For me, road trips are an inexpensive way of traveling so to save money I pack my own food. BUT you also want to pack light. There’s nothing more annoying than having to rummage through your car and then reorganize everything each time you need something. So pack light and right to avoid the hassle. Here’s my complete list of road trip essentials from clothes, to food, to sunscreen, to my bluetooth speaker…it’s all here.
Clothing:
Leggings: For chilly mornings and nights and maybe a few hikes.
Denim shorts: Daily wear!
Boyfriend jeans: Daily wear and comfy.
Flannel: All the above.
T-shirts: All the above again.
Sandals: I don’t know about you, but I’m a no shoes type of girl. Unfortunately, this is not always approved of so I slip on my sandals when needed.
Shoes that double for day wear and adventure: Doesn’t matter what they are but you’ll most likely be exploring cities one day and mountains another so make sure you pack a pair of shoes that work for both. I use my favorite pair of white sneakers.
Bathing suit (in warm climates): Whether its a waterfall, beach, lake or pond, you’re bound to want to dive in somewhere so be prepared.
Hat: For obvious reasons.
Undies, Bras, Socks, obviously.
Personal Care:
These mainly speak for themselves…
Toothbrush/toothpaste
Towel (or two)
Washcloth
Soap
Shampoo
Conditioner
Dry Shampoo: For the days you don’t have a way to wash your hair…..or just don’t want to.
Pixie Cup: If you have not heard of the Pixie Cup, check it out. It will save you a lot of money during travels and the rest of your life. And it also helps save the environment as well!
Beauty Counter One-Step Makeup Remover Wipes: These are the only make up remover wipes I will use because they leave my skin feeling clean when most others feel like I still need to wash my face afterwards. They are a must have for a road trip when you don’t have the means or energy to wash your face before bed!
Beauty Counter Sunscreen: Also the only sunscreen I will use. Not only is it reef-friendly, but it does not contain any ingredients that are harmful to humans and it has a non-aerosol technology! (P.S. It comes in a travel size so you can easily make it on planes. Read more about this healthy and eco-friendly sunscreen here.)
Miscellaneous:
Bluetooth Speaker: I don’t know about you, but I am ALWAYS listening to music so I need a portable speaker for the beach, for the top of the mountain, etc.
Car Charger/Portable Charger: For obvious reasons.
Hammock: Because sometimes you just need place to relax that is not your car, am I right?
Day bag: For exploring cities, mountains and more. I use Venture Pal’s Ultralight Lightweight Packable Foldable Travel Camping Hiking Outdoor Sports Backpack Daypack (Yes, that’s really what it is called I was going to shorten the name but it is ALL of those things say I had to include it all.) This backpack is as light as a feather and folds into itself. It is very spacious and has many different compartments. I use it for EVERYTHING.
Water bottle: For all drinking purposes. This one is awesome because when you are not using it you can fold it up and fit it anywhere!
Utensils: Reusable of course because we are always trying to leave as less of a footprint as possible. But let’s also steer clear of reusable plastic and get something that will not harm the earth when we do eventually dispose of it. These ones are made out of bamboo and come with chopsticks (perfect if you’re road tripping through Asia, am I right?)
Knife: A sharp one. To cut your fruits and veggies!
Plate: Again, we are trying to leave as little a footprint during our travels as possible so lets aim for one like this, it comes with utensils as well.
Sunglasses: Make sure they’re a cool pair because we’re going for cool here.
Reusable Paper Towels: I just use quick dry towels whenever needed, but you can also find reusable paper towels like this one.
Toilet paper: Because you may need it at some point.
Dewrinkle Spray: This is a lifesaver when doing any kind of travel!
Food:
Stick a cooler in the trunk and just make sure you refill the ice and you are set for food.
Amazing Greens Superfood Powder: It’s hard to make sure you’re getting all your greens in while traveling, especially on a road trip when you can’t exactly cook all the time or keep your veggies cold. This is a MUST for me. I just add it to my water in the morning and I don’t have to worry that I didn’t drink my green smoothie for breakfast.
Fruit: My favorites to pack are grapefruit, oranges, apples, pears and bananas. I love to pack other fruits as well but they can be harder to pack.
Bars: Any kind works. Pick what you like best.
Trail mix: I make my own by mixing some almonds, pecans, goji berries, raw cacao nibs and other nuts and dried fruits together. Tip: Don’t put chocolate chips, they will most likely melt.
Sandwiches: There’s a couple different ways you can do sandwiches. I grill tofu ahead of time and keep it cold. I add it to some bread with some buffalo sauce, avocado and greens. You can also do a hummus sandwich with avocado, tomato, balsamic vinaigrette, etc.
Water: A couple gallons of water to keep in the car is a good idea! You can refill whenever you need it.
Beans: Beans are good to get protein. You can add them to a wrap or toss them together with some dressing, cucumbers and tomatoes to make a bean salad.
Salad Dressings: They can be used on sandwiches and wraps, in the bean salad mentioned above or, believe it or not….to make a salad!
Chips & Salsa: Easy to keep snack, who doesn’t love chips and salsa?