playlists : What’s a road trip without music? Load up your phone with plenty of tunes ahead of time in case you’ll be driving through areas with limited service.
• Podcasts and Audiobooks : If music isn’t your thing or you need a break from rockin’ out, download a couple of audiobooks or a bunch of episodes of your favorite podcast. For suggestions, check out my favorite outdoor podcasts . The Libby App and Audible are also great resources for downloading audiobooks.
• Book : A book or two is always nice to have along on a road trip so you can read in your downtime. I prefer a Kindle since I can load it up with a few different books just in case I get bored with one.
• Travel Games : If you’re traveling with kids, games are a great way to keep everyone happy and entertained. But games aren’t just for kids! Bringing along a deck of cards or your favorite road trip games for entertainment in the evenings.
• Headphones : A set of headphones or AirPods are nice to bring on a road trip in case you need a little alone time.
• Camera : I like to bring a camera to capture the memories on my trip. Of course, you can always use your phone too.
• Notebook : If you like to journal or make notes about the places you travel to, pack a small weatherproof notebook .
• iPad or Laptop : An iPad or laptop is nice to have along for evenings when you just want to Netflix and chill. Download a few movies ahead of time for easy viewing.

Packing Food on your Road Trip

One of the best parts about a road trip is tasty road trip snacks, wouldn’t you agree? Whether you’re a salty or sweet person, having quick and (mostly) healthy snack options can make or break a long drive.

It’s also a good idea to pack some kitchen and cooking gear even if you’re not camping so you can whip up that impromptu picnic. If you are camping, check out my car camping packing checklist which has additional gear like a stove, cookset, etc. Here is the food and cooking essentials I pack on a road trip.

• Cooler : A cooler will keep your fruit, veggies, dips, dand other snacks cold so you can eat fresh on the road.
• Reusable Water Bottle : An insulated water bottle will keep your water cold in the hot car and is key for staying hydrated. You can fill it up at gas station soda fountains, which will also save you money on having to buy water.
• Water Jug : Having a full 5-gallon water jug makes it easy to fill up your water bottle on the go and is also important in case your car breaks down or you run out of gas.
• Coffee Mug : Consider bringing an insulated coffee mug for keeping coffee and tea hot on sunrise drives.
• Multi-tool : A multi-tool or versatile knife like this Swiss Army Camper Knife is always good to have along, whether for slicing apples, cutting rope, or opening that nice bottle of wine at the end of the day.
• Utensil set : This To-Go Ware Bamboo Utensil Set comes in a handy holder and is perfect for on-the-go meals when you’re road-tripping.
• Quick Dry Towels : A set of small quick-dry towels is a great zero-waste alternative for wiping your hands and cleaning up messes and spills. A roll of paper towels works too.
• Reusable Bag : A reusable bag will come in handy for those grocery store stops along the way and once you arrive at your destination.

Healthy Snacks

Having healthy snacks easily accessible will stop the hanger from creeping in and help you avoid gas station temptations like chips and candy (no judgment though if you want to indulge)! Some of my favorite road trip snacks are:

Staying Organized on your Road Trip

Nothing drives me more crazy when I’m road tripping is a trunk full of clutter. I like being able to quickly find things that I need without having to pull everything out of my car. Here are some of the things I use to keep organized.

• Luggage : Try to fit all of your clothing in a carry-on sized piece of luggage. That will make it easy to carry it in and out of your hotel (or tent), and it also wont’ take up too much room in your trunk. I love the REI Co-op Roadtripper Duffel .
• Packing Cubes : I use packing cubes to keep all of my clothing organized inside my duffel. Underwear in one. Socks in another. Pants. Shirts. Each category of clothing gets it’s own cube. That way it’s easy to pull out a new shirt without unfolding all of my clothes.
• Toiletry Bag : Having all your toiletries and smaller essentials in a toiletry bag makes it easy to find them when you need them.
• Day pack : I love this comfy 30 liter hiking pack that has lots of pockets and straps that I can adjust for the perfect fit. I keep all of the stuff I need for my hikes and other activities in my pack so it’s ready to go.
• Plastic Bins : I always organize the rest of my gear by category in plastic bins that are easy to stack and pull out of my car. I’ll put all of my food and kitchen stuff in one and any camping gear in another.

Personal Items

Getting out of your normal routine can make it a bit more of a challenge to keep up with personal care, but if you can pare it down to the necessities, you won’t have to pack as much.

