🚗Road Trip Essentials I Actually Use
How I packed for Yellowstone and survived (and maybe even thrived)
Last summer we took the plunge and did a family trip to Yellowstone National Park. Our kids were finally old enough to not require a pack-n-play and young enough to still (mostly) fit in a car without World War III erupting (is it too soon for that joke?). The trip was amazing, and most of that came down to organization, planning, and packing smart.
Here’s a roundup of the things that helped us stay sane, comfy, and even a little bit enchanted.
🎒 Day Packs for Every Kid
Collapsible Hiking Daypacks
Each kid got their own color. These were perfect for hiking, sleepovers, lake trips—and they fold into a pouch when not in use. We still use them all the time.
☀️ Favorite Layering Shirt
Long Sleeve UPF Fishing Shirt
Perfect for sun coverage without needing sunscreen. I lived in this shirt during the trip. It’s lightweight, comfy, and transitioned well to fall and spring.
🩹 First Aid That Travels
Welly Compact First Aid Kit
Welly’s quality is unmatched. The bandages stay on like second skin and never irritate. I added some moleskin to ours for hiking. Worth every penny.
🥪 Smart Food Prep = Sanity Saved
We brought a refrigerated cooler and stocked it with:
Cheese sticks
Meat sticks
Shelf-stable milk boxes (great for lodge coffee emergencies)
Prepackaged pancakes + granola bars
Instant oatmeal cups (with paper cups + Keurig hot water hack)
PB&Js in cooler packs
We also brought Via instant coffee to survive the early mornings of wildlife peeping.
🧺 Car Snack Command Center
Large Car Organizer
This lived on top of our big cooler. The rule: if it didn’t fit in here, it wasn’t coming. It held snacks, cups, guidebooks, binoculars, sunscreen. It folds flat for storage.
📚 Kid-Backseat Zone Manager
Backseat Organizer Bin
This sat between seats or in the back—snacks, books, hats, towels, sunscreen, and “stuff that appeared out of nowhere.” It helped keep the chaos contained.
🤢 Motion Sickness Helpers
Kids' Nausea Lozenges
Grown-Up Motion Patches
I get queasy turning around to manage the crew, so these were a must. Kept in outer organizer pockets for easy access.
🎲 No Screens, No Problem
Wikki Stix
Card Game Flip Deck
Kid Travel Journals
Wikki Stix were a hit—even with older kids. The card game is still in our car. Travel journals didn’t get much use on the trip but were high quality and we’re saving them.
🗺 Field Tools for the Grownups
Yellowstone Park Map
Yellowstone Field Guide
Scenic Drives Guide
A physical map was clutch. We marked where we saw animals. The field guide helped us understand where we were. The scenic drive guide was like having a narrator in the car.
🛏 Small Comforts That Went the Distance
Travel Pillow (4-pack)
Each kid got one. They were useful for car naps and hotel floor sleep setups. When we got home, I added zip-on cases and now they’re throw pillows.
🧴 Bonus: Kid Water Bottles + Blankets
Each kid brought their own water bottle and a small fleece blanket. It sounds basic, but these two things made a huge difference for comfort, hydration, and bedtime ease.
🛤 Final Thoughts
Planning is everything. Pre-loading systems, making snackle boxes, and dividing up space by use kept this trip functional and fun.
We saw so much. We laughed a lot. The things we brought made the ride smoother—and left space for magic to sneak in.
If you’re planning a road trip, I hope this helped. And if you’re headed to Yellowstone, grab the guidebooks. They turned a drive into a story.
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Coming soon: Waldorfish Supplies Roundup. Stay tuned.
—Amber
