Hi friends! Planning a road trip is a lot of fun, but it’s not always easy. There are a ton of things to coordinate, from where to go, to when, to what to bring, and everything in between. The amount of prep can honestly be overwhelming, especially if you’re traveling in these uncertain times, and even more if you have to come up with the entire road trip packing list yourself.
There are a ton of resources and Pinterest printables out there of road trip packing lists and prep, but so many of them seem to be geared towards an audience slightly different than mine is.
The fact of the matter is that while I love to road trip as a way of travel, I love it more as a content creation opportunity. I like to consider myself a connoisseur of the modern aesthetic road trip, the millennial road trip, whatever you want to call it — I’m a young woman who road trips for the #content, and because of that, what I need to pack for a road trip can be kind of different.
That’s why I decided to make up a FREE printable checklist of everything I do to prep and pack for a road trip. It’s long and detailed, yes, but it contains pretty much everything I bring or think about bringing before I hit the road. It’s geared toward the modern young woman who’s looking for an aesthetic, instagrammable road trip, and will ensure you that you have everything you need to make the most of your vacation!
This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I may receive a small commission if you shop through these links at no extra cost to you. For more information, check out the disclaimer here.
What’s on the road trip packing list?
This ultimate road trip packing list is really meant to be a super-inclusive guide of everything you could or should do before you leave for your trip, and the things you want to bring on your trip. While I know there are many things that won’t apply to everyone (not everyone has to have a full six-step glow up before vacation like I like to), I hope that it’s at least detailed enough to jog your memory of things you might want to make sure are taken care of before you leave!
I wrote the list from my perspective, which is frankly that of a 20-something white girl. If you’re a family of four trying to figure out what to pack for your children, this checklist may not be for you. Even if you are a millennial woman like me, you may not shave, tan, get your hair done, or need eyelashes to look like a human person — that’s you’re prerogative and I totally support it! However, if you’re like me, I hope you find it helpful!
This road trip packing checklist contains more than 130 things to do and pack for your next road trip. But don’t be scared! It’s long because it’s detailed, and if you skim through each item based on your personal needs and who you are, you should be good to go for any road trip you go on.
Also, this packing list is definitely more for someone who plans to be on the road for at least a week, if not more. It’s a bit of overkill for your day trip or weekend getaway, but for that once-in-a-lifetime cross-country road trip, this checklist should prep you for everything you need!
The printable is divided into two sections, Before You Go and For the Road
The Before You Go section contains a set of action items in the following categories:
- Beauty & fashion
- Work
- Personal
- Electronics
- For the car
- Trip planning
The For the Road section contains an extensive checklist of anything you might want on your road trip packing list, divided into these categories:
- Clothing
- Beauty
- Hair
- Personal
- Health
- Comfort
- Documents & Finance
- Car Essentials
- Electronics
- Entertainment
- Snacks
Like I’ve said, this list is extensive. However, it includes nods to some favorites that I personally consider necessities on any road trip packing list, like:
- My favorite self tanner (here are 4 other great options as well!)
- My go-to leggings that are supportive enough for working out but comfortable enough for lounging
- My favorite Free People dupe bralette
- The iconic road trip necessity, a butt pillow
- The best car charger out there
- This great Amazon blanket that I love for staying cozy and using as a prop in photos — the colors are so pretty!
- The perfect neutral eyeshadow palette for travel
- The camera and lens I rent for every road trip
- And more!
Ok, how do I download the FREE printable road trip packing list?
This road trip prep and packing list is totally free to download! Just sign up for my mailing list below to receive your printable packing list in PDF version. Once you sign up, the printable will be sent directly to your inbox!
If you’re not crazy about mailing lists — that’s okay! I’m not either. I promise I won’t spam you, I literally don’t even know how haha. I’ll just send you some occasional updates on what’s going on at Go For Kady, including posts you may have missed, more freebies, and any other major news. You’re totally free to unsubscribe at any time.
All that being said, sign up below for your FREE road trip packing list!