• Sunscreen : UV rays can come through your windows so bring a tube or two of good mineral-based sunscreen , especially if you’re road-tripping in the summer.
• Lip Balm : Lip balm is always nice to have along in case your lips get extra dry. I prefer lip balm with SPF for sun protection.
• Toothpaste / Toothbrush : Any old toothpaste you have at home will do, but if you want an eco-friendly, travel-size option, Hello toothpaste bites are a great pick.
• Other Toiletries : Bring the toiletries you need from home, like soap, shampoo, and conditioner, in these refillable 2.5 oz  humangear GoToob+ Medium Squeeze Bottles that help save room in your bag.
• Kula Cloth : This is a reusable pee rag that I bring on every hike and road trip. That way if I have to pop a squat, I’m not having to drip dry.
• Hair Brush : A small, travel-size hair brush for taming that windswept hair
• Body Wipes : Sometimes it’s nice to freshen up with a body wipe after a long drive, or maybe you’re hiking and camping on your road trip as well.
• Electrolytes : I like to pack electrolytes that are easy to throw into my water when I need an extra boost.
• Hand sanitizer : I keep hand sanitizer in my center console so I can sanitize after filling up my gas tank or using a pit toilet at a trailhead.
• First aid kit : This  My Medic MyFAK First Aid Kit  is equipped with all kinds of expert-picked first aid and trauma supplies. You can strap it to the back of a headrest for easy storage or just toss it in the back so it’s there when you need it.

Other Road Trip Essentials

If you have extra room in your car, these are some additional things I like to pack on my road trips.

• Pillow : Ideally I’m bringing my pillow from home since hotel pillows often suck! But if I don’t have room, I bring a lightweight, compressible camping pillow that makes riding in the passenger seat just a bit more comfortable.
• Headlamp : I always pack a rechargeable headlamp . It makes rummaging around in your car at night so much easier.
• Blanket : A small blanket is a nice item to have along in case you find the perfect picnic spot or if you just need a little extra warmth at any point on your road trip. I love Rumpl’s cozy, packable blankets – they won’t take up much space in your car and they come in all kinds of fun colors and patterns.
• Large quick-dry towel : Be ready for those impromptu swimming hole dips or beach hangs with a lightweight, quick-dry towel
• Phone charger : You’ll be surprised how quickly your phone battery will drain when using navigation mode and a variety of apps on your phone so it’s good to be able to charge from your vehicle.
• Cash : Have a little bit of cash on hand in case you come across a farmers market or a roadside stall, or if you plan on camping at more remote campgrounds, which are typically cash-only.
• Camp Chair : It’s nice to have a small, packable camp chair so you can have somewhere to sit when you’re enjoying a snack or a nice view.

I hope this road trip essentials checklist helps simplify packing for your next epic adventure. Now tell us: where are you headed and what’s on your road trip packing list?

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With two decades of hiking and seven years of van life under her belt, Kristen has dedicated her life to helping people experience the positive effects of nature. As a pioneer in the outdoor blogging space, she founded Bearfoot Theory in 2014 and has since authored more than 350 blog posts about outdoor travel, hiking, camping, and van life. Her work has been featured in National Geographic, Outside Magazine, and Backpacker, and when she’s not on the road, she lives in Park City, Utah with her partner Ryan, their son, and two adventure pups.

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16 Comments

Thanks for sharing such a great checklist, I Believe anyone who read this post will be valuable for him for sure. Regards, Team Yugo.pk

I love these lists! As busy as a work week can get, lists like this will help get me outside sooner and more often. I think it would be great if you had a PDF document in the form of a checklist, so I could gather items on the fly and know that I have them ready or loaded into the car/truck/van/camper. Just an idea for this page and great lists.

I like your advice about bringing a spare tire and knowing how to change should be part of the road trip necessities. We won’t know what would happen to us on the road during our trip. One possible problem that might arise would be a flat tire. Having a spare tire will allow us to change it immediately. However, if you’re not capable of doing it on your own you can call someone to assist you. This happened to me a few years ago, good thing I keep the contact details of my roadside assistance service provider which responded to my call immediately. Having this will lessen our worries. You might want to check the blog I’ve read a few weeks ago which provides a list of tips on handling a road trip like a pro. here is the link: https://blog.beepbeep.ph/road-trip-essentials/

I found your article interesting to read the must haves list for the road trip. There are lots of thing which I never remember to bring with me on the road trip. Thank for sharing these checklist.

What a great, comprehensive list. You can also add roadside assistance, it can be a lifesaver when we broke down 9 days into our trip. Loved the roadtrippers app as well. However, we made the rookie mistake of not getting a gas card until halfway through.

