Road Trip Essentials to Pack for a Long Drive

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.