Road Trip Essentials You Need for Your Next Adventure

The longing feeling of adventure really settles in when your wheels hit the pavement. Until your heart sinks, and you’re hit with the feeling of forgetting something. But fear not. The whole reason I put together this list of road trip essentials is so you don’t overthink it, and to ultimately avoid that gut-wrenching feeling. Save that stomach knot for your questionable, “quick stop” snack choices.

That’s right.

We’re talking about ROAD TRIPPING.

Jump right in:

Car Care
Planning (seasonal)
Technology
Summary

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If you’ve taken a look around my blog, you’ve probably realized that road trips are my preferred method of travel.

You know the saying…

“It’s not the destination, but the journey”.

Well a good old fashioned road trip basically combines the destination with the journey, and gives you the control. The freedom to adventure. Your pace. Your rules.

“I don’t know what to bring on a road trip”

And one thing we all know.. Your packing for a road trip (or lack thereof), can really make-or-break the adventure as a whole. So, you might as well take a couple minutes of your time to review, and set up a road trip essentials packing list to make sure you are all geared up before setting those sails.

Take this moment to go over what to pack for a road trip, so the only thing left to do is packing in, buckling up, and finding that perfect playlist.

But seriously. Click it. Not wearing a seatbelt doesn’t make you any cooler.

Speaking of being cool… Keep in mind that some of these things are going to change depending on where you are traveling, and in what climate.

Just like your first choice isn’t to swim in a pair of jeans.. You’ve got to do a little of planning ahead to know if that bathing suit is needed. Unless of course, you do prefer to swim in jeans… you heathen.

One more thing before we get into some details..

You might be thinking:

“What vehicle is best for road tripping?!”

And, while I totally understand this is going to be different from person to person, I’ll give you my take on it…

Use the vehicle you already have!

Mind = Blown.

I know, crazy idea right? Looking at what you’ve already got and finding the unique ways build your adventure around it.. That’s what it’s all about!

The vehicle itself is an important part of road tripping, but don’t get discouraged because you think your vehicle “isn’t good enough” or “too small” or whatever negativity you are juggling around in your noggin…

I spent a bit over a year (and counting) off/on full-timing in a Subaru Forester! That includes my gear for all climates, adventure gear, personal belongings… you get the idea. A whole year’s worth of my life packed into a Subaru!

So please, take a step back, and realize that you don’t need to match what you see on your social medias. Everyone is different, and so is their travel style. Save yourself the money (and time it takes to research) and work with what ya got!

ROAD TRIP ESSENTIALS – CAR CARE

What’s the most important thing for embarking on a road trip? Other than good company of course…

That’s right. The vehicle itself!

No, I’m not talking about what vehicle.. we already covered this..

It doesn’t matter what vehicle you’ve got, if it isn’t ready to make the trek, you’ll be cutting the trip short. Nothing like having to swallow the pill of disappointment for the buzzkill of your trip ending early because your vehicle wasn’t as ready as you were.

Fluids. Tires. Windows. ENGINE. Fuel.

So what’s first? Well, if it’s been a while since your ride has seen the doc (mechanic), and you can’t navigate yourself entirely around a vehicle and it’s’ operations (like myself), maybe a visit to the local auto garage is the best step for you to take. Up-front cost, yeah. But hopefully you’ve got some type of maintenance routine going where this little check up isn’t going to reveal something totally shocking.

Once that’s taken care of, familiarize yourself with what you’ve got!

You know that spare tire that’s been sitting in the back for however many years? If the time were to come, do you know how to pop that sucker on? Do you have the tools to do so?  There are a few basics you should learn about your vehicle (well, vehicles in general) before you throw caution to the wind.

Don’t take that too close to heart. I am all for taking risks. But I’d consider myself a fool if something were to happen that could’ve easily been avoided.

So, road trip must haves: common sense.

I’m not going to try and convince anyone that I know my way around a vehicle. At least, when it comes to its mechanics… But luckily for me, and for you, there are programs that can provide a bit of a buffer for those facepalm moments. Programs like AAA.

But while such programs are a pretty darn big safety net, you should still try to learn a bit for yourself. Even the basics of your vehicle (which are easily found by looking through the Owner’s Manual. Yeah, that booklet that sits in your glove box and does nothing except get in the way. Go ahead, give it a peek.), that way when if you come across an issue, you don’t immediately need to call for help. Or ya know, when you’re off-grid and away from civilization for a good while..

Simply familiarizing yourself with the vehicle you own (duh!), or rent, could be a safety net in and of itself; especially when paired with an emergency car kit. Still pretty basic here folks.. You could make one up yourself even.

But please do yourself a favor. Do NOT cruise without your license, registration, and insurance. Without them, safety nets become more of a hassle than a convenience and simple endeavors become something you don’t want to deal with.

Packing list for road trips so far: common sense, your wallet, and a safety net (if wanted).. simple enough?

ROAD TRIP ESSENTIALS – SEASONAL

Remember how I mentioned to plan ahead? Remember how I said part of planning ahead is preparing for whatever climate(s) you may be encountering?

Like it or not, planning ahead is a road tip essential.

I’m not about to give you a rundown on what clothes you need. Hopefully, if you’re driving, you are intelligent enough to make those decisions on your own.

