The 14 Road Trip Essentials You Should Always Pack

Best Blanket

Rumpl The Down Blanket

$350 at Amazon $235 at backcountry.com View on Rumpl.com

Sleeping in the car, front-country camping, or truck-bed overnights are better with a giant blanket. Rumpl’s line of outdoor blankets combine the dirt-shedding exterior of a picnic blanket with the lofty synthetic-filled baffles of a cozy quilt. I’ve used the single blanket for a while, but even when I’m on my own I’m a convert to the spacious two-person. The 80 x 84-inch real estate is more than enough to stay wrapped up, plus you can spread it out over the backseats and allow your passengers a little nap cocoon between their turns driving. It has a DWR coating to help keep it even cleaner, and the surface fabric is ripstop nylon that isn’t super soft, but will last season after season.

Best Travel Pillow

NEMO Fillo Backpacking & Camping Pillow

$45 at REI $120 at backcountry.com

While a road-trip or car camping pillow might seem like overkill, this smart little design from Nemo fits right in the middle between ultralight, packable pillows, travel pillows that don’t compress, and larger home pillows. This pillow deflates and flattens out (or rolls up right) for easy packing, but it has a plush cover and a layer of memory foam backing that adds to the support, combining air inflation with extra cushion. Partially deflated, this also doubles as lumbar support in case your back starts to get tired from driving. It also comes with its own stuff sack and has a removable, washable cover.

Best Car-camping Mattress

Exped MegaMat Duo 10 Sleeping Pad

$350 at REI $400 at backcountry.com $350 at campman.com

My upgrade from a smashed piece of memory foam was long overdue, and I went full-out with the Exped Megamat. Like the two-person blanket, I decided to go for a double-sized sleeping pad for the versatility, and this one comes in multiple sizes to fit different dimensions of sleeping areas. I recommend the medium-double size for most vehicles, which is plenty big for two people at 72 x 41 inches. It has reinforced seam lamination as well as open-cell foam for loft without too much extra weight. It has a super warm 8.1 R-value, and a durable face material that is as puncture-resistant as possible (though nothing is truly immune to dog claws). This is technically self-inflating, but it does take a while to inflate and deflate, so don’t be in too much of a rush to get to sleep.

Best Slip-on Shoes

Chaco Ramble Puff Clog

$75 at Amazon $52 at REI View on Chacos.com

Have you ever dreamed of wearing a house slipper with an outsole that actually has traction and is built like a combination of a cloud and a clog? Even if that thought has never crossed your mind, this puffy shoe will change your tune. These shoes quickly became my go-to pair to leave by the door, take my cat on walks around the neighborhood, and yes, go on road trips. They have a slight lip at the back so they don’t slide off while I’m driving, but they’re also easy to kick on and off, are insulated and baffled for warmth but open for breathability, and are sturdy enough to walk around town or stop for gas. The men’s version also comes in an ankle-boot style.

Best Water Bottle

Bivo Trio Insulated Water Bottle

$49 at Amazon View on Drinkbivo.com

It took me embarrassingly long to figure out how to drink from this bottle until I realized you just have to pull the spout, tip the bottle, and the water flows out. Tap the spout down and you have an incredibly leak-proof bottle. This is the most truly one-handed bottle I’ve ever used. It fits in most cup holders, it’s insulated, made with stainless steel, and built in the “bidon” style of cycling water bottles (basically just a bottle made for bike cages). It holds ice for a full day, doesn’t leave a weird plastic taste in your water, and cleans out easily in case you use flavoring or electrolyte powder.

Best Backpack

Gregory Rhune 25L Pack

$130 at REI $130 at backcountry.com

This is my go-to travel bag for everything from an under-the-seat personal item on planes, to my daily commuter pack, to my in-cab road trip backpack. I keep my essentials in here, including my laptop in the padded sleeve, notebook in the secondary padded sleeve, and small items that I don’t want to misplace in my larger gear bins or the bed of my truck. I also keep a few snacks, toiletries, and any paperwork in here and it sits right behind my driver seat during road trips. It also has a secure pocket hidden on one side for wallet and keys in case you have to wander around town during your trip, and in a pinch it’s fine as a hiking day pack even if it’s not built for that.

Best Cooler

YETI Roadie 24 Cooler

$250 at Amazon $250 at REI $250 at backcountry.com

I’ve been sold on the Yeti since before other roto-molded coolers landed onto the scene, and I continue to be a fan. The brand itself is known for quality and I’m a sucker for the color options. I have a much bigger cooler that I use for extended trips in my truck bed, but this 24-can size fits well behind the passenger seat of my truck and holds enough food and drinks for long days on the road. I can keep ice in here for multiple days, and it comes with a suspended rack to keep deli meats and cheeses out of the melting ice. I like how secure the latches are, and if you throw a lock on it, it’s certified bear proof.

