There are a lot of things that can happen while you are driving – a flat tire, dead batteries, or your car might simply stop without you knowing what happened. If this happens to you, you will want to be prepared to either change the tire, call for help, or wait for someone to pass by.
If you want to equip your car with all the necessities that can help you during stressful times, this article might be able to help you with that. In the text below, you will learn what 10 items I keep in my car and that you should definitely keep as well – and for me and my family members, those items were lifesavers once or twice. Let’s take a closer look:
1. A Smartphone Charger
You might think that it is weird for placing this item in the first place, however, it is incredibly important to have a charger for your smartphone. Think about it, you have probably never changed a tire or your car might have simply stopped and you do not know what is wrong with it. Hence, having a phone that is charged should be your top priority since you will want to call for help if needed.
2. Jumper Cables
Did you leave your headlights on while you were finishing your errands and now the battery is dead? Do not worry, it happened to me a few times as well. If this happens to you, you will definitely want to have jumper cables in your trunk. Also, it is not difficult to use them, however, you should follow the manual it comes with to safely restore power to your car.
3. A Lug Wrench
This wrench is used to remove the nuts that hold your wheels on. Of course, you will already have one that was provided by the seller, but those ones might not be as useful as it needs to. That is why you will want to purchase an X-shaped one that will allow you to budge those factory-drilled lug nuts.
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4. A Car Jack
Besides the spare tire and lug wrench, you will also need a car jack – but, you will need to learn how to use it. If you want to avoid calling for help, you can always practice replacing a tire at home. This will allow you to effortlessly change a tire when you need to. Keep in mind that you should also have a smaller board to use with the jack since the ground might be soft, hence, the jack will have no use if not on solid ground.
5. Dry Food And A Water Bottle
Now, these items are incredibly important – and you should definitely have some dry food and water in your car. Imagine if your car stops in the middle of nowhere. If you do not know how to fix it by yourself, you will need to wait for help. Sometimes, you will need to wait for several hours, which means that you might get hungry and thirsty. That is why I always have a reusable water bottle and some snacks in the car. You never know what might happen and it is better to be safe than sorry later on. If you want to see what water bottles you can opt for, visit giftwits.com.
6. A First Aid Kit
Forget about keeping CDs in your glove compartment. Instead, you should keep a first aid kit in there. It should come with bandages, alcohol, and scissors and some of them might even feature a whistle that you can use if the situation requires it. Having a first aid kit will not only help you if you get in an accident, but you can also help other people if they get into one.
7. A Seat Belt Cutter And a Window Punch
If you find yourself in a situation where there is water immersion, it is of utmost importance that you have a window puncher and a seat belt cutter close to you. A window punch is a small “handle” with a round metal point which will concentrate energy, hence, you will be able to easily break a window. Also, it often comes with a seat belt cutter since once underwater, the mechanism might not want to open.
8. A Tool Kit
You will want to get a small, basic toolset that features some of the most common tools including a wrench, pliers, and a screwdriver. You can never guess what and when something might happen with your vehicle, hence, having one at hand will be quite useful if the situation calls for it.
9. A Small Fire Extinguisher
You should buy a smaller fire extinguisher that can work on electrical fires, but on flammable liquids as well. The most important thing is where you will place it. Placing it in the trunk of your vehicle is not smart, since you may not be able to reach the trunk in time. Instead of placing it in the trunk, place it on the inside of the front doors or on the floor of the back seat. This will allow you to quickly grab it if you ever need to extinguish a fire.
10. A Kit for Winter
With global warming, we never know what nature might throw at us. And that is why you will want a winter readiness kit. You can get stranded in a blizzard or other weather, hence, you must be prepared for everything. This kit should feature gloves, a small shovel, ice scraper, abrasive material, and a blanket. These kits can be purchased ready, hence, all you will have to do is throw it into your trunk and you are good to go.
Conclusion
The ten items from this article will allow you to be prepared for anything that could happen while you are on the road – and keep in mind, some of these things are lifesavers. Hence, now that you know what you might need to purchase, do not waste any more time, and start browsing shops to find the items that will fit your needs!
