With the holiday driving season upon us, many Americans will be taking to the road for long trips this weekend. I’ll be heading up to Seattle (only about a three-hour drive), but I’m already planning everything: I’ll be carrying core beverages, backup beverages, a selection of audiobooks, a pile of outdated maps, and of course a trunk full of weird junk that might be used in case of emergency (an unopened AAA “Emergency Kit,” a squeegee on a stick, oil, a lot of bungee cables, an expired Washington license plate that came with the car, and for some reason about a thousand paper napkins). I think I’m prepared. But what about you?
Blogger Mary Wheeler recently wrote up a list of what’s in her car. I reprint it here in its entirety (emphasis added):
• ancient iPod Nano — not worth stealing (I hope)
• persimmon (from my mom’s tree, for the fresh scent, ‘natch)
• back scratcher — especially for those long drives (I use it a LOT!)
• Whoopie cushion — you know, for hitchhikers
• iPhone adapter (in case the Nano runs out of batteries)
• inspirational Tarot card
• rubber beetle
• ecdysiast button — this just appeared in my car one day — I think it might have been left there by a hitchhiker.Not pictured: napkins, flashlight, screwdriver, electrical tape, hose clamp, rubber belt of some kind (like I’d know what to do with it if I needed it), pens, maps, rags, extra oil, tire gauge, dirt. What I don’t have, but should: flares, fire extinguisher, first aid kit, money.
In case of hitchhikers, all I have is additional audiobooks.
So what about you? What’s in your car? Share in the comments. Also, if you realize you really need a whoopee cushion, now would be the time to stock up.
(See also: The Items We Carry and On My Desk.)
Comments (40)
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-small rubber clown who straddles my cigarette lighter (His name is Dil)
-yoga mat
-napkins (for those unfortunate spills)
-about 5 half empty water bottles
-hawaiian shell necklace from rearview mirror
-shoes that need to be taken the salvation army
-scissors (for protection?)
-iPod Nano and transmitter
-sharpies
posted by Stephanie on 11-26-2008 at 12:07 pm
- XXL Ziploc bags
- baby wipes
- duct tape
- half a dozen empy Diet Pepsi cans
- candy wrappers
- various children’s shoes, mittens, sweaters
- street atlas
- A Boney M Christmas CD
- Homer Simpson Kiss my Hairy Yellow Butt air freshener
Huh, what do you know? Moms and serial killers do have things in common!
posted by Marion on 11-26-2008 at 12:20 pm
- Diet Cokes. Always.
- Rag (learned from my father, in days when you needed to check your dipstick frequently for oil levels)
- Old sunglasses (in case I lose the ones in my purse)
- Dried up pen
- Asphalta goddess (little goddess a friend of mine made; when you need a parking spot, say the prayer, “Hail Asphalta, full of grace, help me find a parking place.”)
- Maps for states I never go to
posted by Rachel on 11-26-2008 at 12:31 pm
permanent: 2 umbrellas, a small cooler, army blanket, bottled water, small snow shovel, frisbee, shoes, ice scraper/snow brush, maps, mad libs book, sunglasses, ipod mini with itripp, cloth grocery bags,
temporary: exercise mat, small suitcase
posted by s on 11-26-2008 at 12:34 pm
My car is full of junk right now:
- blackberry car charger
-a bunch of pens
- a pair of tall boots that I wore dancing last week and couldn’t keep them on
- a pair of flats
- a fleece blanket (you never know)
- a catechism book (never made it too far)
- a teddy bear
- 3 water bottles
- a travel emergency bag
- rags
- a liter of oil
posted by Lore on 11-26-2008 at 12:38 pm
recently changed cars so the list is fresh in my mind…
road atlas
ice scraper
holy scripture (never hurt to have this around)
CPR Gear & First Aid Kit (CPR stuff not included in standard first aid kits)
tool kit
radar (from my younger days)
empty water bottles
napkins
Advil & Tylenol
old glasses
cologne
sweats
and plenty of random crap that’s not there on purpose or can’t be identified
posted by Bilal on 11-26-2008 at 12:40 pm
Shovel
Several sweeper/scraper combos
Squirt bottle of winshield fluid
gallon of windshield fluid
bungee cords
2 wool blankets
cell phone charger
many cd’s
yellow tree air fresheners (vanillaroma)
Old National Geographic Magazine
Pens, Pencils
Tissues
gum
spare tire
posted by qt314159265 on 11-26-2008 at 12:50 pm
Heck, I could pretty much live for a while (excepting food) using just the assorted junk in my car. MacGyver could invade a small country and live there for months on this stuff.
