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?

Wow can't believe how prepared you lot are!
All I have in mine is
Jelly babies ( I'm diabetic)
Massive IKEA bag - so handy for all sorts.

I regularly drive 3 hours to parents house, just me and the kids in my 16 year old car and never give it a second thought.

Baseball bat.

Can’t see without my glasses so just in case my glasses ever broke I have a spare pair of glasses and prescription sun glasses, as well as big umbrella, blanket, old coat, spare old trainers, and the usual trolley tokens, some cash, phone charger CD’s etc.

Absolutely nothing. Didn’t even know this was a thing until reading this.

I’ll take the kids reusable water bottles with me in my bag when we go out.

It really depends on the type of driving you do I think. If you are going on a long drive you might bung some extra things in just in case you get stuck in traffic etc, but for my twenty minute commute or a trip to the shop then there's no need.

Pen and paper
Tub of horse treats and a hoof pick
Spare girths, headcollar and stirrup leathers, bailer twine.
Tarp for dogs in case they're horribly muddy as opposed tolerably muddy
Collapsible buckets
Horse and dog first aid kit.
Clogs
High Viz.
Warning triangles
Torch.
Spare change.
Packet of ginger nuts.

Generally day to day short trips nothing except ice scraper in winter - no driver just let the engine do its job. Day trips water and bowl for dogs, flask of tea or coffee and biscuit. Winter day trips aka snow hunting also includes a shovel, blanket, dog towels.

One thing DH started putting in ours was a nail clippers, and I can't tell you how many times it has come in handy.

A bottle of deodorant for when I've forgotten to put it on in the morning.

Long charging cables for everyone's phones (for long drives).

The kids have fleecy blankets in the back all year, they love them even in summer, inexplicably.

A pile of face masks.

In winter there'll be a scraper and bottle of de-icer (though I might try a less nasty solution than de-icer this year, it's foul stuff).

We mainly drive within 15km of home on small country roads, so traffic jams and being stranded aren't really possibilities. We got stuck in snow before and just walked home, it wasn't a problem.

Good thread, though, it's very satisfying making sure the car is tidy but ready for anything

Car jack, jump leads, wrench, hi-viz
Little bag with pills, plasters and potions - usual gubbins.
Phone number and insurance policy number on a little card somewhere
sweets in the glovebox , phone charger cable
Picnic blanket

@starfishmummy, what car do u drive for carrying a wheelchair? I am looking for inspiration as I recently started carrying one for outdoor use too. Can't fit much more into my Peugeot with wheelchair there so looking for ideas.

Chewing gum
Paracetamol
Pen
That's about it!

And at the moment obviously masks and sanitizer.

I feel very unprepared compared to you all.

If I'm doing a long trip I have lots of drinks and snacks. Although last time I got stuck in traffic my snacks were in the boot.

[quote YogaLite]@starfishmummy, what car do u drive for carrying a wheelchair? I am looking for inspiration as I recently started carrying one for outdoor use too. Can't fit much more into my Peugeot with wheelchair there so looking for ideas.[/quote]
It's a berlingo. There are several similar - Peugeot Partner and Renault Kangoo are basically the same (or were). Fiat Doblo as well.

I'm lucky that I have one of those hidden cubby holes under the floor of my boot so all sorts of things get stashed in there, mainly because it's easiest place to keep them!
Wellies
Large umbrella
High viz vest (it's a work site one but handy if you break down)
There's often a pair of trainers or two in there
£ coins for supermarket
Shopping bags
Picnic blanket at the moment due to increase in pandemic induced al fresco coffees!
Phone charger
Wet wipes
Hand gel
Ice scraper / snow brush
Deicer spray
If there's bad weather forecast I would put the travel snow shovel and extra blanket / water / snacks in the car too.

First aid kit.
Emergency tyre inflated
Red triangle (collapsible)
Tissues
Spare glasses
Masks
Sunglasses
Hand gel
Wipes
Carrier bags for shopping. Forever left them at home prior to this
Umbrella for me and the kiddo
Pacamac
Charger for iPhone
Sat nav
Picnic blanket
Reflective vest
Jump leads
Paracetamol
AA membership car
Insurance details
Ice scraper
San products
Kids car seat

Most of the stuff in OPs original list.🤣

I have a tiny Toyota Aygo 🤣

We live in Cornwall and here it makes sense to have:
Spare set of dry clothes that would fit either child
Warm jumper that would fit me or DH
Blanket
First aid kit

on top of usual (coins, emergency snacks, hazard triangle etc)

Some of you are very prepared!

I keep a small first aid kit, coat and buckets and spades in case of impromptu beach visit/ something to wee in 🤣

First aid kit - super duper one which has separate pouches for different types of emergency
@Lovelydovey that first aid kit sounds ace where did you get it? Or did you make it up yourself?

@starfishmummy, thank u

Disposable ice pack,blanket,mini first aid kit.

@LemonViolet

First aid kit - super duper one which has separate pouches for different types of emergency *@Lovelydovey* that first aid kit sounds ace where did you get it? Or did you make it up yourself?

Good question! My late DF gave it to me as a Christmas present the year before last - not sure where he got it from but he worked in contingency planning so it may have been through work (no trip to London with him was complete without him pointing out all the buildings which would be temporary morgues). It’s by a company called international sos.

My first aid kit is there for if one of us hurts ourselves while at the beach/out on a walk etc. Kid falls off rocks and cuts themselves/dislocates something/gets stung scenario. We spend quite a lot of time in reasonably remote outdoor places so it's useful to have the option to clean and patch yourself up.

Facemasks
Baby wipes
Tissues
Umbrella
Water bottle
Change for car parks

These are just what I happen to have rather than a planned thing.

Placemarking to respond properly when I have a keyboard (not just a. Phone)