Here’s a list of things you need to bring on any trip to deal with possible irritants while on the road. Don’t get caught unprepared while on a long drive, and always remember what Murphy famously said: “If anything wrong can happen, it will happen.”

1. THINGS TO BRING
ON ANY TRIP
Whether it’s for a Holy Week
furlough, a holiday hiatus or an
occasional sojourn out-of-town,
being sufficiently prepared can
take out many potential stresses
that can ruin your trip.
Here’s a list of things you need
to bring on any trip to deal with
possible irritants while on the
road.
Don’t get caught unprepared
while on a long drive, and
always remember what Murphy
famously said: “If anything
wrong can happen, it will
happen.”

2. Car tools
These are the most important items
you must have in your car. You
don’t have to bring an entire
automotive tool set – but be sure to
have the essentials for the most
common road emergencies.
• Metric combination wrenches
(those that look like open ended
wrenches on one end, and
circular or oval tips at the other
end) to bolt and unbolt certain
nuts;
• A ratchet that can bend 180
degrees in either lateral
direction, as well as varying sizes
of sockets;
• A crosswrench, for ease of lug
nut removal;
• An adjustable wrench, for those
areas that require prolonged
clamping by a wrench; and
• A scissor or crocodile jack, for
ease of lifting the car up to
change a flat tire.

3. Owner’s manual
This is another important item
that you should bring on any trip.
You’ll find it handy when your
trying to find out what metric
combination wrench or socket
size to use for a particular part of
the car that need to be repaired,
or what type of fluid should one
put in the car, or (for 2005 and
newer cars) what to do with
regard to a nagging “check
engine” light that refuses to turn
off.

4. Early warning device or road
flares
If you are forced to stop on a
highway or expressway, having an
early warning device (EWD) or
road flare can keep you out of
more trouble.
Place the EWD at four to seven
car lengths from your vehicle to
enough notice to oncoming traffic
that there’s a vehicle in dire need
of help.

5. Spare tire
A properly inflated spare tire or
mini spare tire, properly
installed on a car’s axle, should
get you to the nearest gas
station.
But do not use the spare tire or
mini spare tire as your tire for
the duration of the trip.
If the spare tire or mini spare
tire gets flat, you might as well
run your fingers through the
next item that should be in the
car, namely...

6. A list of emergency numbers
The trouble with the Philippines is
that for every province or region,
you have a different set of
emergency numbers.
So before going on a long trip, be
sure to research this and have a
list of emergency numbers
written on a piece of paper or in
your mobile phone so it’s easy to
call for help.

7. Jumper cables
This allows you to resurrect or
jumpstart a car battery on the
throes of expiration.
If your car totes an automatic
transmission (A/T), you WILL need
a set of these cables, as you
cannot push start an car with A/T
without destroying any of the
mechanical components.

8. Fire extinguisher
An indispensable tool meant to
put out fires in the car, whether
it’s from a cigarette butt on the
floor carpeting, from the engine
bay or from the fuel line
emanating fore and aft of the fuel
tank.
Much has been made of a Ferrari
without a fire extinguisher that
went ablaze on the South Luzon
Expressway (SLEX) not too long
ago, with flames so intense they
gutted out the supercar – a gentle
reminder that no car is safe from
fire, not even an Italian supercar.

9. First aid kit
Should you get involved in an
accident, having a first aid kit in
the car can be very helpful to keep
injuries in check until help arrives.
A first aid kit should have at least
these items:
• Gauze pads, roller gauze and
adhesive tape;
• Antibiotic ointment for burns;
• Bandages (including elastic
wrap for sprains and
immobilizing damaged ligaments
or fractures) and band-aids;
• Cotton balls and cotton-tipped
swabs;
• Two pairs of disposable latex or
synthetic gloves, to handle
wounds;
• Hand sanitizer;
• Sterile eyewash or saline
solution;
• Thermometer;
• Safety pins in varying sizes;
• Petroleum jelly;
• Duct tape, to firmly wrap splints
in place; and
• Alcohol and iodine solution, to
sterilize wounds.

10. Seatbelt cutter and window
breaker
These compact tools can be used
to assist you and your passengers
in escaping from your car, should
you have the misfortune of
driving straight into water, and the
water level rises to a point where
it envelopes the vehicle.

11. Blanket
A blanket works as a way to fend
off internal fires within an
automobile, a (relatively) smooth
surface on which to lie down in
case you need to work under the
car, or something to snuggle into
if you’re stranded at night and
help is 10-odd hours away.

12. Meal kits and water
If you’re stranded at night and
help is more than 12 hours away,
you’ll definitely need something
to eat while tending to your car.
If you packed canned goods, be
sure to throw in a can opener. Or,
you can just bring food stuff in
easy-open foil packets.
Quick energy foods such as dried
mangoes will help get you
through the day.
You’ll also need something to
wash down all that food you just
ate while waiting for aid so don’t
forget to bring some drinking
water.

13. Flashlight
If you were to be stranded at
night, a flashlight will help you see
clearly the car’s engine bay, trunk,
underchassis and floorpan.
It’s recommended that you use a
rechargeable flashlight, so that
you won’t have to use batteries to
keep it powered up and ready to
go.

14. Lighter or matches
Combine that with old rags and a
bottle of alcohol (with one half to
one fourth of its content
remaining) and you can use it as a
replacement flare or early
warning device.

15. Mobile phone charger (for
the car)
A cellphone charger for the car
(along with the necessary
charging peripherals for your
mobile phone or tablet) allows
you to get in touch further with
roadside assistance or loved ones
in case of emergencies.
If your car doesn’t have a lighter
plug, then it’s necessary to bring a
fully charged power bank for you
to re-energize your mobile phone.

16. WD-40
Handy for lubricating doors, trunk
hinges, hood hinges, and even lug
nuts, WD-40 keeps certain parts
of the car moving and staves off
rust.
With regard to the lug nuts, it is
recommended that you wipe the
lug nuts clean of WD-40 with an
old rag or paper towel after
spraying them.
The lug nuts might rattle off the
rims during transit, and result in
an accident.

17. A bottle each of extra oil,
coolant, and brake fluid
After your impromptu repairs on
your vehicle, you might be
needing extra bottles of oil,
coolant and brake fluid (all based
on your owner’s manual
recommendations) to get your car
running to the nearest gas station
to let professionals handle your
car.

18. Pencil and notepad
Aside from jotting down the
contact details of the women (or
men) you’ll meet on your out-of-
town sojourns, the pencil and
notepad are meant to list down
repairs done, emergency
numbers, odometer reading (for
checking fuel mileage), and
expenses incurred for the trip.

19. Extra cash
You will need cash (roughly
P1,000-P2,000) , should you need
to replenish any of the
abovementioned supplies.
Your extra cash is also handy
should you run out of money to
pay the various expressway toll
fees. After all, you won’t be able
to roll (off the turnpike) if you
don’t pay the toll.