Seven Essentials for Every Road Trip

Lately, I have grown fond of going on road trips. As much as I love flying when we don’t have time to spare, when Christopher has a week off, we enjoy exploring the country on the road. In the last year and a half, we have been on three major road trips: from San Diego to San Francisco, a Lake Michigan Circle Tour, and our recent trip to the Smoky Mountains. If we had flown, we would have missed taking in spectacular views while driving on Highway 1, seeing gorgeous lighthouse on the shore of Lake Michigan, and taking in gems like Little River Canyon National Preserve.

Now that we have logged some miles on the road, I wanted to share my road trip essentials. I hope they’re helpful for the next time you hit the road!

Note: This post contains affiliate links. If you click on a link, I receive a teeny tiny commission.

Snacks and drinks
Before we head out, I like to go to the grocery store and stock up on snacks and drinks. As fun as it is to pick out random goodies at the gas station, that takes time while you’re on the road and is more expensive. Plus, gas station snacks are generally unhealthier. On our recent road trip, we picked up some Sensible Portions Veggie Straws, which made for a great snack.

Baby wipes
You know those veggie straws I just mentioned? They’re delicious and relatively healthy but also super messy. I love having a package of baby wipes around, so I don’t have to deal with sticky hands until our next restroom break.

A comfy pillow
As I’m getting older, I’m experiencing more back pain on road trips, so a comfy pillow is a must. I’ve tried so many different types of pillows, and this memory foam pillow from JCPenney is my favorite for road trips (and it’s super cheap compared to most memory foam).

Waze app and a map
Waze is a must on road trips. It’s a great way to find out where there is road construction or traffic when you don’t know an area well. I’m also a big proponent of having a physical map (or downloading all the maps you will need to “offline” on your phone). There have been many instances where we didn’t have service and had to rely on a physical map.

Dry shampoo and a hairbrush
After hours in the car, my hair isn’t at its best. Whenever we are making our big stop of the day, I like to freshen my hair with dry shampoo and brush it out. My favorite dry shampoo is Batiste or Amika.

Stain remover
Sometimes things can get messy while you’re eating or drinking in the car, so I like to keep the Tide stain remover pen in my purse. If you’ve ever met my husband, you know this is an essential!

Travel backpack
A travel backpack is an essential for me on every trip, but it’s especially important on a road trip. I don’t like to clutter the aisle of the car, so a backpack is perfect to pack everything we need while on the road.

Our travel backpack was getting old, so when Just Porter contacted me to try out one of their backpacks, I was excited. My excitement grew when I found out that for every purchase, Just Porter donates a backpack filled with school supplies to a child in need. There’s nothing better than a company that gives back!

Chris and I decided to go with the Hazen Professional Work Bag because it could double as his work backpack when we aren’t using it for travel. The separate padded laptop area in the front makes it perfect for both!

I love a travel backpack that can fit a lot of items without being super bulky. The cinch straps that make the bag look small even when it’s filled is fantastic, and I’m a fan of the lined sunglasses pocket. Large travel backpacks aren’t necessary for us on road trips since we can pack a suitcase, so the size of the Hazen is perfect! Now I want a second one for us for the next time we’re in Europe.

I received a Just Porter backpack for free to review, but all opinions are my own. 

Are you a fan of road trips? What are some of your road trip essentials?