Okay pals and gals, A new one for me. In all honesty I've never really had to use my car other than a 5 minute drive here and there. I'll be commuting a longer distance now so I'm starting to think about things I have in my car. It all came about the other day when we had screenwash on offer at work, so I bought an extra one to throw in the boot of the car. It annoyed me rattling around so I bought some bungee cord to stop it sliding. Only to find I have no anchor points. D'oh! I am looking for some sort of boot organiser which has lead me down the garden path of "what else should I be carrying in my car?" Set ups and suggestions are very welcome! (Disclaimer; when I say boot, I mean trunk ) Sent from Catherine's iPhone using Tapatalk.
How old is the car? The boot in mine is lined with carpet and I found a cheap boot organiser with velcro attachments that sits nicely in the space. One of those would easily sit in a sedan or hatch and usually has 2 compartments for storing things so they don't bounce around. A duffel bag will do the same thing
I have a truck, so everything is behind the seat in a duffel bag, or in my tool box. **** Spare - MT (or real tools - a good set of pliers), flashlight (2x) or headlamp, knife. Real scissors. Rope. Batteries. Lighters. Hammer, crow bar, bolt cutters, wire hangers (oh these can be used for many things) headache meds, small basic FAK. 2 jugs of sealed water. Food (cliff bars, energy bars, dried snacks) Saw (for downed limbs in roadway, Bahco makes a good quality one for cheap) JUMPER CABLES, FIX a FLAT can. Tire plugs. A small tupperware of quarters, and about 20$ in singles. Heavy, big trash bags, road flares. glow stick. About 3-4 towels. Wipies. "shop" towels (heavy duty paper towels) Extra set of boots, socks, shorts, shirt, hat, gloves. Hoody and Frogg togg rain gear. Extra set of clothes for kiddo. Small tarp(s). 3x pairs of sunglasses. Sunscreen. Bug spray. Hand sanitizer. Duct tape. Nail clippers, needle and tweezers - deep splinters and other uses. **** completely random list, but its some stuff I've used and needed while doing my deal. it is a basically an 'oh crud!' kit.... I can solve almost any minor road or tiny catastrophe, or at least make it tolerable till we get home.
I normally keep these in duffles or car tidies behind my front seats (small boot, rarely carry passengers) Normally Seasonally-appropriate screen wash (minimum temp) A litre of oil Headlamp bulbs Tyre pressure gauge Tyre inflater Hazard warning triangle Spare wheel and tools to change the wheel (under boot floor) Head torch (long battery shelf life) Work gloves Wet wipes Duct tape Zip ties Food - cereal bars etc Water bottles (door pocket) Car phone charger (in 12v socket) First aid kit ResQMe (on car key ring) OTC meds (in a Folca in the glovebox) Winter additions Winter tyres (highly recommended, even for us Brits!) Blanket and foil blanket De-icer Ice scraper Tow strap to pull or be pulled out Cat litter (for traction, carried in an old drinks bottle) Snow shovel Extra gloves, scarf, hat, coat MRE
I keep a small tool bag with assorted screwdrivers, wrenches, zip ties, duct tape, gloves, quart of oil, and jumper cables. Then I also have a back pack with a change of clothes, packable down jacket, rain coat, spare flashlight and batteries, fire steel, water bottle, and a couple of those cheap emergancy blankets. I keep some work supplies in a milk crate. Nothing slides around too much but you can always make an anchor point with a magnet.
My car is a '12 reg. It's also a tiny little naff thing. Ford Ka Mk2 if you are intrigued. I have the total opposite of a truck. It's so small there is pretty much no "behind the seat", so the trunk is my only option. Also until I realised you meant trees I was like "why am I associated with these serial killers?!". Luckily my brain kicked in. Some good suggestions though, thanks for that mate. It's just a shame they don't make rain tyres! Now that's a smart idea! You might be onto something there. Sent from Catherine's iPhone using Tapatalk.
My Jetta came with these little plastic dividers that stuck to the velcro. While I don't have a spare bag in my car, whatever is in my work bag will probably have everything I need from a FAK to spare batteries. What is in my boot/trunk is a shovel, snow brush, tire inflator and a long board. Maybe I will expand my car EDC after this thread.
Can you fit a snorkel on a Ka?! For me, winter tyres make a noticeable difference in the wet when the temps drop below about 5C. In snow and ice (IMO) they're a revelation! YMMV.