- Full, large carry-on suitcase I haven’t removed or unpacked from my last business trip a few weeks ago, including 2 pair of shoes and all toiletries (I travel so often I have spares at home)
- Other non-work clothes from various other trips (jeans, shorts, t-shirts, bathing suit, etc).
- Beach shoes, flip flops, sunblocker, small beach chair, cheap styrofoam cooler
- 20 lb. spare box of cat litter I bought on sale and haven’t had to use yet
- 3 spare air filters for my house I haven’t had to use yet
- 3/4 full pack of napkins, 2 dozen paper plates, assortment of plastic spoons, knives & forks (useful at hotels that don’t have kitchenettes)
- 3 new Tupperware containers (large, medium & small) I got as a set from a friend.
- Assortment of towels
- A dozen+ empty Diet Coke bottles
- 7 full beers in the trunk (fell out of an open case I was carrying to a party on Halloween)
- Various work items (binders, paper, folders, etc.)
- Cell phone car charger & old [currently non-functional] cell phones (2)
- Two sets of expired VA license plates from my previous cars
All this in a 2008 Camry! The trunk space in that thing is amazing!
posted by carey on 11-26-2008 at 12:55 pm
-reflective sunshield
-waitressing apron
-black sweatpants
-huge bag of honey sticks (good for hitchhikers?)
-capless chapstick
-sunglasses
-car owners manual
-spare tire
-tire jack
-obama window cling
-empty polar pop cup
Since I just cleaned my car, I think that’s about it lol
posted by Korin on 11-26-2008 at 1:02 pm
Bottle of Jack Daniels
posted by Deuce on 11-26-2008 at 1:07 pm
Golf clubs…you never know when your manager will say, “Go home early today at 10 am.”, it is unusually warm during this time of year, and your golf buddy (who got off freakishly early too) calls out of the blue with a tee time. I luv golf too much to take a chance!
posted by Marty on 11-26-2008 at 1:13 pm
Duct tape (many uses)
Rag (gotta check the oil)
First Aid Kit (to render aid)
Pistol w/Extra Clip (stays with me)
bottled water (at all times)
power bar (for traffic jams)
back pack w/clothes (military habit)
blanket
salt, pepper, ketchup packets and napkins
posted by K in G on 11-26-2008 at 1:15 pm
Three old travel bingo cards
Flashlight (Because the overhead light is busted)
Gerber Multi-Tool (The knob for the AC is missing)
FM Transmitter for my ancient Arcos MP3 Jukebox (the tape player and CD player are toast)
Might be time to think about getting a new car…
posted by stuart on 11-26-2008 at 1:23 pm
oooh let’s see:
-two jackets
-car insurance file
-a garbage bag of clothes that has been in there for over 6 months for the salvation army.
-apprx. five pairs of shoes
-a notebook in there for my random road thoughts
-various jewelry
-Cds
-iTouch
-change
-a blanket
-a scarf
-jumper cables
i could go on forever.
posted by Kaitlyn on 11-26-2008 at 1:25 pm
A netting-covered sponge
An extendable ice scraper/snow brush
A smaller, heavy-duty ice scraper
Paper towels
Windex
An eight-ounce water bottle holding about three ounces of water
CDs that I really should clean out of the car. They’re everywhere! In the console, in the driver’s door, in the passenger’s door, on the floor in the back…
A transmitter for my MP3 player
Cell phone charger
Maps
Gum
A notebook and important papers in the glove box
Plastic bags
A bucket
posted by Jenn on 11-26-2008 at 1:28 pm
My husband (who used to drive a semi) insists every car have a full roll of toilet paper. You never know when nature is going to call when you are out in the middle of nowhere.
