What items do you deem essential to carry in your car?

[Snollygoster]

The Moose said:

Shaoxter said:

When I get in other people's cars I'm surprised at how many don't carry any water. Could be a lifesaver if you were to get stuck somewhere.

Where is one getting stuck in the UK where they can't go get a drink?

[Ayahuasca]

20m of 1 inch nylon rope
kinetic strap
various shackles
shovel
torch
machete
'come along' winch
hi-lift jack
jacking plate
towel
folding camping chairs
trekking pole

[Matt Harper]

Escort X50 radar detector.
Springfield Armory XD40 sub-compact.
1 quart 5W20 Mobil 1

[dazwalsh]

as well as all the tools for changing wheel that already came with car-

Umbrella
Water
High vis jackets x4
Warning triangle
First aid kit
tow rope
2 Blankets
My golf waterproofs
Spare phone charger
Sometimes try and store snacks but then i realise they are there and eat them
Walking boots
Snow socks although never had to use them so might be utterly useless.

Think thats it. Amazing amount of storage holes in a ford Kuga, underneath the rear seats and rear seat footwell compartments hold all of that stuff.

I went a bit mad with putting "survival" st in my car after some dhead crashed into me in the snow a few years back and i had to get out and walk 3 miles home. Didn't even have a coat with me that day

[XJSJohn]

First Aid Kit
Tissues
Wet Wipes
Mosquito repellent
Change for toll roads
Water
A few Buddhist amulets (better than airbags for personal protection in an accident according to SWMBO)
A box of hand held flares (useful when you come upon a van that has dumped its cargo of coconuts / pineapples whatever on the highway in the dark - stops some other ramming you as you help clear a path to get through)
Bright Flash Light
Long tow rope
Beach Mat
Ice Box
2 or 3 big umbrella's
Bag of practice gold bats (driver, 9, 7, wedge, putter) you never know .....

[Collectingbrass]

Snollygoster said:

The Moose said:

Shaoxter said:

When I get in other people's cars I'm surprised at how many don't carry any water. Could be a lifesaver if you were to get stuck somewhere.

Where is one getting stuck in the UK where they can't go get a drink?

Most motorway closures these days last for hours rather than moments. I don't carry water but wouldn't like to be caught without in a trapped traffic queue between the closure and the last exit, especially in the summer. Knowing my luck plod would lift the closure 5 minutes after I'd gone looking for water.

[Silverbullet767]

Always carry bog roll. As I found out to my detriment one day travelling on the M8 and it was standstill for hours. One trip up the embankment to drop a few amendments facing a row of houses with nothing but a chamois to polish with.

[XJSJohn]

Silverbullet767 said:

Always carry bog roll. As I found out to my detriment one day travelling on the M8 and it was standstill for hours. One trip up the embankment to drop a few amendments facing a row of houses with nothing but a chamois to polish with.

forgot that - roadside services here have everything ... except bog roll in the traps ... just a bum gun to hose the chocolate starfish down with, nothing to help finish off the paperwork though!

[bennyboysvuk]

I think what you carry comes down to the type of driving that you do.

I take as little as possible, which is something like:

Mutli-tool thing
Warm hat, gloves and ice scraper (in winter)
Hi-vis vest

[Captainawesome]

Poopipe said:

Baby wipes

Haha not just me then. They are zoo handy for a quick interior clean.

[g3org3y]

Some very well stocked up folk here!

I have a backpack in the boot of the car which contains various bits:
- Old cloths (for checking oil)
- Some spare bulbs
- Air compressor
- Torch
- Jump leads
- Tyre pressure gauge
- Windowlene + cloth

In addition to that, the boot also holds:
- Full size spare
- OEM tool kit
- OEM first aid kit
- OEM jack

When I had the E30, I also used to keep a l.5 litre bottle of water and 1L oil in the boot.

Edited by g3org3y on Thursday 18th September 07:46

[neil1jnr]

Wallet, phone and CD's.

[Raman Kandola]

Keys
Debit card
Drink
Cigs
Phone

[RizzoTheRat]

ging84 said:

a couple of very dirty cloths
several drinks cups with dregs still in
some plastic bags containing nothing but a receipt
a large collection of used pay and display tickets

I'm not sure how essential any of these things are, but I bet most people have them.

Depends if my wife has been in my car...

[Sammo123]

Me
Sunglasses
Sat Nav
Debit card for fuel

I find it quite amusing that people carry so much "essential stuff" in their car!

[OceanEyes]

I know a friend, who is also on PH, who always, without fail, has Mcdonalds straws in his car. It's come in handy twice actually for us both!

[kambites]

Me, sun glasses, wallet, phone, and that's about it.

I actually always have my diagnostics reader with me but that's because I never unplug it from the car rather than because I feel I need it.

[996TT02]

Snollygoster said:

The Moose said:

Shaoxter said:

When I get in other people's cars I'm surprised at how many don't carry any water. Could be a lifesaver if you were to get stuck somewhere.

Where is one getting stuck in the UK where they can't go get a drink?

Aye, drivers are dying of dehydration all over the UK outback, they are...

[Dr Interceptor]

Me
Sunglasses
Car Keys
Mobile Phone
Mobile Phone Charger
Lip Balm
Wallet

[uuf361]

Wallet, keys and phone are always in my pocket when I leave the house.

About the only things that gets left in the car permanently are a litre of oil, the first aid kit they came with and an ice scraper.