What do you normally have in your First-Aid Kit? We are crafting a blog post on our blog and we would definitely mention your website in it.

Its Nice., Thank you for your Necessity guides. These are useful to many.

Great checklist! One addition that we were glad to have on our recent road trip was our checkbook. During the Covid era, we prefer not to handle cash, and some campgrounds didn’t take cards, but writing a check and leaving it in the envelope worked great.

That’s a great tip, thanks Tom!

These modules are all great Lots of information and quite a few things i wouldn’t ever have thought of. However, why do i need to resubscribe every time i want one of your checklists? Seems like there one subscription should “do” and there should be a place i can just download what i want.

After requesting 3 or 4, it now tells me my request is successful but wont sent the mail with the download link.

This is irritating for me and would seem to create lot of duplicate ‘subscriptions” for you.

Hi Linda! Thanks for sharing that with us and our apologies for the inconvenience. There’s not a straightforward solution to this unfortunately as it would require us building out some sort of a membership page where people can login and download all the resources they want. At this time the way we have it set up is the easiest way for our readers to get the specific resources they want delivered to their inbox. It doesn’t result in duplicate subscriptions on our end as your email address is only added to our list once, and I am seeing that the emails for the checklists you’ve requested have been sent. Perhaps check your spam folder or try doing a search for Bearfoot Theory? If you’re still having issues please email me at contact (at) bearfoottheory.com and I’ll help get this resolved personally. Thanks again – we’ll keep your feedback in mind and will see if there’s a way we can improve this process 🙂

thank you, it was very helpful.

A night hike, river tubing, or secret single-track – you never know what adventure may arise while traveling. Don’t miss out because you don’t have the gear. Below are gear staples for us on any adventure:

Rain jacket Daypack Headlamp Water bottle Compass Swimsuit Dry bag (waterproof) Bandana or Buff headwear

Great list – you never know what adventure you could find yourself on!

Thanks for your wonderful work! Fun and practical — a breath of fresh air!

I’d like to add two items that simplify and improve road trips for us:

— A small (maybe 8-inch square) “front-seat bin” for each traveller. Keep your small personal items — sunglasses, reading glasses, snacks, medicines, phone, and so — on in one designated place to ensure that you don’t have to root around to find your things.

— Small waterproof duffle for each person’s shoes — hiking shoes, sandals, comfy campsite shoes. Keeps the car cleaner and, again, ensures that things are “where they’re supposed to be”!

Hi Roy, these are great suggestions! We love tips for staying organized. Thanks for sharing!

• Deals and Promotions

Memorial Day 2024 deals on road trip essentials

Dog harnesses, car seats, power stations and more.

Autoblog may receive a share from purchases made via links on this page. Pricing and availability are subject to change.

Memorial Day is a time of remembrance, gratitude and, often, travel. Many families take advantage of a long holiday weekend by traveling to visit friends and family or road-tripping to their favorite vacation spots. If you’re planning on taking a Memorial Day road trip and realizing you need to pad out your gear a bit, here are some great Memorial Day deals on harnesses for your pets, car seat accessories and other road trip essentials like dash cams, coolers, power stations, and more.

iZeeker Dash Cam for Cars - $29.97 (25% off)

$29.97 at Amazon

The iZeeker dash cam is one of the best bang-for-your-buck deals you can find in car video even at full price, let alone on sale. For only $29.99 you get a dash cam that records in 1080p with a 170° wide-angle lens. Like most other cams, this one saves videos onto a MicroSD card and features loop recording, automatic start and stop and it also employs a G-sensor for crash detection. There's even a parking monitoring feature. iZeeker will provide a 2-year warranty with your purchase. Check out an image from the cam right here .

• Records at a 1080p HD video quality with 30 FPS resolution
• Features a 170° wide angle lens field of view w/ a F1.8 aperture, WDR and night vision capability
• USB connectivity
• Includes a 2 year warranty

Uniden DFR1 Long Range Laser and Radar Detection - $53.95 (10% off)

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If you're looking to spring for a Uniden radar detector but don't want to spend the hundreds of dollars it costs for an R3 or R7, this Uniden DFR1 may be the best radar detector for budget-minded drivers. It's a significantly more affordable way to try to avoid laser detection and features long-range sensitivity, front and rear protection, multiple driving modes, false alert filtering and a mute button. It even comes with its own suction cup mount. At this price point, it's tough to ignore.

