To ask for your car essentials

[WorriedMumofTeen16]

Learning to drive and test date imminent. Car arrived today and I'm trying to sort out what I need. If I put everything in that websites suggest, I'd need a bigger car lol. I work shifts so will be travelling early hours or late night with a small portion of country roads and about 20 miles dual carriageway.

It has a full sized spare tyre.

So far I have
Tyre inflator
Bottle of screenwash
Petrol can
Blanket
Phone charger
Powerbank
Manuals
Blue roll
De-icer and scraper
Water

To buy this week
Warning triangle
Multitool/small toolkit
Spare bulbs and fuses
Oil
Jump leads
Car fire extinguisher
1st aid kit

What else? A nosey online suggests tow rope, portable battery pack, duct tape, cable ties and a multitude of other stuff. Some of the kits they sell are the size of small luggage! It's only a Clio so not a massive boot and I don't want to be carrying more than reqd but equally don't want to miss something essential

Drinks, snacks,.glasses wipes etc would be carried in work bag as I take those in daily as my shifts cover a couple of meals and fridge space at work is limited. Obviously I'll sort insurance, break down info etc to live in glovebox.

Help me out please! Tyvm

Something I never thought of until people drowned after being forced off local road. Road generally has many accidents.

Folding umbrella in glovebox
Reflective waistcoat for breakdowns (req in france for example)

One of those things to hold phone for use as sat-nav? I prefer one that sticks to windshield

A car bin! We use ours daily, hangs off the wheel for adjusting sear back, a little pop up bin

And yes, pen and little note pad for writing note if car left somewhere odd, copying insurance details etc

Actually the only fluid I ve ever carried wasn't oil or a petrol can (should be able to get where you get the petrol, and should have ample warning) but de-icer in winter and coolant -- that warning light you get no advance alert in our car and once it's low you can't drive on. But it's an old car. Plain water will work and has a second use of course

I have a hair brush, charging lead, box of tissues and a spare pair of sunglasses in case I forget my proper ones or if the weather changes. If I'm organised, a couple of pounds for parking or a trolley. A couple of reusable bags for shopping.

Good luck with your test!

Sorry to keep making the point 😂 but the petrol can is empty right?! So if you ran out of fuel, you’d still need to walk to the petrol station… where you could buy a petrol can?

Some petrol stations are closed at night for the shop but are open for the pumps.

Some petrol stations are closed at night for the shop but open for the pumps. Having a fuel can is therefore a good idea.

Ah - thank you! I thought I must be missing something!!

Sorry, I thought you meant one of the cans of goo by "tyre inflator" as that's what I would call them for my bicycle, i.e. not a pump. Sounds like you are extremely well prepared!

🤣🤣

I don't have any of those things, and been driving for 30 years. Ice scraper, is all I have.

A lucozade bottle. (Only needed by diabetics obvs).
At least one packet of sweets. Preferably 2. Eg wine gums and eclairs.

Glass hammer absolutely essential. See the family in Ireland that ended up in the sea as they slid down down slipway and mostly all died because of no glass hammer. More important than a torch which you have on your phone.

Rac membership. Puncture repair. Pump. First aid. Thermal blanket.

You don't want to replace a headlight on the roadside , just do it when you get home.

I actually also have a knife with a glass hammer to cut the seatbelt and get out the window.

We used to carry a snow shovel in winter, on long trips in Germany, oddly enough the one time we needed one, at the botrtom of our road we didn't have one!

🤣

I have most of that stuff in my car as I sometimes do very long trips (and my mum was once caught on a frozen motorway for hours and was struggling to stay warm so I prepare with that in mind!).

I also have dog first aid kit, dog water & snacks, snacks for me, a torch and 2 of those things that can cut through seatbelts and smash a window. I am over-prepared and happy about it.

Roadside assistance
Phone charging cable

The rest, I have a cosy blanket, jackets, drink bottles, tissues,
I live urban so I limit it.
Recently on a breakdown all I needed was patience and the street no.,
The tow truck arranged everything.

I have a manual never looked at it because Google finds everything.
Maps,car info from bulbs to seat covers to spare parts.
In this day in age I won't change a Tyre as I imagine it wouldn't be on tight enough.

Some great replies overnight. Yes the petrol can is cos of my odd work hours. The petrol station on the route isn't 24hrs but does have pay at pump outside shop hours.

The cable ties and duct tape is suggested on various websites and included in alot of the prepacked kits and I did laugh myself saying above that it was like a kidnap kit :) They're for emergency repairs and a few above agreeing that they're a good idea. Don't think I'd tackle an exhaust as a PP mentioned but I spose if someone bashed a wingmirror and it was hanging off a temp repair would get you home at least!

I'm going to order the kit linked above by a PP as it was one I was looking at anyway and it does have alot of the bits suggested that I'd missed (glass hammer, torch)

For those saying you've driven X years and never needed anything like it, well I hope I never do either but it only takes once doesn't it? You don't need it, until you do. I'd rather be overprepped than not have something at 4am on a cold wet morning!

Some fab replies and a few giggles along the way, thanks all!

About £25 😂

It’s good to be prepared for the conditions you might face. I drive in rural areas that would mean a wait for the breakdown assistance. I even have a hiking tracking device in case I don’t have a mobile phone signal (I know that’s not needed for the vast majority) . If you’re in towns and cities it’s ok to have the basics but outside of that it’s best to have some extra items just in case

Breakdown cover
Charging cable
Loo roll
Water
Warning triangle
Hi-vi vest
1st aid kit

I don't think healthy adults need some emergency chocolates etc. It's really hard to be in the middle of nowhere in the UK. There's always some sort of petrol station or shop.