51 Summer Road Trip Car Essentials
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Something about warmer weather makes us all want to pack our bags and hit the road, doesn’t it? Road tripping is a classic and easy form of travel during the summer. Driving cross-country is a simply fantastic way to see and experience new places, because it is extremely conducive to spontaneous opportunities and adventures (and mishaps).
When doing your road trip preparation, it is important to gather together all of the road trip essentials to ensure that you start out on the right foot. Set your road trip up for success with the following road trip packing list to make sure you have everything you need!
Below we break down the necessary packing list of car essentials to make sure you’re prepared for the most epic and comfortable road trip ever.
Read our ultimate guide to a road trip through the American Southwest.
Price Reference (average price):
$ | Under $25
$$ | Between $25-$50
$$$ | More than $50
Tech Road Trip Essentials
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Phone Mount
Vanmass
Price: $
A phone mount keeps your hands where they are supposed to be—doing airwaves outside of the car window in the wind. (Just kidding, on the wheel.) It is super helpful and safety-ensuring to have maps and music placed close to your eyeline so that you don’t have to fuss around looking for your phone.
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Portable Power Bank Charger + Jumper Cables
JW EGWO
Price: $$
A portable jump starter of your own will keep you confident that you won’t be left in a bind with a dead battery. You can feel more comfortable going to remote locations with this back-up in the trunk because no other car is necessary!
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4G LTE WiFi Mobile Hotspot
Netgear
Price: $$$
A mobile Wi-Fi hotspot is a huge perk for safety, practicality, and comfort—you can lean on it for entertainment, directions, emergencies, and hopefully not for staying connected to either work or Instagram.
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LED Flashlight
GearLight
Price: $
A flashlight in your car is a great idea for any low-light situations, especially rechargeable models. It would be best not to rely on your phone’s flashlight as your only portable light source.
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Solar Charged Power Bank
Blavor
Price: $$
Any type of travel is best supported with a portable battery source for charging. This road trip must-have item comes in handy and provides major back-up support when you need it most.
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Rapid Dual Car Charger Cable
SNGOAM
Price: $
A small—but essential—road trip must-have, don’t forget your automobile charger and charging cord! You can keep your necessary electronics plugged in while you drive so that when you stop, they are fully charged.
Road Trip Essentials For Comfort
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Memory Foam Travel Pillow
MLVOC
Price: $
This is a game-changer for comfort on a long drive. There is nothing like a crick in the neck from sitting in the car for a long time that can drive a passenger crazy. Your road trip passengers (and yourself during your naptime pit stops) will thank you wholeheartedly for the support that a neck travel pillow provides.
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2-Ply White Tissues
Kleenex
Price: $
A road trip essential for a long list of reasons, a box of tissues should be stashed away in the car for your drive!
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SPF 15 Lip Balm
Nivea
Price: $
All types of travel are dehydrating, including road tripping. Keep hydrated and comfortable with a chapstick on hand in your car!
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Waterproof Playing Cards
Acelion
Price: $
You may have some unruly passengers who are too-often inclined to ask, “Are we there yet?” So, have some simple entertainment options on hand.
A New Book
Price: Varies
For any downtime in between bouts of driving, bring a book to keep you entertained. There is always the potential for traffic or other unanticipated travel situations that keep you waiting.
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Car Side Window Sun Shade
Ovege
Price: $
Who needs the sun blinding your passengers and having them bake in the backseat for hours? This window shade can make the ride far more comfortable for them.
Extra changes of clothes and socks
Bringing a change of clothes, such as an extra sweater and dry socks for warmth, is an important part of being prepared on the road. In case of spills or changes in weather, extra clothing options are smart to have around.
Downloaded playlists and podcasts
Great road trips require bangin’ playlists. Prepare ahead of time with your favorite artists and albums, or explore some new podcasts to keep your mind engaged while on the road.
Road Trip Essentials For Safety
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Travel First Aid Kits
Yiderbo
Price: $
A true road trip essential, a first aid kit will provide simple relief for minor cuts and injuries that could occur as you travel, especially if you are exploring the outdoors where cuts and burns are more likely.
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Road Atlas
National GEographic
Price: $
A physical, up-to-date road atlas is a very smart way to stay prepared on a road trip! Beware of relying too heavily on cell reception when driving away from civilization. “If you ain’t going to places where there ain’t no cell reception, then you're ain’t doing it right.” I think Jack Kerouac said that. Don’t fact-check that.
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Car Jack Kit
Amvia
Price: $$
Some cars have this fifth sense that knows exactly where it would be most inconvenient to blow a tire. Before heading out on a cross-country road trip, make sure your vehicle is equipped with its spare tire, a car jack, and lug wrench to remedy a popped tire.
AAA Roadside Assistance
Related to the previous must-have, if you don’t have the personal know-how to change a tire, then make sure to have AAA. Road trips are a very self-reliant form of travel, so you should know how you are going to react to vehicle concerns if they surface. What is your Plan B?
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Jumper Cables for Car Battery
Energizer
Price: $
Every car should store a pair of jumper cables, even when you’re not road tripping. You want to be able to restore your car’s battery, or maybe even lend a helping hand to someone in need, when on a road trip.
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Essential Car Fluids
Keeping a few of the important car fluids in your trunk is a good idea for extended drives, notably engine oil and coolant.
