What important supplies do you always keep in your vehicle?

[Xist]

I have 20-foot, 4-gauge jumper cables, a first aid kit, and a roadside kit, which mostly consists of a shorter and smaller jumper cable and a smaller first aid kit, but also:

Cable ties
A reflective triangle (on the case)
Knit gloves
Emergency poncho
A roadside assistance phone number
Flashlight, with batteries and signal cone
S.O.S. banner
Car blanket

Is any of that actually important? Would you say that anything is missing? I would rather replace the inferior jumper cables and first aid kit with something I might actually use.

Okay fine! I will use Google!

Family Handyman only lists five things and the only one that other sites did not list is a battery bank, which makes sense, if your car dies, you cannot charge your phone, but make sure the bank is charged! https://www.familyhandyman.com/stuff...r-emergencies/

Mashable:

1. They prefer tire traction mats
2. Flexible flashlight (is this an elaborate ad? I prefer headlamps)
3. Female urination device (for those extremely rare occasions that I have a woman in my car)
4. Apparently their flexible flashlight was not enough. They recommend another flashlight with a built-in seatbelt cutter and window punch
5. Full body wipes (Don't all Veterans carry baby wipes)
6. $19 cleaning compound (Do they have everything in one ridiculous kit?)
7. Techstick, a currently unavailable heads-up kit for your phone
8. GPS tracker
9. Blind spot mirrors (I turn my head)
10. Currently unavailable OBD-II reader, but they said it was $109
11. Anti-sleep alarm (looks like something you would order from the back of Boy's Life, but $189!

Fortunately they only have thirteen items, at the time of posting they totaled $603.61!

Engineering Explained:

1. Ferrari hat
2. Cowboy hat, so nobody pulls a gun on him.
3. Gas mask in case there are any Volkswagens around.
4. Fossilized dinosaur poop.
5. Fossilized fish with poop
6. A Jeremy-Clarkson-inspired hammer
7. Binocular caps in case there are any PT Cruisers driving around
8. Model of a forklift in case anyone needs a lift
9. Mobile One trophy
10. Stud finder
11. Subaru gift bag

Then he said he only kept a cell phone mount and Cholula, but that would have been boring.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PUirmfOs9c

Thillist:

1. Kitty litter
2. Air pump (mine is for a bike, probably faster)
3. Tire pressure gauge (in glovebox)
4. Multitool (I bought one for camping. Maybe I am not taking it back)
5. Triangles, flares, and a safety vest
6. Blanket (mine is Hello Kitty)
7. Fire extinguisher (!)
8. Tow strap (mine does less good in the garage)
9. Duct tape
10. Battery pack--jumper cables are useless without help

https://www.thrillist.com/cars/15-th...-needs-to-have

Buzzfeed asked their readers what they recommended and came up with a silly list like Mashable's:

1. FM transmitter
2. Pet seatbelt (I don't have pets!)
3. Four-part charger for those three friends with whom you always take road trips. I do not have three friends.
4. DVD player. I drive. Mom sleeps. My brother says "Ah ah ah!"
5. Red Bull. Losers! Real men drink [checks Google] Monster!
6. Sunglasses (, nose ring, and a selfie filter). Prescription sunglasses? Maybe one day.
7. Hand sanitizer (because gas pumps are gross)
8. Portable toilet. How long are your road trips? "Public restrooms kind of suck." Spilling your portable toilet doesn't?
9. Essential oil spray. Seriously?
10. Wipes. Monk approves.
11. Snacks
12. Water bottles--from Amazon. Who has Amazon deliver water bottles?
13. A trash bag. I just use grocery bags, but they want me buying one for $15.
14. Safety hammer (shown: Seatbelt cutter)
15. Essential oil diffuser. Does it smell like sawdust?
16. The U.S. Department of Transportation's latest Emergency Response Guidebook. Spray it with essential oil and light it with your matches!

https://www.buzzfeed.com/samanthawie...s-for-your-car

Cars.com:

1. Compass
2. Coolant
3. Motor oil
4. Backup phone charger
5. Emergency phone numbers

https://www.cars.com/articles/emerge...1420700510803/

This Old House lists twenty-four must-haves, but all are listed in other lists: https://www.thisoldhouse.com/ideas/2...-keep-your-car

