10 Necessary Year-Round Items for Your Vehicle

Regardless of what time of the year it is—from Spring to Fall—or what type of weather it is—rain or shine—there are some items you should always have in your vehicle. Here are 10 for you to stock up on in your car.

Basic Emergency Kit

If you don’t already have an emergency kit in your car, get one. This is one of the most important items you need. Stocked with essentials like a 72-hour kit, first aid kit, water, and a flashlight, this little kit has the potential to save your life many times over, so don’t get caught without it.

Spare Tire

A spare tire seems like an obvious item to keep stocked in your car, and yet there are still people who remove it, or take it out and then forget to put it back in. Then, when they get a flat tire, they don’t have a spare to replace. Make sure your spare tire is in its place, and regularly check it to ensure that the tire pressure is correct. Also, make sure you have a jack and tire iron in your car too. Having a spare tire won’t matter if you don’t have a way to replace the flat with the spare.

Car Manual

Make sure you have the manual for your vehicle in your glove compartment. This manual gives you the specs and features of your car, providing you with an easy way to figure out what’s wrong, should anything happen to your vehicle. Also, since some features in cars (like fuses and headlights) vary in size needed per car, the manual can tell you what your car needs.

Jumper Cables

Never go anywhere without a set of jumper cables. Even if you’re meticulous about making sure all the lights are off and the doors and trunk are closed tightly, it’s still possible for your battery to die. It’s easy enough to find someone to help you, but what if that person doesn’t have a set of cables for you to use? By supplying your own set, you don’t need to worry about that. All you need to worry about is finding someone with a car, who’s willing to help you out.

Quick Repair Essentials

You can save yourself a lot of money in the long run by keeping a few quick repair items in your trunk. Duct tape is a good all-around repair item, useful for anything from reattaching your bumper to holding a side mirror in place. Having a tire sealer and an inflator are two other great tools, giving you a work-around in case something happens to your tires that simply having a spare can’t fix. It’s also smart to keep an engine sealant, like Steel Seal, in your car to bail you out of simpler engine problems.

These quick remedies aren’t meant to be lasting fixes, although some of them may last longer than others. Most of these items will make your car at least temporarily drivable, giving you a way to get to the mechanic without having to call a tow truck.

Emergency Escape Tool

An emergency escape tool gives you a way to cut through a seatbelt or break a window, in case you get stuck in your vehicle. It’s a tool specifically built to save your life in those critical emergencies when you need to escape your car sooner than rescue workers can make it to you—whether your car is sinking in a body of water or all the doors are jammed.

Regardless of the situation, you need to make sure this tool is easy for you to get to. That means it goes in the front of the car. You could put it in the glove compartment, but if you don’t have quick and easy access to the glove compartment with your seatbelt on (and tight), you’ll want it somewhere even closer. Remember—it’s your escape tool even if you get stuck in your seatbelt. You want it to be within reach no matter what.

Blanket

Whether you want something to cuddle under on a long drive, when your car breaks down in the middle of winter, or you just want something comfortable to sit on while watching the fireworks in the park, a blanket is always a useful item to have in your car. The bigger, the better.

Change of Clothes

A change of clothes is another multi-use item (or set of items, rather). Maybe you fall into a lake while hanging out with friends, sleep over unexpectedly at a friend’s house, or you get soaked in the rain and snow while fixing your car on the side of the road. There could be any number of reasons why you’d want to change your shirt (spill something on it), your pants (ripped seam), or throw a hoodie on.  By having a change of clothes in your car, you’ll be prepared for any situation you need to change.

Mylar Space Blanket

A Mylar space blanket is better than a normal blanket, and these things can keep you warm if you get stuck in extreme weather conditions, like a blizzard. Even with a regular blanket, you’ll be glad to bundle up in some extra warmth.

Additionally, if for some reason, you get stranded in your car and can’t stay inside for whatever reason, a Mylar space blanket can provide a partial shelter for you, using it in conjunction with some of the other items in your car (some of which are listed here).

Pocketknife

If you aren’t in the habit of always carrying a pocketknife with you, you should get one for your car. A multi-tool pocketknife has a variety of uses, from basic convenience to survival, and if you have one ready for your use, you won’t be caught wanting.

You may not always need things like snow tires or a rain poncho, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t items you do need in your car all year-round. By stocking up on these, you can make sure you’re prepared for anything.