I've spent more than 400 hours on road trips across the US. Here are 8 things I always pack for a long-haul drive.

Business Insider's reporter has been on more than a dozen road trips. Here are her essentials for a smooth ride. Joey Hadden/Business Insider

I'm 30 years old, and I still don't know how to drive, but that hasn't stopped me from spending hundreds of hours in the passenger seat on road trips across the country.

I've road-tripped more than 26,000 miles across 31 states in every region of the continental US.

When it comes to packing up the car , I've certainly made some mistakes. I've forgotten important items and wished I'd packed essentials I hadn't even considered bringing.

But 400 hours and more than a dozen trips later, I think I've mastered the art of packing for a road trip .…