Car Supplies

Open my trunk (back doors, passenger doors, sunroof...) and this is what you'll find under all the junk. This is not a list of things you should always keep in your car. However, it is a list of things I consider important enough to stay in my car.

1. Blanket and pillow
        Important if you're ever stranded. Also important if you ever discover yourself to be unoccupied near a park on a beautiful day. If it's hot, you can lay ON the blanket in a grassy spot. If it's cold, you can cuddle up UNDER the blanket on a bench or something. Options galore!

2. Notebook and writing utensil
        I have a bunch myself. I've got pens tucked into the glove box, pencils in the pockets on the back of the front seats, a Sharpie in the center console, and notebooks anywhere out of the way.

3. A book (or six)
        I've messed up my fair share of books keeping them in my car. Fair warning: Hardbacks warp in the sun, and paperbacks get squished. However, once a hardback warps it's done. Paperbacks can usually be coerced back into some semblance of a uniform shape.

4. Change of clothes
        Grass stains, random spills, getting shot by a water gun loaded with red fruit-punch drink.... you never know when you'll want something not-yucky to change into. A change of clothes is your ticket out of the brand-new white T-shirt the little punks just turned pink and sticky.

5. Scissors
        Not related to above punks. Sometimes you just need scissors. Like when you buy something in those annoying sealed-plastic boxes, or need to clip some strings off a shirt, or free someone bound with zip-ties or rope. However, as they are sharp, I recommend keeping them in the glovebox to prevent unnecessary bodily damage in the unfortunate event of an accident (knock-on-wood).

6. Baby wipes
        For the occasional exploding Frosty, something to clean up with is good. Baby wipes, Clorox wipes, Armor-All, whatever. Just get the ^#*$ing Frosty off my leather.

7. USB-to-cigarette-lighter charger
        Oh no! My phone died! I don't have a car charger, but I've got the USB cord! Problem solved.

8. Auxiliary input of some type.
        For me, this consists of a cassette (yes, I've got a tape deck AND leather. I'm awesome) with a headphone cord coming off of it. Voilà, escape from that horrible song you hate. AND since you've got your USB charger, you don't have to worry about your music player (iPod, mp3, smartphone) dying. Unless it's a Walkman circa Y2K. Those don't have USB cords.