What do you keep in your car to be prepared?

[LemonViolet]

Having the car proper valeted this evening, so given we have a clean slate am thinking carefully about what I’m allowing back in

Off the top of my head

• Parking permits for FIL’s street (in little folder to keep neat)
• Emergency window breaker/seatbelt cutter tool velcro’d in the drivers door pocket
• ice scraper/de icer spray in winter
• phone charger
• supermarket trolley token & car park change in a little purse. Although everywhere I park is an app now anyway.
• few bottles of water and snack bars in case we ever break down or hangry stuck in traffic
• dog poo bags, collapsible water bowl, spare dog collar & lead, dog towels

What else?

I'm very impressed with how organised some of you are !

Fudge - that reminds me of how I always used to pluck my eyebrows in the car, for some reason the natural light is so much better .

In ours at mo: pen, paper, glasses cleaner wipes, small first aid kit, foot blister plasters, tissues, ibuprofen & paracetamol, spare asthma inhaler, trolley token, and pet vaccination cards.. as we kept forgetting to take them.

Nappies and wipes
Tissues
Torch
First aid kit
One of those orange warning triangle thingies
Windscreen scraper
Spare pair of glasses in case of a contact lens mishap.

Forgot... hand sanitiser and loose change

Foil blankets. Hi-vis jacket. Warning triangle. Travel Jane. Bottle of water. Torch.

In Winter I add coat, scarf, hat gloves, walking boots or wellies, cereal bar.

Lots of motorway driving and long journeys.

Water,
Blanket,
Walking boots,
Reusable bags.

Oh yeah, de-icer and window scarper. Phone charging cable.

In the front: Tissues, wet wipes, chewing gum, hand sanitizer, phone charger, trolley token & pen.

Boot: shopping bags, picnic blanket, coat, tyre inflator, first aid kit, gloves.

I have an ice scraper, chamois sponge, face mask, sanitiser , pen and post-it pad, brolly in glove compartment, first aid kit in boot. Nothing else.

Be careful of sunblock you keep in the car. It becomes unstable if you get it hot (ironically) and may be less effective.

As well as many of the things already mentioned, I keep a role of duct or parcel tape - multiple uses, including emergency repairs of clothes/bags.

When the DC were young, I kept an emergency change of clothes - a set that they had grown out of that could just about get on.

I have recently changed cars and haven’t yet put my stuff in the “new” car but what I had previously:

• car manual
• sweets tin
• sunglasses
• pen and notebook
• hair bobbles
• sewing kit
• calpol in liquid sachets
• hand sanitiser
• paracetamol + ibuprofen tablets
• tissues
• sanitary products
• a ready made first aid kit from boots
• triangle
• torch
• de-icer and ice scraper
• screen wash liquid
• picnic blanket
• bags
• umbrella

I think that’s it.

First aid kit - super duper one which has separate pouches for different types of emergency
Tissues
Foil blankets
2 disposable waterproof ponchos
Phone charger (have usb socket in car)
De-icer and scraper
Foil windscreen cover for heat/ice
Purse of change
Travel sickness pills and bands and sick bag
Sweets
Cigarette lighter powered tyre pump (mostly used for inflating footballs)

If we’re on longer journeys we will pack coats in winter even if not planning to be outside and I make sure I am either wearing or have packed shoes I can walk in.

I've got a she wee, blanket, first aid kit and that's it

I had water at one point too. The water/BPA thing is true but unlike to happen in the UK, not hot enough.

Liquorice Allsorts

I only put extra stuff beyond a first aid kit and sanitizer in the car when I'm going in trips. On a daily basis if my car broke down I am never more than 4 miles from home. Worst case scenario is that I walk home. Most likely scenario is my husband or sons would pick me up

All of the above plus a slip on dog lead and some treats because I've lost count of the number of stray dogs I've come across. Pop the lead on and off to the nearest vet for ID normally if no collar on.

Personally I think first aid kits are a pointless waste of space, if you're keeping them for use in a car accident . I can't think of anything in a first aid kit that will be the slightest use to you in a serious accident (I'm an A&E doctor/urgent care GP). You can always improvise a temporary dressing with clothing, and the fiddly little dressings in first aid kits are not going to help with a proper bleed.

I did have one in the car when the DC were young, but that was for cuts and scrapes when they were out and about.

I do carry gloves in case I stop to help at an accident.

I’m liking the duct tape. Like Buffalo Bill @MissLucyEyelesbarrow

Charging leads and plug in tyre pump have both had use in mine. Might not bother for a very new car

Plastic gloves for filling up
Lots of air fresheners that hang from my mirror
Mad travel rug

Personally I think first aid kits are a pointless waste of space, if you're keeping them for use in a car accident

Is that why most people have one though? I have a fairly basic one and I’ve never used it but really it’s for if toddler DD hurts herself while out and about at a park or whatever.

AA membership card 🤣

@Knittingupastorm

Personally I think first aid kits are a pointless waste of space, if you're keeping them for use in a car accident

Is that why most people have one though? I have a fairly basic one and I’ve never used it but really it’s for if toddler DD hurts herself while out and about at a park or whatever.

You're probably right, but lots of cars seem to come with them now and I think some countries actually mandate them, which seems daft. Now that my DC are adults, I prefer to use the space for other crap essentials 😉

I’m liking the duct tape. Like Buffalo Bill @MissLucyEyelesbarrow**

I'm saying nothing till my lawyer gets here.

@MissLucyEyelesbarrow

Personally I think first aid kits are a pointless waste of space, if you're keeping them for use in a car accident . I can't think of anything in a first aid kit that will be the slightest use to you in a serious accident (I'm an A&E doctor/urgent care GP). You can always improvise a temporary dressing with clothing, and the fiddly little dressings in first aid kits are not going to help with a proper bleed.

I did have one in the car when the DC were young, but that was for cuts and scrapes when they were out and about.

I do carry gloves in case I stop to help at an accident.

My super duper first aid kit has cpr masks, scissors for cutting clothes, gloves, foil blankets, dressings, instant ice packs, disinfectant wipes, a conformance splint and a sterile bag for severed limbs amongst many other things. I hope never to use most of it - the most I’ve used so far is a few plasters and sachets of hand gel when there was a shortage!

Once a girl guide, always a girl guide!

MissLucyEyelesbarrow, I was thinking more accidents at the park than serious accidents - I did use the gloves when I went to the supermarket for the first time in COVID times…