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I’ve Moved Across the Country 5 Times (with a Dog), and These Amazon Finds Are My Absolute Road Trip Must-Haves
By Olivia Dubyak,
7 hours ago
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Yes, you read that right, I have moved across the country five times (and one of those times I was eight months pregnant), so I've pretty much perfected the art of packing for a road trip. And I don't just mean packing my suitcase for a few photo ops and hotel stops—I'm talking loading the car up with things that have kept my husband, my dog and me prepared for the long days of driving, too. Read on for my nine road trip essentials (which all happen to be from Amazon), along with some other road trip tips and tricks.
A Few Tips for Organizing the Car for a Road Trip
Keep the Must-Haves Close
The key to a good road trip is making sure you have everything you need within arm's reach. Whether it's a snack, drink, phone charger, dog treats or anything else that you think you'll use frequently, keep it close by so you don't have to dig around or even pull over to find what you're looking for.
I'm very anti-clutter, so organization is nonnegotiable. There's a fine line between being organized and trying too hard to be organized where you end up with too many storage pieces that make it more of a struggle to find what you need, so don't overdo it!
A cooler right behind your center console is the best spot to be able to easily grab cold items, which reminds me: Start off using ice packs for the first portion of your road trip to avoid melting ice, and then swap to ice when you need to so you can just dump the cooler when you arrive.
Ditch the Purse
Pack your purse in your overnight bag for the hotel. Your purse will become a catch-all for things that don't belong in it if you keep it up front with you, so get her out of the way. Thank me later.
Instead, keep your wallet up front along with your chapstick, hand sanitizer, etc. with you in the center console of your vehicle so you can grab it easily when you stop for gas or grab dinner. Bonus tip: Don't just keep your cards with you because they'll be easier to misplace.
Keep a Designated Trash Bag
In my opinion, those little mini trash cans you find everywhere are basically useless on a road trip because they fill up too fast. Keep a garbage bag on the back of one of your front seats to collect all of your trash (and don't forget a backup).
How to Travel Across Country With Your Dog
This took some practice for us. Not because our dog misbehaves or gets super antsy, but because we wanted to make sure he was comfortable and at ease for these long drives. What we found out: He hates pet beds in the car, prefers the middle back seat, only likes one stuffed animal toy and oddly likes being a little squished between soft items. We made sure to keep treats up with us to give him throughout the trip and to add an extra stop so he can get out and stretch his legs and go to the bathroom if he needs it. Yes, the car is going to get a little furry (but I have a solution for that which I'll tell you later on), but unless you have a dog who doesn't shed, that's unavoidable. Keeping your dog's comfort in mind and making an effort to ease any anxiety is going to help you all in the long run.
Now onto my essentials. These products come with me on every road trip, no matter how short or long.
Neck pillows are not the way to go for a long car ride, I promise you. This pillow, though, is the perfect shape to put your head between the seat and the window without kinking your neck. It's a great balance between plush and firm, and the cover is removable so you can wash it after your trip. It's 13 inches long and 5 inches wide, so it won't take up too much space like a bed pillow would. It has nearly 10,000 5-star reviews on Amazon, and quite a few of them also rave about how great this is to keep in the car for those long trips.
Don't forget to buckle your pup up, too. This leash clicks right into the seatbelt and is insanely easy to use. It can be adjusted between 24 and 31 inches in length and the collar clip has 360-degree rotation. When we go on road trips, I opt for a harness, so if there is an abrupt stop, the belt doesn't pull on his neck. I've never experienced an issue with this belt and would recommend it to anyone with a dog. It's got more than 24,000 5-star reviews on Amazon, too. "I like the way it lets me hook my dog in any seat belt. He knows his limits and doesn’t try to go beyond his boundaries. We take him on short trips and will be going on long trips," says one customer. BTW, it comes with two in a pack, so you can keep one in separate cars or use them on two dogs.