What I am going to tell you though is the importance of preparing yourself for driving conditions, and SOME what-if scenarios. Yeah, I said some. If I had to plan and pack for all what-if scenarios, I’m not sure there’d be room for myself.

So let’s think like this…

Is there potential for snow?

If so, are you prepared? Some mountain passes require snow chains during certain times of the year. I’d even go out on a limb and say that some vehicles should use snow chains ANY time they encounter significant snow.

Is this something you need to purchase ahead of time? Not necessarily. If you hardly find yourself partaking in these snow-capped adventures, your chains will just be taking up space. So they don’t need to be part of your trip packing list by definition, but you get the point.

If, and when, you warm-weather frequenters decide to up your elevation, most places that have chains-required roads will also have nearby places to rent those chains, or even purchase them!

But if you ask me, the most important thing you can do to be prepared for weather conditions and climate changes, is to familiarize yourself with the vehicle.

Kind of hard to do with a rental, but that’s a different situation.

If you have the opportunity, learn how your vehicle handles in various situations. If you need to make some adjustments that are weather-dependent (such as snow tires in the winter), sobeit.

Sure, winter is the biggest suspect when thinking of “inclement driving conditions”. But the truth is, any condition could be problematic.

Just gear up properly, and don’t take unnecessary risks. They aren’t worth it.

You’re welcome, Mom & Dad. See, I listened.

For me, a small shovel and some traction boards are my piece of mind. But that being said, an over-confident driver is just as dangerous as being a bad driver.

So to answer the questions before you ask them: Yes, I am quite familiar with my vehicle, and how it drives/handles in most weather conditions. Yes, I have used snow chains, and I’m not embarrassed to admit it. And lastly.. Yes, I know there is a fine line between being over-prepared and ­under-prepared, and I like to think I walk it pretty steadily. Which is why I guide with road trip essentials, and not some list of “100 things you need on your next road trip”.

One more thing before we move on… Bring some d*** sunglasses!

I don’t use sunglasses enough, but I can promise they help. So unless you’re planning to drive into a cave (Which, if you are, please give me the details. I’ll meet you there.), just bring em along. Save the pupils for better things.

Packing list for road trips so far: common sense, wallet, climate planning, and some sunglasses!

ROAD TRIP ESSENTAILS – TECHNOLOGY

Nowadays, in the 21^st century, this is probably the last thing someone forgets. Aside from being glued to technology more often than what I’d deem as healthy, we all (including me!) tend to reach for our tech first.

It makes sense, I think. Technology (especially the cell phone) now holds some very important information, quite personal information, and on top of that.. can cost more than some used cars! So tack it on as one of the “essentials” for road tripping.

Okay, maybe that was an exaggeration. Or maybe not.. But you get the point. So what technology is making our road trip packing list?

I like to keep it simple, if you haven’t noticed from everything else I have ever written or talked about. Sure, I can list a bunch of items that would be nice to have, or whatever, but I want to cover your road trip essentials here.

So let’s start things off with that pocket computer we all carry around (cell phone). As I mentioned, probably not something we’d forget even if this list didn’t exist. But what I do always try bringing, regardless of it’s my vehicle or not, a CHARGER!

No sense in carrying around paper weight. Our cell phones are pretty much the center of our technology… and our lives. Keep that thing juiced up simply by remembering 2 things… a cord, and a USB port car charger.

And if you like to keep cords under control, like me, check these out!

Still too simple? You’re overthinking it. Aside from your phone, a way to keep it’s battery up, and possibly a pair of Bluetooth headphones, there isn’t much more technology that is essential for a road trip.

Now, what you can put on that phone of yours is a whole other world of possibilities.

For now, I recommend making sure you have a solid playlist ready to go, a GPS set to your correct destination (unless you want to go old school and use paper maps. I personally find physical maps much more fun, but sometimes we just want to go.), and if you’re driving – some way to use your phone hands-free.

For Pete’s sake, don’t fiddle around on your phone while you drive. You’re not just risking your own life, but all of the others around you.

If you are interested in checking out some of my phone favorites, head over here!

SUMMED ALL UP!

This is not some all-inclusive, super-in-depth, road-trippin-bible, if-it-ain’t-here-it’s-a-no-go kind of list. Like I said, keep it simple. This is supposed to work as reminder for your road trip essentials. Whatever else you decide to throw into your bag, or vehicle, is totally up to you.

I can go ahead and recommend the usual: a water bottle, snacks, some type of light, and a knife (I personally always carry a knife or a multi-tool, you never know). But you can get a better idea of these items here.

Let’s wrap this up..

Packing list for road trips so far: common sense, safety net (if wanted), climate planning, sunglasses(!), phone, charger.

I’m also going to tack on one more road trip must have… CASH!

It’s seriously surprising (not really, I guess) how many people carry on throughout their days without cash. There’s just too much riding on that plastic card to have it be the almighty lone ranger. Plus, if you are into turning your road trips into multi-day excursions, like I enjoy doing, many camp sites only accept cash.

It’s really not a huge ordeal. It doesn’t even need to be in your wallet. Take out some cold, hard cash; and keep it in a “secret pocket” of your backpack for emergency use.

Protect your vehicle (hopefully you’re keeping up with routine maintenance anyhow). Protect yourself. Don’t forget your tunes. And for the love of mother nature… Don’t forget your dang smile!

CHEERS!

Where are you planning your next road trip?

(Let me know in the comments below!)