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There are a few toolbox-type items I won't leave without. In preparation for a long trip, what essentials would YOU make sure were in YOUR Mini, especially given the economy of storage space?
My short list includes
- Fix-A-Flat
- Scotch 33+ electrical tape, a bit of duct tape, and some 12" black zipties
- Small $20 toolkit (a few sockets, wrenches, air gauge, etc.) with jumper cables (for the other guy, natch)
- A 6'x6' piece of heavy duty blue fabric that matches my interior (primarily used as a luggage or seat cover, but with multiple emergency uses - wife used it as a skirt once when she fell in a river, long story...)
- Flashlight (LED light, off a bicycle)
...and most of that stuff is for fixing non-car-related trip maladies!
I keep it in an old softside canvas briefcase in the hatch area ("boot").
What do you all carry? Any great suggestions?
__________________
Official 2011 PittStopMINI SOB (Secretary Of the Board), 2009-2010 president http://pittstopmini.org
"I can do my own oil changes, change a tire, and can put together Ikea furniture. Should I try this on my own?"
Last edited by DixonL2; 11-13-2006 at 12:55 PM.
Reason: bad spelling...
for a flat tire...
Fix-a-Flat can
Slime
12V Compressor
pressure gauge
spare valve cores + tool
Tire plug kit - contains many options for fixing
First-Aid kit put together by my wife
General
Jumper cables
Tow rope
Space blanket x2
flares
flashlight x2
Ductape
zip ties
electrical tape
spare blub (tester)
Surgical/latex gloves
mechanix gloves
Supply of cloths
2X power bars !
4X sport drink mixes (for use with plain water)
small umbrella
2X coat hangers (folded small)
Assorted spare fuses
Phone charger (actually a USB cable and power convertor.
Spare flashlight batteries
Alcohol wipes
tools
Leatherman x2 - small and LARGE
Small vice grip
couple of metric wrenches
(Wifes BMW has a very good standard toolkit too)
__________
Most of this is in a (rather small) Wall-mart sourced emergency kit bag. We have used many of the bits and pieces over the years in various cars and often add to it or substitute things.
When we road-trip to AZ we also add a car blanket, bottled water, spare oil, hats and jackets plus a few other things. I *think* that is the current kit. My wife has the same kit in her BMW, and mine gets transfered from the Mini to the MR2 as required - we have not yet built a complete third duplicate.
In the Mini the whole lot is under a cargo-net and occupies the bottom 1.1/2" of the boot floor, plus a small intrustion of the bag for the bulky items by the rhs cubby.
ladle and wok. you never know when you're going to get hungry.
i recommend you carry a nice 1st aid kit with basic medicine essentials,
case of water, snacks, and bungie cord!
oh man, I fogot the bungie-cord fetish that I have - there are at least 4 in each of our vehicles and a couple plus bungie mesh stored under the seat on my Ducati......
I got a tool bag from a military surplus store, and in that (and the cubby) I have:
Metric combo wrenches in a roll up.
Metric 3/8" drive sockets and ratchet.
Electrical tape.
Standard screwdriver.
Phillips Screwdriver.
Metric hex set.
Electical tester (probe and clip type).
Spare drive belt.
Jumper cables.
Flares.
Flashlight.
Rag.
Leather gloves.
Slime.
12v Compressor.
Wire Stripper/Crimper and small selection of connectors.
Tyre Valves and tool.
Air Pressure gauge.
Extra valve stem caps.
Alum-a-seal
Tube of High Temp silicone.
__________________ 2006 MCS-JCW No. 15543, BRG/W, Sport Pack, Chrono Pack, M7 SRP I love deadlines. I love the "whooshing" sound they make when they go by. - Doug Adams ambientpixel@mac.com
Nice lists but! I think Mini provides roadside service in the U.S. and Canada for FREE! Hence all I pack is a first aid kit, warm blanket and a cell phone. Works for me.
Nice lists but! I think Mini provides roadside service in the U.S. and Canada for FREE! Hence all I pack is a first aid kit, warm blanket and a cell phone. Works for me.
57K in two years means that my car requires a tool kit, AAA coverage, a working cell phone and a credit card Also my cell phone does not work in lots of places in the US
Nice lists but! I think Mini provides roadside service in the U.S. and Canada for FREE! Hence all I pack is a first aid kit, warm blanket and a cell phone. Works for me.