• Features long-range sensitivity with false alert filtering
• Includes 3 modes: Highway, City and City 1
• Saves user's most recent settings when disconnected from a power source
• Includes a power cord, dual suction cup window mount, hook and loop fastener tape and a spare fuse

Diono Radian 3R, 3-in-1 Convertible Car Seat - $169.99 (15% off)

$169.99 at Amazon

If you're traveling with a child this Memorial Day, you'll need a solid car seat. This Diono Radian 3-in-1 convertible car seat is made to grow with your child from birth all the way up to 120 lbs. It's foldable and built with a three-across slim-fit convertible design that makes it easier to fit three passengers in the back seat, if you're rolling with a crew.

• Rear facing weight limit: from birth to 50 pounds
• Front-facing weight limit: 22 to 65 pounds
• Booster seat weight limit: 40 to 120 pounds
• Reinforced steel core
• Folds for travel
• Memory foam comfort

Sleepypod Clickit Sport Plus Car Seat Belt Harness - $109.24 (7% off)

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The Sleepypod Clickit Sport Plus is one of only a select few harnesses currently certified by the Center for Pet Safety. The CPS certification program has been around for nearly 10 years, and requirements for certification can be seen right here . The Clickit Sport passed the CPS's certification testing with 5 stars and there's even footage of the testing available for viewing right here . Aside from being CPS certified, this harness is great for walking or hiking with your dog thanks to its energy absorbing neoprene padding construction, built-in reflective strips and double "D" ring leash connection. The harness is available in all different kinds of colors and sizes right here . 

• Crash test certified by the Center for Pet Safety
• Makes use of reflective strips on the harness for improved night visibility
• Features a double "D" ring leash connection

Collapsible Dog Bowls for Travel - $5.99 (25% off)

$5.99 at Amazon

If you're headed on any kind of trip with your dog, you probably won't want to take up space bringing your stainless steel or ceramic dog bowls that you use at home. A great solution is to pick up a collapsible silicone dog bowl for your journey. This one is expandable to different sizes, made with durability in mind and even comes with a clip to hang it on your backpack.

• Made of "high quality food grade silicone," and dishwasher safe
• Expandable to different sizes depending on the size of your pet
• Available in multiple color combinations
• Comes with clip to hang on bags or other travel accessories
• Made to stand firm when filled with water or food

Hotor Car Trash Can with Lid and Storage Pockets - $8.46 (35% off)

$8.46 at Amazon

A car garbage can is an oft-forgotten about essential on any road trip. This Hotor 2-gallon trash can features a lid so your trash won’t bounce out on any bumpy backcountry roads as well as storage pockets on the side to keep your pre-devoured snacks and other items organized. The interior is 100% leakproof, and if you feel like you don't need it after your road trip, it can be easily collapsed and stored, but once you install it we’re willing to bet it’ll be in use at all times.

• Adjustable strap fits headrests or center console
• Collapsible design allows for storage when not in use
• 100% leak proof inner lining
• 3 mesh pockets are great for toys, snacks and tissues
• Lid prevents trash from falling out

AstroAI Tire Inflator Portable Air Compressor -  $27.19 (15% off)

$27.19 at Amazon

Before you head out on a long drive, it's probably a good idea to make sure your tires are properly inflated. This AstroAI portable air compressor is a great way to do that. It comes with three nozzles and will work with any Schrader valve on cars, SUVs, motorcycles and bicycles. It can pump up tires at a speed of 35 L/Min and can inflate 195/55/R15 tires from 0 to 35psi in under 5 minutes. The gauge is professionally calibrated to show a reading within 1.5% of your actual tire pressure and is even programmable, so you can just set your desired pressure and let the machine do the work. It's got a large, backlit screen that displays pressure units like PSI, kPa, BAR or KG/CM. There's also a built-in flashlight for if you're working in the dark. The included accessory adapters will also allow you to also use this inflator on balls, air mattresses, balloons, and other small inflatables.

• Inflates at a rate of 35L/Min
• Programmable for automatic fill-ups
• Integrated LED light for better night-time visibility
• Comes with one replacement fuse and 3 additional nozzles

Duracell Portable Power Station 300 - $189 (5% off)

$189 at Amazon

This power station is a great value for homeowners if you're not looking for a full-fledged gas generator. It'll also keep your gadgets charged and ready for use on a trip. It charges quickly, offers tons of ports and weighs less than 10 lbs. This little thing can power home electronics, mobile devices, lighting, speakers and more.