The Simple Dollar says a towel is about the most massively useful thing a driver can have. https://www.thesimpledollar.com/25-t...e-in-your-car/

Some place called Money Talk News wants sunscreen and bug spray exploding all over your stuff. https://www.thesimpledollar.com/25-t...e-in-your-car/

LifeHacker:

1. Firestarters (and ideally a candle)
2. Energy bars or MREs
3. Water bottles
4. Weather radio
5. Seatbelt cutter and window breaker (in glovebox)
6. Paper maps
7. Ice scraper (I will keep mine in the garage for a while)
8. Cardboard or carpet remnant to put under tires in the snow (everyone else suggested kitty litter)
9. Spare change
10. Emergency money
11. Change of clothes in case you get wet and need to wait in the cold.

https://lifehacker.com/30-essential-...car-1263514115

Insider:

1. Basic toolkit. I am surprised nobody else has listed this.
2. Toys or books to keep kids entertained. I need to keep kids in there, too?!

https://www.insider.com/what-to-keep...gencies-2019-3

Brad's Deals:

1. Gas can
2. Windshield wiper fluid
3. Work gloves
4. Bucket
5. Snow shovel
6. Extra winter coat
7. Red bandana
8. Comfortable walking shoes

https://www.bradsdeals.com/blog/thin...ep-in-your-car

I am not reading this one. The previous lists were 5 - 37 things. This one is 100.

One hundred. I doubt that if you combine what I already have, the useful things on the list, and the silly ones, it would come anywhere near 100:

https://agirlsguidetocars.com/100-th...ways-keep-car/

[freebeard]

You heard we like lists so you put up a list of lists so we can list while we're listing? Got it.

I have a black sports bag with a collapsible handle and wheels that is full, but I shan't catalog it. I know there's a reflective triangle and tow strap, jumper cables, etc. There's also a leather shaving kit with small items, tire pressure gauge, etc. Maybe that's where my cigar lighter volt meter is.

[nemo]

It to some extent depend where and what you drive. Cell phones and credit cards have eliminate a lot of need.

In the 70d's in my Triumph I had points, condenser and fan belt,plus tools and oil. Also 100 bill under the floor mat. Because car parts were not readily available every were at that time. Now just have what you need overnighted.

My grandfather had:
Blanket
First aid kit
Compas
Collapsible drinking cup
Mints
and spare tire, jack and tools.

My car has
First aid kit
Space blanket
Knife
Flashlight
Jumper cables
Spare bulbs (hate having bulbs out)
Spare, jack and lug wrench.

Trip additional items.
Small tool kit

[ksa8907]

My intelligence, cell phone, pocket knife, altoids, napkins, probably a few bottles of water....

[Xist]

Or at least know people who did?

I preferred cinnamon Tic-Tacs. When I felt sleepy I chewed one, which kept me awake for less than a minute. The problem was that after several I did not want any more, and was on my own.

[Fat Charlie]

Um, sunglasses, baseball hat, iPod, phone charger... Not much else. I have a phone and I can walk.

[freebeard]

My eyes aren't that good. A baseball bat sounded like a good idea.

[mpg_numbers_guy]

- spare tire, jack, and lug wrench
- wrenches, screwdrivers, socket set
- multimeter
- portable battery charger/jumpstarter
- extra jumper cables in case my portable jumpstarter is dead
- tire pressure gauge
- hand sanitizer
- tissues
- any halogen bulbs that I replaced with LEDs
- rear wiper (in case I need it; haven't needed it yet)
- loose change
- ice scraper (only in winter)

On me I always carry a small Leatherman multitool in case I need to cut any zip ties (grille block, underbody paneling, etc).

[Frank Lee]

Depends on if it's blizzard season or not.

Usually just a tire gauge and some napkins. In winter the steering wheel gets a fuzzy cover and the door pocket gets a scraper. In the ones where the gas gauge isn't completely trustworthy, a small gas can with gas in it, wedged in the trunk somehow so it won't tip.

[redpoint5]

Plug kit
Pliers/multi-tool (to remove the nail)
Inflator
Jumper cables
Tow strap

Little need for a spare tire when you have a plug kit. 90% of leaks can be repaired in 3 minutes without taking the wheel off.