What to Pack for a Road Trip!
A few weeks ago, Heather from Local Mom Scoop and I took a road trip to Orlando for Mom 2.0 Summit. We loaded the Mitsubishi Mirage with our luggage (we were only going to be away for three nights, but it looked more like a week’s worth), waved good bye to the hubbies and headed north. Aside from the large amount of clothing, we made sure to pack a host of other items to make our ride comfortable.
FOOD
It’s the first thing on my packing list whether we are driving 20 minutes or 5 hours. I always pack snacks – even before my boys came into the picture, I made sure to have some form of sustenance in the car. I personally like to pack:
- Protein or granola bars
- Snack size bags of popcorn or (gluten free) pretzels
- M&Ms or something chocolate
BEVERAGES
I don’t like to drink too much while driving because then I make a lot of extra pit stops to the bathroom, but it’s important to stay hydrated!
- Water bottles
- Coffee (especially if it is an AM departure!)
PACKABLES
These are the things I need to operate to my full potential!
- Sunglasses
- Sunscreen – you can totally get a sunburn through your car window. Don’t let anyone tell you differently.
- Cell phone charging cable and car charger
- Cell phone mount – this came in handy when we taped our SoFlo Moms on the Go episode while driving!
- Tissues/napkins/wet wipes
- Tire gauge – this actually is always in my glove compartment, but I make sure it’s there for those just in case moments
PLAYLIST
A road trip is B-O-R-I-N-G without good music! You can listen to the radio, but you’re bound to reach a limit where your favorite station doesn’t work anymore. Pandora, or any other streaming music provider is another great option, but there are a few spots on the way to Orlando, for example, that are not cell phone signal-friendly. I recommend downloading at 10-12 of your favorite songs (or more depending on the duration of your drive). Find songs that go along with the theme of your trip – in our case it was a summit for women, and we were spending some time away from the family so it was like a girls’ weekend!
DRIVE IN STYLE!
We were thankful enough to take the 2 1/2 hour trip in a super cute 2017 Mitsubishi Mirage G4.
What I Liked About the Mirage
- The driver seat was super comfortable – a must when driving long distances.
- The gas mileage was top notch! I used only 1/2 tan of gas to get us up to the Orlando area – that is commendable.
- I was able to connect my phone via Bluetooth so I could talk handsfree should a call come in AND play my own music saved on the phone.
- There was a little spot to store the key when driving – and don’t worry about leaving it in the car by accident. The car will “ding” if you go to leave the car with the key still nestled in it’s compartment!
- For a small car, that trunk was HUGE!
- The backup camera was a big help!
What I Would Change
- There was only one thing and it was the noise inside the car when driving. It was a smooth ride, but a bit louder than other cars I have test driven in the past.
What are your must-haves when you go on a road trip? I’d love to know!
