This post is all about the most needed car essentials for your next road trip.
Want to know about all the car essentials that you need for your next road trip? Here I give you the 31+ most needed car essentials that you probably didn’t think about.
Packing up the car is one of my favorite parts about road trips because everything I pack determines how successful the drive will be for however many hours I’ll be sitting in the car.
I also just like feeling organized and prepared in general.
This post is all about the most needed car essentials for your next road trip.
Disclaimer
All contents of this post are for informational purposes only. I will not be responsible for any consequences that arise from viewing this post. You, the reader, will read at your own risk and should not use this post to make any important decisions.
–
Let’s begin.
–
The 31+ Most Needed Car Essentials For Your Next Road Trip
BASIC Car Essentials
1. Car Keys
The first car essential on the list is your car keys because you definitely need your car keys to drive. You’re already doing the road trip wrong if you don’t have your car keys.
2. Driver’s License
Make sure you have your driver’s license with you before you start driving. Make sure it’s physically in your hand if you have to
. Don’t assume you have it because I’ve assumed before and only found out later that my driver’s license was in a location about an hour away from where I was.
You need to drive legally to avoid unnecessary stress and have a much more enjoyable road trip. You don’t want to get pulled over without your driver’s license.
3. Wallet
I kept the wallet separate instead of including it with the driver’s license because you can drive without your wallet. You cannot drive without your driver’s license.
A wallet is needed to hold and store away your cash, debit cards, credit cards, coupons, or whatever form of payment you use.
4. Spare Emergency Cash + Change
Besides having your wallet, you need a backup plan. Keep some extra cash in your glove compartment, between the seats, in the trunk, anywhere else other than your wallet. You never know if you’re going to get pickpocketed that day or leave your wallet behind somewhere. Spare cash and change are an absolute must for car essentials.
5. Sunshade
A sunshade is an absolute must for your car ESPECIALLY if you decide to travel in the summertime. A sunshade helps to keep a lot of heat out of your car when it’s parked in one spot all day in the sun.
Another added bonus for the sunshade (and my main use for it) is that it gives your car a little extra protection from wandering eyes. I know they can just look through your side windows but I feel more at peace knowing that the front view is at least concealed.
6. Jumper Cables
I’ve only ever had to use my jumper cables once and that was when I was driving a 1997 Honda Accord. BUT I’m glad I had them because a good friend of mine was nearby to help me start my car up again.
If you have a newer car, you might not need jumper cables, but it’s never a bad idea to be prepared.
SURVIVAL Car Essentials
7. Paper Map
You may be thinking, “who carries paper maps anymore?” I only half agree with that question because I am partially paranoid about how one day all of our GPS, satellite stuff stops working and we won’t have any way of knowing where we are. So, I am a strong advocate for always having a paper map in the car. An atlas of the US would be great.
8. Flashlight
I recommend a flashlight because I am always paranoid about being stranded on the side of the road at night in any road trips that I take.
The flashlight that I have is one that lights up to 1400 lumens (but it will only last me an hour with that power.) It’s from the brand Coast. One of the pros to having this flashlight is that it has different Lumen settings so if I don’t need the full 1400 lumens, I can go to the lower settings so that the flashlight lasts longer.
Another good thing about this flashlight is that it’s heavy. So, if needed, it could be used as a weapon. (You don’t know which creepy people will try to help you.)
9. First Aid Kit
A first aid kit is a great thing to have in case you get any scratches or cuts wherever your destination is. I haven’t needed to use my first aid kit on any of the road trips I’ve gone on so far and I hope that you won’t need yours either. But it doesn’t hurt to have one just in case.
10. Water
I take my filled-up hydro flask everywhere I go. Whenever I go on road trips, I’m extra and pack a case of water to leave in the car because I go through at least 3-4 water bottles worth of water a day. The big case is also in preparation for potential emergencies that may arise.
I recommend you also try and stay hydrated for your road trips so that you have more energy to participate in fun activities.
11. Snacks
Yes, I put snacks under survival. (Cause we need food to live, especially when we’re stranded on the side of the road.)
The snacks have to be the best part of the road trip. Bring your chips, your cookies, your fruit, your sandwiches, WHATEVER, but just know that you will get hungry on the drive no matter how long you’re driving.
