In the last half of 2021, my family, consisting of two dogs and at least three kids (we added a fourth, an exchange student, for many of them), roadtripped nearly 4,000 miles in our Toyota Sequoia. A side-effect of being a Professional Organizer is a keen eye towards excess. I knew, as a mom, I’d still want to meet everyone’s needs, but not feel like everything necessary to do that was collapsing in on me in my seat.
Below, you will find my Top 10 (which means there are more to come!) Favorite Things: Road Trip Style.
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1. A Co-pilot Tray
A co-pilot tray serves many functions on a long roadtrip. It makes prepping snacks less of a hassle. Even if it’s just you and a driver, having snacks on the corner of the tray makes it easy for the driver to safely grab a snack, or for you to hand them one.
The co-pilot tray also comes in handy as a mobile work station, especially when paired with a Bluetooth keyboard.
I recommend a simple folding tray table like ones used for breakfast in bed like this one from Amazon. You can also pick one up at a store like HomeGoods. When shopping for one, look for a very slim profile (no handles that stick up), so you can tuck it next to your seat when not in use. Also, though the pull out-trays and drawers may seem cool, they’re useless in the confines of the car. Save the space and money.
2) A tablet stand
A tablet stand is handy when coupled with a co-pilot tray. It securely holds your phone or tablet for easy and comfortable binge-watching.
I have both a small one for my phone and a larger one for my tablet, but the tablet holder canhold both. Again, save the space and your money and get something that does double duty. I’ve had this one for years with no sign of wear.
Additionally, if you need to work on the road, it’s a great compact workstation when used in combination with a Bluetooth keyboard.
I absolutely love my Arteck Bluetooth Keyboard’s portability!
3. Dual-port Bluetooth Phone charger
A month before a planned 23-day road trip to Yellowstone, our beloved minivan gave up the ghost, leaving us needing to either cancel our trip or get a new-to-us car that was able to pull our trailer, fit our family AND our budget. We ended up with an older model Toyota Sequoia that does the job. However, because of its advanced years, it didn’t have Bluetooth capability (though it does have a tape cassette player so I could potentially just break out my OG roadtrip mixed tapes from my teen years).
When we found out it would cost over $500 to upgrade our stereo, we opted to take a risk on this $17 Bluetooth-capable dual-port Phone Charger off Amazon. We loved it so much, we got a second one for the other car!
Once connected, you can hear driving directions, listen to podcasts, stream a never-ending mixtape/playlist of favorite songs, and take turns being DJ with others on the ride.
4. A box of small trash bags
A bag tied to a bungee cord in between the driver and co-pilot’s chairs makes for an easy to access (and easy to throw away) trash bag. Have people in the rear? Give them their own bag and have them pass it up at each pitstop.
5. Box of snacks in the rear of the car
At each pit stop, I replenish my snack options in a small bin that I store at my feet for the next leg. I make sure there is a decent variety of proteins, chips/crackers, and sweet treats.
A small sample of what I had available:
- Beef sticks/beef jerky
- Chocolate covered almonds
- Club crackers (served with cheese from the cooler)
- Seaweed Snacks
- Superfood Cookies (my kids like the Cherry Almond one best)
- Granola bars
6. A small hard-sided cooler for perishables.
It makes a mom feel great to be able to offer fresh produce and or cheeses to bring balance to snack time. I picked up a small hard-sided cooler like this one at my local Goodwill store.
When hunting for the right cooler, I suggest looking for the smallest one you can get away with. We aren’t packing a huge lunch, just some balanced snacks and maybe a drink. I prefer the hard-sided ones because it’s more durable than a styrofoam one and doesn’t get crushed when a kid or dog steps on it.
At some point, I’d like to upgrade to a plug-in one like this 12-volt cooler that plugs right into the car!
7. Sandwich sized plastic containers
If you’ve ever attempted the Pinterest-Perfect hack of the snack kits like below, you’ll know it’s a matter of minutes before one of 2 things happen: a kid accidentally bumps their tray and the carefully curated crackers and deli cuts are on the floor and the kid is crying, OR they tear through the tray in 5-minutes flat and are hungry for more 10 minutes later.
Been there. Done that. Finally got the stains out of the car’s interior.
I’ve found that using reusable sandwich boxes, served at regular intervals, proves to be a successful strategy for my school-aged kids. I use both the top and the bottom as plates. The kids pass them back up when they are done with their snack.
These Sistema Sandwich boxes do the trick nicely.
8. A Fanny Pack
Whether or not you are ok with the fact that these suckers are making a comeback, they really are one of my favorite things on a road trip.
I use the smallest 2-pocket one I could find that still zips with my phone in it. I keep a roll of dog bags in the smaller front pocket, my license, debit card, and a chapstick in the larger pocket. If necessary, I know there is enough space for my phone if I have to run into a store or use the bathroom.
Keep it attached for the entire ride, but make sure to swing it to the side when belted in for both your comfort and safety.
9. Collapsible dog dish with an attached carabiner
Give your dog(s) a quick splash to drink in a collapsible bowl like this one without them touching the part you drink from. We typically don’t fill the bowl, but rather opt to give our dogs second helpings. It saves us from having to toss too much water.
Attach the dish to the bungee cord your trash bag is attached to when not in use.
10. Dog tethers/seatbelts
If you roadtrip with your dog, you likely know they will try to jump out of the car at every bathroom break, gas station, and lunch stop.
These tethers, that attach to the headrest, not only keep the dog(s) safe during the car ride, they also keep the animals secure until you are ready for them to come out of the car. No more searching for the leash under the seats!
So, there you have a few of My Favorite Things, Roadtrip Style! Whether you are new to road-tripping or a seasoned tripper, I hope you found some ideas to help make your next road trip even more awesome!
If you need help getting road-trip ready for your next journey, or any other organizational or productivity-related projects, fill out the short form below and we will be in touch!