It’s travel season and you’re looking for road trip essentials for the best packing checklist! During this time of the year, most of us have at least one road trip planned. I’ll be the first to admit that road trips are not my favorite. Between the public restrooms and the feeling of being cramped, I often opt for other forms of transportation. Because of this, however, this blog post about road trip essentials for the best packing checklist is even more important because everything I have included is how I make the absolute most out of the road trip situation. When we leave on a road trip, I make sure I have everything I could need for our family and other items, just in case.
Of course, this is Teach Go Green so these road trip essentials will also include eco friendly, non-toxic, and more sustainable options! If you’re looking for more information on the research behind climate emissions of flying versus driving, check out this article here.
This blog post is all about the best road trip essentials list to help you pack better!
Car Necessities
Car Jump Starter
It is always a good idea to have jumper cables with you on your road trip. Whether you accidentally leave on the lights when getting out of the car, or your car needs a quick boost, having a car jump starter means you’ll be back on the road that much more quickly.
Emergency Car Kit
I keep an emergency car kit in my car for safety reasons as well as peace of mind. Knowing that I have the necessary tools and supplies in my car reduces the stress and anxiety that come with the possibility of something unexpected happening out on an open road. Do not forget your roadside emergency kit!
Maps
This is an unpopular opinion, but I love having paper maps with me on a long drive! If you’re looking for scenic routes, you’ll want to add this to your road trip essentials list.
Paper maps may be a bit confusing in the day and age of Google Maps and GPS, but there is some nostalgia there for me with road trips when I was a child. You never know what could happen to your GPS and it’s always best to be prepared.
Fun tip: A paper map is an excellent zero waste wrapping paper during Christmas time!
Air Diffuser
If you don’t already have an air diffuser in your car, grab one! Diffusing oils during your drive can help to create a positive mood and atmosphere along your drive. I prefer good quality essential oils to cheap fragrances with more harmful chemicals.
Seventh Generation Wipes
Don’t forget the wet wipes! If you’ve spent any amount of time in the car with your kids, you already know we cannot make any kind of long road trip without a way to clean up on the go. I prefer these Seventh Generation Wipes to baby wipes because they are disinfecting wipes and non-toxic. Instead of just wiping the surface, you’re giving a good clean and getting rid of germs.
Insect Repellent
I love this insect repellent because it is made with less harmful ingredient than those found in typical insect repellents. With ingredients such as citronella, rosemary, and wintergreen essential oils, these ingredients are better for you and the planet.
The spray is effective for about 4 hours after applied and is safe on kids! The active ingredient in this spray is citronella making it highly effective aganist flies and mosquitoes.
Zero Waste Igloo Cooler
Of course, you can’t forget the cooler! I love this igloo cooler because it is zero waste! Instead of buying a disposable styrofoam cooler, consider this cooler to hold your drinks and perishable snacks. Styrofoam is a material that takes hundreds of years to break down and is incredibly toxic to produce. This cooler is not only recyclable, it is also reusable! Once you’re done with the cooler, simply let it dry out and you can use it again.
Reusable Storage Containers
Ditch the ziplock bags and grab these reusable storage bags and containers! Instead of wasting money on single-use disposable plastic bags, grab these storage containers and bags you can reuse over and over again! They’re not only great for your cross-country road trip, but they’re even great after you complete your trip!
Reusable Paper Towels
Instead of disposable paper towels, try reusable paper towels! They clean up spills and messes so much better than disposable paper towels! In addition, their use extends much further than just your next trip. You can use them over and over again. Reusable paper towels are softer and more versatile than microfiber towels. I leave them in the car glove compartment even when I’m not on a road trip!
Wet Bag
This wet bag is perfect for, well, wet items. Whether it is your reusable paper towels, cloth diapers, or something else, these bags are easy to carry, and easy to store, and you can throw the entire bag in the washer once the bag is full!
Plastic Grocery Bags For Reuse
Of course, I’m a fan of reusable shopping bags, but we all forget our bags at least one time or another and can accumulate plastic grocery bags quickly. Reuse those plastic grocery bags as a trash can for your own vehicle! On your next road trip, make sure to add this to your road trip essentials list!
Portable Charger
Who are we without our cell phones?! This would not be a comprehensive list of road trip car essentials if I did not list a portable charger as well as cords for USB ports!
Phone Mount
For a smooth ride with kids, you’ll definitely want to make sure you have a phone holder!
Reusable Bags
I always like to carry a few extra reusable bags for extra storage! They’re great when I want to do some souvenir shopping, but they’re also perfect for storing snacks and other miscellaneous items during your road trip. Reusable bags are a must in your car year-round, but you’ll definitely want to include them on your road trip essentials list as well.
Portable Potty
I cannot be the only person who dislikes public restrooms. One of the reasons I dislike road trips is because of the necessity to stop at random places to use the restroom. To help with this, I make sure to bring our portable toilet.