• Wattage: 300 watts
• Fully charges in 5-6 hours via wall charger or can be fitted with Duracell's solar panel to charge fully in 4-5 hours
• Includes LCD screen that shows the battery level and which ports are being used
• Features 2 USB-A outputs, 1 USB-A QC3.0 output, a USB-C PD output, a 120 AC inverter output, a 12V DC socket port output, 2 DC port outputs and a DC charging port input
• Solar panel sold separately
• Weighs only 7.5 lbs

Yeti Cooler - $200 and up

$200 and up at Amazon

Yeti coolers are so good they were once one of the most stolen items in America . You can fly with them, camp with them and they keep food and drinks cold for what seems like an impossible amount of time. Yeti seems reluctant to put an official hour count out there, but anecdotally, there are many reports of Yeti owners online saying that the cooler can keep their drinks cool for an astounding 3-5 days. If you're new to the cooler game, a handy tip is to pre-cool the cooler a day before using it by filling it with ice and then refilling it the next day. And while this cooler is pretty incredible at its job, remember, it's a cooler, not a freezer. Things like ice cream left too long will likely turn into a sticky, liquid mess. 

• Available in multiple colors and sizes
• Easily transportable

ComfiLife Gel Enhanced Seat Cushion - $44.99 (25% off)

$44.99 at Amazon

Being comfortable on a drive is important no matter how long the trip is, but it's doubly so when you'll be in the driver's seat for multiple hours. This ComfiLife cushion is a good way to combat some discomfort from sitting around for too long. It's made with gel memory foam and features a non-slip rubber bottom, a handle to make it easily transportable, and a removable machine-washable velour cover to make cleaning less of a hassle. It's made to support your tailbone and relieve pressure on your back. This can help with lower back pain and even sciatica relief, two things that no one should have to deal with in their day-to-day life. 

One of the best parts about the ComfiLife cushion is just how portable it is. Thanks to its built-in handle you can easily bring the cushion with you on a drive, to the office, on a long flight, or anywhere you happen to be lounging around. On top of that, it's 39% off right now. One reviewer even called it "the butt cushion to end all butt cushions."

• Made with gel memory foam
• Features a non-slip rubber bottom
• Built-in handle for easy transportation
• Removable, machine-washable velour cover

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The Wayward Home

The 10 Most Comfortable Cars for a Good Night’s Sleep

Posted: May 25, 2024 | Last updated: May 25, 2024

Many of us have squeezed in a quick nap in our car at some point. While it’s not always the coziest spot, it gets the job done. But what if you’re planning to actually sleep in your vehicle during a road trip?

While vans and truck campers are popular options, don’t overlook the potential of a regular car. The key is choosing the right model, one that offers ample space and comfort for a good night’s sleep.

Thanks to insights from the Reddit community, we’re ready to share the top 10 cars that are perfect for sleeping on the road. Let’s dive into these great recommendations!

1. Toyota Sienna

One of the most highly recommended vehicles on Reddit was the Toyota Sienna. This small minivan offers plenty of room for sleeping and storing your road trip essentials.

One Redditor who drives a Sienna had this to say when talking about the minivan: “Push button climate control with tons of room in the back. The downside is no stow-and-go seats.”

In response, one Redditor recommended the Chrysler Pacifica for anyone wanting a stow-and-go-seat vehicle.

2. Honda Element SUV

If you’re looking for a beast of a car to hit the road with, look no further than the Honda Element SUV. This quite stunning vehicle is a pleasure to drive, and comes with plenty of space.

One community member has been car camping in their Honda Element for the last two years, and he said, “It gets ok gas mileage but is roomy and nice to drive.”

Other readers agreed, some telling Reddit how they’ve converted their vehicle to make it even more suitable for car camping. To create more space, one user recommended removing the back seats.

3. Honda CR-V

Another Honda option is the CR-V. According to one car camper, “You can flip the seats down and sleep in the back relatively comfortably if you needed/wanted to.” 

Aside from offering a comfortable night’s sleep, the Honda CR-V has lots of storage space. One driver has even installed a set of sliding drawers in the back of his CR-V. 

When talking about the drawers he installed, he said, “The drawers fit in the trunk perfectly with my cooler, so I can keep the other seats up if I want to.”

It sounds like a solid choice if you ask us!

4. Scion xB

One member of the r/CarCamping community recommends the Scion xB. Like the other cars on this list, the Scion xB has plenty of room. However, the user who suggested it loves it for more than just its space.

He listed all the things he likes about it. Here are some of the pros he mentioned:

• Easy to park
• Oodles of space
• Good gas mileage
• Big windows for looking out

If you’re looking for a reliable all-round option, the Scion xB sounds ideal!

