To keep a sort of survival kit in the car

[Soopertooter]

I travel alone by car with my three children quite often and I always think I ought to keep some essentials in the car. I think if we were to ever get stuck in mega traffic or breakdown I would be so screwed with three kids under five and a few squashed cereal bars from the bottom of the nappy bag .

Is it OTT to keep food, drinks, blankets, maybe even a pop up tent in case we had to wait on a verge in pouring rain? I tend to imagine worst case scenarios!

If you do have something similar in your car, what do you keep in it?

Not stupid at all! Bottles of water, blanket, wellies and raincoats live in my car boot.

Always worth to keep a first aid kit and blanket in the car. I also have a torch and fold up spade. I’ve pribably got a big umbrella. After a recent non nappy incident I may also add some spares!! Always worth being prepared and not using it!

I actually think this sounds quite sensible! Am now wondering if I should do the same...

I could probably survive for a month with all the shit that’s in my car.

I have a very long commute and keep an emergency kit in the car. I have food, drink, a sleeping bag, hoodie, comfy shoes, in-car phone charger. It was DH's idea after lots of people were caught in snow in their cars a few years ago. I've never had to use it (apart from the food when the motorway was closed once) but I feel reassured to have it.

I've just had a baby and think this is a great idea! We live somewhere were it's bloody cold in the winter so I've always thought I should have at least a blanket in the car but of course never have. Now I will definitely have a survival kit inside!

We have a blanket and a couple of golfing umbrellas, but this thread is inspiring me to put in water and cereal bars could probably fashion a marquee from all the bags for life

Make sure you include a she wee and a large plastic bottle with some cat litter

I keep a backpack in mine that's set up for sort trips out, so there's always nappies, wipes, full change of clothes for youngest, jumper for eldest, pac-a-mac type coats for both, snacks, drinks, books, colouring stuff and a few toys. There are always lots of blankets and soft toys in the car itself. There's also a car breakdown kit and first aid kit in the car, which includes things like high vis jackets so we'd be pretty well catered for. No tent though!

All of above

• Flashing lantern ( will be a better warning of broken down car than a torch, althonobvs a torch as well)
• Warning triangle

Blankets, spare old hoodie, first aid kit, torch, bottle of water and some cereal bars all kept in a box in the boot.

Just seems sensible to me tbh.

When I lived in Arizona I was worried about breaking down in the heat, same with when I lived in Canada.

I keep/kept - several liters of water, food that won't really get gross like granola bars or beef jerky, a torch and batteries, blankets and wellies, one of those reflective warmth blankets (that look like aliens would wear), hand and feet warmers (that you open and they start producing heat, and a flare to attract attention. Oh and a pack of playing cards in case I get bored waiting to be rescued/pen and paper to keep track of how many days I've been working away waiting to die

I always keep an emergency backpack in the car. It has some of those foil blankets, thermal wear, wet overwear, thick socks, walking boots (but I walk dogs so always have boots) couple of small torches, gloves, hats and scarfs, little hand warmers. If I’m going any distance in the winter, I chuck in some plastic cups, packets of soup, a bags of rolls, coffee sachets and a flask of hot water.

I’ve been caught out before, with a broken down car in the arse of nowhere and would rather over prepare than under. Funny I was about to chuck out a couple of sleeping bags but I might chuck them in the car next time.

Make sure you include a she wee and a large plastic bottle with some cat litter

A pack of travel johns are easier to deal with and cheaper than a shed wee.

I keep a couple of fleece blankets in the car year round and have water bottles that I keep refilled.Phone charger is good.
I live rurally so also have a spare and cat litter in my car when snow is forecast had hot Ribena in a flask.
If you have kids a fully charged tablet will help fill a bit if time a free all the I-Spy type games have paled.

Forgot I have a head torch and a wind up torch in the glove compartment.

Snacks, drinks, blanket, nappies, wind-up torch/phone charger

I keep auto socks and snow boots in my car.

We really aren’t very good at looking after ourselves in an emergency, in the UK, are we? When you look at the weather warnings and people STILL don’t think to pack something, just in case. All those people caught on the roads on England had plenty of warnings about the weather, yet had feck all in their cars.

Cat litter is really handy for putting under tyres if stuck in snow as it provides traction.

Yes to foil blankets. A lot smaller than regular ones and don’t get damp. Also hi vis vests can be handy. Chargers, water, cereal bars flat shoes all a good idea.

I’m going to need to tow a small trailer, at this rate! 😁

This is something I've been thinking of recently so some great ideas. Maybe I'm being a bit dim but what's the cat litter for?

I once set out on a jpurney that should have taken an hour and a half and was stuck in ice and freezing fog on the motorway for 9 hours. Since then I always make sure I have blankets, food and water in the car.

I've got a blanket, snacks and a few bottles of water. Unfortunately I keep having to replenish the snacks as I seem to consider being a bit peckish on the way home from work as an emergency

There's a first aid kit in the glove compartment too.

Maybe I'm being a bit dim but what's the cat litter for? I think it’s to put into the container that you’re going to pee in, sonit clumps and doesn’t spill, especially handy if you need to keep the car closed. As a previous poster says, the grit version is good to use under the tyres to get grip in snow/ice.