Your Ultimate Guide to Road Trip Packing

Road trips are buckets of fun. But not so much when your car is stuffed to bursting, there’s nowhere to put your coffee because your cup holder is full of toiletries, your children/dog/grandmother is whining because they’re wedged between a cooking stove and the tent, and you can’t see out the back window because it’s piled high with things you don’t really even need.

So what’s the answer? Pack efficiently, and just take the necessary items, rather than the kitchen sink. Organization is key — make sure you’ve packed logically, so you’re not scrambling around at midnight to find your head torch, only to discover it alongside your toothbrush, rather, in the electrics bag where it should have been.

But organization aside, here’s what you definitely can’t leave off the road-trip list — clothes and underwear aside, of course.

June 16, 2021

By: Lucy Sherriff

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Quick Dry Towel

Whoever designed these deserves a medal of honor. Wave goodbye to smelly wet towels that take up tons of room and take forever to dry. Take one for your dog, one for your washing up, and you’ll be jumping in every lake, river, or ocean you come across.

Packing Cubes

Trust us, you won’t regret this. Keep everything accessible and easy to find. Opt for the clear sided cubes and you can see what’s in which bag, or be super organized and label each one. Underwear, toiletries, electricals, socks, warm weather clothes, waterproofs - it’ll make life much easier.

Multi-Purpose Soap

Get one of the brands that does everything: hair, dishes, dirty clothes. A must keep if you’re heading out onto the road for a while.

Cooler

Invest in a good one, you won’t regret it. If you’re short on space then opt for a soft model, but if you’ve got the room, the hard shells will keep that ice frozen for longer.

Head Torch

Nature calls in the middle of the night? You’ll be very happy you bought a hands free head torch. Just remember to pack extra batteries too.

A Large Bowl

Plastic or metal, it doesn’t matter. But having one of these will come in so handy. You can wash dishes, clothes, lug water from the nearest tap, and when you’re traveling you can store your utensils, portable cooking stove, and other kitchen items in it, so it just doubles up as a storage container.

First Aid Kit

One of those things you never need until you forget it. A good first aid kit should have antiseptic wipes, iodine drops, painkillers, bandages, and a sling - and a small pair of scissors comes in handy too.

Swiss Army Knife

Knife, can opener, corkscrew, and screwdriver all in one! Don’t forget this handy fellow.

Car Adapter Charger

This has been a game changer, especially if you’ll be working on the road (not ideal, but...it happens!) They’re sold in big grocery stores or electronic shops, and you can use this to charge any kind of electronic device while you’re driving - including laptops. Just don’t keep it charging when the car engine is off - it will drain your battery.

And there you have it! Happy roadtripping.