Since it’s winter, there is a wool army blanket, a road emergency kit with flares, etc., a first aid kit, a couple of space blankets, a scraper, a few of those lights you can activate by shaking, jumper cables, some rags, finger and toe warmers, and ice cleats for my shoes.
I also keep a spare dog leash in my car as well as some sort of stinky sog treat.
I’m the lady that sees a dog running down the middle of the road, stops traffic and picks it up.
A pretty girl in the passenger seat.
Unfortunately, that doesn’t happen very often.
Heh. Yep just thinking about it some more. I keep a couple of extra leashes in my car too. We have two dogs though, so that should not be a surprise. I’ve only picked up one pup that was running around loose.
The car (SUV) came with a first aid kit for what it’s worth. I also keep heavy bungy cords and some tie down rope for when I need to pick stuff up in town and lash it to the roof rack (plywood, drywall) And I have a bunch of long heavy zip ties as well (never know, but they do come in handy).
Oh, and I have my Garman GPS too.
A few more things I keep:
A disposable camera–I use this mostly to take spontaneous pictures of the family. But once I used it to document an accident.
I keep a coffee can with matches, a lighter and a big candle in it. I know from experience that this can keep a car nice and warm (with a window cracked open) while waiting for someone with jumper cables to come along.
I keep a handful of change in the ashtray and, taped to the inside cover of my car owner’s manual, I keep a couple checks, my auto insurance card, and a copy of my health insurance card & information. Now that I think about it, these items are probably just an old habit I could let go. Now that I have a cell phone I don’t really need the phone numbers (they’re all saved on the phone) and the change was for payphones. Haven’t used one in years. The checks came in handy long ago when there weren’t ATMs and some places didn’t take credit cards.
I keep a little pair of binoculars for watching kids sporting events and wildlife.
And I keep a sheet of paper with the MRN (Motor Racing Network) radio stations. This lets us switch stations quickly when we get out of signal range.
My essentials are a streetmap and UK road atlas, an emergency first aid kit, de-icer and scraper, WD40, jumper cables, blanket, waterproof jacket, a pair of walking boots, torch, water, spare t-shirt and a kite.
Of course the kite’s important - if I get stranded I want to be able to have some fun!
Jumper cables, Leatherman, two blankets, three emergency foil blankets, four flashlights (two rechargeables in the lighter sockets, two headlamps), tirechains, air compressor, gloves, waterproof matches and firestarter packets, folding shovel, icescraper, powerbars, two bottles of water, mosquito netting for the windows, wilderness survival manual, crescent wrench, first aid kit, tie-downs and bungie cords, power inverter, cell phone charger, rechargeable battery charger.
Of course, right now, I also have all my snowboarding equipment in there.
I need to pick up some roadflares.
My truck is a King Cab with a tool box bolted to the bed, so I have room to take just about anything. There is always: bugout bag for the both of us, with clothes, cash, etc., MREs, water, several books, full tool kit, full trauma kit, the usual auto accessories (oil, spare hoses, Fix-a-Flat, etc.), flares, a signal panel, several flashlights and some stuff I won’t mention.
[QUOTE=Zeldar]
This is amazing! This many posts before the essential is mentioned. QUOTE]
I was always told to have a proper container for petrol, but to NEVER drive around with it full in the car. If you run out, you take the empty one to the nearest garage to fill up. Containers full of petrol in the car are dangerous!
In response to the OP, I have just about everything mentioned on the lists above, there is barely room for me in the car…
Great idea! I’ve never had to use one, but always carried one. I avoid the cute miniature type though - it self-discharged at some point, possibly due to high heat, though the car was garaged. I since upgraded to a more professional (and expensive) model without complaint.
My list starts out with a yellowed, half-bar of Ivory soap in the glove box which (though I’m not superstitious, honest) my grandfather kept in his Model T or A or whatever it was that he had. Dad had it in his glovebox in a sucession of various cars, and I filched it at some point. Never had to use it, but by golly, it’s there if I need to wash my hands after changing a tire or whatnot.
