You’ve seen what’s in our trunk. Tell us what you like to have in your car. We’d love to hear what’s important to you.
Tom and Ray
Click and Clack, the Tappet Brothers
I carry an electric tire inflator, a good-quality tire pressure gauge, duct tape, a few screwdrivers, a flashlight, exam gloves, paper towels, a wedge to block a wheel when jacking the car up, and a square of plywoood to place underneath the jack if I am on soft ground. All of that stuff fits underneath the floor of the cargo area in my Outback, leaving the cargo area uncluttered, for my dog to ride in.
I’m not half as prepared as you uys are, but here goes:
- Set of HD jumper cables
- Can of tire inflater
- Roll of duct tape
- Heavy rawhide gloves
- Old bedspread; to use for changing tires, douse possible fire
- Small fire extinguisher
- LED crankup flashlight
- Old floor mats to be used for emergency traction
- Vise grip, set of screwdrivers, adjustible pliers, sharp knife, electrical tape
- Set of bungie cords
- Safety goggles
- Small first aid kit
- Shovel
- High Candlepower spot light (plugs in cigarette lighter)
- When I travel in extremely cold weather (-40F), I cary a winter survival clothing set (parka, windpants, mitts, boots) good for -55F.
- Matches, coffee can full of old candles.
Roadside emergency kit, jumper cables, a blanket, a spare tire, some old yet presumably still edible snacks from neighborhood cookouts of years past, a flashlight/latern with one of those 6 pound squarish batteries, 4 dozen or so back issues of Sports Illustrated, a solar powered calculator, a few various “Greatest Hits” CDs, an external 300 baud Hayes modem, a copy of IBM DOS on 5.25 inch floppy, and two or three bungee cords.
We don’t have a trunk…only SUV’s; and I can’t put anything in there that doesn’t meet with my wife’s approval. No dirt and must match the interior. I sneak the jump battery and emergency HW under the suitcases when we travel.
Car is a 1998 Civic.
For everyday commuting:
[list]a full-size spare[/list]
[list]stock car jack[/list]
[list]lug nut wrench[/list]
[list]jumper cables[/list]
[list]first aid kit[/list]
[list]oil[/list]
[list]brake fluid[/list]
[list]power steering fluid[/list]
[list]paper towels[/list]
[list]Rain-X[/list]
[list]glass cleaner[/list]
[list]spare gas cap[/list]
For long trips I add:
[list]compact stock spare[/list]
[list]a small floor jack[/list]
[list]a jug of water[/list]
[list]a tool box with basic tools[/list]
[list]jack stands[/list]
[list]work gloves[/list]
I also carry a flashlight, a tire gauge, and a motor carrier’s road atlas, but not in the trunk.
a doughnut…soon to be replaced by a full service…spare
tire changing tools including a beam type torque wrench with proper deep socket
an SAE socket set
a metric socket set
screwdrivers - common and phillips
a socket driver with a full set of “ends” including torx, different size phillips, even furniture screw ends…I can drive any screw
pliars
slipjoints
duck tape
a bourdon tube type pressure gage
winter gloves
bottle of window wash
small plastic shovel
small bottle of dry sand
throw (small blanket)
squeegees
ice scrapers (various types)
road atlas
SAE open/box end wrenches
metric open/box end wrenches
a camera
a wind-up flashlight…needs no batteries
The winter items come out in the summer.
spare tire, gloves, oil, funnel, towels, jumper cables, fix a flat, jack, lug nut wrench(had a tire go flat last week, could not be repaired- put spare on) gallon of coolant, gallon of water, screwdriver, pliers, and most of the time golf clubs and bag, with golf cart & shoes— car is 1987 lincoln town
A shovel, Garbage bag, some latex gloves, DVD of CSI Miami and one coffie mug for the all nighter drive to the country.
What every came with it when new plus a Letherman tool an nice old bath towel a pair of gloves, a couple of large plastic bags and a hat (I need to keep the sun off my face and head due to cancer risk) That old towel has come in handy many times, It can even get you out when you are stuck in the snow.
1997 Acura CL, 84K miles:
The jack, lug wrench, and temporary spare tire that came with the car.
A few rags.
A sleeping bag.
A couple of bungee cords.
Small 12V plug-in work light.
1996 Subaru Legacy AWD wagon, 121K miles:
The jack, lug wrench, and temporary spare tire that came with the car.
A few rags/old towels.
A sleeping bag.
A couple of bungee cords.
Small 12V plug-in work light.
One quart 5W30 oil.
A tow strap.
I have a multi-tool that I switch from car to car. I take it with me on weekend trips, but don’t worry about it in normal local driving. This tool has never been used.
In winter I will carry extra clothing (coat, hat, gloves, boots). If there’s snow in the forecast I will carry a small shovel.
That’s what’s in the trunk, or the rear of the wagon. Each car also has a small flashlight in the glove box, along with at least one road map, an ice scraper on the floor behind the driver’s seat, and a collapsible umbrella in the door pocket.
In the trunk: old blanket, spare tire, jack, reflector triangle, disposable poncho, one gallon water, flashlight, jumper cables, tire inflator.
In the glove compartment: spare set of prescription glasses, about $60 in cash, and several dollars in quarters.
And where is this car parked right now?
Very likely at a Scrabble tournament somewhere. Any further info is top secret.
Scrabbler.
Cant resist…
The battery, stereo microphones for onboard video, aft section of roll cage…
But seriously folks, I always have my Jump Pac(charged), starter fluid, tow rope, shovel, gallon of winter washer fluid, qt oil, duck tape, and flash light in my truck during the winter. (short commute)
My 2008 books and receipts, etc. I promised my CPA to have things in ‘order’ and in his office Monday… Maybe I should get to it.
How about “What’s in My Truck” 
86 K5 Blazer:
- 33" spare
- HI-Lift jack
- 2, 30’ snatch straps
- 20’ chain
- snatch block (for use with the winch)
- assorted d-shackles
- fire extinguisher (I’ve had to use it too)
- spare fuel pump
- spare ignition module
- spare 4wd hub
- assorted tools
- quart of oil
- small shovel
- small hand saw
- ax
- first-aid kit
- pair of socks
- spare pair of boots
- jumper cables
- spare fan belt
- tire plug kit
full toolkit (wide range of metric and SAE sockets, screwdrivers, wrenches, and some specialty tools, more from a lack of storage at the house than use in the car, but it has come in handy) at least 1/2 qt of oil at all times (i drive a saturn s-series, it’s a necessity) spare tire, jack, jackstands (see the toolkit), spare fuses (in the glovebox, but whatever) washer fluid, and spare fluid from whatever recent repairs/fluid changes i’ve done, just in case i need a top off.
About A Half-Gallon Of Whiskey, An Ariel Photo Of Our Golf Course In The Summer, Best Of The Who CD, 2 1/2 boxes of Winchester 30-30 Ammo, Golf Shoes And Schwetty Balls, Car Wash Towels, And 3 Harlem Globtrotters VIP Ticket Stubs.
Junk?..or
Jimmy Hoffa?
Seriously, tool kit, spare, jackstands, jumper cables, some miscellaneous stuff I’d using recently.