No Space? No Problem. The Dos and Don'ts of Road Trip Packing
Published Aug 06, 2025
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No matter how great the company is, long road trips are often exhausting and uncomfortable. It’s not just the stifling boredom or the hunger pangs, either.
One source of road trip discomfort comes from being stuck in close quarters, trapped between family members and hefty luggage bags. The lack of space can quickly result in a lack of patience, making long journeys more miserable than fun. To avoid developing a bad case of cabin fever on your next road trip, read these tips and tricks for making the most of your space.
Know what to leave behind
Optimizing your upcoming road trip starts long before you hit the road. From the moment you enter the packing stage, it’s time to start thinking about space.
How do you pack efficiently for a long road trip? Instead of stuffing every last belonging into your overflowing duffel bag, consider cutting out “just in case” items and sticking to necessities (sorry, this probably means leaving a few favorite outfits behind). When your bag isn’t filled to the brim with miscellaneous things, you can sit peacefully on the road without a random board game or a never-used tennis racket poking into your side.
Pack clothes like a pro
Listen up, Type B travelers: When you cram clothes haphazardly into your suitcase, you’re not effectively using your luggage.
Though careless packing might feel easier in the moment, it will only make your vacation journey more uncomfortable. Invest in space-saving items like packing cubes, a travel tool designed to compress clothing and make luggage easier to organize. Usually made with malleable fabric, these handy packing gadgets will make your luggage significantly less bulky. If you aren’t interested in spending money on packing cubes, consider rolling your clothes rather than folding them. This is another hack meant to save space and leave extra room in your suitcase.
As we touched on above, travelers concerned about space should also limit their vacation wardrobes. You can even test out capsule wardrobes, a limited selection of clothing items that can be swapped around to form multiple outfits. Imagine the possibilities! Cutting back on clothes may be hard for the most fashion-forward, but it’s better to miss a shirt or two than to sacrifice your personal space on a long trip.
It’s all about layout
We’ve all been there: stretching awkwardly over a fellow road tripper, contorting to reach a bag of pretzels or trail mix. When we need to get our hands on a particular item, the last thing anyone wants is for the item we’re seeking to be buried beneath bulky luggage. To combat this, try starting with large items like trunks and suitcases on the bottom and place more lightweight belongings on top.
As you set up your vehicle for a long drive, think about what you’ll need access to on the road. Pack snack bags, sunscreen, and similar items in convenient locations, and eliminate the annoying conundrum of searching for hand sanitizer or some other essential only to realize it’s tucked away out of reach. By placing things exactly where you need them, you truly maximize your vehicle’s space.
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