When a trip involves multiple destinations, many vacationers choose a cruise to eliminate the need to unpack and pack at every stop. I know it’s something I consider when planning. However, if you’re contemplating a multi-stop vacation, like the weeklong Nova Scotia road trip I recently completed, you can’t avoid the packing problem.
I use the following tips to make the process easier.
The Romance of the Road
If you’ve abandoned the classic road trip, I’m suggesting you reconsider. I hadn’t taken one in a long time and had forgotten the joys associated with this wonderfully slow travel option:
- Freedom and flexibility to discover at your own pace.
- Quality bonding time with companions or meditative moments when traveling solo.
- Scenic explorations are part of the adventure.
Road Trip Packing Pain Points
But the classic road trip does come with an annoying problem. If you’re moving between destinations, you’ll need to unpack and repack each day.
Ugh.
All of the things I dislike about packing are magnified when you have to do it every day of your trip.
- It’s time-consuming. I’d rather be exploring than folding.
- The chances of leaving something behind increase.
- What was perfectly packed on Day 1, becomes a tangled mess of dirty, clean and in-between by Day 5.
Choosing Your Road Trip Bag
The other major issue I have with road trip packing is deciding which piece of luggage to use as my main bag. My trusty 4-wheeled carry-on is great for flights and resort stays, but, on a road trip, I might be staying in a hotel one night, a cabin the next and a dome in the woods on the third evening.
My carry-on’s wheels don’t roll right on gravel.
And carrying it defeats its purpose.
My bag of choice for a multi-stop road trip is a soft-sided duffel bag.
Why a Duffel Bag Works for a Road Trip
A soft-sided duffel bag is incredibly spacious. And if you’re traveling with multiple companions, its squishability is a huge perk when loading up the car trunk.
Because it’s not rigid like a traditional, framed suitcase, it works well with the real key to my road trip packing strategy – packing cubes.
Build Your Road Trip Wardrobe with Knits
Knitwear separates are a great option for building your road trip wardrobe.
- Comfy for spending long hours in a car
- Wrinkle-free
- Knit separates roll easily
If you need one dressy option for your road trip, be sure to include a black knit t-shirt dress or tunic to wear over leggings.
Packing Cubes for Organization
My key to road trip packing success is to designate individual packing cubes for each component of your travel wardrobe. Pink for panties, yellow for bras and camisoles, blue for t-shirts… you get the idea.
It makes it super easy to pull together an outfit once you memorize your individual cube color code.
Air and Re-wear
I leave my outfit out overnight, refresh it with a lightly scented linen spray if it needs it, and then I re-wear it.
This means you can halve the clothing you need to carry. If you’re wondering, I do change my undies every day.
Wondering what to do with the dirty clothing?
A small, odor-resistant laundry bag will hold the clothing items that you won’t wear again. And pack a gallon-sized Ziploc if you’ll be traveling with a bathing suit that might be damp when you need to pack up.
Space Hogs
A road trip comes with extra storage space. Having a trunk or back seat means you don’t have to schlep everything in and out of every hotel room.
Leave your extra boots or shoes in the car. Then you don’t have to worry about them getting your clothes dirty.
If the season demands outerwear, keep a sweater, zip fleece and/or coat in the car too.
Keeping Cosmetics and Chargers Tidy
You can minimize your “did I remember…” anxiety by using small zip bags for each of your little bits and toiletry routines. The number and size will vary based on your own needs. My usuals include ones for:
- Contact lens solution, case and eyeglasses
- Wide-toothed comb and leave-in conditioner
- Cosmetics
- Toothbrush, toothpaste, floss
- Laptop and phone charger
- Face wash and sunscreen
I keep the individual bags, my book and my laptop in a zippered tote. Mine has particularly long handles so it hangs comfortably from my shoulder.
This “a place for everything, everything in its place” strategy works well for me, and I rarely forget items when checking out.
I hope I haven’t jinxed myself.
Let’s Talk:
Have you taken a road trip recently? Where’d you go? What was the highlight of your drive?
