Home Road Trips Family Road Trip Safety Packing List (with Printable)

Family Road Trip Safety Packing List (with Printable)

by Shelly Rivoli

Be road-trip ready with this family road trip safety packing list.

It’s all too easy to assume our smartphones will help us out of any difficulty we may encounter on a family road trip. But not only can those smart-when-they-work gadgets lose signal the moment you really begin to rely on that navigation–or need to call AAA.  They have a hard time replacing that burnt headlight on a late night’s drive or keeping everyone well hydrated in an overheated car while you wait much longer than expected for roadside assistance.

Here is a quick list of what to make sure you have with you on the open road for your next family road trip–and here’s a printable copy to keep in your glove box for future trips. This post contains affiliate links.

 

Family Road Trip Safety Packing List:

1. Car cell phone charger or pre-charged powerbank

top rated powerbank for travelers

A pre-charged power bank like this one works quickly (2.5 x faster) and easily with USB-compatible devices as well as other cords.

2. Printed map of the area you’ll drive through (backup to GPS)
3. Backup list of emergency contact phone numbers (independent of your phone)
4. Spare tire and jack
5. Fix-a-flat tire emergency tire repair (in a can!)

fix-a-flat tire repairYou might also consider taking along this temporary tire repair product for times when a full wheel replacement (with jack and spare) may not be possible, or this may hold you over until the professional repair. (Be sure to follow instructions and read precautions.)

6. Jumper cables
7. Flash light (with new batteries)
8. Replacement wiper blades
9. Replacement headlight bulb
10. Flares or emergency lights
11. Space blanket
12. Quarters for unanticipated parking meters or turnpikes
13. Family First-Aid kit, completed with your preferred infant / child medications

road trip first aid kit with travel kit

14. Umbrella
15. Spare pen and paper for emergency note-taking
16. Emergency cash reserve

You never know when you’ll need the green stuff (“cash only” for gas or souvenirs?). But in case of a storm or power outage during your adventure, it may become your only option.

17. Emergency water reserve

3 gallon water container for road tripThis is the kind of backup water container we bring on road trips to refill our individual water bottles as we travel, and refill to always have a backup supply of water in case of emergency.

18. Emergency snack reserve for all travelers–including pets!*

In your emergency snacks, be sure to include something suitable for each family member, not overlooking jarred baby food or formula if appropriate and/or something for your four-legged friend.

–> Click here for the printable version of this list to use for this trip–and to keep in your glove box for future family road trips. You might also like Ten Things You Should Pack for a Family Road Trip at our sister site, Family Travel 411.

You might also like:

Packing List for Camping with Babies, Toddlers, and Young Children

The Five Best Places to Visit California’s Giant Redwoods and Giant Sequoias

In Case of Car Sickness – 10 Things You’ll be Glad to Have in the Car

Checking-In Safety Checklist (with Printable)

Ten Things to Do Before You Leave Home when Traveling with a Baby

The Best Baby Travel Beds and Toddler Sleeping Solutions

How to Plan Your Best Vacation with Baby

 

travels with baby book coverHas this book helped YOU?

Please take a minute to rate it on Amazon,   BarnesandNoble.com,   or Goodreads!
As you probably know, customer reviews make a tremendous difference and I greatly appreciate your help in getting the word out. 😀

Previous post: Planning Tips for Travel with a Toddler 2 to 3 Years

Have you subscribed to Travels with Baby Tips?

More tips and advice are on the way! For help for planning travel of every kind–with babies and children of every temperament–in Travels with Baby: The Ultimate Guide for Planning Travel with Your Baby, Toddler, and Preschooler.

 

Have you seen our features at Family Travel 411?

California with Kids: Ten Unforgettable Family Vacation Ideas

Six Great Mexico Family Vacation Destinations

Nine Amazing Family Vacations Abroad

Safe journeys,

Shelly Rivoli, author of the award-winning Travels with Baby guidebooks

Twitter     Facebook     Travels with Baby on Facebook     Pinterest

What?! Your kids aren’t babies anymore? Head over to Family Travel 411!

Curious about this content? See my editorial content disclosure.

An earlier version of this post first appeared July 12, 2017.

Family road trip safety packing list

Family road trip safety packing list

You may also like...