The Ultimate Guide to Comfortable Long-Haul Road Trips: What to Pack + Tips for a Fun Trip • Reckless Roaming

Road trips. They’re nostalgic, they’re adventurous, but the fact is: they’re often better in theory than in reality.

We have this idyllic version of road trips in our heads: the romance of the open road. But instead of beautiful memories, we often end up with back pain, sodium/caffeine-induced headaches and a “let’s just get there already” attitude. Well, I’m here [with my magical road trip wisdom] to change that! Because, after all, the best way to figure out what to pack for a long, boring road trip is trail and error.

Lots and lots of trial and error.

And I am nothing if not the queen of trail and error. Seriously, just think of a travel mistake and I’ve probably made it.

Caught in a snowstorm? Check.

Car trouble with no cell service [and no back-up communication device]? Multiple times.

Accidentally car camping in a homeless camp? Naturally.

I don’t know if I’m just stupid, scatter-brained, or what, but I’ve learned a lot from my various mistakes – and on top of being a “trail and error” queen, I am also a note-taking queen. Every time I’d make a mistake, or forget to pack something [“forget” isn’t even the right word – just “not think” to pack something] I’d write it down for next time.

The result of all of this diligent note-taking? The perfect list of what to pack for the most comfortable, most fun road trip ever. And now, like the good road trip fairy godmother that I am, I’m going to bibbity-bobbity-bestow it upon you.

Tuna in the back seat of our Tacoma. Dogs are one of the road trip essentials for sure!

TAKING A ROAD TRIP WITH YOUR FUR BABY? CHECK OUT MY FULL GUIDE ON HOW TO ROAD TRIP WITH YOUR DOG! IT COVERS PUPPY ROAD TRIP TIPS, FAQS, AND ESSENTIALS FOR THE ROAD.

In this post we’ll cover:

– TIPS & TRICKS for a comfortable road trip [including how to dress for a road trip]

– ESSENTIALS to pack for your road trip

– NON ESSENTIALS to pack for your road trip [a.k.a. comfy stuff]

– ENTERTAINMENT for your road trip

– ROAD TRIP APPS to download

AFFILIATE LINK DISCLOSURE: This post contains affiliate links. Anything you purchase using one of my links earns me a small monetary kickback at NO extra cost to you. Of course I only link to products that I believe to be useful and good quality. If you want more information on affiliate links, click here.

Driving down the road to Leslie Gulch Oregon

TIPS & TRICKS FOR A COMFORTABLE LONG-HAUL ROAD TRIP

Make sure you prep!

Make sure you plan ahead and have a comprehensive list of what to pack that you can follow along with and check off while preparing for your road trip. This helps sooo much! Even if you’re not a type A person (like me) just do it! You can even create a permanent list that you use on every road trip – that way you only have to write it once and you’re done. Plus, the more you road trip the more you figure out what you need / don’t need, so you can update your list over time until it’s perfect!

Pack “Refresher” Items

It’s amazing what a little self-care can do on a road trip! Honestly, even just brushing my hair makes me feel semi-human again after feeling like a crusty gargoyle for the 12 hour car ride. Here are some items to keep on hand (near to where you’re seated, so they’re easy to access):

Hair Brush.
Facial Toner / Spray. Like Thayer’s Witch Hazel, or some other gentle toner. It’s so refreshing mid-road trip and makes me feel less greasy.
Chapstick.
Lotion. Face & Body.
Toothbrush / Toothpaste. For when your teeth feel fuzzy.

Dress Comfortably

When you’re deciding on a road trip outfit and what clothes to pack, there are a few things to keep in mind:

Layering is a must. Our body temperature, as well as the temperature in the vehicle, is constantly changing.
Skirts and Shorts are a no-no [opinion]. For me, personally, having my thighs touch is super annoying. And if I’m wearing shorts or skirts / dresses that will inevitably happen. Because of that, I always wear pants.
Wear pants with a lot of stretch. I think it’s all the sodium, but I get SO bloated on road trips! Ich. I really hope it’s not just me or this will be super embarrassing. Anyway, because of that I tend to avoid jeans when road tripping – but some people find them super comfortable so it’s definitely a personal thing! I mostly stick to leggings, hiking pants, and joggers.
Bring a headband, beanie, or hat. When you’re hopping out of the car, it’s kinda nice to have something to cover up your messy hair.
Shoes should be easy to slip on / off. So you can quickly get ready for rest stops and then, just as quickly, get settled back in for a comfy ride.

Bring Stuff to Help You Sleep

As long as you’re not road tripping alone, you can alternate drivers and get a little shut-eye. But if you’re anything like me, you can’t just sleep anywhere. At least not without a little extra help! Here are some things I like to bring that make sleeping in the passenger seat a little comfier!

