Essential things to have in your vehicle?

Jump boxes allow you to rescue yourself when you have a dead battery. Or, they allow you to rescue someone else regardless of the parking scenario. No need to position the two cars such that the jumper cables will reach. When a car is nosed into a crowded parking lot, cables are a real hassle.

For me, I like knowing my wife can pop the hood of her car and jump box her car solo and not need to involve another party. Red to red, black to black, push the button until the light comes on, then go around and start the car. Super simple. No parking lot creeps. No well intentioned people arcing connections and such.

In reply to Cousin_Eddie (Forum Supporter) :

13ish yrs ago, I witnessed a coworker "helping" another coworker jump her car. He had red to black and black to red. The cables were hot and the rubber may have started to melt on them. Don't know how you live to be almost 60 and don't know how to use jumper cables, but yeah...

I have a full size van , so I have to much junk in it anyway , 

but if I had a regular commuter car I would have :

fix a flat ,

jumper box 

Zip ties , vise grips , duct tape , fire extinguisher

and since I live in  an Earthquake area where I might not be able to get home for a day or two ....

blanket / sleeping bag , canned food and can opener , cookies , water ,  extra shoes / socks, pants, shirt , jacket etc , matches , candle 

probably a bunch more ........

Jumper box and tire inflator combo is a must. They usually come with flashlights, you can use them as a usb charger for whatever runs out of juice.

Rescued a friend with it, the battery in his Mercedes died in an underground parking garage, nose against the wall, which of course he figured out as he was about to leave for a road trip to vegas. Started the car, gave him the jumper box for the road. 

Of course I still carry cables and a separate tire inflator that plugs in the car, since there is still space for them. Actually I think I have two sets of cables, one is in a box with essential tools that I got at some point.

A quilt. I live in Saskatchewan. 

What jumper boxes are people using? I've had a couple and they all died or the batteries got swollen and I threw them out. 
 

Using them was always 50/50 anyway. Clip on the leads, jiggle them a little. No start. Unclip to reset the pack and repeat a few times. 
 

Id rather have cables. 
 

That said, I don't think I've ever had to jump someone. Just not a thing around here. 

I narrowed it down to what I could fit in the glovebox and I have a separate bag for when I tow, as I switch between the two cars. I only raced 4 times so I have only towed that many. I work from home so we don't take to many long trips. If I take a trip to Florida, maybe I will be bring, more for me it's always freeing to have less. We change cars so often because we lease and the best deals right now are 2 years so, it's one less headache (1st world problems) to deal with.

I have cables, small tool box, air compressor, zipties, straps, duct tape, flashlight, knife, blanket, rubber ducks, jack, and board in the Jeep.  I also have a bag with a recovery strap, axle straps, D shackles that I bring if I'm going to the beach.  
 

The Corvette has a tire gauge, AAA card, and sneaker clean. 

I keep a jump pack with me instead of cables. I use this one. It doubles as a flashlight, warning flasher, and battery bank. HULKMAN-Alpha85-Starter-20000mAh

I keep a basic tool bag in the Touareg and the Hummer. If I'm driving something else, I grab the bag out of the Touareg. 

I'm too old to fight and I don't particularly want to shoot someone so I keep a can of pepper gel in the door card of every car. SABRE Crossfire Pepper Gel

The Hummer is what I drive into the woods and mountains so I keep a can of bear spray in it. I've never come across a bear but with the population expanding it's, just a matter of time. I also keep basic camping gear and recovery gear in it. 

I have a day bag that stays close to me. In it is pretty much everything I need to survive 72 hours just about anywhere. Food bars, water bottle, first aid kit, medications, emergency blanket, water filter, rain gear, knife, 250' of paracord 550, a T-shirt, change of socks and underwear, butt wipes, a Garmin InReach Mini, flashlight, phone charger, a small battery bank, lighter, matches, as well a couple of waxed fire starters, my .45, and a couple of extra loaded magazines for it. 

spandak said:

What jumper boxes are people using?

I'm very happy with my 630 Amp unit from Harbor Freight.

I paid $77 for it and I used it just yesterday when Reven' daughter #2 mentioned that she had been seeing this symbol on her dashboard for weeks:

Way, way easier than busting out my pancake compressor and either moving cars around or getting an extension cord.

The on-board pressure gauge reads about 2.25 PSI high but it's very consistent so I shut er' down at an indicated 32.5 and reliably get a nice 35.25 (Target = 35 PSI).

First aid kit and pocket knife. Two CAT tourniquets reside in the center console.

In the winter I carry a wool blanket or two, a folding shovel, some breakfast cookies, fire starters, 2l of water, an empty piss bottle, cramp ons and socks.

In general I'm never far from civilization around here but I've been stuck in the highway for hours before.