How to create a car survival-kit for the summer

By Ané Theron

Summer’s all about road-trips to interesting places, and you’ll need a few key items to make your journey smooth, easy and fun. Here’s what we think you cannot do without in your car’s summer survival-kit.

Sunscreen and hats

Dermatologists see cases of skin cancer more than they do any other skin-ailment. Be wise and always wear sunscreen – nothing ruins a holiday faster than blisters! And it’s easy to burn sitting inside a hot car. When the air-conditioner blows cool air onto your skin, you won’t notice that you’re burning.

Sun visors

Do yourself a favour and buy some inexpensive sun visors for your windows before you go on your trip. It will keep the inside of the car cooler too and help to protect against damaging UV rays.

Water

Whether it’s for you to drink, or for your car, dehydration is nobody’s friend. Keep enough water in your car at all times. Freeze sponges in zip-lock bags and place inside your cooler box.

A plastic poncho

Who knows if you’ll need to change a tyre in the pouring rain? In South Africa, we’re no stranger to summer rainstorms.

A torch

A torch goes a long way (winter or summer) if you need to find something in your car after dark, perhaps something that rolled in under the seats, like money, an action figure or a piece of Lego!

Google maps on your phone or a portable SatNav device

Getting lost is not an option in South Africa, whatever the season. If you’re old-school, a good old road map may also be of service.

Paper Towels and Wet-Wipes

Wipe the ice cream from your face and hands, or answer the call of nature…

A towel (or two, or three)

When the sun has been baking on your car’s leather or vinyl seats, you can give your behind a nasty burn. Spread the towel over the seat(s) to prevent this.

A sunshade for your dashboard

If your car stands in the hot sun for long periods of time, you can preserve the life of your dashboard by using a sunshade.

Click here for the items you will need for your car emergency-kit, such as jumper cables and a tyre-pressure gauge.