High-neck sweater. It might just be me, but I feel so much cozier with a mock-neck sweater on!
Pillow and / or Neck Pillow.
Sleep Mask. I literally can’t sleep unless it’s dark, so this is super helpful!
Ear Plugs. If white noise bothers you, or if your driver wants to listen to music or podcasts.
CBD and / or Tylenol. I’m definitely headache-prone, so pain relievers are a must. I personally like to use Caliper CBD swiftsticks. They can be taken on-the-go (you don’t even need water!) and it’s the only CBD I’ve found to be effective.

Stay Hydrated

Dehydration causes a myriad of side effects including fatigue, muscle soreness / cramps, loss of focus, headaches, increased heartrate, and decreased ability to regulate temperature.

When you’re making your list of what to pack for your road trip, make sure you pack a LOT of water and include some hydration multipliers! I love the Liquid I.V. packets, since you can easily stick them in your bag and bring them along with you. They also taste great, are packed with B vitamins, and are much gentler on my stomach than other electrolyte powders.

Focus on Proper Posture & Back Support

I know how tempting it is to slouch, cross your legs, put your feet on the dashboard, etc etc. But it’s gonna screw you over in about 30 minutes, trust me! Make sure you sit straight in your seat with your feet on the ground (elevating your feet or crossing your legs can increase your blood pressure and, in turn, increase your stress).

A while ago I purchased this lumbar support high back pillow for my office chair (because I’m cheap and didn’t want to buy a fancy desk chair) and it changed my life. Plus, it’s attachable / detachable so now I use it on my road trips, too!

Don’t Just Stop to Pee – Walk Around!

I get it. You just want to get to your destination as quickly as possible. But I’d definitely recommend making use of rest stops and taking a quick, 5 – 10 minute walk around to stretch your legs. It feels great and is kind of important to your health, too! Sitting for long periods of time causes blood to pool in your legs – compression socks can help with this, but of course it’s not a fix-all – so take a little walk at each stop and feel better 🙂

Keep it Entertaining

Sometimes when we’re figuring out what to pack, we forget about road trip entertainment. There are so many options nowadays for staying entertained on the road. I’ll get into this more at the bottom of the post!

Tuna driving through Leslie Gulch - bringing a dog makes what to pack for a road trip a little more complicated!

WHAT TO PACK FOR YOUR ROAD TRIP: THE ESSENTIALS

PRO TIP: Create your own go-to road trip packing list [on paper or on your phone – I like to use the Microsoft To Do app] that you use every time you hit the open road. It makes life easier and prevents you from forgetting your favorite road trip essentials.

Electronics

1. Offline Maps

Make sure you have a back-up map or two, just in case you run into a “No Service” situation. I use Maps.Me – it’s free, and all you have to do is download a map of the area you’re traveling in/through prior to your road trip!

2. Aux cable

Whether you need this or not depends on the model/year of your car, but you’ll want some sort of cable to connect your phone [or iPod, if you’re old school] to your speakers. If your car requires an aux cable, I recommend this one!

3. Phone charger

Definitely an essential for any road trip! I recommend getting one with a braided cable, like this one. They last waaay longer and are less likely to get damaged.

Personal Items + Hygiene

4. Sunglasses

Whenever I forget my sunglasses on road trips, I want to cry. Partially because the sun is burning my eyeballs, but mostly because I can’t stand the slightest feeling of discomfort. Moral of the story: DON’T forget your sunglasses!

5. Hand sanitizer

Because ain’t nobody got time for germs.

6. Hand lotion

Post-hand sanitizer dryness? Enter hand lotion!

7. Wet Wipes

Wet wipes are super handy for dealing with particularly sticky road trip messes!

NOTE: If your wet wipes say “biodegradable” that does not mean you can leave them outside or bury them – they can take up to 100 years to decompose and often decompose into harmful microplastics. All kinds of wipes should be packed out! You can, however, buy compostable wipes and compost them at home [that’s what we do!].

8. Chapstick

I use Burt’s Bees [cucumber + mint] and typically keep it either in my purse, or in the glove box so it’s readily available.

9. Tissues

Because nobody likes living with boogers.

10. A Roll of Back-up Toilet Paper

You do not want to run out of toilet paper or accidentally enter a rest-stop bathroom sans toilet paper. It doesn’t happen very often, but even once is too many times!

11. Trash Bag

A trash bag is an often forgotten, but super useful road trip must-have. It keep trash off of the floor and out of the way. You can also purchase a trash bin [specifically made for cars] like this one, if you want to keep things even more organized!

Food, Drink + Nutrition

12. Reusable Water Bottle

An easy way to cut back on single-use plastics!

13. Water

The elixir of life! Make sure you pack plenty of water for you, your road trip buddies and your pets [if you have ’em]. I typically pack multiple gallons of water and then just refill my reusable water bottle.

