37 BEST Road Trip Essentials You Need to Pack in 2023

Wet Wipes

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.

Trash Bag

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.

Snacks

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.

Day Pack

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.

Lip Balm

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.

Eye Drops

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.

Lotion

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

Lens Cloth

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

Sunglasses

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.

Pillow

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.

Blanket

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.

Road Atlas

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.

Headphones

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!