Trust me. Or you might just be bored and watch to munch on something. That’s what snacks are for.
CONVENIENT Car Essentials
12. Pillows
Pillows make the road trip much comfier. They can be nice for both the passengers and the driver.
For the passengers, a pillow could be used for napping or a nice comfort item to hold onto.
For the driver, they can have a small pillow rested between their lower back and the seat to relieve the back of any pressure.
I know that having a pillow on my lower back helps me drive longer without feeling back pain.
13. Blankets
I like to keep blankets in the car because they can act both as a pillow and a warmer. My family and I like to keep the car nice and cold because being hot in a small space like a car is not comfortable at all. If your family is like mine then you should definitely pack a blanket (or two.)
14. Sunglasses
If you’re the driver, you might want to pack some sunglasses. If you’re driving towards the rising sun or towards the setting sun, the bright light can be brutal.
Not only will your eyes hurt but you’ll probably have a hard time seeing the road too. We want to minimize as many potential accidents as possible. Sunglasses are a great place to start.
15. Paper towels
I always keep paper towels in my car even if I’m not on a road trip. I even had to use it earlier this week because it started raining and I had to walk in the rain.
It was one of the best feelings in the world when I had paper towels in my car to wipe myself down for a more comfortable drive home.
You can also use it for any spills in the car too. Especially for the times, you spill a beverage other than water.
16. Towels
If you want to be more environmentally friendly, you could bring reusable towels instead for cleaning up and drying off for whatever reason that may have caused you to be soaked.
17. Tissues
Tissues are most important for people that have bad allergies. I am definitely one of them. I would much rather blow my nose with tissues than paper towels.
One time when I really needed to blow my nose, I was desperate and didn’t have any tissues so I tried paper towels and they HURT. My nose got all scratched up and irritated so definitely have tissues on hand for your nose.
18. Phone
I thought about putting a phone in the survival section but I am pretty sure we can survive without a phone. It would just be really nice to have to communicate with people if we need help.
I guess it would double as a GPS too (but that’s what the paper map is for.)
If people can live in the wild for a long period of time without their phones, we can too. (Lol, I use my phone as a GPS.)
19. Phone Chargers
I’m sure you know how important phone chargers are. We pretty much have our entire lives on our phones. The time. Our plans. Emergency phone numbers. GPS. We need our phones for almost everything (which is sad but true.)
20. Portable charger
Honestly, a portable charger won’t be necessary if your car has the option to charge your phone with a built-in or with your USB cord.
I listed a portable charger anyway because it’s always nice to have. It would also come in handy if you’re walking around somewhere and your phone is almost dead ESPECIALLY if you don’t plan on going back or can’t go back to your car anytime soon.
21. Umbrella
There was only ever one time I didn’t have my umbrella in the car and of course it was one of the days it began to rain a lot.
Having an umbrella is really nice so you don’t have to worry about running from building to building for the two seconds of cover you need before you need to hop over to the next building and make more movement progress.
I would highly recommend that you keep the umbrella in a place where you will be able to access it from the driver’s seat.
My car has a trunk that isn’t readily open for me to climb to within my car so I always have my umbrella on the floor directly behind the driver’s seat.
So if your trunk or back portion of the car is not directly connected to the rest of your car, don’t put the umbrella back there because you’ll get wet from trying to get your umbrella.
22. Writing Utensils
You probably don’t really need writing utensils but you never know. Maybe you’ll get an important phone call, you need to write something down that you see, or you just want to draw during the drive.
I’m trying to get into the habit of having a pen on me at all times because I feel like I always have to ask someone else for one.
23. Paper
If you bring writing utensils, then you should also consider bringing some paper to write on. (Or you can write in the palm of your hand if you have a pen or sharpie.)
24. Change of Clothes
I didn’t think about keeping a change of clothes in my car at all times until I went on water rides at Universal’s Orlando Resort.
Pretty much, I was wet and cold the rest of the evening when we wanted to go on another ride and get dinner later on. Luckily, I didn’t get sick.
But even if you’re not planning on going to a Theme park, you should bring an extra change of clothes to leave in your trunk because you never know when you’ll need it. You might sit on a blob of ketchup with your white shorts or something.