14. Electrolyte powder

If you’re like me and sports drinks make you sick, electrolyte powder is a great way to get ultra-hydrated without getting that dreaded sugar-induced stomachache. Lately I’ve been using Liquid I.V. and so far, I’m loving it! It doesn’t upset my stomach at all, it tastes great (my favorite flavors are lemon lime + watermelon) and it hydrates way more effectively than water alone.

15. Multi-vitamin

It’s difficult getting enough vitamins and nutrients in our normal day-to-day, but it’s even more difficult on a road trip! Multi-vitamins aren’t a replacement for nutrient-dense food, but taking vitamins on your road trip can help balance things out a little more and prevent you from feeling sluggish and sick from the sudden diet change.

16. Snacks + Food

Pre-planning and packing snacks ahead of time can save you money, but it can also save you from the high-sodium and high-sugar gas station snacks! I get it, they’re delicious [beef jerky is so tempting..] but they make us feel yucky – which isn’t the way you want to start out your vacation.

Here are some of my favorite [semi-healthy] snack options:

Peanut Butter + Crackers.
Cheese Sticks or Babybel Cheese.
Canned or Packaged Tuna/Salmon and Crackers. As long as no one in your road trip group minds the smell of fish.
Nuts [Almonds, Pistachios, Cashews, Peanuts, etc.].
Cherry Tomatoes and Baby Carrots. They hold up better in the car than other vegetables and don’t require any prepping.
Apples and Bananas. Again, they hold out well and can be eaten pretty much as they are.
Bark Thins. Perfect for when you want something sweet, but not over-the-top unhealthy.
Dried Unsweetened Coconut. Any dried fruit is a good option as a sweet/healthy road trip snack, but tbh, coconut is the only one I find appetizing.
Pretzels. But be forewarned, they can get messy.

Emergency Items

17. Jumper Cables + Road Trip Emergency Kit

This kit from Amazon includes all the essentials for unexpected car trouble – even a few first aid essentials!

18. First Aid Kit

Not super exciting, but a super essential addition to your road trip packing list!

19. Flashlight or Headlamp

Another “in case of emergency” item. I prefer headlamps, like this one, since it allows you to move around hands-free. It comes in handy, especially if you have to change a tire or check under the hood at night.

WHAT TO PACK FOR YOUR ROAD TRIP: THE NON ESSENTIALS [A.K.A. COMFY ADD-ONS]

1. Bluetooth Headphones

I upgraded to the Apple AirPods Pro [you can find them here, on Amazon!]. Pricey? Yes. But I listen to podcasts allll day, 5 days a week, and you just can’t get that kind of battery life without splurging a little. They also have optional active noise cancelling, which I love, and they allow me to make and receive calls hands-free.

2. Sleep mask

Catch some winks even when the sun is out! [Also useful for those pesky road trip headaches ;)]

3. Neck pillow

Once I passed 25 I started to notice the after-effects of sleeping in the car A LOT more. Resting my neck on my shoulder or against the side of the car just wasn’t an option anymore unless I wanted perpetual stiffness for the next 3 days. Enter the neck pillow! Neck pillows come in so many designs and materials now, but the fan favorite on Amazon is definitely this memory foam travel pillow. It even comes with a sleep mask and ear plugs!

4. Lumbar pillow

Lumbar pillows are a great [back-saving] option for drivers and passengers. This one even attaches to the back of your car seat, so you don’t need to keep adjusting! I actually use mine at home when I’m working at my desk. #Oldladyalert

5. Ultra-warm sweater or blanket

My husband and I have a road trip rule: The driver chooses the temperature. I think it’s a fair rule, but sometimes when one of us is driving late at night we’ll BLAST the A/C to stay awake and the other person is like “I can’t sleeeeep!!”. This is why you need a sweater. Passengers layer-up while drivers stay-up.

6. Compression socks

Compression socks promote blood flow to your legs and feet which can reduce swelling, prevent soreness, and even help with fatigue! All things that we desperately need after hours upon hours of sitting on our butts.

I recommend Cloudline socks – they’re ultra-comfy, lightweight, made for hiking [so you know they’re durable] and they’re striped + super cute.

7. Slip-on shoes

I’m sure you know how to tie your shoes, but if you don’t have to, why would you? Slip-on shoes are just easier for road tripping – nobody wants to deal with cumbersome lace-ups while trying to rush to the gas station bathroom. I always use my camp slippers from Teva – they are so, so comfy, have a shoe-like sole, and they serve a dual purpose since I can use them around camp too – but Toms are also a great option for slip-on shoes!

8. Tennis ball

No, not for your dog [although that’s fine, too]. But this tennis ball should be exclusively used for your DIY road trip massage. I am constantly struggling with back pain when I’m in the car, and while the tennis ball isn’t a cure-all, it feels oh-so good to roll it up and down your achy-breaky back.

