Car essentials kit

What's inside

1. Check your car first aid kit's expiry date

   Kit contents — bandages, tourniquet, antiseptics — expire, typically after 3–4 years. An expired kit won't pass a roadside check, and a perished tourniquet can fail exactly when you need it.

2. Check the fire extinguisher and its accessibility

   Confirm the expiry date and pressure — the gauge needle should sit in the green zone. Mount it so you can grab it in seconds, not dig it out from under trunk clutter.

3. Pack a warning triangle

   Required by law in most countries. Check that the reflective edges haven't faded and the folding legs still open smoothly.

4. Keep a reflective vest inside the cabin

   In the door pocket or glovebox — not the trunk. The rule: put it on before you step out onto the road, not after.

5. Carry a tow rope

   Check the attachment hooks and rings, not just the rope itself — they're what usually fails first.

6. Carry jumper cables

   Go for at least a 16 mm² gauge (25 mm² for diesels) — thin cables can overheat when you actually try to jump-start.

7. Carry an air compressor with a gauge

   Test it before a trip and make sure the power cord actually reaches the farthest wheel, not just the nearest one.

8. Check the jack, lug wrench and locking wheel nut key

   Make sure the locking nut key is actually in the car, not at home in a drawer — without it the wrench is useless on alloy wheels.

9. Check the spare tire's pressure

   The spare is the wheel everyone forgets. Check its pressure every six months along with the rest — it loses air just like they do.

10. Bring spare washer fluid

    A spare bottle in the trunk saves you on the highway when road grime empties the tank faster than expected.

11. Pack a pair of work gloves

    Useful for changing a tire or handling battery cables without ending up with greasy or freezing hands.

12. Pack a flashlight

    A dedicated flashlight beats your phone: it won't drain your battery and lights the engine bay better after dark.

13. Keep a phone charging cable in the car

    A cable that lives in the car means you're never stranded without navigation or a way to call for help.

14. Pack wet wipes

    Handy for cleaning up after a tire change or wiping the windshield when there's no water around.

15. Carry drinking water

    A couple of bottles for a traffic jam, breakdown, or a long wait for a tow truck — especially in summer.

16. Keep a blanket in the cabin

    Keeps you warm during a cold-weather breakdown while you wait for help, and doubles as cover for a kid or pet.

17. Put together a seasonal winter kit

    An ice scraper, snow brush and a folding shovel — keep them in the cabin from autumn so you're not digging out the car bare-handed after the first snowfall.

18. Check your documents and insurance dates

    License, registration and insurance policy should all be in the car and valid. An expired policy means a fine and real trouble after an accident.

19. Save your insurer's and tow truck's numbers in advance

    Add the numbers to your contacts before you break down — hunting for them from the roadside with no signal wastes precious time.