Road trip packing list tell all- what are the essentials for a long ride?

Road trips - love them or hate them, inevitably how the hours pass has much to do with the preparation. What are the essential must haves? What keeps everyone happy for the long haul? By and large we agree on snacks - and read on for the specific ideas. Plus, find the best items we have always handy for entertainment, cleanliness and sanity. Rebecca's crew has some serious expertise - as she shares, "Things don’t usually get hostile until hour 12. Anything shorter than that and we’re good!"

Jen, Bespoke Travel Planner from @GlobalOnDemandTravel

For a long road trip, snacks are always my biggest essential. We load up on apples and fruit for easy healthy options, plus Slim Jims for a little protein on the go. I also swear by having a few handheld activities ready to keep everyone entertained. Things like Wikki Stix and slime containers are surprisingly great for the car.

We also have a road trip rule: one movie, followed by 1–2 hours of reading, games, or activities before another movie goes on. “Would You Rather” books are always a huge hit and keep everyone laughing for miles.

Rebecca, Woman's Leadership Coach from @PleasantlyAggressive

It’s all about eating and keeping the car clean. We balance homemade goodies with truckstop staples along the way. I shop a few days before the trip for ingredients or snacks. The typical menu? Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, puppy chow, Cheez-its, apple slices, grapes, and ham and cheese sandwiches. I would always rather have too much food than not enough! We each bring a refillable water bottle, and I put a few gallons of water in the car to refill along the way.

I also make sure we have a roll of paper towels, small garbage bags, hand sanitizer (or wipes), tissues, and napkins.

Each person is responsible for their own charge cords, AirPods, and neck pillows, but I always have to remind them.

When they were little, I would pack a pencil case with markers and sticky notes. They could draw on them, then stick them on the windows or around the car. Now, we play the alphabet game, the license plate game, or just talk. Things don’t usually get hostile until hour 12. Anything shorter than that and we’re good!

Ashley, Millennial Mom Nutrition Coach from @AshleyBreaksTheCycle

Most of our long car rides are to a hockey rink or tournament, so when we do hit the road, I keep it pretty simple.

The cooler is mostly prepped meals and snacks. I’ll pack lunch in there and anything that needs to stay cold. Then I have a separate snack bag for everything that doesn’t need refrigeration so I’m not digging around in ice every five minutes.

iPads and chargers for the kids — non-negotiable. Water bottles for everyone.

I already keep a first aid kit, a blanket, and a beach chair in my car year-round because you truly never know.

And my personal must-have are Headphones. If my husband is driving, there’s a solid chance he’s on a work call on speaker. I love him, I appreciate everything he does for our family but nothing kills road trip peace faster than a conference call at full volume. The headphones are a non-negotiable form of self-preservation. 😂

I can’t read in the car. I get nauseous even looking at my phone too long so I lean into music, good conversations, and trying to actually relax. Which, sometimes that’s the best part of the whole trip!

Emilee, Book Aficionado from @The BookClubCart

Our number one road trip essential is some form of entertainment for the kids; whether that is a screen, audio, or book.

We loosely consider a roadtrip anything over 2 hours (mainly because if we are driving anywhere it is to see our family in Wisconsin which range from 2-4 hours away). We usually let the kids bring their iPads. It keeps them entertained, which allows my husband and I time to chat …which we love to do with a cup of coffee in our hand!

My family lives in the Milwaukee area, and last time we visited we listened to an audiobook the whole way and that was so fun! We listened to Little House on the Prairie, which turned out to be excellent. The audio had fiddle music, sounds from the Native American tribes, and other theatrical sounds that really brought the book to life.

We try to keep the non-suitcase items to a minimum; a few snacks, something to draw with, kids blankets, and iPads/switch.

Of course I ALWAYS have my kindle loaded up with books and fully charged. My middle son is a reader and always has his kindle, too.

Otherwise not much else! I don’t like a lot of clutter in the car and usually if we bring toys they don’t actually get played with.

Ali, Book Aficionado from @The BookClubCart

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Kim, Home Connoisseur from @Reverie.and.Root & Founder of Spilling Goodness

Good music and plenty of snacks are what immediately come to mind for road trip musts! With a few favorite Spotify channels, music is easy to queue up. My favorites these days are "Upbeat Mix" and "Discover Weekly." If I'm driving solo, I'll binge on a podcast or audio book, but with the fam, it is usually all about the music.

For food on the go, we keep it pretty simple. We have these two mini insulted bags that we'll load up with sandwiches, fruit, yogurts and bars. I like the smaller bags as they are easier to have at your feet. We don't take road trips very often, but we do head up to the lake in Wisconsin most summers. That's shy of two hours, so its nothing compared to the road trips I took as a kid. Either way, our kids will bring headphones to listen to their own music or an audio book, books and stuffed animals. The stuffed animals usually outnumber the people, but there is something so quitessentially lovely about adored stuffed animals, that I welcome the mini road warriors.

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Road trip packing list tell all- what are the essentials for a long ride?