This portable potty has changed the game for our car rides! If you don’t have enough time to stop at the restroom or hotel room, and you have a toddler in training, you’ll need a portable potty! Of course, this potty works best in a larger vehicle that will provide the much-needed space for the toilet.
If you are using a public restroom, you’ll want to also make sure you have a portable toilet seat for your toddler. I use this one and it is excellent! Don’t forget to add those seventh-generation disinfectant wipes to your toiletry bag too.
Snacks
Snacks
Debatably my favorite part of any road trip is the snacks! When you’re packing your snacks, consider the following items:
- Homemade trail mix
- Granola bars
- Fruit (banana, oranges, apples, plums, etc.)
- Cheese and crackers
- Vegetable sticks with hummus
- Dried fruit
- String cheese
- Rice cakes
- Sandwiches
- Smoothies on the go
- Reusable water bottles
- Coffee travel mugs
Related Posts: 50 Healthy, Gluten-Free Snack Ideas the Whole Family Will Love
Plastic Free Gum
Gum is one of those essential road trip items for our family! If you didn’t know, most gum is actually made with plastic. You can find out more about that in my Instagram post here. Here is my favorite plastic-free gum:
Reusable Water Bottle
Of course, we need a reusable water bottle! Make sure that each person in the car has a water bottle for the long trip. Having a reusable water bottle is much more eco friendly than having single-use plastic bottles.
Reusable Coffee Cup
Possibly the most important thing on this road trip essentials list is our reusable coffee cup! Of course, you can bring any reusable travel mug you’d like to
Toiletries
Bandaids
If your kids are anything like mine, bandaids are essential items whether you are on a road trip or not! However, this is especially true when we are trapped in the car for hours. If you’re looking for more sustainable bandaids, check out Patch! These bamboo bandaids are not only hypoallergenic, they’re also made of bamboo. Bamboo is one of the most sustainable resources because it is incredibly fast-growing and doesn’t require as much water as other plants. It is also less toxic than traditional plastic bandages. My kids LOVE bandaids with characters so I try to opt for Patch bandaids with fun prints like these. This specific pack is perfect for on-the-go!
Hand Sanitizer
Hand sanitizer is now one of those personal items I can’t go without! My favorite, non-toxic, but effective hand sanitizer by Plaine Products has been discontinued so I currently am using both Honest hand sanitizer spray and Purell Naturals. I like to keep the spray in my car for quick access, especially for the kids! I use Purell Naturals in my car and if necessary, refill it into smaller containers. If you’re looking for other non-toxic hand sanitizers, I love this graphic by Because Health!
Plastic Free Pain Reliever
My favorite plastic-free medicine – Cabinet Health! I love the fact that Cabinet Health comes in a reusable container as opposed to a single use plastic bottle. On a road trip, headaches are almost inevitable, right? Even if you have a car first aid kit, I still recommend keeping extra pain relievers in your car. Compare this medication to Tylenol Extra Strength. It makes a great Acetaminophen and can help with anything from a pain and fever reducer to help with the common cold/flu.
Check out my unboxing of Cabinet Health products on my Instagram here!
Games and Kids’ Necessities
Car Seat Tray
One of my least favorite parts of car trips is passing back the snacks! Constantly reaching to the back to give kids snacks is not only annoying but also not the best feeling for my back. As a solution, I found this car cup holder. I love this car seat cup holder and so do my kids! It’s easy to add to the car seat and helps to hold their snacks. The cup holder is small, making it the perfect size for the kids to have a little at a time without wasting food or feeling overwhelmed by the portions. One of my favorite things about using this cup holder is that it is a great way to significantly reduce the mess in the car!
Imagine Ink Books
I’ve mentioned these Ink books in several blog posts because it is always a hit with my kids! Pick your child’s favorite character/movie and allow them to enjoy! The Imagine Ink marker keeps the activity from being messy and getting all over the car (or their hands!).
Busy Books
I’ve used these before on the airplane and they kept both my two year old and four year old busy. In the car they would have even more room to play with these and it would be perfect for road trips. Tip * if your kids are small like mine, you’ll want to do the prep for the books before you give them to your kids. You’ll need to remove each of the pieces so they’re ready to stick to the book for endless fun!
Road Trip Scavenger Hunt
Need something to help pass time on a Road Trip? Look no further, this is the perfect activity to keep the kids busy and help time pass by! https://www.etsy.com/listing/1463370762/road-trip-scavenger-hunt-road-trip-games
Road Trip Bingo
Another fun game to help keep busy in the car! Can you spot 5 in a row?
Road Trip Car Count
Mixing a little fun and education here with this game. As a homeschool mom, I love this activity! Not only is it fun, but also educational and a way to keep your kids occupied.
I hope you loved this blog post all road trip essentials to help you prepare for your trip!
Leave a Reply