I've been going on 20-hour Amtrak rides for over 7 years. Here are 9 things I need to pack for every trip.

• I've been taking 20-hour Amtrak trips for complete 7 years, truthful I cognize which items to pack.
• Bringing your ain snacks and a h2o vessel tin thief you curb your hunger and prevention immoderate cash.
• A cervix pillow and zip-up hoodie will supply immoderate other comfortableness and tin thief you slumber better.

For nan past 7 years, I've taken rather a fewer 20-hour train rides backmost and forth from New York and South Carolina.

As personification who's been connected my adjacent stock of Amtrak adventures, I've narrowed down my packing database to a fewer basal items. Here are 9 must-have things I bring connected each agelong trip.

I shop everything successful my backpack

On nan train, you're allowed to bring an overhead portion of luggage, a carry-on, and a individual container — or successful my case, a backpack.

I ne'er cheque my baggage, truthful utilizing a backpack arsenic my individual container allows maine to person my hands free for some my carry-on and suitcase arsenic I'm boarding nan train.

A cervix pillow and broad supply immoderate comfort

I erstwhile made nan correction of not bringing a cervix pillow because I thought it would make maine look stupid. I've ne'er taken a agelong train ride without 1 since.

Sleep is basal connected these agelong trips and mini comforts for illustration a cervix pillow will make it easier to autumn into a slumber erstwhile successful a overseas and uncomfortable place.

I ever bring a zip-up hoodie

There's an creation to mastering nan zip-up hoodie, and there's nary amended clip to study it than erstwhile you're connected a 20-hour train ride.

I for illustration to put my zip-up hoodie connected backward truthful I'm not excessively basking aliases cold, which is beautiful overmuch nan balanced of having nan broad complete only 1 limb successful bed.

An insulated h2o vessel helps maine enactment hydrated

Water is arguably nan astir important point to person pinch you, but relying connected nan barroom cart isn't a bully thought since they aren't unfastened 24 hours.

An insulated vessel will support your h2o colder for overmuch longer than plastic, which comes successful useful when you're connected a super-long train ride.

I prevention immoderate rate by bringing my ain snacks

Train nutrient tin beryllium expensive, and I deliberation it has a agelong measurement to spell earlier it's anyplace adjacent enticing.

To prevention money and enactment full, make judge to bring your ain food. I usually pack snacks alternatively of full-blown meals, but you tin return immoderate benignant of nutrient pinch you.

Gum tin support your activity fresher for a small longer

Though I could bring a toothbrush connected nan train, I usually want to walk arsenic small clip successful those bathrooms arsenic possible.

I highly urge bringing a battalion of gum pinch you to springiness your activity a small refresher until you tin get to your destination and decently brushwood your teeth.

I won't get saturated pinch varied sources of entertainment

The biggest point you're going to conflict on a agelong travel for illustration this is boredom, truthful it's paramount to bring a assortment of entertainment.

I bring my Nintendo DS pinch a mates of different games along pinch a book truthful that I tin support myself occupied and walk nan clip without getting bored.

Heavy-duty headphones are cleanable for blocking retired noise

Though galore 24-hour Amtrak trips telephone for "night hours" starting astir 10 p.m., passengers tin beryllium noisy astatine immoderate time.

I urge bringing heavy-duty, over-the-ear headphones to artifact retired rowdy passengers while you're trying to sleep.

Chargers are an basal point to bring

There's almost thing worse than your gadgets dying on a trip.

I ever person a designated pouch successful my backpack wherever I support my phone, laptop, and crippled chargers and my micro USB organized successful different baggies — eyeglass cases are besides cleanable for storage.

This communicative was primitively published connected February 15, 2022, and astir precocious updated connected October 24, 2024.