Driving across the country is an AMAZING journey. And it can be challenging. Some things are inevitable, like having a never-ending bug graveyard on your windshield (IYKYK). But there are also a LOT of challenges that we can alleviate.
When my husband and I decided to take our dog, Luna, on our cross-country road trip to Canada, I was determined to pack and plan as efficiently as possible to take away any unnecessary stress on the road. I am SO glad I did because honestly, it helped make our time on the road as seamless as possible.
If you want to hear about the realities of what a cross-country road trip is like, we did a special Road Trip Wellness episode sharing all the details and tips for taking care of your body, mind, and dog while on the road!
Here are 4 MUST HAVES for the car from my packing list.
1. Packing Cubes
I got these packing cubes and they made it so much easier to keep our stuff organized, especially when we were just in places for one night. It also compresses all the air out so you can pack more and take up less space! We only got one set of these, but honestly, I wish we had two!
2. Hanging Toiletry Kit
This hanging toiletry kit was a last-minute purchase and I didn't know how much I needed it until I got it. It was so helpful going in and out of places and has been great to take camping because it keeps everything so nice and organized. We just have this one size that the two of us share.
3. Dog Water Bottle
I am a smother-mother dog mom and am ALWAYS concerned about Luna's hydration. But to be fair, it is really important to think about it, especially when you are on a big road trip with your dog. If your dog is like Luna though, they likely don't finish all their water at once, and sometimes can't make up their sweet puppy minds if it's time for a drink. This water bottle from Amazon was essential and I truly will not get in the car without it for Luna. If your dog doesn't finish the cup, you can twist a knob and the water drains back into the bottle for later so you aren't wasting water, which is super important on the road. It also has a carabineer, which I found helpful to clip the water bottle on the back of my seat for easy access.
4. Yeti Cooler
I cannot stress enough how important having a good cooler is. We have a few ice packs in a small yeti cooler we borrowed from my sister and it worked perfectly! We never had to stop for ice, we just put the packs in a fridge or freezer where we were staying each night and all our food stayed fresh the whole trip. We loved this cooler so much that we got our own ASAP.
Be sure to get my free Road Trip Wellness Guide, not only do you get my AMAZING packing list, but you also get the full list of snacks, on-the-road meals, and all my road trip tips.
These links are affiliate Amazon links to make it easy for you to get what you need, and to support me while doing so-- look at us helping each other out! 😉