9. Travel Mug

Coffee + Tea lovers – save the environment one cup at a time with this adorable [and insulated] travel mug from S’well! Travel mugs are a super easy way to “do your part” for the environment. You can fill up your mug at home [it’ll stay hot for 12 hours or cold for 24 hours] and get refills pretty much anywhere! Almost all coffee shops are willing to fill up reusable mugs and some will even give you a discount for it.

10. Pen and Paper

Just in case you need to jot something down [and your phone is dead].

11. Cash Money

Believe it or not, even in this day and age there are places that only accept cash. Bringing money is even more important if you’re planning to camp during your trip – most campgrounds [and even some day-use hiking areas] expect you to bring cash.

12. Gum or Mints

There’s nothing like a fresh mint to perk you up [and make you feel slightly better about going out in public post-road trip].

13. Pain killers/anti-inflammatory medicine – OR – CBD powder

Nobody wants to be in the car for 10 hours with a festering headache! My new favorite (and much more natural!) pain reliever is Caliper CBD. They have these easy to use Swift Sticks which can be taken on-the-go, without water if you don’t have any, and are super effective! It’s the only CBD product I’ve used that actually works and I’m super excited about it. I also always pack enough Tylenol Extra-Strength for one dose, per person, per day – just in case. I am super headache-prone, especially after surviving for hours in a car with only caffeine and salt to fuel me.

14. Nail Clippers

This probably seems superfluous, but I am seriously prone to hangnails and in those moments there is nothing I wouldn’t give for a pair of nail clippers! Honestly.

15. Hair Brush or Comb

You’ve probably already packed this for your vacation, but I’d recommend keeping a brush or comb close by [in your purse or somewhere in the front area of the car] so you can quickly brush through that nasty travel hair before you head out into the world. Not that it really matters what you look like, but it’s always nice to feel like a person again after hours of neglect.

BEST ROAD TRIP ENTERTAINMENT

1. Podcasts

If you haven’t jumped on the podcast bandwagon yet, it’s time to give in. Podcasts have evolved from boring talk shows into entertainment that’s practically on-par with TV streaming services. There is seriously a podcast for everything and everyone!

Check out these 60+ [over the top, I know] podcasts to download for your next road trip! I’ve selected the top podcasts from the following genres: True Crime, Pop Culture, History, Science, Mythology, Easy Listening, and News + Current Events so you’re bound to find something you like.

2. Netflix | Hulu | Disney+ | Prime Video

This is for passengers only, obviously, but if you don’t struggle with car-sickness [and your driver doesn’t mind a little quiet time] this can be a super fun and easy way to pass the time on road trips! Just pop on some wireless headphones [I upgraded to the Apple Airpods Pro, and I’ll never go back] and watch away!

PRO TIP: Did you know you can download your favorite TV shows and movies for offline viewing? I wrote a whole post about how to download, how to watch and the rules/limitations of each platform. You can read it, here!

3. Audiobooks (free with most library cards!)

I am not a fan of reading in the car – it makes me dizzy and sick – so audiobooks are an awesome alternative!

PRO TIP: Everybody knows about Audible, but did you know that many local libraries offer free audiobooks through the Overdrive app? All you need is a library card!

4. Nintendo Switch

I don’t care if you’re 5 years old or 50 years old, the Nintendo Switch is the best gaming console out there! There are so, so many fun games and you can play at home [on your TV] or on the road. It even charges via a USB-C charging cable, so you can easily recharge in your vehicle!

My all-time favorite Nintendo Switch games are:

Super Mario Odyssey – oh, the hours I’ve poured into this one!
Luigi’s Mansion 3
Mario Kart 8
SnipperClips
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Yoshi’s Crafted World
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle
Super Mario Party
Super Smash Bros Ultimate

5. Plan out some fun/interesting stops!

You have to stop anyway, why not make it somewhere cool? Some great resources for finding cool and unique stops are:

Roadtrippers. You can enter your starting point and destination, and it’ll show you a map with points of interest along the way!
Discover the Forest. Type in your location and find state parks, national forests, conservation areas, and other recreation spots near you!
Only in Your State. This is the place to find the most unique destinations that you may not have heard of otherwise. You can search by city or by state!
Trip Advisor. Trip Advisor is still one of the most popular resources in finding things to do in an area!

6. Try out some weird/funny conversation starters

Don’t just stick to normal, boring conversation. Try out some weird, yet thought-provoking, questions and get to know your road trip buddy on a much deeper level!

NOTE: I actually wrote a post of 50 weird/funny conversation starters [for campfire convos – but road trips work, too!]. Check it out, here!

7. Play some Road Trip Games

Maybe the idea of road trip games sounds dorky, but don’t knock it til’ you try it!