Other than that we have in one car –
Pool stick
Umbrella
Emergency case (ie: jumper cables, small tool kit)
Napkins
Beer koozy in the cup holder on the door full of pens and keys
Cloth grocery bags
Ice Scraper
Restaurant Menus (to call in an order on the way home)
Box of Kleenex
Trash bag for used Kleenex
Couple pairs of cheap sunglasses
Old cross word puzzles from the paper that I haven’t gotten around to doing yet
The other car (an SUV) is full of stuff that belongs to my horse (and its starting to smell like a horse). Plus it has a second set of rims that are waiting tires to replace the set that is currently rusting out causing the tires to go flat.
posted by Beth on 11-26-2008 at 1:34 pm
tire gauge
napkins
plastic bags
sunscreen
bug spray
emergency kit
sunglasses
various cd’s
window scraper
three rubber lizards
dead hand warmer
unopened pez dispenser
mapquest directions to someone’s house
old school poster
dirt
posted by Case on 11-26-2008 at 1:39 pm
i’m a firefighter – so i have all my equipment for that in the back with an extinguisher, first aid kit, a box of gloves. Under the mat in the back is a hiding place for other things where i keep a winter hat (like i’ll ever take it out in the cold…) an atlas and a blanket that i stole from an airplane. my back seat has a base for my baby’s seat, my empty purse as apermanent fixture and an umbrella. Front has my emergency light (which people never pull over for…)a walkie talkie for fire calls, an empty water bottle, a toy sheriff woody that i use to set my clock, various cd’s, and a can of antiperspirant.
posted by Jeneva on 11-26-2008 at 1:43 pm
emergency road kit
multi-unit cigarette lighter charger
every charger know to mankind
Mr. Christopher medal
escape too (breaks glass and cuts seatbelt)
coffe travel mug with yesterdays unfinished coffee
paper towels
Kirkland ginormous household wipes(like I’m gonna clean the car someday)
clean t-shirt & undies in a bag (I have gotten stuck at work overnight several times)
various empty wrappers
empty litter bag (lol)
misc cd’s
GPS
pillow
sweatshirt
crap, crap and more crap
posted by JaneM on 11-26-2008 at 1:47 pm
shoes – i got gym shoes, vans slip ons, dress shoes, running shoes, and softball spikes in my car
4-5 hats
a trenchcoat
a wig
a cast iron skillet
plates and bowls
book about Sandy Koufax
shirts
CDs (even though i have an ipod)
garage door opener that currently doesnt work
a softball
empty plastic bottles
and a bunch of other crap that i dont need in there
posted by Andy on 11-26-2008 at 1:48 pm
wooden cd holder
various cds
mp3 player/adapter
post it notes
pens
scraper
blanket
tons of library receipts
an angels in america dvd case sans dvd
purse
flattened cardboard boxes
an obama sign in my back window that i really need to take down but am too lazy to
I think that’s it…
posted by Anne on 11-26-2008 at 1:49 pm
Too much dog fur.
A 3-4 month old french fry in a spot under the passenger seat I cannot reach
Ice scraper for the upcoming Minnesota Months
Umbrella
Jumper cables
Kleenex
posted by Anne on 11-26-2008 at 1:53 pm
4-5 hats
a trenchcoat
a wig
a cast iron skillet
What are you up to, Andy?!
posted by mary on 11-26-2008 at 2:02 pm
-A DOZEN OLD NATIONAL GEOGRAPHICS
-TWO BLANKETS(MY HEATER DOESN’T LIKE ME)
-SAFTY KIT
-LEATHER JACKET
-FAKE BLOOD
-MINI DISCO BALL
-TRASH
-FEATHERS
-BATTERIES
-COLLEGE TEXTBOOKS
-MORE TRASH
and then my rearveiw mirror has a rosary, dreamcatcher, buddha with crystal, feathers, and a really nifty bottle my aunt from new zealand gave me. I filled it with the best smelling oil in the world (triple goddess oil, mm!)
