Memorial Day Weekend is a time when many people decide to hit the road and find an adventure. To keep the potential negative drama at a minimum, it’s always best to be ready for something to go wrong…because something always does. With that in mind, here’s a handy list of things everyone needs to have in their car…not just on a road trip, but all year long.
· Jumper Cables – there should be no need to tell you why
· Spare Tire/Jack – those donuts are nice, but they won’t get you more than 50 miles and if you hit a decent-sized pothole you’re boned
· A Spare Set Of Earbuds – Music makes every trip go faster, but…and more importantly…if you’ve got a kid in the car they can be a lifesaver and sanity restorer
· Tire Pressure Gauge – Possibly the best $2 you’ll ever spend
· Warm Blanket – This is a wintertime thing, but you’ll be glad you have it in an emergency
· Basic Tool Kit – You won’t be doing heavy-duty car maintenance with it, but it can sure help get you through the small stuff when trouble shows itself
· Cash – 20 bucks is enough, and having it handy is nice when you encounter that one place that doesn’t take cards
· Flashlight – yes…yes…yes…mandatory
· Umbrella – It’ll be great for when you’re changing a tire in the rain, and it’ll make you look like a gentleman when the lady you’re with is worried about getting wet. You can’t lose
· Measuring Tape – Let’s say you need to get something large at a hardware store, but you don’t know if it will fit in your car. You don’t know you need it until you need it
· First Aid – You can get a nice kit for less than $30
· Bottled Water/Food – A small case of bottled water is great to have on hand for an emergency, as well as some non-perishable snacks
· An Atlas – Who needs one of those when you’ve got Google Maps, right? Well, you will if you find yourself in a dead zone or you’ve lost your smartphone battery
· Road Flares – A better alternative to being hit by a speeding car that doesn’t see you on the roadside…reflective triangles are a good addition, too
· Self-Care – Especially wise if you’re still in the dating scene…breath mints, gum, tweezers, nail trimmers, lip balm, hand sanitizer…it’ll all come in handy
· Weatherproof Matches – Good for more than just starting an emergency fire
· Pen/Small Notebook – You’ll be glad you have it when you need to copy the license plate in a rush after you witness a hit-and-run or something like that
· Duct Tape – What isn’t it good for?