(301) 495-3131 Call For a Free Consultation

Serving Injury & Accident Victims
in Maryland, Virginia, and DC

Car Essentials During the Summer

Monday, July 22nd, 2019 By
Car Essentials During the Summer

It’s finally summer, which means you and your family will have plans to have days full of fun and a ton of sunshine. You’ll have endless reasons to get in the car and drive to fun places like the beach and mountains to get the lasting experiences that summer is all about!

During the winter, we tend to pack our cars with equipment that assists with inclement weather, but just because the summer months provide beautiful weather doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be packing your cars with at least as much care. There is a whole array of summer essentials that everyone should have packed in their cars, in order to assure you and your family are fully prepared to make the most of vacations and regular days during summer break.

The Basics

You’ll, of course, have your own personal list of specific items that align with your athletic and creative interests, but here is our list of car essentials to keep your summers rolling smoothly!

Sunscreen and Hats

Everyone knows how important it is to put on sunscreen prior to going outside, but many people forget to regularly reapply throughout the course of the day. This is why it’s always crucial to keep sunscreen readily available for you and your family in your car.

Hats are also always going to be something you’ll want to keep in your car during the summer, and it’s also a good idea to keep enough hats for everyone in the family so you’ll all be ready when the sun is scorching!

Sunglasses

We recommend having at least two pairs of sunglasses ready to go, one for the car and one for when you’re simply walking about. It’s never fun to have to look around for your glasses when you’re getting ready to go for a drive, and squinting against the sun’s glare is an easy way to induce a headache, or worse, cause an accident.

Window Shade

You know it is summer when you see countless cars parked with massive window shades in their front windshields, and these items are crucial in terms of blocking out unnecessary sun that can severely heat up a car during the day. Window shades also make a big difference in terms of the overall time it takes for a car to cool off once you’re ready to start driving.

Hand Sanitizer

You’re going to want these items in your car during all seasons, but it makes a lot of sense to avoid getting a cold that could keep you away from any type of summer fun too.

Reusable Water Bottle

Traveling with reusable water bottles is a lot safer than keeping a plastic water bottle around and it’s always clutch to be able to get a free re-fill of water at fountains wherever you end up going. Staying hydrated while out on the road during the summer is crucial for you and the whole family, so keeping water bottles in the car will help you ensure no one goes too long without refreshments.

Ice Packs

Summer always leads to more outdoor play, and more cuts and injuries. This is why we recommend having a few single-use ice packs in your glove compartment ready to go just in case one of your kids takes a tumble. Put in some Band-Aids and antiseptic ointment and you’ll be ready for whatever trips and scrapes may unfortunately happen!

Insulated Bag

Everyone needs to go grocery shopping no matter what time of year it is, but in the summer your frozen foods can be at risk in between the store and your house. That’s why utilizing insulated grocery bags can make a huge difference during the summer months, and you should keep them around in your car for other purposes besides shopping, like upping your picnic and park days!

Heat Resistant Snacks

You and your kids are inevitably going to get hungry while riding around in your car, which is why it’s important to keep snacks in your car year-round. In the summer months you’ll have to think about how well your snacks will stand up to the inevitable heat, which is why choosing heat resistant snacks is so important.

These snacks include things like Wheat Thins, granola bars, nuts, Cheez-its, Graham crackers and much more. Having a personal car stash of snacks will always go a long way, especially when you’re trying to do some longer day trips and extended road trips to your favorite destinations!

Paper Towels

You’re always going to have some spills happen when you have kids in your car no matter what time of year it is, and an added bonus of keeping a roll of paper towels in your car is that they can double as a pillow or even extra lumbar support when needed!

Umbrella

Weather can always be somewhat unpredictable during the summer months with scattered thunderstorms and afternoon showers randomly rolling through on any given day. An umbrella is definitely a must-have car item during the summer.

Insect Repellant

Mosquitoes are always going to be at least somewhat of an issue during the summer months no matter where you live, so it’s always crucial to keep some insect repellant in your car. This is especially the case if you enjoy outdoor activities in more rural areas, like hiking and camping.

We also recommend keeping some hydrocortisone anti-itch cream in your car just in case you do get bitten up!

Shout Wipes

Everything is going to melt faster during the summer months, which can lead to more car spills. We always recommend keeping some moist cleaning wipes in your car at all times so you can help keep your interior stain-free from those inevitable accidents that will happen.

Ziploc Bags

Every parent understands how useful Ziploc bags can be for a whole variety of purposes. You can put snacks, change, trash, and even keep wet things off of seats. So, when it comes down to it, having Ziploc bags in your car can always be useful!

Sun Gear

These summer car items are simply for being ready to have some fun, because if you have items like shorts, towels, a zip-up blanket and swimsuits in your trunk then you’re inevitably going to be ready when the right moment strikes and you want to get a little bit spontaneous. So we recommend keeping some items in your car that help you be more ready to get outside and get a tan, because it’s summer and you deserve some fun in the sun!

Safety Bag

We saved the best and most important for last, and although you should keep a safety bag in your car all year long it’s important to replenish all your supplies at the beginning of each season. You’ll want to include items like

  • jumper cables,
  • tire gauge,
  • flashlight,
  • Fix-a-Flat,
  • phone charging cords,
  • external phone charging case,
  • first aid kit,
  • glow sticks,
  • reflective vest,
  • emergency money, and
  • anything else you think may assist you in dire.

Contact Us for More Information

We understand how important it is to be as prepared as possible whenever you get behind the wheel, and if you have any other summer essentials to add to this list feel free to leave a comment below.

Contact us today for more information on how you and your family can stay safe out on the road this summer!

Filed Under:

REQUEST A FREE CONSULTATION

REQUEST A FREE CONSULTATION

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.