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

[JackReacher]

For me, I always have the following:-

Sunglasses
Phone charger
Umbrella
Bottle of water
Wet wipes
Tissues
Torch
Electronic tyre pump
High vis jacket
Ice scraper
UK road atlas for reference

What am I missing?

[markmullen]

A little bottle of alcohol hand gel is handy in case you get your hands dirty out and about. Also a first aid kit.

[oilslick]

McDonalds barbeque sauce, you never know when they'll forget to put it in the bag.

[g7jhp]

Me
Means of paying for petrol

[leigh1050]

Debit card for fuel.

[Poopipe]

Baby wipes

[vikingaero]

Baby wipes (no baby)
Nappy Sacks (rubbish bin and pee sacks)
Fire Extinguisher
First Aid Kit
Camera Rucksack
Chromebook & Tablet
Food, drinks & snacks
Extending wheel wrench
Tool kit
Jump leads
Torches & lanterns
Footpump
Tow rope/tow pole
All the above mainly because I'm the AA to my extended family.

3 huge packs of cave rescue/mountain rescue gear/600m of rope etc

[Tickle]

Sunglasses and Autoglym bird poo wipes

[sunnydude959]

I used to keep condoms in the little stowage compartment under the drivers' seat of my Mercedes. I stopped doing it when I realised that;

1) Built-up heat in a car on a warm day accelerates the gradual degradation of condoms,
2) I realised that I didn't need them because I wasn't getting any. The "AMG" badge didn't pull the honeys like I initially thought. I was lying about my size either way; the badge on the side of my car said "6.3" when it was actually just a tiny bit over 6.2...

[Stoker]

Jump Leads (to help other people rather than me, I hope)

Gaffer Tape

[thelawnet]

Butt plug

[anonymous-user]

Jazz publications.

[itcaptainslow]

As little as possible, as stuff sliding around bugs me to hell (and for the Lotus owner's answer-it adds weight).

[Fartgalen]

I'll answer on behalf of my missus.

Umbrella(s)
Tissues.
Wet wipes (3 packets).
Hard boiled sweets, and other assorted sweets.
Cough sweets.
Chewing gum.
Blanket.
Jump leads.
Plastic knives/forks/spoons.
Sunglasses.
Spare bulbs.
Fuses.
2 jackets.
2 horse whips.
Melted chocolate.
Box of opened cereal.
Crisps.
CD's. (some with covers, some without, and many mismatching).
Headache tablets.
Screen wash.
Carrier bags.
Assorted coins.
Biscuits.
Gloves.

And whatever else I can't remember right now, and cannot be arsed to look.

[krobbo]

Phone
Wallet
Sunglasses

[ChickenvanGuy]

vikingaero said:

Baby wipes (no baby)
Nappy Sacks (rubbish bin and pee sacks)
Fire Extinguisher
First Aid Kit
Camera Rucksack
Chromebook & Tablet
Food, drinks & snacks
Extending wheel wrench
Tool kit
Jump leads
Torches & lanterns
Footpump
Tow rope/tow pole
All the above mainly because I'm the AA to my extended family.

3 huge packs of cave rescue/mountain rescue gear/600m of rope etc

sorry, I could have sworn you said "pee sacks" there...

[JackReacher]

Fartgalen said:

I'll answer on behalf of my missus.

2 horse whips.

Kinky

[Troubleatmill]

JackReacher said:

For me, I always have the following:-

Sunglasses
Phone charger
Umbrella
Bottle of water
Wet wipes
Tissues
Torch
Electronic tyre pump
High vis jacket
Ice scraper
UK road atlas for reference

What am I missing?

Jack Reacher doesn't own a car

[RizzoTheRat]

The jack/wrench kit that came with the car is pretty good so no extras
12v compressor
Cargo net
Small change
Phone charger
Work pass
Water
Sun glasses
Waterproof
Umbrella
Satnav
iPod and cable or SD card of music
Jump leads (hopefully not for me but used them on others a couple of times)
Latex gloves
Hankies

[jamieduff1981]

1) Me.
2) Means of contacting someone should I need it.
3) Either enough fuel or a debit card.
4) The car keys.

All this crap mentioned about sounds like a total waste of space unless you're setting off on the Camel Trophy or an expedition to the North Pole.