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Before I set out on my solo New England road trip, I did a lot of planning and research. I found it especially important to plan and research everything, because I was traveling in October. In North America, the fall can be filled with some warm (even hot) days and cold days. Plus, I knew I’d have to drive through different areas with varying distances and remoteness.

With that in mind, I knew I had to pack the right items to ensure I had a smooth and safe trip. What I did to make sure I packed everything I needed was to make an organized list. Everything was categorized and accounted for. When it was time to depart, I knew I had everything on hand.

If you’re thinking about doing a road trip through New England in October (to see some awesome fall foliage, of course!), you need to pack the right items. This list I created for my trip can serve as a guide to help you with your road trip as well. Here’s what I packed for a 7 day solo New England road trip:

Clothing

For clothing, I knew I had to pack multiple layers for the fall weather. I had to be prepared for cooler temperatures for any type of activity I was doing that day. So, I packed:

• 9 undies
• 2 sports bras (I planned to do a lot of hiking so I thought these were necessary)
• 7 tops (I had a specific outfit for my drive going to MA and driving back to PA – that cut down on the clothes I brought with me)
• 7 bottoms (same reason as the last point)
• 2 pairs of socks (I have Merino wool hiking socks so they last a bit longer than traditional socks)
• 1 pair of pajamas
• down jacket
• 2 thermal crop tops
• 1 hoodie
• 1 hat
• 1 rain jacket

I also had spare clothes and blankets in my car just in case anything happened. Overall, I was very pleased with my selection of clothing and I used all of them at some point.

Toiletries

Since I planned on staying in hotels for my trip, I packed quite a few toiletries for myself. I bought a new toiletries bag specifically for this trip. It can hold more items in one bag instead of having to bring two toiletries bag. It’s one of those bags that folds out into 4 sections, each section is clear and zipped, and it has a hook so you can hook it anywhere.

I highly recommend this BAGSMART Toiletries Bag from Amazon! The items I stored in this awesome bag were:

• hair brush
• wet brush (specifically for brushing your hair when it’s wet)
• shampoo/conditioner bars
• leave-in conditioner
• in-shower body lotion (you could use regular lotion – as long as your skin is hydrated!)
• feminine cleanser (optional but I love the individual ones – they’re perfect for freshening up after long hikes)
• face wash
• moisturizer
• face serum
• tooth paste
• tooth brush
• mouth wash
• floss
• bar of soap
• deodorant

If you need to add more items or take them away, the option is always there. But this (except for a few optional items) is a pretty good idea of what you should expect to pack for your road trip.

Electronics

You can’t go to New England and not take any pictures or footage! A simple camera would suffice. However, since I’m a travel blogger and vlogger, I’m very extra and I bring more electronic items than the average person. If you’re packing for a New England road trip in October, then you can expect to bring:

• iPad/laptop (it’s important to back up your footage/pictures from the day. I typically just bring my iPad as that’s good enough to use to back up my files)
• iPad charger
• apple watch (or any watch – I like to track my calories and any type of exercise, such as hiking)
• apple watch charger
• cameras (I brought along my Lumix GH5 AND Sony RX100 VII – I told you, I’m extra)
• camera chargers
• DJI Pocket II (just another camera but it’s a very tiny and compact one)
• DJI Pocket II charger
• GoPro Hero 9(you never know when or if it’s going to rain)
• GoPro charger
• phone
• phone charger
• adapter (for my iPad and SD cards)
• electronics organizer (this is how I stored all my cables and extra SD cards)

This looks like so much equipment and it is. However, I got some amazing footage and pictures from my cameras. Highly recommend packing one of your cameras with you, if you have one. You don’t want to miss out on capturing the fall foliage in New England! If you don’t have a mirrorless/DSLR camera, then the camera on your phone will do.

Miscellaneous

Everything else that didn’t quite fit into a category was grouped into the miscellaneous section. These are items that I still like to pack when I’m traveling and a road trip through New England, in October, is no different. For this section, I packed:

• makeup (for those times I just walked around and didn’t hike)
• face halo (I took my makeup off with this pad)
• traditional first aid kit
• medicine aid kit
• travel pouch (this is where I keep items I want easily accessible and close to me i.e. tide pen, hand sanitizer, band-aids, tampons, body mist, hand moisturizer, etc)
• bug repellant
• laundry bag
• hiking backpack (if you plan to do some hiking, I recommend bringing a good quality hiking backpack)
• hiking boots
• microfiber towel
• Paracord survival bracelet (I put this on when I’m hiking)
• water bottle
• mini backpack (I used this as a purse of sorts with my wallet, travel pouch, etc.)

Car Essentials

When you take a road trip, no matter how long or short it is, you should have the following essentials in your car:

• extra food/snacks
• extra water
• blankets
• clothing (tops, bottoms, underwear, socks, hoodies, etc.)
• portable jump starter/traditional jump starter
• tire pressure gauge
• extra USB cables (to always have your phone/electronic device(s) charged)
• spare cash and coins
• sunglasses
• map of the area you’re visiting

You can add anything else you need that is specific to you, your needs, your car, and your trip. I also have a whole blog post on some tips for taking a road trip, so you can get more information on this type of travel.

Overall, the items I packed for my trip were essential (most of them) and were used throughout the duration of the trip. If you’re planning on visiting New England in October to see the fall foliage, and need help with what to pack, then this list should do the trick. This list can be modified to fit you and your needs, and trip but the general basics of what you should pack are right here.