Fall is the perfect time to pack up and take a road trip. With cooler weather on the way, spending long hours inside of a car isn’t a miserable as it would be during the middle of summer. Before filling up your gas take and taking off on your next adventure, follow these tips on how to efficiently pack for a road trip to make the most of your limited car space and ensure that everyone has a great time.

 

Bags

Taking a road trip is much different than taking a flight. Pack your items in a soft duffel bag instead of a hard suitcase. While a hard suitcase is essential for protecting your luggage on a turbulent flight, a soft duffel bag is much easier to stack and fit in your car. Plus, it’s a smaller bag, meaning your much less likely to overpack. Pack a smaller backpack to keep near your seat which contains any necessities, like snacks, a phone charger or medication.

 

Clothing

Because you’re spending most of your time on the road and not out and about, you don’t need to worry about packing tons of fashionable outfits. Stick to breathable and comfortable clothes that you won’t mind wearing all day. Pack a few universal pieces that match with anything to minimize the amount you need to pack. If you plan on staying in hotels along the way, you can often wash laundry there.

 

Entertainment

Long car rides can get boring, no matter how beautiful the scenery is. Be sure to pack a magazine or book to keep yourself entertained. Also, find a few games that the whole car can play to keep everyone involved. Mad Libs is a great family-friendly game that will keep everyone laughing. Or, brush up on the rules of a few classic road trip games, like the License Plate game.

 

Safety

Though everyone hopes to have a road trip with no emergencies or accidents, it’s always better to be prepared. Pack an emergency roadside assistance kit and a first-aid kit. Ensure you have a set of jumper cables, a flashlight and a spare tire. Some items to include in your first-aid kit are Band-Aids, antibiotic ointment, hand sanitizer, and ibuprofen. Make sure to bring a portable phone charger, in case you need to make an emergency call and your phone is low on batteries.