Packing for a long drive to another state for an entertainment tour or for business? There are many considerations to make before embarking on your trip. Check the vehicle’s condition and fluid levels, ensure that all documents are complete and valid, and plan the route, timing, and locations for stops and food breaks. It’s also important to pack your belongings in such a manner that all of the necessities are readily accessible.
Each driver and passenger has unique tastes and needs, and they most likely create their own list of items to bring along on a road trip. However, there are certain essential items that will almost certainly come in useful on any journey. Check the list below both before and after you pack. These necessities may make your trip a little more pleasant and, as a result, stress-free.
1. A Pillow and a Blanket
Even if you don’t plan to sleep in the vehicle, a pillow and a blanket will most likely come in handy. When the air conditioner is on, or the wind is flowing through a slightly opened vehicle window, you may wish to cover yourself in a blanket. The pillow will also be good support for your neck and head. For comfortable seating, use a special travel pillow or a regular compact pillow. Having a separate seat cushion for car and a pillow to lay your head on is still a good idea.
2. Comfortable Clothes and Shoes
Everyone who’s ever been at least on a 2-hour drive knows well how a comfortable outfit can make your day. No matter if you drive alone or accompany a driver as a passenger, it’s crucial to wear clothes that let you move freely and feel as comfortable as possible. Certainly, your individual style and taste will prevail when it comes to clothing selection. Still, there are a few universal recommendations that will make your drive less stressful:
- Choose natural clothing. Sitting in a relatively confined area, mostly in the same position, doesn’t provide much ventilation. That’s why, while traveling in a car, it’s essential to wear natural fabrics such as cotton, wool, and so on. These clothes don’t cause sweating and let your skin breathe.
- Wear the outfit that lets you be comfortable in any position. During a long drive, you may want to sit straight, lean back, or even curl up on the car seat. So, it’s important that your clothes let you do it without restricting your movements.
- Bring a jacket or shirt to put on during the stops. Outside the vehicle, particularly at night, it is often chilly.
- Wear slippers while in the car. Sitting motionless may cause fatigue and uncomfortable sensations in the legs and an irresistible urge to move them. Slippers allow you to be comfy while not straining your feet for an extended length of time.
3. Headphones and a Gadget
A good mood is important during a long drive. If your musical preferences don’t match the tastes of other passengers, you can still listen to your favorite music without disturbing anyone. A set of headphones is a must for that. Over-ear headphones are usually more comfortable for long-term wearing. However, if you don’t plan to listen to the music for a long time or don’t expect to have protection from outer sounds (for example, someone’s snoring), you can choose small Bluetooth headphones that do not take up much space.
Make sure the audio device you’re using is compatible with your headphones and that it’s fully charged. Because Internet connection on the road may be spotty, it’s a good idea to have a playlist of downloaded songs to listen to when offline. Include some relaxing audio like nature’s sounds or lounge music.
4. Bad Weather Protection
Despite the fact that your vehicle keeps you safe from the weather conditions outside, you should still go outdoors at least once. During a long drive, the weather might change drastically, and not having any protection might cause you discomfort. It’s no good to clutter up your trunk or a car interior either. So, here’s the list of must-have articles for any drive:
- Sunglasses. If you’re a driver, sunglasses should always be at hand. Even an occasional beam of the sun might blind and cause discomfort. If you’re a passenger, having sunglasses will let you be comfortable no matter what seat you take and on which side of the car. They’re also good to have on during the stops in a windy area, in order to protect your eyes from the dust.
- A hat. This article will be used during stops only. For a sudden rain, burning sun, or even strong wind tending to entangle your hair, it’s good to have a cover on your head. A small hat with the chin strap will spare you at least irritation at unexpected weather changes.
- An umbrella or a raincoat. Depending on how much space you have, you can take an umbrella or a raincoat for rain protection. It becomes especially valuable during sudden car breakages on the road—a raincoat can also serve as a mat to get under the car and inspect it.
5. Snacks and Drinks
Even if you have a thorough plan of your route with the places to eat, snacks and drinks will never be in excess on a lengthy trip. It frequently seems like chewing something when there isn’t much to do. However, cleaning up the crumbles may be time-consuming. The following suggestions may be useful in this regard:
- Reusable package. Take snacks that are sealed in packaging with a zipper or similar closure. Your area will be cleaner if you keep your snack zipped up.
