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Road trip essentials: 12 things worth packing

This is the short list. Everything here earns its space on a drive of six hours or more, whether you're crossing three states with kids in the back or two adults and a playlist.

Power & navigation

  • Multi-port fast car charger

    Two phones, a tablet and a speaker on one cigarette socket. Get one with at least 45W total.

  • Long braided charging cables

    A 10-foot cable reaches the back seat. Short cables cause more arguments than bad directions.

  • Vent or dash phone mount

    Keeps the map at eye level, which matters more when you're the one reading the state challenges out loud.

  • Power bank (20,000 mAh)

    For rest stops with the engine off, and for the passenger who plays games the whole way.

Food & drink

  • 12V plug-in cooler or hard cooler

    Cold drinks all day beats petrol-station bottles. A hard cooler with ice works nearly as well for under 8 hours.

  • Insulated tumblers with lids

    Spill-resistant lids are the difference between a stain and a whole seat cover replacement.

  • Snack organiser caddy

    One caddy per row stops the constant 'pass me the crisps' relay.

Comfort & tidiness

  • Back-seat organiser

    Holds tablets, wipes and rubbish where the kids can reach them without unbuckling.

  • Car bin with a lid

    Long drives generate an astonishing amount of wrappers. A lid keeps it civilised.

  • Memory-foam travel pillow

    For whoever isn't driving. Also handy for the shift-swap nap at hour six.

Play & downtime

  • Tablet headrest mount

    Sets up a shared screen for the back seat — handy for playing State Line as a group.

  • Clipboard + printable game sheets

    Pairs with our free printable license plate checklist for the players who want it on paper.

What we'd skip

  • Novelty steering-wheel trays — unsafe and never used.
  • Giant board games in boxes — nothing survives a footwell. Play in the browser instead.
  • Single-use snack packs — a caddy plus a big bag costs a third as much.

Frequently asked questions

What's the one thing people forget most?
A long charging cable. Everyone brings a charger; almost nobody brings one that reaches the back seat.
Do we need a plug-in cooler?
Only for drives over about eight hours or hot weather. Otherwise a hard cooler with ice packs is cheaper and quieter.
What should we play on the drive?
State Line is free in the browser for 2–8 players, and our license plate game guide has a printable checklist.

Ready to hit the road?

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