My list varies with what I’m doing - once years ago, I became quite stuck on a remote mountain road heading to a trail-head, I had provisions and camping/hiking equipment for a week, it was a non-event mostly, if annoying. The Cel Phone has really taken the hair-shirt element out of remote or rural driving, and up north where it gets really cold - one can succumb very rapidly without proper clothing. Even here in the midwest, where people ought to know better, they jet out dressed for a warm spring day rather than 0F and twenty mile an hour winds.
To the already excellent lists I would add road flares, or possibly chem-stiks in lieu of, and probably a set of warning triangles (3) - very important to have esp. if one is broken down on a blind curve (hey, it could happen), but tends to make drivers aware of a breakdown on the shoulder. They can be placed at 50, 100 and 150 feet intervals to warn oncoming traffic.
I was thinking about making a list, but I agree with most of the answers so far. There are some things that are essential, but something that often gets left out is a blanket and candle. I am extremely concerned if there isn’t both in my car because when I was in high school, my drummer wrecked his large automobile in snow. There was a level 3 declared about 30-40 minutes later and he wasn’t on a main road, so it was a while before someone got to him. Since it was so early in the morning (2-3am) he waited in his car till dawn to go for help, but the car ran out of gas sitting still (he was trying to keep warm by running the car/heater). A statie found him around 9am. They pretty much figured the only reason he didn’t freeze to death was that the car was semi-warm from running and he had a few candles, as well as the blankets he used to wrap up his drum hardware in the back seat. Either saved his life or made an uncomfortable experience a lot more comfortable. Always kept them in my car ever since.
Brendon
Nobody mentioned spare fuses (many cars include them now). I discovered there were fuses under the hood of my car one night at 4am. Had an oversized 30 amp fuse blow that controlled the engine management system.
What I keep:
inside:
-drugs: ibuprofen, Sudafed, Imodium AD
-first aid kit
-spare pair of glasses
-sunglasses
-towels
-plastic bags for trash
-glass cleaning wipes
-spare change
-3 watt LED maglite (long battery life and bright light)
-maps
-phone charger
-tire gauge
trunk:
-fire extinguisher
-12 volt air compressor
-jumper cables
-fuses
-gloves
-wrenches
-locking pliers
-quart of oil
-water
Winter additions:
-extra coat
-boots
-scraper
-shovel
-windshield washer fluid
-candles, Barry White CD
Might put a tire plug kit in but so far I’ve been able to keep going with a compressor. Will also add needle nose pliars because some fuses are hard to extract with the factory puller.
Related: spare keys in wallet. Locked them in one time and it cost me $45.
Depends on where you live. When my daily drive in Colorado included 15 miles on a deserted gravel road to get home, my father insisted that inside my truck I include:
-a gallon of water
-a military grade blanket (whatever that means)
-a small shovel
-a flat piece of cardboard (for laying on while changing a tire)
-a plethora of tools (none of which I would have known what to do with should my truck break down)
-a tire plugging kit
-matches
-a handheld mirror (for signaling)
-a car lighter-powered air pump with built in flashlight
-string (I don’t even know the purpose of that)
-a heavy winter jacket
-a change of shoes
Also several other things that I don’t even remember now. He was big on survival techniques.
-foxy
Thought I would add that people should consider unused spaces in their cars to store some of items discussed. There is usually space:
-under the hood for spare fuses and small tools (tied off in ziplock bags away from hot items)
-in the grillwork or around headlights
-under the seats
-clipped to the visor
-door pockets
-under/over/next to the spare tire
-rear fender wells.
One of the problems with throwing things in the trunk is the disorganized aspect of all the clutter. I bought a small canvas bag just for the jumper cables/fuses and I use small roll-up aprons for wrenches. They can be easily handled that way. Sears sells zippered pouches in different sizes and most stores sell zipper canvas pouches with a clear plastic side in school supplies. Very handy for storage. The idea is to group things together in easy to handle container.