Pretty much all these things come in handy! :)
posted by miyako on 11-26-2008 at 2:05 pm
You picked up a hitchhiking ecdysiast and all you have to show for it is a button ?!
posted by Fred on 11-26-2008 at 2:08 pm
Oh, and did I mention I drive a red Maverick with side pipes and skeletons hanging in the back window?
I get pulled over weekly.
posted by miyako on 11-26-2008 at 2:09 pm
-adapter for CD player
-old glasses
-raisins wrapper
-a pen
-windshield washer fluid (gallon and half)
-blanket
-first aid kit
-emergency roadside kit
-pillow
posted by Liz on 11-26-2008 at 2:14 pm
*4 witches hats
*first aid kit
*rubber mask of a fish
*adapters for and iPhone, iPod, Nintendo DS, and 4 phones I don’t own anymore
*styrofoam my husband used to carve a fake brick
*jean jacket with a fur collar
*box of Kleenex
*jumbo box containing 20 decks of cards
*sunglasses
*a cassette tape that an old boyfriend made me in 1988 entitled “Philip Cleans his Room” that I found in an old shoebox but could only listen to in my car because that’s the only cassette player we have
*another cassette tape from that same boyfriend that contains random birthday greetings from Lynn Redgrave, Joey Bishop and Norm Crosby
*a large pile of napkins
*42 receipts (stuffed in the cup holders)
*programs from productions of “Alter Boyz,” “Spring Awakening,” “Execution of Justice” and “Romeo and Juliet”
*the rules and regulations of a Bay Area Karaoke contest
posted by Kristin on 11-26-2008 at 2:55 pm
I drive a Smart Car, so there’s not much room to store random junk in there, but currently I am carting around:
Four sweaters
A sunglasses case (minus the sunglasses I lost two months ago)
A hairbrush
A programme from The Phantom of the Opera
seven pens
A reflective triangle for emergency breakdowns
Chap stick
$3.70 in change
And finally, 38 boxes of crackers – the smart car I drive is a company car for the food company I work for, and is wrapped in advertising – I must always have our product on hand as free samples in case a stranger inquires about it.
How 38 boxes of crackers fit into the Smart Car’s poor excuse for a boot (along with the rest of my junk) I’ll never know.
posted by dangermouse on 11-26-2008 at 3:42 pm
Jumper cables
Roll of those blue rags
Blanket
Jug of coolant
Bottled water
iPod transmitter
3 tire pressure gauges (apparently I buy them compulsively)
Umbrella
Tripod for camera (probably used more than anything else)
GPS
Flower in my bud vase (VW Beetle)
St. Christopher medallion
Ice scraper
Empty oatmeal box
Eyebrow pencil
I just cleaned it out the other day, otherwise this list could have gone on for days!
posted by Nikki on 11-26-2008 at 4:59 pm
Right now?
1. parking pass
2. ash tray full of fake m&m candies (came in a trail mix but I didn’t like them)
3. tape adapter (basically a cassette tape with a cord attached to plug into headphone jacks)
4. trash
5. yarn/fabric/pins
6. two sets of jumper cables
7. things to be recycled
8. spare change
9. mix tapes
10. first aid kit
I’m almost certain there’s more, but I can’t think of anything else.
posted by Jenny on 11-26-2008 at 5:16 pm
I forgot add:
What’s more interesting than what’s in my car is what’s on my car. I have a 92 Ford Tempo, so it’s not a car I really need to keep nice, as I’m probably going to drive it until it dies. Which means I’m free to put on any kind of bumper sticker I want. I have a bunch of stickers from local, quirky businesses, a sticker saying “create art” (made from cut up “ear x-tacy” [a record store] stickers), and the best one: a Richard Nixon bumper sticker that says “President Nixon.”
posted by Jenny on 11-26-2008 at 5:47 pm
Let’s see… I just got a new car, so there’s not much in there.
