There are a number of items that make a whole lotta sense to keep in your car. Some of them are emergency related but some just make sense from a convenience point of view. Following is a quick list of some of the essential things to keep in your car to increase your convenience.
1. Important Paperwork
You should store your vehicle registration, proof of car insurance, the car’s owner’s manual, and your AAA (or roadside assistance card) permanently in the glove box. You never know when you might need some or more of these docs.
2. Flashlight
Yes, your smart phone has a spare light but you can’t always rely on it because your battery could be dead. It’s smart to invest in a high-quality LED flashlight—and be sure to replace the batteries regularly.
3. Wipes
You know, for those times when you spill your coffee or accidentally spray SPF all over your car seat instead of your shoulder. In fact, for big-time messes, consider keeping a sizable clean rag in the trunk. You never know when you may need to wipe up a real big mess (think children.)
4. Spare Phone Chargers
Of course, your cell phone is going to die when you need it most. Execute a pre-emptive strike and keep a 12V charger in your car. The trick is to actually leave it there and not be tempted to carry it away with you. Since there might be others in your car that want to charge their phone, you can get a 12 Volt adapter with 2 USB ports on it for just 3-4 dollars.
5. Tool Kit
Even if you are not real handy, it’s always a good idea to have a small tool kit in the car. Sometimes a screwdriver or wrench can be a tremendous help for an unexpected car repair on the road. You may find that you aren’t actually performing any repairs, it could be performed by a passenger or a good Samaritan that has stopped to help you out.
6. Coupons and Gift Cards
Bet you haven’t thought of this one. Instead of keeping your coupons and gift cards in the kitchen drawer where they are never remembered, keep them in your car. Throw them all in a baggie and the next time you think, “I wish I had that gift card with me,” you actually will.
Read also: Top Reasons Why Fuel Cards Can Reduce Corporate Spending
7. Weather Gear
This one isn’t a critical item but keeping a rain poncho and umbrella can really save the day if starts to rain. Same goes for when the temperature drops unexpectedly. Keep an old sweatshirt in the trunk and you’ll be ready for some cool weather.
8. Pen and Paper
It’s always practical to keep a small notebook and pen in your glove box. It can come in handy more often than you think—like when you have to write your kid a gym note or sign a permission slip, or gather information from the other party when a fender-bender occurs.
9. First Aid Kit
Hopefully you won’t ever need it but having a first aid kit is always a good idea. Chances are you won’t need it because of a car-related incident. It’s more likely you’ll need it when you are at one of the kid’s soccer games or you stop to help someone else. You can buy small first aid kits at most pharmacies and big box stores.
10. Loose Change
You probably have this covered but always keep a handful of spare change in the car. Then it will be there when you are at a toll booth or parking with a coin-operated meter.
11. Tire Pressure Gauge
You must keep a tire pressure gauge in your car to avoid issues caused by fluctuations in tire pressure. This is the simplest approach to maintain the optimum tire pressure which is affordable too. Ideal tire pressure guarantees supreme control, grip and strength that makes your car trip comfortable and hassle-free.
Pressure in tires tends to vary with the temperature, sometimes they may become over-inflated due to outside hot temperatures and under-inflated in the cold snap. Before going on any long road trip, check your tire pressure, which is in pounds per square inch (PSI). Maintaining the correct pressure in your car tires also alleviates the risk of tire wear and tear and elevates gas mileage. A punctured tire can be hazardous to you and your car. You can take proactive measures to help evade blowouts of tires such as by turning of tires every 5,000 to 10,000 miles and monitoring for tire maintenance.
12. Emergency Flares
Whenever you are driving on a heavy-traffic road, busy junction, or unexpected turn, it’s not feasible for you to stop the car suddenly. Even if you succeed in stopping your vehicle along the roadside and activating the warning light, you may not be visible to other drivers and the chance of your car being hit by them is always there. But if you have orange or red flare lights, you can set up them around your car to flag your position.
These flare lights are user-friendly, portable, and robust. They are crucial emergency indicators for help in a precarious situation. They proffer greater clear sight for non-stop traffic and also cut down the likelihood of vehicles being struck by oblivious drivers. But be sure these flare lights are water and crush-resistant, otherwise they might not serve their purpose effectively.
13. Jumper Cables
Your car battery may be dead suddenly when you park a car somewhere and forget to turn off the car lights, or sometimes this battery needs to be swapped. In that situation, asking a pedestrian or traveller to provide you with a jumpstart is wasteful. To avoid such circumstances, you must keep jumper cables in your car.
Jumper cables comprise of two insulated cables that are used to attach a drained battery to a power source. They are also cost-effective as their price is below $20 and you can easily buy them from retail stores or online. They are easy to handle; you can even use them without any assistance. A drained car battery is unexpected and extremely troublesome always. But If you have jumper cables in your car, they won’t let you and your car be exhausted even after a long time, making your trip more enjoyable.
Compact battery jump-starter kits with USB connections are also available these days which can recharge your other devices too. Hence, a jump-starter kit is a great tool to have in the car and a dream gift indeed.
14. Water & Snacks
Everyone enjoys eating snacks when travelling in the car whether it’s a short or long trip. They are an essential item that you must keep in your car when you are planning for a long car trip. In case of any emergency, water and snacks may provide you with subsistence for a considerable time.
