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Road trips are fun. They challenge you in many ways and not just driving endurance. You truly experience the change in scenery and culture firsthand as you drive toward your destination. However, knowing the state of our roads and the kind of roadside assistance available, it is best to be prepared for emergencies. Today, we will run you through 10 essential groups of items you should always have in your car’s boot during a road trip, besides the essential car trunk organizer from autofurnish.
1. First aid kit
Sure, your car comes with a first aid kit, but it is pretty basic. Not to mention the fact that you probably haven’t looked at the expiry dates on the medicines in that kit.
On top of the basic supplies, you’ll need medicines to cure motion sickness (of course), gastrointestinal issues, antibiotics, disinfectants and gauze and tape for wounds, burn treatment, painkillers, sunscreen, and rehydration salts. Oh, and carry the barf bags anyway. You’ll probably need a storage box to carry all the extra meds, but better be safe than sorry!
2. Blankets, gloves, and snow chains
You should keep blankets and gloves in your trunk if you’re planning to visit a cold place. If you have a breakdown of the kind where the engine stops running, you will not have access to heating from the car’s system. In such times, you will definitely appreciate the warmth the blankets and gloves will lend you. The latter will also be very useful if you have to change a wheel in the cold.
If you plan to travel to places where the temperature dips below freezing, add chemical heating pads to this list. Also, if you’re sure you’re going to encounter snow, snow chains will be an invaluable addition to your car trunk organiser. Make sure you practice putting them on the tyres with gloves on before your trip!
A word of caution for those headed for snowy trips: never use cable ties as a replacement for snow chains.
3. Air pump and puncture repair kit
Most cars have a spare wheel, but let’s be honest – we rarely, if ever, pay attention to the air pressure of the spare tyre. If you have a modern car that doesn’t offer a spare tyre, then this becomes a no-brainer. If you need to change or repair a punctured tyre, an air pump guarantees that you have enough air in your tyres to keep going.
You can opt for an electric air compressor or a foot pump – both will work equally effectively. In tubeless tyres, repairing a puncture makes more sense than hauling every item out of your boot to access the spare wheel. Or you could get yourself a trunk organiser from autofurnish and save yourself a lot of trouble at a difficult time. The only punctures that aren’t repairable with a puncture repair kit are sidewall punctures. Luckily, they are not a common occurrence.
4. Umbrella/windcheater
Protection from the elements of weather is necessary on a road trip. An umbrella is a must-have because it will provide relief from rain and the sun when you must step out of the vehicle to change a tyre or examine the car's exterior.
If it is rainy as well as windy, an umbrella will not be as effective. This is why you need to carry a windcheater along as well. You might not mind getting wet to change a tyre, but drying out the car seats later will be almost impossible. The windcheater will also save you from the discomfort of wet clothing until you find a place where you can change into dry clothes.
5. Torch, headlamp, spare batteries, whistle
You’ll need light to work on anything in the dark, so a torch (or a flashlight) will be handy. You can find a rechargeable one with options in beam spread to improve its usefulness. You’ll also want to invest in one of the head-mounted lamps that trekkers use. They have elastic bands to sit on your head and illuminate in whichever direction you are facing. These will offer the best lighting for most scenarios and leave your hands free.
A power bank is also a good idea to recharge the torch or your phone if your engine or car battery dies. Don’t forget to top it up before the trip! Finally, add a whistle to this trunk box to complete the light/sound requirement. If you’re ever stranded without a phone network, a whistle can attract attention – it is louder than shouting and can be done for much longer. Modern LED torches and trekkers’ headlamps have a strobe setting that can attract attention if you are stranded in the dark.
6. Tow rope and jumper cables
Some will say that with the reliability of modern vehicles, a tow rope is unnecessary, but it can also help you rescue others! Jumper cables can be a lifesaver – something as little as a roof lamp left on all night can drain the battery enough that it is unable to start the engine the next morning. Of course, you will also need to learn to use them with your particular vehicle or risk causing more harm to it. Knowing how to jump-start your vehicle is also a valuable trick to avoid using tow ropes or jumper cables!
7. Cable ties
Cable ties or zip ties are essential items for any road trip. They can be used in many different ways to hold things together temporarily, like a bumper that is hanging off or to clamp a hose in place if it fails. The one thing you won’t need them for is to keep things from moving around in your boot. Autofurnish offers trunk nets for car boots of all sizes to help keep things from moving around.
8. A multi-tool kit
Your car must come with basic tools like a jack and wheel nut spanner, but these won’t be of much use if you need to replace a headlamp bulb or do other minor repairs to your vehicle. A small tool kit will not cost you more than a couple of thousand rupees, and it will help you perform most repairs on the car.
9. Workshop Manual
We don’t have a DIY culture everywhere, but if you’re planning a trip out to the boonies, it will be wise to learn your way around your vehicle mechanically. A workshop manual will offer guidance on how to remove, repair, and/or reinstall parts if you can't find help in time. This is best paired with some time at your friendly neighbourhood garage before the trip. You can observe and practice things like changing a headlamp bulb. Not only is it a life skill, but it can also save you some bucks!
10. Fire extinguisher and seat belt cutter
A fire extinguisher is necessary for any road trip and a must-have if campfires are on the agenda. It is also a wise addition if your road trip allows smoking in the car. A seat belt cutter is a tool that allows you to cut through a jammed seat belt in case the inertia reel doesn’t release after a crash. Look for a seat belt cutter with a pointy end and some heft like a hammer. It will help you break out of a car if the windows are jammed shut, and the doors won’t open.
This is quite a comprehensive list of things you might need. To find the tools you need on time, get an essential trunk organiser and mat for your car from autofurnish. They are practical to use and lend an extra dash of style to your boot!
Get the best car trunk organisers and mats from autofurnish.com! We have a wide range of boot organisers and nets. Autofurnish is your one-stop shop for all your car accessory needs! We offer free shipping on orders over INR 499! Shop now and take advantage of our great deals! Visit our website today to learn more.
