When everyone is getting ready for a long road trip, it's always a good idea to think about the supplies you keep in your car. I usually keep a bag in the back of each of my cars with pretty standard emergency gear. The bag has gotten a bit larger for the MINI, over the years... That was my old bag... the one for Rufus is slightly larger: Here's what's in it: A blanket in a water-resistant stuff sack (on left in top pic) A Slime kit (for tire repair) that I put in the driver's side boot cubby A sturdy bag (the red one, from Target, to hold all the rest of the stuff) Cash - about $25 in bills and $3 in mixed change (easily the most useful item) Glucose tabs and medicines (tailor it to your needs... I keep extra ibuprofin in the glove box) Tire pressure gauge A map of the area you are most often in Extra fuses A folding shovel Detailing supplies like microfibers, 303 protectant, Zaino Z6 (I'm a detailing nut) Water (at least a liter) Twine A mixed selection of Ziplock and trash bags Rubber gloves tissues (Kleenex travel packs do nicely) Jumper cables Duct tape Flashlights (one LED and one regular)\ A poncho A space blanket (foil blanket) - I used to carry a fleece blanket, but I live in a pretty mild part of the country... I went for space saving in the MINI, but my wife's car with a large trunk and my daily driver SUV still have a full-sized blanket. Often nice for padding while crawling under the car. A pocket knife First aid kit (the bigger, the better) Gasoline siphon Small set of tools Torx driver set and allen wrench set A wrench and a pair of channel-locks FRS radios (for club events) Tow rope bungies road flares (3 or 4, at least) - now replaced w/ a reflective triangle gadget My "I need to catch a stray dog" kit with dog treats and a slip lead (so I can help get the little ones home) I also keep a few MINI spares back there... a belt tensioner tool, a spare clutch slave (I had a bad history of burning through these... I never needed it myself, but I've given it to others twice), an extra serpentine belt and a lug bolt or two. If I replace a part before it dies and it is small and light, I frequently throw the old one in the bag (Ex: the idler pulley I took off a few months back). When going somewhere that I might do enthusiastic driving, I pitch my torque wrench and socket in there as well. I also have a spare bottle of oil under the bonnet, for top-ups.
FYI: The bag comes out frequently at the Dragon. I've towed a car off of Hellbender with the strap (and left the guy to sleep, waiting for family to come get him w/ my blanket, water and granola bars) and pulled countless bandaids from the first-aid kit. In a MINI-rich environment, having metric tools, torx bits and spares is always handy.
Looks good. I include several space blankets, a large emergency candle, a knife with a spark stick, and chem lights. There are a lot of unprepared people traveling in remote areas.
I have a big flat plastic tool kit. Fire extinguisher. A quart of oil. A first aid kit. A Slime kit and compressor. An AAA card and a credit card
I have a phone and a credit card. That’s all I need and all I have ever needed. I do carry a decent amount of cash but vendor row has everything I need. I take very good care of my car so unexpected break downs don’t happen. Map = Garman GPS. I don’t carry a spare tire or any of that extra stuff.
Rarely have I ever needed the stuff in the boot. I'm much like yourself and like to do maintenance BEFORE it becomes necessary. I've hit the band-aids and ibuprofin, along with regular raids on the cash for parking meters or restaurants that don't take plastic. I've used the jumper cables many times to help folks who were stranded. The tow strap is also super handy. I wish I had video of Jango pulling a Ford F250 off of a sheet of ice in Dallas (why the moron driver thought that was a good place to park, I'll never know). There must be some great pics out there of me towing the Pontiac POS off of the road, just west of the Fontana camp ground... right as I was pulling him out of the blind corner, an organized drive went past with 40-50 cars.
yep, like others , I do regular maintenance and service , always take it right before MOTD and get everything checked out (basically a track inspection)...but I also carry a bunch of crap 'just in case"...never needed it , hope I never do...I'd rather not sit on the side of the road somewhere and wait for AAA (or whoever) if it's something I can do right there
Bringing this back up to the top as its always good to keep this in mind and its relevant for all MOTD years.
A few new adds to my kit: A clutch slave cylinder (I've had issues... I keep a spare handy) An idler pulley and bolt (I've only ever lost one, but I've got a spare because I didn't like the plastic one that I had to use to get my car home, so I replaced it with a good metal one and threw the plastic one in the boot) A new serpentine belt A belt tensioner tool A dynaplug kit (tire plug kit that is perfect for screw/nail holes)
You know that anytime you carry specific spares, those parts will never break, it is some kind of mechanic's mojo.
So far I've never needed 'em myself, but I have sold / lent my spare clutch slave to 2 separate people! If it keeps the bad juju away, I'm happy to carry un-used spares!
With all Detroit Tuned on vendor row and Mini of Knowville near by all I need is a plastic card if I need to fix my car. Also, Mini of Atlanta is only 1 1/2 hours away as I have taken people to the ATL to get parts before and both are nice runs if something happens.
Huge thanks to Chad at Detroit Tuned and all the vendors that attend MOTD! They have helped many of people, not only with mods but with solving problems! (I still have spares and tools and not only a blanket, but also my bed! Lol)
A few years back, one of the local MINI dealers who had a tent on Vendors Row was doing a parts run every morning. Also... if anyone needs parts, I'll be driving past Out Motoring and MINI of Knoxville on Friday morning (the Donut Run) and would be happy to pick anything you need up: Cabin 1019
FYI- the local tire shop down in Robbinsville can even get you tires ASAP if you have a need. My friend used them when a tire (Michelin super sport) went bad on the Dragon. Always have your Tires, Brakes and Alignment checked and corrected before you go to the Dragon. The tail will show you all your weak suspension parts very quickly and you will end up on vendors row getting your car fixed instead of enjoying the week driving.