It’s road trip season! It’s always nice to escape for a road trip this time of year. Some of our favorite spots to visit are St. George, Newport Beach and Lake Tahoe. In order to have a good trip, we always make sure to pack these 15 things.
Get a Free Pre-Trip Safety Check
Before we start packing, we get a free pre-trip safety check from Les Schwab. Did you hear that? It’s FREE and it brings so much peace of mind before hopping in the car for a road trip. The pros at Les Schwab check everything out on your car to make sure it is up for whatever adventure you have planned.
It’s so important to try and prepare for anything that may happen and packing these things can keep you ready for whatever you may encounter. Click here to find your closest Les Schwab location to schedule your safety check.
#1 New Games & Toys for Kids
We have found the simpler, the better when it comes to things to pack in the car. We tried a necklace making kit and.. it did not go well ha. Instead, we’ve found simple things like silly putty and magnets are really fun for toddlers in the car and don’t get EVERYWHERE.
#2 An Old Wallet Filled With Surprises
An Old Wallet Filled With Random Surprises. This is my only genius mothering hack I’ve ever come up with. I found an old wallet of mine and filled it with all of Hazel’s favorite things – stick-on earrings, bandaids, mints, candy, pen, and tiny notepad, old gift cards, a matchbox car, and stickers. She was busy for over 30 minutes, which is an absolute eternity in toddler time! I not only used it in the car on the trip but also at all of the restaurants we stopped at.
#3 Snacks
Snacks. And more snacks. And then a couple more. You can never have too many snacks on a road trip. If you don’t eat them on the way there, you will probably eat them on the way back. Some of our favorite road trip snacks: these protein bites, monster cookies, sliced up fruit, baby carrots, veggie straws, fruit leather, and trail mix (preferably one with lots of chocolate). Make sure you throw in a couple of protein bars and fruit leather with a long shelf life you can keep in your car permanently in case of an emergency.
#4 Water
Keep bottles of water in your car emergency kit. You never know when you are going to be stopped in traffic for hours and it’s always nice to have water on hand. We make sure every person in the car has their own large water bottle (or two) on every road trip. One key to getting my daughter to drink a lot of water was letting her pick her own water bottle at the store (Moana themed) and adding a tiny bit of True Lemon to add some flavor.
#5 A Towel
You never know when you are going to need to put on your snow chains or get out of the car to do something and end up soaking wet. You will never regret having one in your car!
#6 Warm Hat & Gloves
I not only love having these in my car for road trips but as permanent staples in my emergency kit. You will undoubtedly use them regularly, but it’s a must-have for getting stuck in a cold-weather emergency.
#7 A Small Tarp
It wasn’t until I married Sam that I realized the genius of this addition to the car. Again – always necessary in cold weather if you’re putting on snow chains or trying to dig a tire out of a snowy ditch, but also extremely practical for everyday use. I cannot even count the number of times I have pulled the tarp out of my trunk.
#8 Waterproof Jacket
This is a necessity for your emergency kit. If you’re like me and don’t always dress according to the weather, this is a must. Pack an old jacket you don’t wear on a regular basis in your car emergency kit and you never have to think about it again. I like doing this rather than always trying to remember to bring a waterproof jacket with me every time I climb in my car.
#9 Windshield Ice Scraper
Getting a home with a garage was one of the happiest moments of my life and this is why. I no longer had to use my ice scraper every single day! But, I still have one in my trunk for when I am not parked in the comfort of my own garage and I am shocked at how much I use it. They cost about $5, so you will definitely get plenty of use for the price.
#10 Reflective Gear
This stuff belongs safely in your car emergency kit. Getting a flat tire on the side of the freeway at night is frightening enough, add into that the fact that most people don’t have reflective gear and are trying to walk around their car and fix things in the dark, it’s a scary equation. Hopefully, you will never have to use your reflective gear, but it’s so nice to know it’s there.
#11 Tire Chains
Pack these in your car emergency kit and keep them there! You never know when it will start snowing on the mountain pass you are crossing. If you purchase tire chains from Les Schwab and don’t use them during the winter, they offer a full refund! You can get more information about that here.
#12 Headlamp & Flashlight
Headlamp! This is often overlooked, but comes in so handy if you get a flat in the dark or need to put your snow chains on. I think, the brighter the better. While we’re talking about headlamps, it’s a great idea to buy a nice flashlight for your car emergency kit. You can use it for help in an emergency or find your toddler’s missing binky in the middle of the night 🙂
#13 Storage Container
Large Storage Tub for keeping all of your emergency essentials dry and together. Go find something that will work for you. By packing it all together, it’s no longer in a giant pile in your trunk, which I am totally guilty of doing.
Pack all of these things and you will be ready to go anywhere! We want to know where you love to road trip.
Thanks to Les Schwab for helping us prep our own car emergency kits! #LesSchwabPartner
