Car Trip Must Haves

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My family is heading away this weekend for our annual “camping” trip. It’s a family gathering of sorts with my dad’s side of the family in Ohio.

I put the word camping in quotation marks because what once started as us legitimately camping outside in tents has now become hanging out on the campground all day and then going to a hotel for the night. Especially now with a tike in tow.

We used to stay from Friday evening to Sunday evening, but now with a baby, it works better for us travel early in the morning on Saturday while Evie is still sleeping, and then head back home on Sunday after lunch so we’re home by bedtime.

That means we spend a lot of the weekend in the car.

I wanted to share some of the items we use to keep our trip organized and comfortable. A lot of these are handy to keep in the car for normal day-to-day use as well.

ORGANIZATION

car trash can — Keep your trash off the floor with this handy trash can that can hang from the back of a seat or sit on the floor. I love this trash can because it takes grocery bags as liners, making for super fast and easy emptying. Plus, the lid helps keep trash and bad smells inside the container. Get it HERE.

toy organizer — This seat organizer is the perfect size to keep kids’ books and toys on hand. It also features two cup holders so your tikes can stay hydrated without you hunting through a bag to find their drinks. Get it HERE.

This hanging organizer works great on the backs of seats. Toys work great here, but there are plenty of pouches for mom and dad’s things too! Get it HERE.

This trunk organizer is great for both long trips and short stints across town. With several compartments and pouches outside, there is a spot for just about anything you don’t want rolling around in your trunk. Get it HERE.

This little organizer slips in the gap between your seat and the center console. It helps catch anything that might fall down there and disappear until the next time you deep clean your car. It also makes for a great place to keep small things that you want to keep handy on your trips like your phone, keys, or gum. It also comes with a built-in coin holder, a two-port USB charger, and an extra cup holder. Get it HERE.

These binder pencil pouches are good for more than your kid’s school supplies. They’re almost the perfect size to fit in your glove box. I don’t know about you but the glove box becomes the place I shove everything from napkins and extra forks to gum and mints to an extra pair of socks just in case. I have a stack of these in my glove box, each with a different purpose. One for some easy to access safety supplies, one with leftover fast food loot, one with spare chargers and cords for our electronics. The different colored bags makes it really easy to identify and grab only the one you need. Get them HERE.

These powerful little magnets pop right onto the grilles of your car’s air conditioner. Once you attach the included magnetic plates to your phone, you always have a place nearby for your phone. This is a great solution to for hands-free driving. If you use your phone’s GPS, you can easily see the screen without having to pick the phone up. Get it HERE.

SAFETY

I am one of those “take everything that you might possibly need” people and I almost always overpack just because I feel less anxious knowing I’m well stocked. Here are a few things to keep in your car so you don’t have to worry about getting caught up the creek without a paddle*.

*Please don’t actually take a paddle with you unless you’re planning on doing water sports.