5. Subaru Crosstrek

If you want a vehicle that offers a comfortable car camping experience with minimal effort, look at the Subaru Crosstrek. According to one Crosstrek owner, you don’t need much if you’re going road-tripping for one week.

This user told Reddit to “just have a sleeping pad, a sleeping bag, and a couple of pillows and blankets.” In his eyes, that’s all you need to have a comfortable night’s sleep in a Crosstrek. 

Regarding your other camping essentials, the same Redditor believes there’s plenty of space for everything you need.

6. Subaru Outback

Another Subaru that makes our list is the Subaru Outback. With a name like that, this car was always going to be an excellent option for road-tripping.

One car camper told Reddit that the Subaru Outback “strikes a great balance between cargo space, fuel efficiency, and offroad capability.” He admitted it isn’t the absolute best at all those factors, but it also doesn’t max out any of them at the expense of the others. 

The opinion we get from Reddit is that the Outback is an excellent option if you seek a great all-rounder. It could be the perfect starting place for your car camping journey.

7. Volvo XC70

Redditors described the Volvo XC70 as a “big bomb-proof car.” In other words, this Volvo is perfect if you’re looking for a reliable, heavy-duty car camping vehicle!

Admittedly, Reddit didn’t have much to say about this car other than a few things it has to offer, like lots of sleeping space, good gas mileage, and decent storage space.

As well as the Volvo XC70, another user recommended the V70 for the same reasons.

8. Honda Fit

According to Reddit, the Honda Fit is one of the best cars to sleep in on a solo road trip. The back seats in the Honda Fit fold down flat, leaving enough space for one adult to sleep.

It should be mentioned that the users recommending this car were under 5’5”, so it isn’t necessarily a good choice for taller travelers. 

When talking about the Honda Fit, one owner said, “The Fit is so fun and sporty,” while also telling readers to consider buying a tent to pop over the hatchback. This is a great way to give yourself more space.

9. Mazda CX5

Some car campers believe the Mazda CX5 is the best car for sleeping in on a road trip if you want all the perks of an RAV4 or CR-V but with more style. Check it out if you want to travel in style and still sleep comfortably at night!

When discussing the Mazda CX5, an RAV4 driver left a hilarious comment: “How DARE you (correctly) imply my RAV4 is ugly!”

This Mazda looks fantastic, and it can be easily converted to allow more space for camping. Some road-trippers have kitted this car out with a wooden bed in the back and storage space, and you could do the same. 

10. Chrysler Pacifica

Finally, we have the Chrysler Pacifica, a fantastic option for couples. Many car campers regard the Chrysler Pacifica as the ultimate car camping vehicle for long road trips. 

One Redditor sleeps in this car with his wife and dog, and he absolutely loves it. Here’s what he had to say:

“We drove up and down the 395, camping along the way with our dog for 10 days last summer. Back-row seats hide and create a nice long bed platform to sleep comfortably, and there is TONS of space for everything you need for even the longest road trips. And it gets great mile per gallon for a van of that size, too.”

With praise like that, the Pacifica is undoubtedly an option to consider!

More Articles from The Wayward Home

• 11 Beachside RV Parks in California You Won’t Want to Miss
• 10 Ways to Banish Boredom While Camping

• 17 Creative Car Camper Ideas That Will Make You Want to Convert Your Vehicle Right Now

Ever glanced at your car and thought: “Could this be more than just a ride?” If you’re nodding, you’re about to get seriously inspired. 

With a little time, skill, and cash, you can turn your trusty car into a camper that will take you on your favorite adventures. Build a bed, add a kitchen area, and create a space to chill out – and you’ve got the perfect home away from home.

We’ve scoured the internet for the most creative car camper ideas. Our list includes hatchbacks, SUVs, Jeeps, and minivan conversions. So, no matter what vehicle you own, you’ll find a floor plan that works.

• 11 Camping Hacks for a Trip You’ll Never Forget

Setting off for a night of stargazing with pals or embarking on a family adventure across the country? Camping offers a delightful escape from the everyday hustle.

Yet, it’s not without its hurdles, especially for first-timers. From packing the essentials to setting up camp, there’s a fair bit to keep in mind. Thankfully, the wealth of knowledge online is here to guide you towards becoming a savvy camper!

A lively Reddit thread recently became a treasure trove of invaluable camping tips. We’ve sifted through the advice to bring you 11 top camping hacks that stood out. Let’s dive into these game-changing suggestions.

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