*2 bottles of perfume
*4 tubes of chapstick (all different kinds) i take a different one into work with me each day depending on my mood
*survival blanket which I use to protect the back seat from the dogs when they’re wet or muddy
*chinese food menu
*lighter
*pictures of my nephew taped inside my visor and to the dashboard
*4 or 5 books
*ice scraper (stays in all year round, i’m from new england, after all)
*numerous cds
*2 pairs of sunglasses
*hang tags and parking lot clickers for work
*a poo load of change
*sirius radio which is shoved in my glove compartment because it shit the bed
*5 broken pieces from the car my friend crashed and died in 3 years ago (it serves as a reminder to me to drive safely)
posted by Cassie on 11-26-2008 at 10:57 pm
My car’s new (to me) so there isn’t even anything in the glove box. But I do have:
-Full sized kitchen broom and dust pan (used to get the snow off of my car in the mornings)
-Reusable cloth grocery bag
-Pair of removable cleats to keep from slipping on the ice
posted by Andrea in Alaska on 11-27-2008 at 2:11 am
I have a truck, so stowage is small…
*roll of paper towels
*three umbrellas
*fabric grocery bag
*a still wrapped b-day gift I received in July!
*owners manual
*receipt for new battery and tires
posted by pam on 11-27-2008 at 7:59 am
These items are in the car year round, not necesarily for a road trip:
-Tent
-sleeping bag
-BB gun rifle (.20 caliber)
-BBQ
-coconut husks (for kindle)
-s video-to-rca cable
-audio cables
-chart of whiskeys categorized by fruityness and smokyness
-Armani trench coat
-umbrella
-telescopic police baton
-carton of cigarettes
-2 recycled shopping bags
-one plastic hanger
-one wire hanger
-needle nose pliers
-duct tape
-emergency blanket
-soccer ball
-pool cue
-knife (on my person at all times)
-GPS (on the my ring)
-plastic police badge (from the bowling alley)
posted by dave on 11-27-2008 at 10:47 am
travel dog bed and blanket
replacement toilet seat bought 2 months ago
3 copies of my resume
2 frozen solid bottles of laundry detergent
a crockpot
indeterminate number of books and puzzle books
at least 2 umbrellas
spare sneakers
a map of New England
cassette adapter for iPod (’97 Subaru not worth a new stereo)
a Wiccan protection spell cord bought 12 years ago
posted by steph on 11-27-2008 at 10:58 am
I’m a bit shocked there’s no jokes about bodies in the trunk.
posted by AG on 11-27-2008 at 11:48 pm
Wow, I guess I forgot some stuff. I do have an ice scraper and a bunch of change, and I think a tire gauge. I used to work in a place that was formerly a tire warehouse, and one day we got a shipment of literally hundreds of promotional tire pressure gauges from some tire company…they didn’t seem to want them back. (There was also an inflatable stand-up tire display and stuff.) So there are a lot of those gauges still floating around. I think somebody made a mobile out of them.
posted by Chris Higgins on 11-28-2008 at 1:07 am
Ttrunk has an array of emergencyish equipment – shovel/scraper/kitty litter (in winter), oil, flares, flashlight, umbrella, etc. Backseat has trash bag (I stretch a grocery store plastic bag over the passenger side headrest so the bag is in the back – perfect for me to reach, and I rarely have three passengers so it’s not in anyone’s face), pillow and blanket, bag with coloring books/crayons/little dinky toys for when I’m taking my little brother and sister on longer rides, Spanish 5 textbook from last year (I still use it! not junk!), coat, change of clothes. Center console has pen and paper, change, a couple CDs, gum, and chapstick. Glove compartments (there’s one drop-down and one in the higher dash part) have nail clippers, plastic utensils, napkins, tissue, license/registration stuff, car manual, in case of emergency info, mints, washcloth, flashlight, and maps of the US, Canada, our state, and the next state over, I’m there semi-frequently.
There really isn’t much miscellaneous crap, that’s in my purse. now THAT would be a horrifying list ;)
posted by Casey on 6-18-2009 at 6:32 pm