This is my all-time favorite storage solution for my car on road trips. I put my phone here while I'm napping, and pack my charging cords, hand sanitizer, eye mask, sunglasses, hand cream and gum into all the netted pockets. I also keep my light makeup and mini skincare for when we stop for dinner along the way in the bottom zipper compartment. It hooks right over the head rest and hangs on the side of the front seat so you can easily reach over your shoulder and get to it. I hang this one on the driver side because it's easier to grab stuff when you're the passenger, and I can hand my husband whatever he needs. This buy also comes as a set of two, so you can hang one on the back of both front seats if you wish.
I've tried tons of headphones for when I'm riding passenger princess and don't want to listen to my husband's podcasts, and I always go back to my AirPods Pro. They're the most comfortable earbuds, and stay nice and snug in my ears—perfect for when I'm shifting around and trying to get comfortable in the car. I never have Bluetooth connection issues, plus they have fantastic battery life. The noise-canceling and spatial audio sound options are super convenient to tap over to, so I can switch between getting lost in my own listening and being aware of what my husband is saying.
It's easy to forget to stay hydrated on long road trips, so instead of chugging a gallon of water and having to stop to pee constantly, I mix one of these packets into my water bottle to keep me hydrated with less liquid. According to the brand, one packet has three times the amount of electrolytes than other sport drinks. They're super easy to toss in your car, and, yes, they taste really good. I love the variety pack to switch up the flavors (though the passion fruit is my favorite). There are 16 packets in this bag, which last me and my husband quite a while.
Continuously adding bottled water to your dog's collapsible dog bowl is just not efficient, especially when they don't finish it and it spills, or you're forced to dump it out. I've been using this dog water bottle for several years now and absolutely love it. The bottom cup holds the water and you just press the button to release some of it into the bowl part. Then, whatever your dog doesn't finish can be drained right back into the container to use later on. You can do a 12- or 19- ounce bottle, and it comes in multiple colors. It has more than 32,500 5-star ratings, too, so I'm not the only one who thinks it's fantastic.
Speaking of my pup, he is a shedder and dog hair tends to float around in the car which is very annoying, especially if you don't have seat covers. At every rest stop I like to roll this paperless hair remover roller over our seats to get off any fur so we can start the next stint of the drive fresh and clean. I love that I don't have to rip off sticky papers like a regular lint roller—when I need to empty it, the back pops open and I can just pull the hair right out. I've had mine for over a year now and it still works just as well as the day I got it. It works beautifully on couches and comforters, too, BTW.
You may think I'm recommending this for drivers to keep an eye on the GPS (which, sure, that too), but I'm *actually* recommending it for when you're in the passenger seat and want to watch TV or a movie on your phone. Holding your phone is for the birds. Why do that when you can easily mount it in front of you, sans hands? I love that this one doesn't require any adhesive to stick to my dashboard and can be easily moved around (it gets traction from the silicone bottom). It's compatible with iPhone, Samsung and Android devices, too.
Getting out after hours of driving makes my body feel like I've aged 20 years. And maybe this is weird, but I love a full blown stretch session for a couple minutes at a rest stop (yes, I have gotten curious looks). But hear me out: When I get back in the car I feel rejuvenated and more awake, so when it's my turn to drive I feel completely raring to go. I use this longer fitness resistance band because I can stretch my arms and shoulders, too. The material is super durable and doesn't pinch or pull any body hair like those icky rubber ones. It comes in a set of three, all of which are different resistance levels, though I just use the lowest one to stretch. As a bonus, you can use them for at-home workouts when you're not on the road.
PureWow's editors and writers have spent more than a decade shopping online, digging through sales and putting our home goods, beauty finds, wellness picks and more through the wringer—all to help you determine which are actually worth your hard-earned cash. From our PureWow100 series (where we rank items on a 100-point scale) to our painstakingly curated lists of fashion, beauty, cooking, home and family picks, you can trust that our recommendations have been thoroughly vetted for function, aesthetics and innovation. Whether you're looking for travel-size hair dryers you can take on-the-go or women’s walking shoes that won’t hurt your feet, we’ve got you covered.
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