Best Gear Bin

REI Co-op Trailgate Gear Bin

$99 at REI

This is a rugged tote made with 300-denier recycled polyester and a full-zip closure, and I keep my larger gear items stowed in the 140-liter version. I use this bin for organizing clothes, food, camping gear, and basically everything I won’t need while driving, but want to have readily accessible during pit stops or overnights. REI also sells gear cubes for organizing within the bin, though it would be nice if the bin itself came with dividers. If you’re looking for other supply organization options, Gregory just came out with a 45-liter hard-sided latching bin and an open-top 70-liter “basket,” which I have for this season but haven’t tested yet.

Best Roof Carrier

Thule 614 Pulse Rack Medium

$600 at Amazon $600 at L.L.Bean View on Thule.com

I have a truck bed, so I haven’t needed an extra roof-rack storage solution for a few years, but my friends and road trip partners with smaller vehicles swear by this mid-sized, lockable roof carrier. It has a proprietary attachment system to the roof bars, which keeps it secure, and I’ve found it to be more streamlined than other roof boxes. This means less wind resistance, which in turn means (slightly) better fuel economy. This is a great solution for smaller vehicles where you need to haul outdoor gear, larger items, or have several people’s luggage to pack, though the 14 cubic feet is on the small side for any large-scale moving adventures.

Best Sunglasses

Nathan Sunglasses

View on Nathansports.com

Out of all of the sunglasses I’ve worn for hiking, running, traveling, and driving, I always go back to these durable, classic, comfortable pair. They stay on my face during sweaty, bouncy runs, are comfortable and lightweight for long days of driving, and polarized with 100 percent UV protection for long hours in the sun. They have a wide front-coverage design and come in a variety of classic colorways. I have the tortoiseshell frames with the brown lens, and feel like they go really well with most of my outfits. This is the pair I leave in my truck for town trips as well as road trips, and I know they’ll be great for any hikes I do during the trip as well as stylish enough to wear in town.

Best Phone Mount

Peak Design Mobile Car Mount VHB

$45 at Amazon $45 at REI

With my Apple CarPlay connected to a screen in my truck, I kind of thought this car mount was overkill. But paired with a MagSafe phone case (I use this one from Peak Designs) it’s stable, secure, and makes it easy to tap buttons on my phone without fumbling in my lap. You can buy a charger-compatible version, but since it has to be plugged in anyway, I opted to leave my phone plugged into the truck port and slap it (corded) to this mount. The mount head swivels and is easy to turn, and it secures to your dashboard with a strong adhesive.

Best Power Bank

Anker Portable Charger

$41 at Amazon View on Anker

I always carry a portable charger, whether I’m flying or road tripping. This 20,000-mAh power bank is a good price and has plenty of power, plus it holds a charge for longer than others I’ve tested. It’s fairly lightweight, and I keep it stashed (fully charged) in my glove compartment if I need to power more than one item at a time and my car charger is being used. I suggest fully charging this in a wall outlet before you leave town—it takes approximately four days to fully charge in a 12-volt car port.

Best Charger

Smartish Crown Joule USB-A to Universal Cable

$20 at Amazon View on Smartish.com

When it comes to packing lighter and more efficiently, one of the first things you should look at is your case of tangled cords, and this nifty little charger can tackle three types of charging ports with one cable. It drives me nuts that my battery pack uses a different port than my headlamp and my iPhone uses one that nothing else uses, but the Smartish Crown Joule comes with charging ends for Lightning ports, USB-C, and micro-USB, allowing me to charge my battery pack, phone, and headlamp. Just not all at once, so plan ahead. I’ve used this for the past six months, and unlike other after-market chargers, it hasn’t had any connectivity issues.

Best Cleaning Wipes

Armor All Car Cleaning Wipes

$4 at Amazon $5 at Walmart $6 at Home Depot

I keep a big tub of these in my truck all year round, but they are especially useful for extended trips when you’re spending all day in your car and can’t handle the grime, grease, dust, and crumbs. I like the Armor All because they’re a great all-in-one wipe. I use them for my rearview mirrors and headlights as well as the center console, steering wheel, and upholstery. They remove dust as well as they clean smears and pick up crumbs, and they don’t shred when you scrub really hard.