Comments on: 25 Things You Should Always Have In Your Car

By: drleonesse

drleonesse — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 15:03:48 +0000

I agree with Sashi about the candle. When I lived in ‘cold country’, I always had a tall, fat candle and matches in a 3-lb coffee can (with lid). I was told that the heat from the candle was enough to keep the car occupants alive if stuck in the snow for an extended time. The can makes it much safer and more stable.

When I lived in the desert where wind/sandstorms were frequent, sandbags in the truck of a small car would help deter ‘lane shift’ due to high winds on the highway.

By: Kayla

Kayla — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 17:58:39 +0000

Hey,

Why doesn’t anyone EVER think of toilet paper?

By: Fabulously Broke

Fabulously Broke — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 19:53:59 +0000

Kitty litter can also substitute for carpet liner.. you just pour it at the back tire and all around it, on the ice, and it serves as a ‘grip’ for your tires.

By: Dan

Dan — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 17:11:39 +0000

George,
One thing that flares have going for them is that they’re probably the best fire starter you can keep in your car. Most people don’t know how to build a sustainable fire from scratch and if I need an immediate heat source I know that I’m using one of my flares (not inside the car unless its that dire).

Also a knife for cutting seatbelts if necessary. A multitool would cover other bases as well (pliers, etc)

By: Jonathan

Jonathan — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 18:21:53 +0000

Hello, this post is great i made a translation in french of it. I hope it’s not a problem.

Have a nice day.

By: Bill

Bill — Sat, 31 Mar 2007 15:17:47 +0000

Not much extra weight there – all that stuff fits nicely in a small Rubbermaid tub.

Include a 12V car adapter (off ebay) for the cellphone and you’re set.

You could also buy a prepaid card from America’s Roaming Network (they’re the default provider you get if your cellphone is no longer registered with another carrier)

Their prepaid cards are good for 2 years from the date you buy them – outgoing calls only, since once your cellphone becomes unregistered it can’t receive incoming calls:

http://americanroaming.com/buyprepaid.php

Spending $20 every couple of years to be able to use that cellphone for calls other than 911 is cheap peace of mind.

By: Rick M

Rick M — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 02:16:44 +0000

I agree with Rob Landers. My goal has always been to get as much stuff out of my car as possible, to cut down on wait and improve gas mileage. I figure that as long as I carry a cell phone, I can get someone to bring whatever else I need in an emergency.

By: Sachi

Sachi — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 01:26:14 +0000

The one thing I don’t see here is a candle. One of those thick based slow burning candles is what you need to bring the inside of the car from 36 degrees to 50 degrees, when you’re stuck in the snow.

Thanks for the list!

By: Rob Landers

Rob Landers — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 14:29:10 +0000

You forgot the 26th thing to carry in your car at all times. It is the extra cash to purchase the extra fuel to carry this estimated 180 lbs of extra weight — and the repair and maintenance cost to compensate for shortened tire, brake, engine, transmission, and running gear life, due to the extra weight. RL

By: VG

VG — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 19:47:50 +0000

What about a camera? at least a disposable camera to take some pictures of the emergency. of course this helps with accidents too. i recently was hit in a walmart parking lot and police refused to write a police report and i ended up having to get walmart security camera (which are full digital feeds) to prove my case.

By: Shadox

Shadox — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 08:01:01 +0000

Excellent article. Here are my comments:

1. A cell phone battery will leak its energy and discharge over time if it is not recharged. So, if you put your old cell phone in the glove compartment and forget about it, it will most likely be dead if you try to use it several months later.

2. Towels are also useful if you are trying to hitch a ride on a passing spaceship. Come on! You gotta know that reference!

3. Move to Califorina, where road salt is strictly unnecessary, unless you happen to be driving up to Tahoe for a ski weekend… :-)

By: durin

durin — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 05:13:03 +0000

one thing that just occurred to me is incorporating a home emergency kit into the car. Odds seem good that whether an emergency occurs at home or on the road, the car will be close enough to access.

By: Hunchy

Hunchy — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 00:38:34 +0000

The list is a bit different here in Australia. Instead of road salt, shovel and hat/ glove/ scarf, I would substitute sunscreen, beer and boardshorts :-)

Seriously… the only thing I would add is one of those plastic ponchos that fold up into just about nothing. Invaluable if it’s raining and something goes wrong.

By: Grant Boston

Grant Boston — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 22:37:32 +0000

Instead of flares get a couple of the flashing LED lights that cyclists use – they are very bright and batteries last forever. I would also carry a towing strap, you can use it not only for towing but to secure a load or hold the trunk closed if you are carrying too much stuff

By: Christian Finance

Christian Finance — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 21:14:23 +0000

Great advice! Not living in a rural area, I would have never thought of some of those items and quite honestly, I don’t have any of those items in the car except the jack that comes with the car. Of course I also carry my cell phone with me at all times.

By: George

George — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 19:47:39 +0000

Instead of road flares, I suggest having a few collapsible reflective triangles. You can get some that mount on a window, and others that are meant to be free-standing. When collapsed they don’t take up much space.

Flares only last (at most) 30 minutes. A triangle stays visible indefinitely. If you’re stuck on the side of the highway for a while, putting reflective triangles behind you make you MUCH more visible, reducing the possibility of somebody hitting you if they aren’t paying attention.

By: 3bean

3bean — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 17:08:47 +0000

I keep a couple of cans of wet cat food with a pop off lid. This is something I know we’ll never eat unless it’s a dire emergency. All other food we’ve ever tried keeping in the car alwways ends up getting comsumed in a non-emergency hunger attack!

By: Nishant

Nishant — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 16:53:44 +0000

Wow, sounds like you thought of everything. Reminds me of the tragedy with James Kim. Another nice post.

By: Stephen

Stephen — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 15:53:37 +0000

Here is what I actually bought over the Holidays for my wife’s car and one for my car. Covers the flashlight and radio parts of this list and does not need batteries.

Since the winters can get pretty cold up here, having to always check a flashlight in the car to make sure the batteries are still good is just a pain in the butt.

http://www.amazon.com/Durapro-MegaBRITE-emergency-self-flashlight/dp/B000GJ5G7C?tag=onejourney-20