car essentials

37 Things You Should Have In Your Car

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When you are on the road driving, would you have what you need if your car broke down? Or in case you get a flat tire, do you have the tools needed?  Let us say you are having a long drive and an emergency happens. Do you have the things needed in your car to solve the problem? Check out the list of car essentials that you should have in your car. Then knock on wood that you never need to use some of them.

This list is long. This is a topic that inspires a lot of debate. You don’t need everything on this car essentials list, or don’t have room for it.  It will be up to you.

If you are driving a small car, there wouldn’t be room for everything.  If you are a city driver, you might be within 500 meters from an auto shop or gas station.  So if you rarely go on long drives help is always nearby, and that cuts down your own list of car essentials.

If you take long drives on a regular basis, having the things in the car essentials list in your car will be a good move.

This car essentials list is quite lengthy.  Now that you get the idea, it will be up to you to

and decide your own needs.

The car essentials list is not about emergencies or safety, either. I have separated the checklists by category below.

The Car Essentials Checklist:

Car Repair and Maintenance

Tire Changing

The number one on the car essentials list is a collection of items:

Without them or someone else to help you, the spare tire is useless. If your wheels need a special security key, make sure that’s always in your car too.  The spare tire, tire jack and lug wrench (cross wrench) are absolute car essentials.  They usually come with a car sale, together with the other basic tools.

Tire Pressure Gauge

Check tire pressures on a regular basis.  It can:

  • improve handling
  • increase fuel economy
  • promote tire longevity
  • save lives

Tire Pressure Gauges are small, affordable, and can give you peace of mind when on a long drive.   Yes you can pressure up your tires in a gasoline station or a tire shop but how do you know when you’ve added enough air? Did you add too much? Or did you add too little? Not all gasoline stations/shops have accurate pressure indicators.  Having your own allows you to have a standard means to verify your tire pressures.

Before starting off on a drive, check your tires before leaving home. This saves you a trip to an air station when you don’t need to.

A good tire pressure gauge to have is the Accutire MS-48B Tire Pressure Gauge and Tread Depth Gauge (2 in 1 device, digital).  If you don’t want battery powered devices, an alternative is the Armor All 6-in-1 Tire Pressure Gauge (analog).

Accutire MS-48B Tire Pressure Gauge and Tread Depth Gauge
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Accutire MS-48B Tire Pressure Gauge and Tread Depth Gauge (click on the image for more info)
Armor All 6 in 1 Tire Gauge Stylus Tool
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