- Non-crumble food. Avoid chocolate (gets melty), crumbling cookies, and greasy pies. The majority of it sticks to the vehicle seat, floor, and other surfaces, and it may even get on your clothing.
- Healthy food. Too greasy and heavy food might make you uncomfortable. Before eating, choose something light and double-check the expiry date. See some ideas for healthy snacks on food websites and blogs.
- Water. Water is preferred above other beverages. It has no negative health consequences and isn’t a big deal if you spill it on your vehicle seat or your clothing every now and again.
6. Medication
Your car’s first aid kit should, without a doubt, include all essential items. Before you go on your trip, double-check it, replace any medications that have expired, and add any that are missing from the list.
Meanwhile, prepare for a roadside emergency and take any additional medications that may be required. This includes, first and foremost, any medications you use on a regular basis (if any). Take a few extra tablets or ampoules in case the journey takes longer than expected.
Anti-nausea tablets are another medicine to have on hand. Keep in mind that some of these medicines should be taken at least half an hour before traveling. Just in case, take some paper bags, too, and make sure you can reach them quickly.
7. Garbage Bags and Napkins
Sometimes, you need to throw something in the trash and wonder what to do with it in a car. A used napkin, a piece of food that fell on the floor, an empty bottle end up stuffed into different vehicle compartments, littering the inside. Having a trash bag on hand (preferably with ties to keep it tight) solves this problem and saves you time for cleaning up during stops.
Napkins (both dry and wet) will accomplish the same goal of keeping yourself and your vehicle clean. To prevent allergic reactions or irritation in any of the passengers, use the unflavored ones.
8. Car Consumables
The road trip can bring unforeseen challenges like heavy rain, unexpected bumps on the road, or a longer drive than planned. That’s why, even if you’ve been to a service station and checked all mechanisms and fluids, it’s worth double-checking whether the following items are in your car:
- Jumper cables. No matter if you have a brand-new battery or if your old one is still working well, jumper cables should be within your reach. Long stops with the lights on, music, and smartphones and laptops charging may cause the battery to deplete quicker than anticipated. A fellow camper or another driver on the road can jump your car and allow you to be back on the road in minutes.
- A spare tire. If you have good strong tires on your wheels, you may be tempted to remove the spare tire to make more room in your trunk for your belongings. You can take it out just in order to check if it’s inflated and fits your car’s wheels. Put it back then since a punctured tire may soon terminate your journey.
- Wrenches and screwdrivers. Even if you’re not a mechanic, you may still need such items to replace a deflated tire or to tighten a loose nut or bolt on your bumper or roof trunk.
- An air compressor. The pressure in tires can change under cold or heat, a heavy load, or due to small scratches and cuts on the tire rubber. Take a compact air compressor to check your tire’s condition and inflate them if needed.
- Car fluids. Your route might define the volume of the car fluids you should have along but not the absence of them. If you plan to go offroad or your trip includes long distances without the gas stations, take a full canister of gas, at least ½-gallon of oil, a bottle of brake fluid, and at least one gallon of pure water (preferably distilled). Reduce the volume by three if you’re going to drive along the roads where gas stations are frequent.
9. Navigation
The road trips can often be prolonged due to various circumstances: roadworks, lifted bridges, unplanned stops for different reasons. To go to a hospital, a store, or a hotel, you may have to take a side path. Or maybe you’d want to check out an unknown tourist attraction. That’s why, even if your journey is planned on a well-known route, get some navigation with you. Ensure that your car’s head unit or a separate navigation device has all charts for the territory you’re going to cross and that it can be used offline. Just in case, download the navigation app to your smartphone or tablet.
The bad thing about electronic devices is that they need the power to work, and many of them also require Internet access. So print out from the internet or buy a road map for your route. It doesn’t take up much space but may be very useful in an emergency.
10. Chargers
A car charger is a must-have in any type of vehicle, even in an RV. Many times, you need to charge your smartphone on the go and have access to it. So, keeping a gadget charger in your vehicle is highly recommended. Ensure all your within-the-car electronic devices have car chargers as well. A universal car charger adapter might save you the place and clutter with the wires inside the car. However, check if it fits your devices by voltage and amperage. If the charger cannot be used to charge all devices, you will need to purchase an additional cable and/or adapter to make the connection.
