Accessories worth picking up?

Hi all,

I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on things worth buying (and spending on, not buying the cheapest possible) for having in the car/when driving?

So far I've got a decent sat-nav, phone holder, can of de-icer and one of those fancy sponges for rubbing the windscreen on bad mornings. Reflective jacket in the boot, torch and the obvious spare wheel and jack (more compulsory than accessory, admittedly).

Intend to pick up a decent first aid kit should I ever need one, phone suction-mount for the windscreen (as I always leave my phone in the car by mistake), little safety triangle thingymajiggy and that's all I can think of.


These are the kinda things I reckon I'll buy slowly over time, but that I'd intend to bring from car to car with me and hopefully have them forever, should a need arise.

Was just wondering if I'm missing anything obvious off the list at all? Does anyone have a worthwhile contribution?

I read (possibly on boards?) that you can get miniature air compressors that work off the cigarette lighter powerpoint thingy (has it got an actual name) that you can use in the event of getting punctures. Not sure if that's a real thing or not though (or if it's just something I've dreamt up).

Can't think of anything else.

Celly Smunt

I picked up a decent first aid kit out of lidl for 15 euro or so about a year ago which had everything in it (also great quality),keep an eye out on stuff there.

Jordan5372

i carry one of them mini air compressors that work off the cigarette lighter, used a couple of times for different reasons. I also carry a notepad and pen in the glovebox, you never know when you will need it. I also carry a couple of spare fuses in a small plastic box and a road map.

Celly Smunt

A 6 pack of snickers and 2 litres of water in the winter just in case you're stuck in snow on a motorway somewhere.

Bpmull

I have one of them mini compressor halfords sell one for about 10 euro you plug it into the cigarette lighter and it works away. It even has a digital display and you can set a temperature at which it switched off eg 30 psi. Great piece of kit IMO. On top of what you have I have a phone charger proved very useful when I broke down and my phone was nearly dead. I also has an extendable bar with a socket on the end that fits my cars wheel nuts just handy when changing a tyre as the ones that normally come with the car a poor enough. Probably have other accessories that ill think of later.
Edit spare bulb set can come in very handy.

visual

After first aid kit a Fire extinguisher
Spare light bulbs and some basic tools

Great to hear those compressors are a real thing. And so inexpensive :eek: I must pop into Halford's sometime, so!

Celly Smunt

visual wrote: »

After first aid kit a Fire extinguisher
Spare light bulbs and some basic tools

Those little fire extinguishers won't do fup all if your car starts up in flames

Jordan5372

forgot to add i also carry some spare bulbs for the brake lights etc and i have hard wired in a phone charger to charge my phone.

Bpmull

Decent jump leads and a tow rope I carry these dont know if its a bit over the top still worth mentioning.

blindside88

I carry a trolley jack (much handier than the scissor jack that most cars come with) also an old jacket, either for wearing or kneeling on when changing a wheel as I'm usually wearing a suit. Also a good set of jump leads and a lock knife are always handy

biko

Jump leads and a multitool have turned out to be quite useful out there on the roads. A can of tyre gunk too, for me or for someone else.

sean1141

I always keep a waterproof jacket and something to kneel on in the boot. Handy if you get a puncture in the rain. Also one of them little led lights that straps to your head is handy if said puncture is at night.
Disposable camera in case your in a minor accident. Pictures of positions of cars marks on roads can be handy to determine who was at fault.

blackbox

Hi-Vis jacket.
Disposable gloves.
Always jump leads in automatic.
Small bright (LED) Torch.
Emergency cash.
Ice scraper, coat, gloves and woolly hat in winter (& sometimes a coal shovel).

5500

Cable ties
Led torch
Insulating tape
Seatbelt cutter/window punch
Small Multihead screwdriver/socket set
Jump leads
Metal Coat hanger & door/window wedge pump
Rain jacket
Plastic Seat cover/sheet
Hi viz
First aid kit
Can of tyre weld
Extendable Wheel brace ( which can double as an anti theft head smacking device )

Even with having breakdown cover i think its good to carry a few bits.Ive helped others before with jumpstarts or keys locked in the car and even a flat tyre that didnt have it on their policy, good karma

irish bloke

tins of beans
Rubber suits
Gas masks
Flower
Water
Rice
Iodine

delly

A few litres of dionised water. Costs about €3 from Tesco.

dh0011

map of ireland in case your satnav breaks or in case you dont like satnavs
1 liter of engine oil
change of clothes
bulbs
cloth
sunglasses
deicer spray
suds that go into screen washer
towel

R.O.R

Foot pump (as those electric compressors take feckin ages)
Jump Leads
Phone charger
Waterproof jacket

Essentials in the car. For some reason I've also 3 umbrellas, a football, 2 empty 5 litre bottles of washer fluid, various bits of paper and a couple more jackets, that are just taking up space and should be removed.

The only other thing I'd like to have (and really should get around to) is an extendable wheel brace. Twice I've had to call breakdown assistance to get the wheel nuts off cars to change wheels.

For everything else, its a phone call to the breakdown assistance (or free spare bulbs in work).

Wetbench4

Don't forget a swiss army knife. Has loads of handy tools