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Road Trip Travel Essentials- Practical comforts for the journey ahead
- Melissa Davidson
- Jul 10
- 4 min read
Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, I may earn a small commission—at no additional cost to you. I only recommend items we truly used, loved, and curated with care.
Whether you are heading out for a cross-country adventure or a peaceful weekend getaway a well packed car can make all the difference. We just returned from a 5,300 mile journey, and these items weren't just nice to have, they became essentials. From the first mile to the final stretch, these Road Trip Travel Essentials kept us organized, comfortable, and ready for anything...and I mean anything!
Check out our collection of road trip travel essentials- curating practical comforts for the journey ahead, things we used and loved and why they might just become your travel must-haves too!
Cozy Comforts
Cool Gel Neck Pillow- long days ahead call for cool support. This cool gel neck pillow is sturdy enough to give support to the sleepiest of travelers. It also makes a good book holder to support your book while reading in the car.
Travel Blanket- traveling with 4 other people in the car on a long trip, no one ever wants the same temperature in the car. This blanket saved me when the front of the car wanted the windows down, and I was so cold. It is great to keep in the car, folds up small enough to not be in the way.
Compression Socks- now this one was a new one for me. We traveled a couple of days over 13 hours in the car and only stopping for short breaks. So, I tried these to see if it would make any difference. I was so surprised! This is now a must have for me and I will not take a long trip without them. (I bought 3 pair for the three long days that we would be traveling, and it was so worth it!)
Trash Bags that Stand Upright- let's be honest, road trips get kind of messy. We found these after our trip, and I wish we had them all along. A disposable bag will work, but we found that they were always spilling over and getting the gathered trash all over the car. These bags stand up and make it so much neater. I have them purchased and ready to pack on our next adventure.
"Yuck Bags"- yes, they are essential!! We needed them twice on our 12-day adventure. I don't think I need to go into too much detail here. Get them, you won't regret it.
Backseat Organizer- I can't believe how many little things you need handy. It never failed if something was in my backpack, it was in the back and the person back there would be asleep. These backseat organizers help store all those things you might need close by. And what I love about these...the food tray that folds up. We ate lots of food on the go and these would have been so handy to have!
Trunk Organizer and Cooler- We didn't actually need this in our trunk we needed it in the 3rd row seating where the one seat was folded down. This is where we would keep our food, snacks, and drinks. This organizer is sturdy enough not to collapse yet folds up when you don't need it. When traveling out west there are so many long miles with no food exits. This organizer/cooler will fit perfect in our space and keep food and drink handy.
Bogg Bag- this bag is perfect. We have used it for so many different things. It is sturdy, roomy, and washable. Making it the perfect, footrest, beach bag, shopping bag, and for this trip, it kept all the loose things that we didn't want to get lost in the car. They are worth every penny.
Binoculars- I cannot tell you how many times we used binoculars on our trip. They helped us spot Bear, Mountain Goats, and Big Horned Sheep. They blended in with their environment so the binoculars brought them into focus, and we could see them clearly once we spotted them. These binoculars are cool because they have the phone adapter so you can take pictures! How cool is that!?!
Travel Umbrella- now this is not just any travel umbrella. We have several of these in our cars, in our sports bags and they work! They are windproof to withstand 85 mph winds. They are light and compact, so they don't take up much room. I can't tell you how many umbrellas we saw flipped inside out and torn apart at Logan Pass at Glacier National Park. I am sure they wished they had this umbrella with them!
Road trips are about more than the destination; they are about the journey. And when you are prepared, the journey becomes part of the joy. These practical road trip essentials gave us peace of mind, and a comfortable journey.
There are many things that we could have listed here, but having just got back from our adventure, these were the top ten essentials. Do you have any Road Trip Essentials that you would have added? Leave a comment below.
I hope you enjoyed reading and found a fresh idea or two. Thank you for supporting Nook & Knead. Every share, every click keeps the wheels turning...literally. Wander Well
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