Friday, November 21, 2014

the essential stuff you must have in your car... good list

These are the items that should be either in your trunk or your glove compartment:

  Flashlight.
Things you cannot improvise, fire, light, and a knife. Seriously, though, not every road has a light on it, so bring your own in case you need to see something more clearly.

 Lighter.
 There have only been a few times when keeping a lighter in my car has proven to be useful – but I was always glad when the time came. You can't make fire without a lot of enormous effort, unless you have a lighter/matches. Carry a cheap lighter, they last forever, thank me later

Knife
a good Gerber multitool, or Leatherman. Yup, does about everything you might ever need. Takes up almost no space, not too expensive. Give them as xmas presents

First aid kit.
 Another non-negotiable. You have absolutely no idea what accidents can happen to yourself or others. Being able to quickly patch up a scrape or cut is invaluable. Get a small one and add the things that seem to make sense, like instant ice packs (you have no idea how awesome these are). Give them as xmas presents

Spare change.
 From parking meters to highway tolls to drive-thru windows, having a handful of quarters available takes a lot of stress out of your life.

 Pen.
 You never know when you need to leave a note on a car or sign a check, or whatever. A pen is another one of those “thankful I had it at the time” ideas.

A couple bottles of water

some Zip Ties of various sizes

Blanket.
Again, for those stuck-on-the-side-of-the-road situations. A blanket offers two-fold protection: from the cold and from the ground. The cold is obvious – a blizzard hits and you’re stranded somewhere, it’ll keep you, um, alive. But if you have to change a tire or perform some other kind of activity that requires you getting down on the dirty ground in your brand new suit, the blanket will keep you looking your best.

Fire extinguisher

 Phone charger.
Stop being left without juice. We all find ourselves with a low battery at times. If you like to use your phone for music in the car, or for navigation (like me), then this is an absolute must.

 Flares or reflective surface.
Some trunk tool kits come in bags that are already reflective, but having some flares is fine too. This is about protection from other drivers (and protecting them from you). The last thing you need when you’re on the side of the road is to get plowed over by someone who didn’t quite see you.

Heavy cloth grocery bags.
Remember how I said we should be carrying around reusable grocery bags? Keep them in your trunk. You can carry just about anything in a pinch with these. Plus, when you go to the store, you won’t forget them because they’ll be right there in the car for you. Again, they take up, like, zero space.

Bungee cords/ straps with a clincher
 Having bungee cords is like owning a truck with better gas mileage.

Tire pressure gauge.
Rubber tires are so prone to flats and leaks, I just don’t get why we haven’t come up with anything better. That being said, a tire gauge is non-negotiable in your car. You better have one and know how to use it.

And why not a 20 dollar bill for whatever comes up, so you don't have to make a extra run to the ATM?

inspired by http://cufflinkedmag.com/2014/11/20/ride-easy-17-things-every-man-should-keep-in-his-car/

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