Whether you’re packing for a day trip or longer, consider the basic items every family needs when they hit the road.
Safety First
Jumper cables
Tire jack and filled spare tire
Emergency kit with basic repair tools, working flashlight, flares, blankets, etc.
Fire extinguisher
First aid kit: Check that yours is properly stocked and rotate out any expired items.
Emergency water supply
Duct tape - Because you never know when you’ll need to MacGyver something
Practical Concerns
Garbage bags
Wet wipes
Disposable urinals like TravelJohn! and TravelJane! - These are actual products! Who knew?
Car sickness wristbands/medications
Blanket & towels
Water supply
Neck pillows
Fun & Games
Books: try an audio book the whole family can enjoy - Try the Harry Potter series or classics like Chronicles of Narnia
Games like car bingo and ISpy
No-mess activities such as Invisible Ink books or Crayola Color Wonder sets
Music — don’t forget the headphones
Tablets or other screen devices with downloaded stories, movies and music - Download a new movie your child has really wanted to see to keep them engrossed for a good chunk of time.
A bin for each kid to store their travel items
All the charging cables!
Food & Drink
Water bottles for everyone
Juice boxes
Shelf-stable snacks like jerky, nuts, oranges, apples
Special treats like gum. Warning: bubble blowing contests may ensue.
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Meet Laura Augustine
Laura Augustine has worked as a finance assistant at Capitol Auto Group for 7 years. She is the proud mom of three kids (four, if you count her husband Chad): Ariel, age 23; Claudia, age 22; and Bryson, age 18. As a family, they love to go fishing and boating at Detroit Lake, and they also have four Saint Bernard Dogs: Grace, Ted, Jerry and Stuart.