Do you have a road trip planned? It’s an exciting time to prepare for an adventure on the road. Whether you’re heading off camping, to another state, off to a music festival or visiting family and friends, piling in the car with your nearest and dearest can be an excellent way to bond and connect with close friends and family. However, if you’re on a rather long road trip, you’ll need to be fully packed and prepared. This helpful article will share the ultimate road trip packing list and what you need to take on board for your sojourn.

Pack Snacks and Drinks

You’ll want to pack some tasty snacks, such as bulk jerky Australia, chocolates, lollies, gum, and more. After all, what’s a road trip without a swag of snacks to fend off the hunger pangs and keep the kids from grumbling on particularly long drives? Junk food may be tempting here, and a little is definitely okay. But kids can get pent up, and a bit ratty and wild during a long car trip, and lots of salt and sugar may only compound that problem and make them worse. If you insist on junk food, try to balance it out with water, some nuts and dried fruit and other healthier options. 

You’ll also want to pack some water and other drinks to hydrate you for the long drive, particularly if you have the car heater or air conditioning on, which can quickly dry you out. Water is best for hydration, but some sugar-free soft drinks or iced tea may also be good to keep you perky and alert during your road trip, especially for the drivers. 

Travelling with Kids? Pack Entertainment

There are three things we can all be sure of: the sun will set before each night, you will always be expected to pay your taxes, and if you’re road-tripping with the kids, they will get bored. To keep the kids occupied and quiet, make sure that you pack some small and portable entertainment for them. This could be their tablet devices, which you should fully charge before you embark on the adventure. You may also consider purchasing some battery charging packs for a particularly long adventure. You can also pack some “analog” entertainment options, such as sticker books, coloring-in activities, books to read and other road trip activities that will keep their little hands busy and their bright minds active.

If your children get motion sick during a road trip and may not be able to play games that require them to focus on a screen or book, then age-old family games like ‘I Spy’ can work wonders for keeping your kids entertained as you drive. You may also decide to create some ‘Road Trip Bingo’ sheets so that your kids are focused on the world outside of your car, looking for animals, signs, words, or specific landmarks to tick off their bingo sheet.

First Aid Kit

Another item to check off your road trip packing checklist is ensuring you have a fully stocked First Aid kit.

The First Aid kit is there in case anyone injures themselves while on the road, and should contain essential medical equipment such as Band-Aids, bandages and pressure bandages, scissors, eye flushing solution, and other miscellaneous supplies that you might need in case of mishap or misadventure. 

Personal Care and Hygiene

For overnight road trips or day-long adventures, you should pack personal care items such as a toothbrush, toothpaste, dental floss, deodorant, bug spray, hand sanitizer, hair brushes and ties, wet wipes and other items to ensure that you stay fresh, clean and healthy as you enjoy your car adventure. 

Comfort Items

You should also consider packing some comfort items, such as sunglasses for that harsh sun and glare, pillows for the passengers to relax on, a travel mug for coffee to fuel your road trip, a reusable water bottle, and some breath mints to keep your mouth busy and you feeling fresh. 

A Great Playlist

What’s a road trip without the tunes? When preparing for your road trip, make a shared Spotify playlist and get all your mates or family to pick songs. That way, everyone gets something to listen to and enjoy some of their favorite music while you’re driving along. This is even better if you all have eclectic music tastes, as your playlist might oscillate from metal to pop, to blues, dance and even more.

Vehicle Tips

On long drives, it’s always good to be prepared. Make sure you pack or have a list of essential things for your vehicle, such as a spare tire and tire changing equipment, the number of your roadside assistance provider, your insurance details, the drivers’ licenses, jumper cables and other car essentials. 

Paper Map

Finally, even though we all rely on satellite navigation and Google and Apple maps, you should pack a paper map in case your phone dies (but pack a charging cable, to be sure) or you wind up in a dead spot. The last thing you want is to get lost on your great road trip adventure.