Packing for a road trip

If you ask me what kind of travel you like? I’ll tell you road trip. First I can see beautiful roads. The second reason is I don’t need worry about luggage. Whatever I feel I can dump in trunk of the car. Although I’m saying that, but in reality I need some planning for any trip. 

One of my very good friend requested me to write about packing for a road trip. So, I’ve come up with these ideas.

Acadia National Park

Book the hotel:

I always try to book a hotel with complementary breakfast, and the room with microwave oven and refrigerator. If the hotel doesn’t provide complementary breakfast then I pack something for breakfast.

Plan for food:

My first and foremost objective is always keeping the budget low. I always try to cut the expense of food, because for a three days trip we need to eat at least 12 times out. If I accumulate the total expense it will be a big amount. I do few things to lower the expense.

1. Bake one big cake (or muffins ) as a goto snacks for the trip.
2. Pack some dry fruits and nuts, for the journey.
3. Take a cooler to keep a bottle of milk, butter, boiled egg, few cold drink(if you like), and water.
4. For breakfast I usually choose either bread-butter and boiled egg or oatmeal. As almost all the hotels provide coffee makers , so heating water in not a problem to make oatmeal.
5. As we usually travel during the dat time, so eating home cooked food is not possible. Still, some time I cook few dish and carry in the cooler. Before we begin the day, I heat up in the microwave in the hotel. That I usually do rare, as keeping food fresh is a problem.
6. For dinner, I carry a packet of rice, few canned vegetables, and microwave safe bowl. After coming back to the hotel after the day I put rice, canned veggies in the microwave, and add butter after the rice is done. By this way I save a lot.
7. I also keep some paper plates.

My goto dinner

Plan for dresses:

1. First I check the weather, keeping in mind that the temperature drastically differs from day and night in some places. I always keep jackets in the trunk, if anytime I need.
2. I always travel with only the necessary clothes. 
3. If I don’t have plan to go for any fancy dinner, I don’t carry any dresses and fancy shoes.
4. I try to travel in snickers, which is comfortable as well as good for walking.

Singapore

Other essential Items:

1. I sit down and think what I need since morning in everyday life, and make a list. As the day passes, and something pops up in mind I add those items in the list.
2. Then I sit down and gather everything according to the list, and arrange in the suitcase. 
3. I carry the list with me, so while coming back I can pack the things again according to the list, and can avoid keeping behind anything in the hotel.
4. I usually don’t go in luxury vacations, so I don’t need much makeup with me.
5. I always keep minimum makeup, sun screen, small body lotions, and all travel size toiletries.  
6. For making travel size toiletries, I collect small bottles and jars to reuse them. If I cannot find any travel size bottle in stash I buy travel bottles or tubes, and fill them. That is another way of saving, rather buying travel size pack every time.  For road trips I can easily carry all the full size toiletries, but in case I forget to repack while coming back, then that can be a total waste. 
7. If I have plan for hiking, I always carry hats, and sunglasses.
8. I always carry a backpack, and keep little first aid articles likes Band-Aid, Neosporin. Also keep some over the counter medicine for pain, and heartburn.
9. Also I keep wet hand-wipes, and water bottles. I usually carry reusable water bottles.