Rather than taking the fast lane to a destination, road trips are about taking the scenic route — and spending hours upon hours in the car. That means that your typical vacation packing list will need a few tweaks to incorporate all the road trip essentials — beyond your driver’s license and car owner’s manual, that is.
I spend between eight and nine months of the year on the road, touring the United States. I consider myself a professional road tripper, and as such, I know a thing or two about what you need to pack for a long ride. The following list of over 30 road trip essentials is the product of years of trial and error. I never travel without any of these items, and if I ever happen to hit the road without one, I find that I miss it, need it, and buy it somewhere along the way.