Owning a car is one of life's great pleasures — but there's also more than a few things that you'll want to keep handy while you're on the road.
U/Ace-Venturaa recently asked the people of Reddit, "What's one item everyone should have in their car?" I'm just gonna say it — maybe you gotta have all of these:
1. "First aid kit."
2. "Some kind of disposable paper like a napkin, Kleenex, baby wipes, even an old shop towel. Nothing worse than needing to blow your nose in your car and you have nothing at all to use.
—u/sbourwest
3. "Seriously, a dashcam."
—u/Sparksman91
4. "A portable jump starter battery. Those things are amazing. They hold a charge for months in blazing hot or freezing cold temps. They are the size of a brick. Best of all, since they attach to the dead battery directly, you don't have to hope your jumper cables are long enough. They also have USB plugs to charge a phone or tablet."
—u/Tuesday2017
5. "A flashlight. They are cheap, can be stored for years, and take up little space. It's better to have one and not need it than need one and not have it."
6. "A portable tire inflator. I use it to check and top up my tires before every road trip just in case. You can do it at a gas station, but for $30, it's a great peace of mind."
7. "A blanket. Shock from a traumatic injury can cause a sharp drop in body temperature."
8. "Emergency cash. I keep, like, $40."
—u/Dudebrohoe
9. "A glass breaker. In the unlikely event you get stuck in the car as it’s going underwater, a glass breaker/seatbelt cutter combo tool can get you out safely. If you have electric windows, a tiny amount of water can disable the electronic door locks and window buttons, and a spring-loaded glass breaker will make short work of it. Even if you don’t have a specialized spring-loaded glass breaker, something that comes to a sharp point (like a screw driver) that can be used to break the glass out can save your life."
—u/PerInception
10. "An umbrella."
—u/KermitMadMan
11. "A lighter. A lot of cars come without cigarette lighters now apparently. In an emergency, you could try rigging something up using your car battery to start a fire to either stay warm or signal someone. Or, you could just flick a Bic. It’s not a big investment, and it might save your life."
—u/PerInception
12. "A phone charger that's designated to stay in said car."
13. "An ice scraper, or that spray that de-ices glass on contact."
14. "Sunglasses. You really don't want to be caught with the full blast of the sun in your eyes while you're driving. It can seriously blind you for long enough for an accident to happen."
15. "It's always good to have a fire extinguisher somewhere. I've seen too many videos of people's dream cars on fire, and they can't do anything."
16. "If you live in a place that gets snow and ice, a bag of kitty litter can be helpful in getting your car unstuck if you pour it underneath the tires."
17. "At least one thick plastic bag. Never know when you or someone in the car will get sick."
—u/RitaSaluki
18. "Tow ropes."
19. "A change of clothes, including shoes and underwear."
—u/filipv
20. "One item that everyone should have in their car is a spare tire and the necessary tools to change a tire. Flat tires can happen unexpectedly, and having a spare tire and the tools to change it can save you time and money."
Agree? Disagree? Have your own additions? See you in the comments!
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.