Think I might add another flashlight in the form of an LED miners light. If I have to work on something I usually need both hands.
I mentioned once that I carried a collapsable shovel, a machete, and some rope in my Jeep. Someone pointed out that that could easily be misconstrued. Actually, I was doing some mild offroading in it. The shovel was in case I needed to dig out a wheel. The machete was for chopping brush that could be used for traction. The rope was for a make-shift tow line.
I was working on a student film once, and one of the props was a rowboat someone had built. A wave came in and took it. The cinematographer went to retrieve it, and another wave slammed it into his shin. It took virtually the entire contents of my little Johnson & Johnson first aid kit. Since then, I’ve carried a larger Backpaker’s First Aid kit from REI. Fortunately I’ve never had to use it in an emergency; but the adhesive bandages, analgesics, decongestants, and antacids have come in handy. I also carry a ‘survival kit’ (Charms hard candy, a small pocket knife, firestarter and space blanket) in a compass case that is attached next to the first aid kit.
There are also road flares (came in handy once) and jumper cables. Miscellanious stuff includes Altoids, a Power Bar, sunglasses, Tums, Motrin, Thomas Guide (I don’t remember if it’s for the PNW or L.A./Orange Counties) a laminated West Coast map, matches, disposable lighter, ER-1 knife, often a Swiss Army ‘Champion’ knife, ratchet tie-downs, and straps.
Best $50 I ever spent for automotive use was for a portable car battery charger (not that specific one but similar). It’s especially great for driving long distances at night in remote areas or just for having handy if your battery ever dies in the morning and you don’t want to knock on neighbor’s doors to ask a favor.
I also recommend a good hydraulic jack. They’re a lot easier to use than most jacks that come with cars; if you’ve never changed a tire in your life you can still figure it out.
When James Kim went missing (and tragically died) a few weeks ago there were some “worst case scenario” tips on various programs. One stated that the best thing to keep in your car for warmth in case of being stranded/dead battery/freezing weather, etc., is simple tea lights and a coffee can. Supposedly (and I’m sure I’ll be corrected if I’m wrong) the tea candle lit in the can will generate enough heat to keep most people alive so long as your car has half-way decent gaskets.
I carry a small overnight bag under the seat of my car as well (actually not a bag but a vacuum sealed thingy) with a one day supply of meds, portable toothpaste/toothbrush, a white shirt, khaki pants, socks, tie and compact steamer. In addition to the unexpected-overnight-assignation that may one-day happen, it’s come in handy before (example: you’re at lunch and the waitress vomits on your shirt [happens all the time]- a white shirt will match anything and save you a trip home.
My sister used to carry an Altoids box filled with $100s and $20s under the seat of her car until my brother and I convinced her that wasn’t a great idea. I still like the idea, though.
[QUOTE=Butterscotch]
I’m in total agreement about not carrying extra gasoline in a separate container. I used to do that. A gallon in a plastic bottle/can that I would pour into the car’s tank by way of a long necked funnel. (It was a 64 MGB, FWIW.) But aside from whatever intrinsic dangers there may have been involving gas sloshing around in the trunk, especially in hot weather, the real danger was that since I knew that gallon was there I would invariably run out of gas at just the right place on the map that that gallon wouldn’t quite get me to the nearest gas station and I’d wind up having to walk for a refill anyway. I swear to you: this happened several times. That finally convinced me the extra gas was a false security item and I quit fooling with it.
But the gas I was referring to in my earlier post is gas in the gas tank! Not extra gas in a separate can. As I said then, I just have to assume gas is being taken for granted in all these special lists of things to be sure are in the car. Gas is too important not to be on the list. That’s all I’m saying.
Common_Tater, you mentioned the old bar of soap your grandfather had in his glove box. I’ve been told that a bar of soap used to be kept in older cars in case of a gas tank leak. You could rub the soap on the outside of the tank to temporarily stop the leak while you went to get help. I suspect that modern tanks are now better designed and less likely to spring leaks plus we do less driving on gravel roads.