I can't count the number of "dark areas" I drive through fairly regularly, especially in the Sierra's and the desert where there is zero cell phone coverage.
__________________ 2006 MCS-JCW No. 15543, BRG/W, Sport Pack, Chrono Pack, M7 SRP I love deadlines. I love the "whooshing" sound they make when they go by. - Doug Adams ambientpixel@mac.com
If you are going to carry a fire extinguisher, it would be good to have Halon or Halon II. Works better than a regular FE with less corrosion and it seeks the heat. Halon II is the only legal stuff now as Halon I is baned by the EPA. You can still use it if you have it. I once saved a guys Porsche C4 with it, I just spayed it through the rear vent and it seeked the heat and did its job.
On the longer trips I carry with me all tools nesscary to preform any repair/maintenance that I have done or seriouly consider doing in my garage. (jack, stands all tools for brakes (pads and fluid), oil change, etc.)
Cell phone
CB Radio (Many highway patrols will monitor and some friendly truck drivers too), FRS radio
(you'd be amazed how many areas are acessable by road but not cell phone)
2 Flashlights, one small one large
Spare blankets if lows get below 50
2 Chem sticks (1-ft green glow)
Duct tape
zip ties
Leatherman
Air Compressor, at least one can fix-a flat
Basic socket set and torque wrench, screwdriver set
Spare oil
Spare coolant
Spare Wiper fluid
Invisible Glass window clear
Rain-x
It's been said absoultely ANYTHING can be fixed by what is in red.
This is a list of what I carry in any car on a long haul, not Mini or MINI specific.
Nice lists but! I think Mini provides roadside service in the U.S. and Canada for FREE! Hence all I pack is a first aid kit, warm blanket and a cell phone. Works for me.
There are major areas around the US with no cell phone service. Breaking down there is NOT fun, I know.
After a few days I'll summarize this thread into a list and publish... MaxN, that's pretty complete - I can't BELIEVE you forgot the ladle and wok though...
Forgot to add my "winter survival kit": blanket, Powerbar(s), couple bottles of water, lighter, candle (amazing how much heat those throw), folding shovel... in bigger car I actualy carry a couple sleeping bags, will be carrying a small backpacker's bag in the Mini...
...also amazing how many different approaches are listed above!
__________________
Official 2011 PittStopMINI SOB (Secretary Of the Board), 2009-2010 president http://pittstopmini.org
"I can do my own oil changes, change a tire, and can put together Ikea furniture. Should I try this on my own?"
I'm of the "flashlight, warm blanket, credit card, AAA card and full tank of gas" crew myself. And my medical kit is always in whatever car I drive, just in case I come across some horrendous accident or something.
Other than a flat, I don't think I could fix anything that went wrong (mechanically) anyway.
As well as a lot of the above-mentioned items, I always carry my torque wrench, breaker bar, 17mm socket and pressure gauge for wheel maintenance, as well as 5/8 deep socket for spark plugs and a spare quart of oil. I'm surprised no one has mentioned a feather duster for the boot and some microfiber towels along with Meguires Quick Detailer.
Came in very helpful on Fayt's first multi-day run. All of the sudden, she went into limp mode, and another member just plugged his code reader in, jiggled some spark plugs back into their seats (I'm assuming), reset the service light and off we went!
Of course, maybe I should carry him around in the boot of my car too, since I probably wouldn't know how to address any of the error codes!
__________________ Cricket: 2010 Pepperwhite JCW Convertible with 'tude.
Have any of you tried using your jumper cables? I was a bit surprised when I did...
__________________
It was a beautiful day.
The sun beat down.
I had the radio on.
I was driving.
'10 MCS Mayfair - HC/B
'04 MCS - BRG/W (174,000 miles!)
Along with everything else I have two MREs (Military Meals Ready to Eat). There is nothing like a hot meal to help the mind deal with a road side calamity .
'06 MCS; HB/W; Stripes; Chrome pkg; Driving lights; HB Int.; 1; 2; 3; iPod; w/ mods
, bucket, blanket, water bottle, small tool set and AAA card.
/// M3 with some mods
Cricket: 2010 Pepperwhite JCW Convertible with 'tude.
