This road trip packing list is as fresh as it gets and based on my recent experience of going on a 10 day roadtrip in Norway during the summer. It includes all of the essentials you will need for your trip, whether you are staying in hotels, exploring cities, camping at campsites, going day hiking – or doing a little bit of it all within the same trip! I feel confident you won’t be missing anything important, as long as you follow this list. Read along below!

Road Trip Packing List Essentials

Sunglasses and/or a hat

Painkillers

Snacks and drinks

A road trip packing list is not a road trip packing list without the perfect road trip snacks and drinks. For this one, I am all for the motto: more is more. As long as we are speaking about snacks, that likely won’t turn bad within a couple of days or week, the more the marrier! You will never regret bringing too many snacks or drinks – but you will always regret not bringing enough.

Refillable waterbottle

Thermal bottle for hot drinks

Essential technology

Always bring the following:

– Camera and/or drone for capturing the beautiful scenaries along the way

– A phone mount for the car

– A powerbank and charger

– A USB-port for charging in the car

– A portable speaker

– Headphones

Emergency essentials

Although you will likely not encounter any emergencies of any kind, these are the absolute essentials that I ALWAYS bring for any trip:

– A small scissor

– Different sizes of band aids

– Disinfection wipes for wounds

– A band

– A small sewing kit

– Duct tape – it might be your savior in the most unexpected situations!

Essential documents

Drivers license, insurance papers and contact information, your passport, visa and more

A swimsuit and towel

You never know, when you are going to run into the perfect opportunity for an ocean dip, a waterpark or an explore in a beautiful fjord!

Umbrella

Sunscreen and bugspray

A bag for trash

A picnic blanket

A day bag

Another important road trip packing list essential is a day bag, that you can bring with you, whenever you make a road trip stop or go for a short explore.

A bum bag

Always bring a bum bag or smaller bag, that you can have ON you whenever you leave the car, to ensure you have your essentials with you, including cash, important documents and a power bank in case you run out of battery on your phone.

Road Trip Camping Gear

A tent

Basic cooking supplies

Based on my recent road trip, these are the essentials you will always need for a longer trip (and will likely miss, if you do not bring):

– Can opener

– Basic ingrediences (salt, peber and your favorites!)

– Frying oil

– Plates, bowls, spoons, knives, forks, cups and glasses (1 for each person)

– A kitchen scissor

– A cooking spoon and spatula

– A cutting board

– A sharper knife

– A bottle opener

Hammer for tent pegs

An air mattress or sleeping mat

Sleeping bags or blankets

Trangia set and gas

Swizz army knife

Entertainment

Another road trip packing list essentials for camping is entertainment. This can be entertainment, that you can enjoy on your own, such as books, journals, paper and drawing supplies – but also card games, board games, outdoor games and more to enjoy together!

A rope for hanging clothes etc. up to dry

Tea towels and cleaning cloths

Kitchen roll

Dry food and more

If you want to make your camping road trip a little cheaper, it might be worth bringing a couple of essentials from your kitchen at home, so you don’t have to buy everything on the road! Here are some examples:

– Snacks!

– Instant coffee

– Hot chocolate powder

– Marshmellows

– Pasta, rice, beans, canned tomatoes etc.

– Ketchup and other dips for barbeques

– Cereal and oats (or your preference) for breakfast

– Some bread, crackers etc.

A flashlight

Washing up liquid and a dish brush

Fire and grill essentials

If you want to ensure the best possible road- and camping trip, be sure to bring the following essentials for the most epic barbeque evenings and bonfire nights:

– Firewood (pack it from home or buy it near where you are staying)

– Fire starters

– A few lighters and matches

Camping chairs

A camp table (optional)

Personal Items

Clothing

I highly recommend going for layers, if your road trip leads you to places, where the temperature varies a lot. I always bring pants/skirts/shorts as well as t-shirts/tops suitable for the amount of days I am going, and then add in a couple of warmer knits or hoodies to put on top during early mornings and cold evenings!

Hiking gear

If you plan on hiking during your road trip, you might want to include the following in your packing list:

– Hiking shoes / boots

– Hiking socks

– A good day-hiking backpack + water-proof cover

– Hiking clothes suitable for the weather (layers are the key!)

– Rain- and windproof jacket

Toilettries

The toilettries you will need will likely be the same things, that you normally use at home – and a little extra for the environment on the road. For example, this is what I would pack:

– Shampoo and conditioner

– Hairbrush

– Hair accessories (hair ties etc.)

– Skin care

– Shower towel

– Body lotion

– Sunscreen and aftersun

– Shaver

– Makeup

– Makeup remover

– Cotton pads and swabs

– Bugspray and after-bug-bite cream

– Contact lenses, solution and container

– Birth control

This road trip packing list includes all of the items that I brought – and wish that I had brought on my summer road trip in Norway camping and driving through the dreamiest of landscapes. I feel pretty confident that it includes all of the essential. Can you come up with more essentials that should absolutely be brought on a road trip?? Write them in a comment below and help your fellow travellers out!