Family road trip
Hours in the car with kids: snacks and drinks within reach, chargers for every row, something to do, and cleanup supplies.
Amounts below are for 4 people, 2 kids, 4 days. They are planning estimates; change any of them on your list.
Saves the 14 must-haves, 3 easy-to-forget items and 4 things to do to a list on this device. Upgrades are up to you. Then shop the list item by item and tick things off.
At a glance
- 🔎 Granola or protein bars32 bars
- 🔎 Pretzels and crackers2 boxes
- 🔎 Bottled water48 bottles
- 🔎 Kids' water bottles2 bottles
- 🛒 Cooler1 cooler
- 🔎 Car charger for every row1 charger
- 🔎 Car trash can1 can
- 🔎 Wet wipes80 wipes
- 🔎 Paper towels1 roll
- 🛒 First aid kit1 kit
- 🔎 Motion sickness relief1 box
- 🔎 Travel pillow4 pillows
- 🔎 Travel activity books2 books
- 🔎 Headphones for kids2 pairs
🛒 2 exact products we picked · 🔎 12 Amazon searches, so you choose the brand and size.
Must-haves (14)
Granola or protein bars
Get about 32 bars (3 × 12-pack)
4 people × 4 days × 2 = 32 bars
Pretzels and crackers
Get about 2 boxes
4 people × 4 days × 0.1 = 2 boxes (rounded up)
- Must-have
Bottled water
Our rule: about three 16.9 oz bottles per person per day out and about.
Get about 48 bottles (2 × 24-pack)
4 people × 4 days × 3 = 48 bottles
Amazon search: “bottled water 16.9 oz 24 pack”
Kids' water bottles
Get about 2 bottles
2 kids × 1 = 2 bottles
Amazon search: “kids water bottle”
- Must-haveOur pick
Cooler
Coleman 62-quart wheeled cooler
A big wheeled cooler for camp, games and outages.
Good for: Camping and outages
Get about 1 cooler
4 people × 0.15 = 1 cooler (rounded up)
Our rule: one large cooler for every six or seven people.
Product link checked Oct 30, 2026
Car charger for every row
Get about 1 charger
1 charger for the group
Amazon search: “car charger multi port”
Car trash can
Get about 1 can
1 can for the group
Wet wipes
Ready.gov lists moist towelettes.
Get about 80 wipes (1 × 80-pack)
4 people × 4 days × 5 = 80 wipes
- Must-have
Paper towels
Our rule: about a roll per person every three weeks; more for cookouts.
Get about 1 roll (1 × 6-pack)
4 people × 4 days × 0.05 = 1 roll (rounded up)
- Must-haveOur pick
First aid kit
First Aid Only 298-piece all-purpose kit
A stocked kit to start from. Add your own medicines.
Good for: Home and car
Get about 1 kit
1 kit for the group
- Upgrade: Surviveware comprehensive first aid kit ↗A bigger, organized kit in a tough bag.
Product link checked Oct 30, 2026
Motion sickness relief
Get about 1 box
1 box for the group
Amazon search: “motion sickness bands”
Travel pillow
Get about 4 pillows
4 people × 1 = 4 pillows
Travel activity books
Get about 2 books
2 kids × 1 = 2 books
Amazon search: “kids travel activity book”
Headphones for kids
Get about 2 pairs
2 kids × 1 = 2 pairs
Amazon search: “kids headphones volume limited”
Easy to forget (3)
Snack containers for kids
Get about 2 containers
2 kids × 1 = 2 containers
Amazon search: “spill proof snack container”
Car blanket
Get about 2 blankets
2 blankets for the group
Amazon search: “wool blanket”
Sunshade for car
Get about 1 shade
1 shade for the group
Amazon search: “windshield sun shade”
Upgrades (4)
Kids' tablet case and headphones splitter
Get about 1 set
2 kids × 0.5 = 1 set
Amazon search: “headphone splitter”
Cooler that plugs into the car
Get about 1 cooler
1 cooler for the group
Amazon search: “12v electric cooler”
Roof cargo bag
Get about 1 bag
1 bag for the group
Amazon search: “rooftop cargo bag”
Car games and travel bingo
Get about 2 sets
2 kids × 1 = 2 sets
Amazon search: “travel bingo cards”
Spend less (1)
Instead of cooler that plugs into the car:
- Must-haveOur pick
Cooler
Coleman 62-quart wheeled cooler
A big wheeled cooler for camp, games and outages.
Good for: Camping and outages
Get about 1 cooler
4 people × 0.15 = 1 cooler (rounded up)
Our rule: one large cooler for every six or seven people.
Product link checked Oct 30, 2026
Things to do (4)
- ✅ Offline maps downloadedDownload the area in your map app before you lose signal.
- ✅ Fill the gas tankReady.gov suggests keeping the tank at least half full before storms.
- ✅ Check the weather forecast
- ✅ Hold the mailUSPS has a free hold-mail service.
More in travel and vacations
General planning information, not professional or medical advice. A list does not guarantee anyone’s safety. In any emergency, call your local emergency number and follow official guidance from local authorities.
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