12 Things Every Man Should Keep in the Car at All Times

Make sure you're prepared.

June 20, 2013

Image via Complex Original

A man should always be prepared. Always. If Mr. Chi City can keep his fridge stocked for women, then there’s no reason your car shouldn’t be equally ready for whatever. Going out for a drive means going out into a dangerous unknown. Your car could give up on you like your parents after your fifth year of college, you could get blindsided by a bus, or you could just end up somewhere really boring. No matter what, we’ve got you covered with 12 Things Every Man Should Keep in His Car at All Times.

A Basic Toolkit

The selection of tools above is actually pretty solid. You've got wrenches, hammer, screwdrivers, the tools you'll need to fix some basic problems that could be handled from the road, but you also have things like zip ties, duct tape, and belts that could help temporarily fix a problem long enough to drive to the nearest parts store or mechanic.

Owner's Manual/Helm's Service Manual

We know what you're thinking. "I've had my owner's manual in my car since the day I got it." Well, good for you, but do you ever actually use it? As much as we might hate to admit it, we're not all mechanical geniuses, and there are going to be some problems we simply don't know how to handle. That owner's manual will fill in the gaps, and there's no shame in admitting it. It'll show you all the basics, like what type of oil and gas to use, tire pressure, liquids capacities, and all that jazz.

In addition to that, keep a service manual with you, as well. If you're in a hurry or if you're just in a situation that you quickly want to get out of, being able to figure out what the problem is the first step to getting back on the road.

Flashlight

Try changing a tire at night without a flash light. Or working on anything else in the engine bay, for that matter. You can't. If you have one that doesn't run on batteries (those shake or crank lights will do), that's even better.

Water

You can go 12 days without food, but only 3-5 without water. Which one do you think is more important to keep with you? And we're not talkin' about that flavored water shit. Just keep it basic, and you'll be good.

First Aid Kit

These things come in handy for injuries, obviously. Many kits also come with glow sticks, which can prevent you from being blind-sided by car while changing a tire at night.

On-Board Diagnostics

The service manual and toolkit are infinitely more useful when you have one of these things. Why? Because you can plug it in, and most of the time, it'll tell you exactly what's going on with your car. The ease and quickness of fixing something is infinitely better when you don't have to poke around and find the problem on your own.

Blanket

You don't have to freeze to death while S.O.L. on the side of the road in the middle of the sixth ice age. Keep a blanket in the whip so you leave with AAA and not in a body bag.

Phone Charger

Nothing's worse than having a dead phone. It's bad enough when you're untethered and drop off the face of the world, but even more dire when you're stranded and have no way to call for help. Keep that charger handy and it's all good. This is a little easier these days, as you can often just keep a USB cord that plugs into the center console. Keeping a mophie-type device would work, as well.

Spare Tire With Tire Iron

You'd be surprised how many people either buy cars without this in the boot or use one and don't replace a spare.

Jumper Cables

Don't be the guy with a dead car asking strangers for jumper cables. That guy's an idiot. Even if you're lucky enough to never need them yourself, you can be the one there to save the unprepared idiot.

Football

You're not a robot. While preparing for the unknown is mad important, you also need to have fun. Keep a football in your trunk to be the most clutch dude at the bbq/camping trip/whatever.

Money

We're not talking a fortune here. Just keep a cup full of change to use when you accidentally roll up on a toll or need to scrap together enough money for a crunchwrap supreme. It doesn't hurt to keep a few 20s in there, eithier, for that time when you're driving through the middle-of-nowhere Kentucky, your alternator goes out, and the only parts store in town has never owned a credit card machine.