Fall Road Trip List of Essentials field notes

Planning a road trip this fall? Make sure you and your family are road trip ready with our Fall Road Trip List of Essentials guide!

This article was originally written on September 10, 2019. It was updated with new photos, edited for clarity and more helpful content, and republished on October 7, 2023.

Fall is such a beautiful time for road trip travels in the United States. It's a great way to take in the colorful fall foliage as the leaves change color. We love how fall foliage almost lights the path to your destination.

The weather tends to be simply right—not too cold, not too hot. And during the fall months, you tend to not be fighting the crowds of tourists as much as during the summer.

We grew up taking road trips regularly with the parents. Now, the own family is road-trip ready. And We'm excited to share some of the best road trip tips with you in this post!

Fall road trip list essentials

Whether you're planning to do a long road trip or a day trip, it helps to be prepared before you hit the open road. And while there are some road trip necessities that are year round, there are also some particular things that are fall road trip essentials. These will also work for a winter road trip!

Some of these important things on the road trip checklist can be kept in a trunk organizer. Others, especially personal items, are best kept within arms reach in the car.

Here is the fall road trip list essentials to help make your trip the best it can be.

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1. Stay hydrated

You can honestly never pack too much water and other cold drinks for a road trip.

Pack one reusable water bottle per person, and refill at different rest stops, gas stations, restaurants, or stores along the way.

Also have at least one large bottle (2-liter or larger) of filtered water in the car. This may come in handy during long stretches without places to stop for water. We've found them handy when we've done road trips to Walla Walla, Idaho, and Montana. During those trips we drove through long stretches of open road without anyplace to refill our water bottles.

2. Keep warm

With the weather changes that happen during the fall months, We like to pack extra blankets in the car.

Blankets are great for long road trips when one part of the car might feel colder than the other. Pack one for each person.

You can also use blankets for the beach, picnics at the park, and as extra layers when sitting around a campfire.

3. Stock up on road trip snacks

For the best road trip snacks, you want food that doesn't necessarily require refrigeration or will spoil easily and quickly.

Pack portable food that is rich in nutrients to sustain you during the trip.

You'll want to pack a tote with packs of ice or cooling packs. Then, fill it with these fall road trip essentials:

Apples
Pears
Bananas
Crackers
Nuts like almonds or cashews
Granola bars
Jerky
Root vegetable chips

🌟 Get more ideas from our 50 Best Road Trip Snacks checklist.

4. Pack your travel technology

Making sure your phone battery is fully charged before you embark on road trips is an essential safety procedure. Cell service can be spotty, especially on long road trips.

We always keep at least one cell phone portable charger in the car, simply in case. Make sure they are fully charged before you hit the road.

And for ease of reading maps, We use a phone mount to keep the phone handy simply in case.

5. Keep it clean

You never know what will happen on road trips. Spills are almost inevitable. So are sticky messes if you've got kids. And you can't always rely on rest stops having fully stocked soap dispensers.

So, pack some hand sanitizer or sanitizing wipes (We pack both!). Place them somewhere where they are easily accessible in the car.

It also helps to pack some ziplock plastic bags to help coral trash and lock in odors during a long trip.

6. Pack an Emergency Car Kit

You should always have a small roadside emergency kit stowed away in the trunk of your car. But you especially want to make sure you have it with you on road trips.

Make sure it includes emergency safety items like:

Jumper cables
Flares
Whistles
Scissors
Duct tape
Flashlights

This is also a good time to double check that your spare tire is ready to go in case you need to change a flat tire.

7. Stock your car first aid kit

Always keep a basic first aid kit in your car. Check it every couple of months at least to make sure over the counter medications and other items are still safe to use.

A basic car first aid kit should include:

Bandages in different sizes
Antiseptic wipes
Antibiotic ointment
Cold packs
Gauze
Over the counter pain reliever such as Advil or Tylenol.

8. Dress appropriately and comfortably

When planning what to wear for your fall road trip, dressing in layers is best. If you've got a long drive ahead of you, make sure you wear comfortable material that you can move easily in.

We usually wear jeans or leggings, a t-shirt or tank top (depending on dates and locations), and a sweatshirt or sweater.

You'll want to bring a light jacket. Then you might also want to pack a heavier jacket and/or waterproof rain jacket, depending on your destination and the areas you'll be traveling through.

Depending on your destination, it's also a good idea to keep extra shoes in the car. These can be ski boots, waterproof boots, or extra hiking boots.

9. Important documents

Make sure you keep important documents such as the following items in your glove compartment or in your bag:

Auto insurance
Car registration
Travel insurance documents
Car manual

10. Make a list and check it twice

While each family road trip will have a few different important items that will vary from household to household, these are some of the basics to keep in mind when preparing for any road trip.

You can also download our road trip packing list and check things off as you pack them. Whether you're planning for a long trip or day trips, now you're ready for your next road trip. Safe travels!

🚙 Download our Ultimate Road Trip Packing List