What do you have in your car, just in case?

DH and I were driving with the kids to a very small town out near our place today. We ended up going along the wrong road and going to the wrong tiny town, lol. But the thing is, we live in a small rural town as it is and to drive out to anywhere is hours away. This drive should have taken us an hour on a dirt road. But since we turned onto the wrong road, it was a 2 hour trip before we got to the next town. So it got me thinking (being the panic merchant drama queen I am) what resources I had in my car in case we broke down. And I came up with pretty much nothing!
Because I had assumed DH knew where he was going I hadn't packed anything like water or snacks. DH was rushing me and we wanted to get to this place by midday-ish for lunch. We have just brought this car as well so I have not stocked it with anything like panadol, bandaids, tissues or anything like that, we don't even have a first aid kit:doh:. DH put a towel in the back of the car, and I had the baby bag stocked with nappies and clothes for the kids, but that was it! So if we had an accident or broke down we really would be up s*** creek. Especially since we often have no mobile coverage either.
So what stuff do you have in your car JIC?

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It came from the factory with a first aid kit. Other than that..... nada.
In winter we usually have a couple of blankets but that's all.

THe only stuff I have in my car for just in case are straws, serviettes and plastic spoons. :rofl: I'd be stuffed if anything happened.

Hm I've learnt from living in the pilbara as we would sometimes head out down a dirt track just to see where it goes and end up gone for a whole day so even tho I'm in a different state and totally different situation now some things are just habit.... I ALWAYS have a first aid kit, tool kit, umbrella, 10L water jerry (has come in handy for both drinking and an overheating drama in the middle of nowhere!!) some rags,jump leads and a few muesli bars in the glove box... Now that we've sold the 4wd and had bub the snatch strap and tow ropes have been replaced by nappy bag and change of clothes!! Sounds like heaps but when it's organized properly it doesn't take up much room at all, and if there is lack of room the 10L water is traded out for a couple of 1L bottles that fit under the seats.

The family wagon has a first aid kit, a mega box of wipes (for the inevitable number 3) and a fire extinguisher. I always take snacks and a drink with me, but that's because I refuse to buy bottled water :)

The 4WD is a lot like little_mrs plus a fire extinguisher- you'd be surprised when it comes in handy, we've had to use ours twice (not the same one of course) once at a car accident and another when we came across a car fire (stolen) in the bush near our place. Hubby got out and stopped a running grass fire with it! Oh, we also have a tarp and rainjackets in the 4wd for if we need to change a tyre in the wet :)

I have a couple of Ashton's paintings and some gluing he did last week. Oh I also have a cordless drill with a flat battery :D

I have enough stuff to change a tyre, not that I know how to get the tyre in this car. It is a wagon so it is under the car.

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THe only stuff I have in my car for just in case are straws, serviettes and plastic spoons. :rofl: I'd be stuffed if anything happened.

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Bear Grylls would use that to make bio-deisel and build a trap for maggots.

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Bear Grylls would use that to make bio-deisel and build a trap for maggots.

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That's it! I need to have Bear in my boot!

bahahahhaha lol @ Onyx!

I always have a bag packed with a few spare nappies, hats, sunscreen, wipes and change of clothes for both boys. But I guess that comes with the territory of bowel issues lol.

I also always have a first aid kit, tissues, drink bottles, snacks (chewies, muesli bars, dried fruit/nuts), tool kit, air compressor, tyre changing kit, jump-leads and in winter spare jumpers.

I guess travelling a fair bit you kinda leave it in the car :lol:

in my car i have all kinds of things ;)

Clothes, rubbish, drink bottles, rubbish and toys
OH and chinese rice crackers :)

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That's it! I need to have Bear in my boot!

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That's not where I would keep my Bear ;)

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Bear Grylls would use that to make bio-deisel and build a trap for maggots.

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lol!! :rofl:

Forgot to add we have tyre changing stuff and a few tools.

Krystals, a fire extinguisher is a great idea!

Now that we live in the sticks and often go for drives down dirt tracks (I always start singing 'We're on the road to nowhere...' in my head when we do, lol!) I'm going to have to be much more organised! Besides the fact even if we're not on dirt tracks, driving anywhere other than in town, will take us an hour or so to get anywhere....

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That's not where I would keep my Bear ;)

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Do you have a special Bear Grylls carrier Onyx?

I never leave the house without water and I often think about if I was caught in traffic or something or broke down I'd need water cause I always drink heaps! In dh's car he has at least a dozen half empty water bottles as he gets them from work. I also have loads of rubbish, 1st aid kit, probably shoes and clothes, umbrella, chair, tool kit? ummmm and a torch!

We always keep stuff in the boot that we might need (lucky we have underfloor storage for most of it):

- a picnic rug
- a swimming bag with togs, a spare change of clothes for each of the kids (including a jumper), towels (we live in NQ and we have often found ourselves out somewhere and the kids want to swim or get muddy/dirty/sandy - it takes the stress out of it for me)
- Umbrellas and raincoats for the kids
- A bag of sandplay toys like trucks, buckets, spades
-First aid kit

I never leave the house without packing the nappy bag with snacks, a drink bottle for each of the kids, insect repellant & suncream (again NQ :)), a spare change of clothes. The few times we have ever left the house without properly packing the nappy bag, we have lived to regret it so now we keep it packed all the time (we repack it as soon as we get home) so we can just grab it on our way out the door without thinking about it.

I also keep the kids shoes in the car - so much easier to take them off there then to have to run around the house trying to find two shoes for each of them before leaving home.

