What essential items do you keep in your car?

[supercee]

I've just got my first car at the age of 39!

What essential items do you keep in it? Or anything you find useful? Or non-essential but you think are handy?

So far I only have a usb cable to plug my phone in. I'm thinking de-icer? What else?

A riveting Saturday night thread...!

[Beepbeepa]

Just checked. 85 old crisp packets, an empty tube of hand cream, half a boiled sweet, some stones and various sizes of sand grains, a stick that looks like a flamingo and two old colouring books. Hope that helps.

Seriously, you lot are so organised!

[IToldYouIWasFreaky]

A tool to cut the seatbelt/smash the window, which I keep in the driver side glove box for easy access in emergencies.

[oldmotherriley]

Aluminium foil blanket.....in case of motorway breakdown, and having to exit the car in inclement weather, and hang around until help arrives.

[Sparklingbrook]

Nothing much. I generally have my handbag with masks/wipes/money pen in. I hate having a ton of stuff in the car and generally speaking I tend to be close to shops in a daily basis.

In the winter an ice scraper in the boot, and possibly an umbrella.

If going a long trip I'll chuck in a bottle of water and some snacks in case of traffic hold up etc. If it's snowing then stuff for that.

[Sparklingbrook]

@Beepbeepa

Just checked. 85 old crisp packets, an empty tube of hand cream, half a boiled sweet, some stones and various sizes of sand grains, a stick that looks like a flamingo and two old colouring books. Hope that helps.

Seriously, you lot are so organised!

Ds1's car has 85 crisp packets too and about 8 bottles of water all opened and all drunk out of rolling about in the boot. It would drive me mad.

[MrsSpringfield]

In the boot I have a picnic mat, 2x foil blanket, spare shoes, small bottle of water, basic first aid, a torch.

In the glove box I have emergency period stuff, pen and paper, gum, some cereal bars, de-icer and scraper, £5.

[DelphiniumBlue]

I only drive to and from work and short distances in London, so not long motorway drives or rural country lanes etc.
I have the usual ice-scraper, water, tyre repair aerosol thingy, battery charger.
Then phone charger, spare glasses and lipstick, eyeliner pencil,comb, hairclip, and sunglasses. Spare underwear, ( nothing worse than being uncomfortable) flat shoes and trainers, wellies. A book or magazine, pen and paper. Almonds and a cereal bar. spare mask, and a few pound coins. Spare plastic bags. Tutoring kit ( maths resources, pens etc). Coffee in a flask or travel mug. Fleece blanket or picnic rug. Umbrella, hat and sometimes an extra coat ( eg rain jacket if I am going out in a denim jacket). Anti -mosqito spray, and suncream in summer. Paracetomol and anthistamines. A spare inhaler if there is one (I don't need it but other family members do.)
DH has a massive emergency chocolate bar in his car, suncream and loads of bottles of water.

[Ikeameatballs]

I’ve been driving since I was 18 (now 42) and feel woefully underprepared after reading this thread!

Some tissues, contact lenses and a can of pop....

[Bwlch]

Shopping bags.

A pair of heels and a bikini.

[Floralnomad]

Essential for me are :
Emergency £10 ( in secret compartment)
Extra Medication ( mine)
USB stick with music
Sat nav ( for longer journeys)
Ice scraper
Bottle of drink
Dog Pooh bags
Tennis ball ( for dog)
Umbrella
Coat / jumper

[PinkPlantCase]

A pair of pants, hand sanitizer and a very warm hi-vis coat.

I am easily pleased

Oh and hair bobbles.

[frustrationcentral]

First aid kit - although I haven't checked this recently so could do with doing that!

Walking boots

Usually a spare hoody in the boot

Bottle of water

Ice scraper

[HeartshapedFox]

I treated myself to a decent first aid kit for the car this year - they’re around £15 on Amazon and it includes a mind-boggling amount of stuff, including sterile wipes, dressings and a foil blanket.
It also unexpectedly came in handy over the summer when my son took a chunk out of his knee at the skate park, so well worth having. I also admit I felt like a “proper” grown up when I bought it - and get one for the house if you don’t already have one.
Enjoy your new car

[Fifilafrog]

Bin bags
Wipes
Sanitizer
Mask
Pound coin
Pen
Box of tissues
Perfume
Lip balm
Sweeties
Chewing gum
Hair brush
Sunglasses
Ice scraper
Umbrella
Bags for life
Coloring book and pencils

[RandomUsernameHere]

Tissues
Wet wipes
Bottles of water
Hand sanitizer
Face masks
Small first aid kit
Ice scraper

[Plussizejumpsuit]

I'm really clau and when my anxiety was bad I was really scared of being trapped in the car. So I got a 2 in one glass breaker and seat belt cutter. Just keep it in my little compartment next to the gear stick. Never needed it but its good peace of mind.

[movingonup20]

Chocolate, water, I suspect there's something in the boot supplied with the car but never investigated. I'm probably not a good example

[movingonup20]

Oh and napkins from McDonald's, always handy

[Poppystars]

Bottle of water
2 chocolate bars
Wet wipes
De-icer and sprayer
Sponge thingy to wipe the inside of the windscreen
Insurance details
Torch
Picnic blanket - doubles as a blanket of break down
First Aid kit
Sunglasses just for the car
Book - after a motorway shutdown and hours of boredom, a book!
Pens
A-Z of city I used to live in (!)

[PontiacBandit]

5 IKEA bags in the boot for the supermarket. And some smaller bags for life. Face Masks, trolley token, umbrella, pen, sanitiser, phone charger wire. Also sunglasses, just a cheap pair for when the sun is low and blinding and the shade isn't low enough and my BP loyalty card, I don't often fill up there but I got free bag of jelly babies last time with it.

[Begonias]

Tissues
Wipes
Face masks
Hairbrush
Sanitiser
Pen
Loose change
2 umbrellas
Spare coats
Blankets
Carrier bags
De icer
ice scraper/brush
Spare lightbulbs
Blankets
Roadside kit -foil blanket,warning triangle,first aid kit

[ilovepixie]

Demister wiper
Sweets
Baby wipes
Poo bags
Water bottle
Water bowl
Shopping bags
Blanket
Dog cage
Face masks
Warning triangle
Jump leads
Tin foil blanket
De icer
Tow rope
Snow shovel
Torch
Hi vis vest

[ilovepixie]

Oh and also a first aid kit and spare bulbs.

[Begonias]

I once got stuck in traffic for 3 hrs in the snow with 15 month old DD (finished work,picked DD up from childminder and set off on our 25mins journey home). Luckily I had some snacks and a water bottle in the car. These days it's less snacks

[RaininSummer]

Lip balm, hairbrush, sanitiser, masks, charger, cds, fold up chair, shopping bags, picnic blanket, poo bags, lead, ball, fold up water bowl, tyre compressor, breakdown membership, sunglasses, reading glasses, walking boots, raincoat, umbrella. This was a fun memory game and I am shocked by how much stuff I apparently need.