Some important car fluids include:
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Polarized Sunglasses
Feisedy
Price: $
We all love sunshine and driving off into the sunset, but we don’t love early vision impairment. Keep a reliable pair of sunglasses close so you can grab them when need be!
Road Trip Essentials For Camping
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Backpacking Tent
Featherstone
Price: $$$
Keep a tent for your outdoor adventures and turn this road trip into a camping trip if you feel so inclined! Road trips make camping so accessible and easy.
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14 in 1 Multi Tool
Rovertac
Price: $
Having a multi-functional knife with you becomes a life-saver while on the road, from making a sandwich to opening a jar to personal safety.
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Waterproof Outdoor Blanket
Down Under Outdoors
Price: $
Even summer nights can grow cool. Be prepared for unexpected weather (or unexpected picnicking opportunities) by keeping a blanket tucked away somewhere.
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Deep Woods Insect Repellent Aerosol
Off!
Price: $
Keep the bugs at bay over the summer with a reliable bug spray. Who wants the nuisance of insects while hiking and being outdoors while on your road trip?
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Original SPF 50 Sunscreen Lotion
Sun Bum
Price: $
Keep your skin protected from the hot summer sun above while you and your loved ones are traveling!
Vegan and Hawaii 104 Reef Act Compliant (Octinoxate & Oxybenzone Free)
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Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker
TREBLAB
Price: $$$
To ramp up the energy on your pit stops and picnics along the road, bring a speaker and let the dance party begin.
Food & Drink Road Trip Essentials
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Insulated Stainless Steel Water Bottle
The Coldest
Price: $
Bring a thermos that can handle both cool and hot beverages and maintain their preferred temperature.
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Water Bottle With Time Markers
Hydracy
Price: $
Never, ever, ever forget that water bottle! Your water bottle should always be within reach while driving through the summer. Another must-have is a water supply! Buy a few gallons and store them somewhere cool and covered where the sun can’t reach.
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Insulated Cooler Bag
Everlasting Comfort
Price: $
Having a cooler bag at the ready means that your drinks will be refreshing and cool, you can pack a fresh lunch and it won’t spoil within hours, and you can pick up groceries when you need, as opposed to constantly going through drive-thrus (which gets old after the fifth time). Sorry, even you, Chick-Fil-A.
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Reusable Travel Kitchen Utensils
Vandbao
Price: $
Keeping some reusable utensils at the ready is a lifesaver. A quick rinse, and they are clean and ready to use time and time again.
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Dark Chocolate Nut Protein Bars
Kind
Snacks are a major duh. The following are our favorite snacks to bring on the road, because road tripping is best enjoyed with a happy tummy! Great road trip snacks include fruits, cut-up veggies, sandwiches, granola bars, protein bars, trail mix, gum, hummus, and beef jerky.
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Grass-Fed Beef and Turkey Jerky
Think Jerky
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100% Natural Real Fruit Bar
That’s It
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Wooden Compostable Forks
Purpleclay
Price: $
Having some disposable food supplies are handy as well, to remove the necessity to clean up after a meal on-the-go. Not everyone wants to be washing dishes on the road!
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Bamboo Paper Towels
Betterway
Price: $
Keep some paper towels within reach in your vehicle to fix up any messy situation—because they are definitely going to happen.
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Toilet Paper
Quilted Northern
Price: $
You never know when that roadside porta potty is going to be sadly lacking toilet paper, or when there is simply no porta potty at all and the woods are calling you. Bring TP, just in case!
Road Trip Essentials For Storage
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Car Ceiling Cargo Net Pocket
Kaskawise
Price: $
Think you are out of space? Think again! A net pocket hugging the inside roof of your car could be a great space-saving accessory for your next roadtrip, and an accessible spot for your passengers to place their goodies.
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Reusable & Ultra-Packable Grocery Bags
Food Huggers
Price: $
Stuff just accumulates on a drive, inexplicably—one of the mysteries of the universe. Store away some extra reusable shopping bags to pull out when necessary!
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Garbage bags
Glad
Price: $
Garbage bags in the car are a must-have to keep your space clean and organized. Car messes can get surprisingly out of control faster than you think!
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Classic Travel Backpack
Vorspack
Price: $
Have a backpack in your car so that you can pop in and out of your car quickly and be prepared for any fun stops along the road!
Extraneous (but still essential) Road Trip Items
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Hand Sanitizer
Touchland
Price: $
Hand sanitizer is a small but mighty road trip essential. You will probably find yourself constantly reaching for it as you drive cross-country!
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Antibacterial Wipes
Wet Ones
Price: $
Great for unanticipated spills and sticky hands in the car, wet wipes are a quick option for clean-ups.
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Bucket Hat
Fur Talk
Price: $
Bring a hat on your road trip to keep your face protected from the sun while driving and during your rest stops!
Copy of your car insurance
Make sure you have a copy of auto insurance in the glove compartment in case of emergency.
Car manual
Hopefully you will not need it, but if a technical issue pops up while on the road (like a dashboard light switching on), then your car manual could have the answers you need.
Pen and paper
A pen and paper are a good travel essential no matter where you go!
Cash
Having a limited amount of physical cash on hand is a smart idea on a road trip. It is a convenient back-up option for situations like tolls, or anything that doesn’t accept credit cards.