25. Extra Pair of Shoes
Having an extra pair of shoes would be really great if you’re traveling in sandals.
Later in the day, sandals won’t be comfy anymore and you’ll want to change to a more comfortable pair of shoes.
Or it’s the other way around where you’ve been wearing shoes all day and you want to switch to more breathable sandals.
Extra shoes are also good if your first pair is super wet from heavy rain. (I live in Florida.)
26. Hairbrush
A hairbrush is especially necessary if you plan on having a fancier trip with meals out for lunch and dinner.
I know that when I dress up, I want to make sure I look the best that I can manage.
If I’m going to dress up for dinner after a day full of activities, you should expect me to have my hairbrush on hand to tame the crazy hair.
27. Hair Ties
Hair ties can be useful for more than just tying up hair. I’ve used hair ties to close snack bags, to hold multiple items together like writing utensils or rolled paper. Hair ties are a must-have for everyone in the car.
Regarding hair though, you might need a hair tie if you’re outdoors and it’s VERY hot outside. Needing a hair tie happens a lot in Florida for me.
28. Wet Wipes
I like using wet wipes to wipe down my arms and my face after a hot day because I sweat and get sticky. Sometimes I get sweaty and sticky between activities so wet wipes are a nice way to feel relatively clean and cooled down.
29. Hand Sanitizer
You have no idea how dirty surfaces are. I didn’t think about how nasty doorknobs were until this pandemic started and it’s so gross to think about. Always have hand sanitizer on you everywhere you go.
30. Lotion
I listed lotion on the list because you may have super ashy legs. You may have used very drying hand soap. You may want to smell better in your pits and you don’t have deodorant (then pack deodorant instead.) But all in all, lotion could keep your skin feeling healthier and more refreshed.
31. Jacket
I don’t care what the weather outside is wherever you are. Bring a jacket. I say this because there are going to be some stores and some restaurants that you walk into that are freezing cold.
Sure, if you’re sweating then the initial feeling is one of the best feelings in the world but what happens when you’re not sweating anymore and your warm layer is gone. You’re going to want a jacket.
It’s also nice if the car is cold too during the drive (if the blanket isn’t enough.)
32. Hat
I like to keep a hat in my car because there are some brutally hot days that I have experienced here in Florida.
The morning would feel so nice with the rising sun, a couple of clouds, and a light cooling breeze. But then when it hits midday or just after midday, it all of a sudden feels like you’re baking in an oven. It’s so weird.
That’s when I head to my car to grab my hat.
33. Eating Utensils
Don’t you just hate it when you’re ordering food to go and they forget to give you utensils but you don’t realize it until you’re long gone away from the place? This is why you keep some extras in your car. (Sometimes I ask for extras to leave in my car hehe.)
34. Toilet paper
Haha, the toilet paper. You definitely do not want to accidentally touch your poopy butt with your bare hands because the toilet paper at the rest area was too thin.
No matter how many layers you use, the toilet paper somehow manages to rip anyway. You know what I’m talking about.
FUN Car Essentials
35. Music
I mean you don’t have to bring your CDs or tapes or whatever you use for music. You could just listen to the radio or connect to Spotify on your phone. Just have some form of music if you don’t like sitting in silence for hours.
The only other time you won’t need Spotify is if you’re with a good friend group that you can talk to for hours and enjoy each other’s company, even in silence.
36. Videogames
If you are not the driver, you can also pack video games to pass the time. The most popular and portable videogame right now is probably the Nintendo Switch because it was made for the purpose of being more portable.
Unfortunately, I get motion sickness so I can’t enjoy this luxury.
Lastly, do not bring video games if you intend to leave it in a hot car for hours and hours. That would be bad.
Ending Note
You know, when I got to the end of writing out this list, I realized that a lot of these aren’t really car essentials.
They are more of the essentials that you need in your everyday life to not have the worst day ever.
Like a hat? Why would you need a hat in the car?
But that’s why I labeled it car essentials for a road trip so that my list is also related to what you need for when you’ve arrived at your destination. Duh.
I hope this list is beneficial to you. Let me know if I missed any that are either common or uncommon. Have a good day!
FREE Printable
Here’s a Car Essentials Checklist FREE Printable
This post was all about the most needed car essentials for your next road trip.
Leave a Reply