I always have a bottle of drinking water with me. and in the boot i have a rug, a towel (rag), a tarp (its an old waterbed bladder) for lying on if i need to get under the car, a 3L bottle of water (incase it over heats, not drinkable..even though my brother did once and resulted in spiting it back up all over my dash), umm what else? i have a bag full of stuff, i think there is even a deck of cards in there.

in DH's car there is all his tools, so that will come in handy ;)

Lots of mess at the moment :) but generally just a first aid kit and a fire extinguisher. It's lucky we do have that, it came in handy when our friends BBQ caught fire the other night!!! It saved the day!!!

I could probably live in my car for a month, the kids are shocking for taking stuff and leaving it in the car. At the moment there is around $10 in change, 4 water drink bottles either full or half full, 2 first aid kits, a small one in the glove box and a large one in the boot (my DD is accident prone) mozzie spray, panadol, antihistamines, 2 camping chairs a stroller, a golf umbrella, a baby bag with nappies and wipes and a change of undies for all the kids and clothes for the youngest. DD's dance bag with all her dance shoes and some socks plus tissues, a spare bag with more nappies, a pile of kids toys, a blanket a towel. Paper and pencils, a pair of sunglasses and numerous packets of half eaten snacks. Oh and tools, coolant and oil and a few rags. oh and some shampoo and conditioner.

NOW
picnic blanket
plastic tub containing jumper leads, torch with working battery, spare shopping bags, two litre bottle of water (not for drinking), empty petrol container - in the boot along with tyre changing stuff
pack of wipes, first aid kit, small torch - in the glove box
bottle of water, snacks, sunscreen - for the current outing in the cooler bag
storybooks in the back of seat pockets for bilby to read if wanted
packets of tissues everywhere cos i am OC about running out of tissues LOL.
spare reading glasses and pens
bilby's balance bike and helmet (cos we have nowhere at home to store it, and no shed, so it's in the boot or nowhere - sigh).

WHEN BILBY WAS IN NAPPIES
nappy bag with spare clothing, spare wrap, spare tee for me. if a day trip, SPARE nappy bag left in car, REAL nappy bag taken with us

WHEN BILBY WAS TOILET TRAINING
training bag with us, potette with us
car potty left in the car, with toilet paper, bottle of water for rinsing, spare clothing, spare trainers, story book

car cleaning stuff, bottles of water, queen sized blow up mattress & pump, towels, electrical tape, various tools, bandaids, condoms (because they can be used as mouth guards to give mouth-to-mouth), uhf radio, spare sunglasses, camping chair, blanket, sheets

in my handbag I have an umbrella & jumper and first aid stuff

Well today it's pretty good because I'm just back from a road trip!

Jumper start kit - really cool, you don't need another car to jump start you. Which is lucky because I needed it yesterday :doh:

First aid kit
Picnic rug
Wet ones
Water (always!)
Blanket

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condoms (because they can be used as mouth guards to give mouth-to-mouth),

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Forgive me for being unimaginative...but how?

Wow, thanks everyone!! Some great ideas :)...oh and we have all of the junk and toys and clothes that the kids leave behind too, it's all mostly useless if we got stuck anywhere! Except to entertain the kids I guess, lol!

Ok so today I have packed the car with:
Spare clothes/nappies for the kids and me (DH thinks I'm being silly!) to stay in the car
10lt of water to stay in the car
torch (need to get a big one though, it's only a little pencil light)
A make shift first aid kit
picnic rug
wet ones
tissues
pen and paper
umbrella


thanks for the ideas, and a bit of a laff! Keep it coming!

Only the most important stuff, a plastic champagne flute, a corkscrew & a stubby holder :rofl: Oh and a box of tampons...

Sopdet - you can fit an umbrella in your handbag??? I'm impressed!

I forgot about the fire extinguisher in our car, it's bolted to the floor just in front of the drivers seat

You guys are all so organized!

I have an engel full of strongbow.

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I have an engel full of strongbow.

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I wanna go for a drive in your car Helle.

Is it Draught??? :p

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I wanna go for a drive in your car Helle.

Is it Draught??? :p

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cider I'm afraid, tinks!

Yeah, Sweet, Dry or Draught? Or is draught called original now? I am old y'know lol

I think we should all go in helle's car!! Yeah they changed draught to original, I just say orange red or green!!! mmmmmm.... Cider...

Ooh, well it's green! XD
I thought draught was just normal beer... I don't research the stuff, I just drink it XD

Ok.....In DH's car (the one we use most often) there is... :redface:

Water bottles
About $30 in loose change in the centre console
Street directory
Spec cleaning spray and cloth
First aid kit
Phone charger
Hairbrush
Tampons & Nurofen (not so necessary anymore)
Beach towel
Picnic rug
3 umbrellas
2 pairs of spare shoes for DD and 1 pair for me
Rope
Tyre changing gear (comes with the car)
Half a bottle of Black Douglas scotch from the last party
Supersoaker in the boot
assorted other junk.

LOL - Onyx you beat me to it as to what I would do with Bear!!!!!

You've all got me thinking on what I SHOULD carry in my car. I guess it does all depend on where I'm going - local shops or longer trip - but know I only plan for the time I think it will take me to get there rather than for a JIC situation. Emmm might need to revist my trip planning - which will no doubt make me even later than I normally am - now isn't that going to go down well with DH!

First aid kit.
Umbrella
Water bottle.
Tool kit.
That's all. Can't have cookie getting dirty...