Road Trips with Kids: Traveling Small with Kiddos with Medical Needs
If there’s one thing we’ve perfected as a family, it’s packing smart for long road trips with kids. Every year, we spend about nine weeks living out of our car and travel trailer, hopping from campground to campground. And while the idea of packing for such a long trip with kids might sound overwhelming, we’ve figured out a system that keeps things efficient, organized, and (mostly) stress-free.
We’ve learned what’s necessary and what’s just extra weight, how to optimize small living spaces, and how to pack light without sacrificing comfort. We’ve also mastered managing medications on the road, which is essential when you have kids with health concerns.
So, if you’re gearing up for an epic road trip with kids and wondering how to fit everything you need without overpacking, I’m breaking down exactly how we do it—plus a few game-changing tips you won’t want to miss.
I have a whole article about packing (abroad) that you can read if you want other tips for travel here.
Packing Like a Pro: Essentials for Road Trips with Kids
No Suitcases Allowed: Our Clothing System
Forget bulky suitcases—we don’t use them at all. Instead, about a week before we leave, I start gathering everything we’ll need for the trip and pack only what’s necessary.
Each person gets:
✅ Exact number of outfits for the days we’ll be gone (+ a few extra PJs & underwear for the kids)
✅ One bathing suit each
✅ One warm outfit for chilly nights
✅ Raincoats
✅ Robes & towels (2 per person—one for showering, one for swimming)
How We Store Clothes in the Camper:
- Big Kids: Each child has a weekend bag stored in their bunk.
- Toddler: His clothes are packed in a clothes basket, then transferred into bins above our bed.
- Adults: We each have a small closet with a hanging shoe organizer + 2 small drawers for clothes.
- Dirty Clothes: We keep a laundry basket in the camper’s pass-through storage, along with a roll of quarters & laundry supplies in case we need to wash clothes on the road.
📌 See exactly how we pack efficiently for road trips in our Traveling with Kids Board! Pinterest
Laundry Tip: If we run out of clean clothes, we hit up a campground laundromat, family’s house, or even a regular laundromat if needed. We love this detergent for on the road! It is easy to travel with, as it is “sheets” but we love it because it is fragrance free, phosphate free, and gentle on the skin for our allergy-prone kiddos. Win Win!
Shoes: Keeping It Simple & Functional
We stick to three pairs of shoes per person:
Crocs – For the campground, beach/pool, and public showers.
Sneakers – For biking, hiking, and everyday wear.
Rain Boots (Spring & Fall) – Because rainy days always happen.
All shoes go in a cubby under the pantry near the camper door for easy grab-and-go access.
Medication & Health Preparedness: No Room for Error
With kids who have breathing issues and allergies, I have a non-negotiable system for medication storage and organization.
🔹 Everything goes into Skip Hop wet/dry bags – Keeps meds dry & prevents spills from leaking everywhere. [Those that know me know that I shout about these from the rooftops! I have used these for baby clothes, baby bottles, my pumping supplies, food, and now, meds! They are so versatile and amazing].
🔹 Daily meds (Claritin, probiotics, vitamins) are stored in a pill organizer. We give one “colored row” to each kid and one for mom. If we are gone for more than a week, we bring the second week in bags and swap out as they need refills.
🔹 Liquid medications & nose sprays stay in the wet/dry bag for easy access.
🔹 Inhalers, spacers, and nebulizer supplies go in their own inhaler case.
On the Road: Emergency meds stay in the car at all times, so we’re never caught off guard.
I also carry a back up albuterol inhaler in my purse at all times, even when not traveling. I just had to use it last week when we were at a trampoline park, and I never want to be without it.
At the Campsite: We move daily meds into the trailer’s medicine cabinet.
Emergency Prep:
- We always call ahead and stock up on emergency medications before a trip.
- If needed, we can call our doctor’s emergency line for a local pharmacy refill—but we try to avoid this since many campgrounds are miles from the nearest pharmacy.
✅ Tip: Keeping extra emergency medications packed in advance has saved us multiple times while traveling!
Time-Saving & Efficiency Hacks
Packing doesn’t take me long anymore, but that’s because I have a refined system:
🗂 Pre-packed bins: Certain things stay permanently packed in the camper so I don’t have to start from scratch each time like these pantry organizers
📋 Packing checklist: I tweak my master list each year to cut down on overpacking.
🚫 No last-minute stress: Everything is packed ahead of time—I refuse to be that person frantically throwing things into bags the night before a trip.
Making the Most of Small Living Spaces
When you live on the road for weeks, every inch of space matters. Here’s how we maximize our camper’s storage:
Clothes Storage Hacks:
✅ Closet organizers & bins make packing so much easier.
✅ Dirty laundry goes straight into our pass-through laundry basket.
🚙 Travel-Day Storage:
✅ Bikes & coolers ride on the dinette set (which converts into a bed at night). Our trailer is smaller, so others might have a toy hauler or better place for this but for now, this works for us.
✅ Under-bench storage holds extra blankets & towels.
✅ Pull-out organizers under the kids’ beds store games, activities, & pantry extras
Final Thoughts + My Must-Have Packing Essentials when Traveling with Kids
Packing for a long road trip doesn’t have to be overwhelming—it just takes the right system.
By keeping only what we actually need, optimizing every inch of space, and planning ahead for medications & food allergies, we’ve made road-tripping as seamless as possible.
Here are some of my must-have travel gear & storage solutions:
🛒 Shop My Road Trip Essentials:
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🗣 What’s your best road trip packing hack? Share in the comments!
Let’s build this village together—one mama at a time.
