Road Trip Across US, What to Pack According to Frequent Traveler


  • My husband and I are currently traveling 10,000 miles on a road trip across the US.
  • Some items we packed are practical, like our portable jump starter and my mouse-friendly lap desk.
  • Others are more of a personal preference, such as my digital photo frame and air fryer.

When my husband and I decided to spend the year traveling around the US, we knew we had to be very specific about what we packed into our Subaru Forester.

After a thorough elimination process, we created a list of items that fit neatly into our compact SUV, while still allowing us to see out of the back window.

As we drive from coast to coast, I’ve realized which items I’m most grateful to have brought. Here they are.

Our 27-gallon storage bins keep everything organized.


A Greenmade storage bin with a black bottom and a yellow lid.

The Greenmade yellow-lid storage bins are stackable.


Emily Pogue

From the start, we decided to keep all of our belongings in some kind of container. This has made packing and unpacking the car quicker and easier, since everything has a designated spot.

Each Greenmade yellow-lid storage bin has a specific purpose — clothes, kitchen supplies, workout and outdoor gear, and more. I also like that the bins stack easily and can be tucked away in our accommodations.

My digital photo frame brings a piece of home to every place we stay.


A digital photo frame on a counter displaying a wallpaper of floating rock formations.

My digital photo frame allows us to feel connected with family and friends.


Emily Pogue

I’m a big printed-photo person. Our last apartment had multiple gallery walls with candids of our loved ones.

However, when you’re staying in a new accommodation every month, you can’t exactly nail photos up on the wall.

To get around this, my husband got me a digital photo frame. All we have to do is plug it in, and the faces of our friends and family are instantly in the room with us. It adds a personal touch to an otherwise minimal space.

Our rechargeable jump starter has already saved us.


A rechargeable jump starter laying on a wooden floor with one black wire and one pink wire attached.

The rechargeable jump starter is simple to use.


Emily Pogue

This year, we’re relying on our SUV to tackle our over 10,000-mile trip. It’s been a champ so far, but car issues can still pop up.

For example, during a visit to Olympic National Park in Washington, we tried to leave a parking lot, only to discover that our car battery was dead.

Thankfully, rather than needing to get a jump from another car, we used our portable jump starter. We connected the small device to the battery, turned it on, and the car jolted back to life within moments.

Our portable tire inflator helps save us a trip to the gas station.


On the left, a portable tire inflator. On the right, a rechargeable jump starter with one black wire and one pink wire attached.

A portable tire inflator is a helpful gadget to keep in the car.


Emily Pogue

Another road trip essential is a portable tire inflator. If one of our tires is low on air, we can fill it up without worrying about getting to a gas station.

My air fryer is my ride-or-die item.


An air fryer sitting on a kitchen countertop.

Our air fryer saves the day if our rental kitchens fall short.


Emily Pogue

Last year when we traveled around Europe for six months, people often asked what item I missed most from home. My answer was always my air fryer.

We use it for everything from pork chops and sweet potato fries to grilled cheese sandwiches.

This reliability comes in handy when staying in short-term rentals, where kitchens often lack essentials or have broken appliances. So far, we’ve encountered one non-working oven and a rusty convection oven. In these instances, we pull out our trusty air fryer and make whatever recipe we have in mind.

My compact lap desk allows me to work full-time while traveling.


A turquoise lap desk with a mouse on a retractable mouse pad tray.

My lap desk allows me to use my mouse anywhere.


Emily Pogue

Despite our on-the-go lifestyle, I still work remotely full-time running my own business. I often work from a desk or table, but there are also times when I’m on a couch with my laptop.

I’m fine working in nontraditional spaces, but I do love using a mouse, which is nearly impossible to navigate on a soft surface. To resolve this issue, I found a small lap desk with a retractable mouse pad tray.

Although I miss things from home from time to time, our loaded-up Forester has everything we need for our trip across the US.





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