Today at School someone's battery was dead - they needed jump leads, and no-one had any so they had to go down the local garage and pay some silly price for them - made me think I should probably get something like that...

In the back of the beast i've got a lot of space under the boot - atm theres a spare wheel, tool-kit, jack, tow rope and spare fleece in there and I was thinking of adding a set of jump leads - but A. Don't know if there are any special ones to buy or B. If I should buy some sort of "mega diy kit" that has extra kit in it.

In short - what do I put in the boot for when people get stuck

One thing I've found to be an alright option is a set that comes with a jumper battery to jump your car without another motorist's assistance in situations where there's no one around or everyone is just a dick and doesn't want to help (happens more than you might think...)

Jump start cables (the most cheap ones you can find will do) and a spare bottle of oil for your engine. A proper "wrench" for the wheel nuts can be helpful too sometimes. Pretty much all you need.

This...http://http://www.epicycle.org.uk/images/minigun2.jpg This...

Quote from ussbeethoven :

Apart from thing already mentioned, I also recommend a disposable camera plus small notebook to document damage in case of an accident, a flashlight (check batteries regularly) and of course a proper first-aid kit of you don't have one already.

Have lots of torches (2 working, not sure if theres another one with no batteries in it there) and got my phone on me at all times the camera - haven't got a first aid kit, though...

as for jump leads unless your trying to use them to start large engines you dont need anything heavy duty. one thing with jump leads is that its a good idea to connect the negative to the engine block, this is to stop the battery exploding cos a spark from the jump lead has ignited hydrogen coming fromt he battery, although i never do and it is a rare ocurance it can happen. starter/jump packs are ok but in some cases they wont start some cars and are a bit bulky.

one thing i will say is dont go anywere near these start through the cigarette lighter socket systems cos they either put a low current through and take ages or push the electrical system alot and still take a while before there is enough charge in the battery.

other stuff to keep in the car are things like first aid kits, warning triangle, possibly hivis jacket but mainly a wind up tourch with a mobile phone charger integrated in it

we have been known to go further, on the london to brigton land rover run we took a whole box of tools incase we came across a sticken classic landy or something lol

AA/RAC/Green Flag Membership card in case YOU get stuck...and a spare pack of cigarettes so you can have a smoke while you laugh at the poor sucker who is too tight to pay £30 odd per year for peace of mind.

Little can of petrol in the boot?

Quote from Bladerunner :

AA/RAC/Green Flag Membership card in case YOU get stuck...and a spare pack of cigarettes so you can have a smoke while you laugh at the poor sucker who is too tight to pay £30 odd per year for peace of mind.

I have RAC cover. Twice (don't ask) - but this is for helping someone else out or trying to sort myself out if I can as it'd be much quicker...

tbh having to call the rac out cos you battery is dead and just needs a jump and a decent run is a bit embarasing and a waste of time when you can easily do it yourself in a couple of mins

Teh noZ BottLe!!1

In my boot i have.....

Big stereo setup!
1L Oil
5L water (because it's a rover)
Tin of WD-40
Torch
Hammer
Basic socket set
Basic spanner set
2 screwdrivers
Broken jumpleads (they didnt like 24v through them)
And the usual wheel, jack and wheelbrace

In the back seat i have 2 jackets and a bottle of coke, and a tin of de-icer.


Needless to say the boot is totally full!

The only thing you need in a car boot is:

1. Some Rope
   
2. Some Gaffer Tape
   
3. A Bible
   
4. A Shovel
   

There is no need to carry anything else as it just adds weight and reduces your fuel millage.

A few screwdrivers, Duct tape.. That's what I've usually had on me. I don't have a car tho, but those things come useful anyway so I'd imagine they're even more convinient in the boot.

My mom's car has a rug, first aid kit, an umbrella, notebook paper, pens and pencils, tissues, plastic bags, pins, showel and some loose gravel in a bucket.

My old man has two sets of folding ladders, 60 odd meters worth of piping, loads of sockets/contact boxes, all the basic tools, a power drill, another set of tools, a few rolls of land cable, jump leads, motor oil, a water can and bolt-on shelves.

Quote from ussbeethoven :

I'm curious, are first-aid kits not mandatory in GB? In some countries, you also have to keep a reflective jacket (e.g. Italy), spare bulbs or fire extinguisher (e.g. Croatia) in your car.

None of that is in the UK, no.

Pretty much nothing really. Except the "tool kit" that came with the car; an electronic tyre pressure gauge; some L plates; one of those fake chamis leather cleaning sponge things and a road map I don't carry anything in the car. Should I ever break down I'll just ring the AA. Thinking about it though, I guess I should get myself a warning triangle. I had to replace a tyre on a motorway in Brazil one time and it was bloody scary. The big lorries all use the hard shoulder over there and they have extremely bad brakes.

What to keep in the car? I find seats useful, but everything else a pure luxury and the added mass is only slowing the car down and burning more fuel. Want that 20% stiffer sports suspension? Just throw away 20% of the car!

Im sure you made a thread about this a while ago

That was "what do you keep in the glovebox", this is more boot-centric :P

Quote from pearcy_2k7 :

Im sure you made a thread about this a while ago

No you're imagining. Which is prefectly understandable since these threadsare pretty easy to predict. The next one will be a story of an unsuccesful tyre change where a jack (or Jack) got foobaared.

Quote from Bob Smith :

What to keep in the car? I find seats useful, but everything else a pure luxury and the added mass is only slowing the car down and burning more fuel. Want that 20% stiffer sports suspension? Just throw away 20% of the car!

You know, I just realised that I completely mis-read the title of the thread. I thought it said "what you keep in the car".

Get a decent enough socket set and a decent enough spanner set. Also, don't buy a cheap set of jump leads, get a decent set, it will most likely be worth it in the long run.

Quote from Jakg :

None of that is in the UK, no.

I am pretty sure a First Aid kit came into law, but I also believe it is being phased in, so new cars HAVE to have them, then slowly adding to everyone. Because you need time to buy a £5 kit from ASDA. But I wouldn't go anywhere without a decently stocked first aid kit in the back of the tail wagon.

Mainly because I am a unlucky and always require one when I don't have access to one.

Quote from danthebangerboy :

Hammer

That's all you need. Throw the other stuff away!

Here in Canada it's a good idea to keep a serious shovel in the car during winter, as you WILL get snowed in at least once every winter, or some snowplow will barricade you in your parking spot.