i have a truck, so i obviously have a bunch of stuff in mine. for christmas, i got 2 of the undercover swing cases. they mount to the inside of the bed, one to either side, at the rear. they don't look very big, but they hold a lot of stuff. driver's side: heavy duty jumper cables (2-gauge) tow strap reflective vest reflective gloves (these and the vest are primarily in case i need to do anything roadside at night) pair of nitrile-coated gloves for oil changes (they are basically cloth gloves that have been dipped into a nitrile solution; they work very well) emergency flares (both 15- and 30-minute) folding, reflective triangle tire patch kit fix-a-flat tire sealant (i need to change this out for the slime brand as it works a bit better, imo) cheap folding knife (1 of 3) cheap flashlight (1 of 2) small tarp (in case it's raining or muddy) couple of nite ize gear ties passenger's side: set of ratcheting tie-down straps (2" x 27') safety flag (for leads that extend beyond the bed of my truck small set of tools (slip joint pliers, needle nose pliers, metric and s.a.e. sockets, socket wrench, metric and s.a.e. combination wrenches, metric and s.a.e. allen wrenches/keys, blade screwdriver, phillips head screwdriver, electrical tape) ear protection extra bulbs tire pressure gauge (1 of 2) battery terminal cleaner extra pair of shoes pack of cotton towels pack of cable/zip ties pack of bungee cords roll of gorilla tape sun visor organizer: tire pressure gauge (2 of 2) cheap pen flashlight (2 of 2) cheap folding knife (2 of 3) emergency glass breaker - seat belt cutter epipen (1 of 2; the other stays in my edc bag) bandana (in pocket on reverse side of organizer) backup insurance card (primary stays in my wallet) glove box: maintenance records registration third insurance card vehicle manual center console: cheap knife (3 of 3; it has a glass breaker and seat belt cutter as well) light stick (x 2) box of tissues extra charging cable for my phone (the main is always plugged into the usb port in my dash) other: large flashlight (mounted in back seat area) fire extinguisher (mounted in back seat area) wooden push/pull stick made from a 2 x 4 (under back seat; it has a hook in one end and a place for your hand in the other) stocked first aid kit (under back seat, attached with velcro) a bit much? possibly. but getting stuck on the side of the road at about 2:00 a.m. with no light, no flashlight, and no other tools really makes you think of the stuff you might need at any given time you're in your vehicle. edited to add: maxpedition field binder cover (the following items are inside) rite in the rain field book rite in the rain pen sharpie permanent marker mechanical pencil pen light i use this for writing down information that may be needed in any situation. it stays within easy reach in the pocket in the driver's door.
I bought a cheap 'boot tidy' bag that Lidl/Aldi stores sell from time to time, it came with velcro strips which holds it securely in place to the floor and back of the rear seats.
Jumper cables for sure. Usually someone will give you a boost if you need one. But most people don't carry cables. Sent from a faraway Galaxy. .....
they make trunk organizers that can fold up if not in use; and can hold a good bit of stuff. they even make some made of netting that hang on the backs of seats.
Search the forum for other threads on this topic and you'll get lots of info. Small cars can't haul around a ton of stuff but play the "what happens if X happens" game. Try to figure out what you'd need if you get in a wreck, get stuck, or break down and aim towards prepping for that. Remember to think about protecting yourself first and foremost. You can't help anyone one or fix anything if you're hurt. Get a good flashlight with a minimum of 200 lumens power and more is better. Check it regularly. That's in addition to road flares. Road flares or at least one of them should be kept where you can reach one in an instant. In a wreck (yours or someone elses) you won't have time to hunt for one, not to mention that standing at the back of your car while digging through the trunk (boot) at the site of a wreck on a dark night is almost suicidal. A rescue tool with a glass breaker and seatbelt cutter is a great idea. One thing you really ought to have more than anything else is training and practice. Take a defensive driving course or even a racing lesson to learn how to really control your car. Take a first aid course or two. Both can save lives, even your own. Storing stuff can be as simple as getting a five gallon pail or bucket at a home store. Milk crates are good too. Cardboard boxes need to be replaced often. Just be sure to secure the container well (bungee cords, paracord, etc.). In a crash you don't want a loose, heavy object or objects crashing into you. Sent from shouting real loud over the Interwebz.
jumper cables, anti freeze, oil, leatherman rebar, some kind of flashlight with lithium primaries, pen, 3/8 drive rachet and 1' extension and socket to get the battery out, ATC mini fuses from harbor freight, small needlenose visegrip pliers, matches, bic lighter, eye glass wipes, small note pad. all the napkins i can steal from fast food joints. oh and some gloves EDIT- also thinking about adding my get home bag with additional First aid supplies. but usually my FAK rides in my bag i carry with me.
I have an older Explorer Sport, so have a little more room than most... after the 2004/2005 hurricane season (first time I ever boarded up since the family moved here in 1955... for the CAT 3 in 2004) started thinking about a Katrina event in the Tampa Bay area, and the possible need to relocate to a relative's house built to post Andrew building code...and possibly the need for a temporary shelter as the house was being rebuilt... I put together a "remain overnight/sleep in the car bag", using a blue tarp and mosquito netting to lengthen the rear sleeping area... later a light weight utility trailer that could be converted to provide shelter with a ridge pole, blue tarp, and some mosquito netting... the Blackhawk bag w/3L hydration bladder was from the prize table at Ft Benning, and serves to keep the 72 hour bag contents in one place... it would be dire situation for me to need to walk out, but is an option...with a case of bottled water a summer constant, and about 4 days of Mountain House entrees, I'm pretty much self contained if something happens on the road... orange box is first aid... trauma kit hangs from the overhead clothing rack
