Things you should keep in your Glove Compartment
From 3arf
For some motorists, the glove box becomes the "junk drawer" of their vehicle. For others, it holds vital items that come in very handy at certain times.
- Documentation. This means your vehicle registration and proof of insurance. It is advisable to keep these items further protected by storing them in a plastic sleeve specially designed for these documents (available free of charge at most insurance offices).
- Napkins. There are so many reasons to keep a small stack of napkins/wipes in the glove box: wipe your hands, clean up spills, wipe the mirrors/windows, and for emergency rest stops (some rest area bathrooms do not always have toilet paper). If you have kids then napkins/wipes can be a valuable asset on even the trips across town.
- Flashlight. Some people keep a flashlight in the trunk of their vehicle. This is great, as long as you can see to get to the trunk, open it and then find the flashlight. It is wise to keep at least a small LED flashlight in your glove box, even if you have the greatest map lights in the auto industry. For example: something gets dropped on the floor and rolls somewhere around the brake and accelerator pedals, dangerous, right? Your passenger can take the flashlight and locate the escaped object and get away from the pedals. Map lights tend to cast shadows towards the floor of a vehicle, making it difficult to see what is there.
- Cell Phone Charger. These days, it seems everyone carries a cell phone. This is smart especially when traveling outside of the home area. What some people fail to do is carry an emergency charger for that cell phone. They may remember to pack their house charger that plugs into the wall outlet, but that does no good if your phone battery dies while you are on the road. Purchase a car charger for your specific phone and keep it in the glove box at all times. That way you can guarantee you can make an emergency call if you need to.
- Maps/Atlas. Both maps and atlases can be purchased in small, travel sizes that will easily fit into most glove boxes. It is wise to have one or both of these any time you travel outside of your home area. Even if you know your way around the area you are traveling to, carry a map/atlas with you. You never know when there could be a road detour or road construction that forces you to take an alternate route that you are unfamiliar with.
- Spare Sunglasses. This is common sense. You may leave your home without sunglasses on because it is cloudy, what happens if the sun pops out and all of the sudden you cannot see well? Another reason to carry a spare pair of sunglasses is in case your main pair gets broken.
- Plastic Ware. These can come in real handy while eating in the vehicle. Another way they can come in handy is that you may need to stir something like coffee or tea while traveling down the road. You just never know how handy a plastic knife, fork and spoon can be until you need them, and do not have them.
- Multi-Tool. Some people may laugh at this one because they keep an actual tool kit in their trunk. The reason a multi-tool is suggested here is that a screw driver or ratchet set will not help you open a stubborn bag of trail mix. The scissors included with most multi-tools are much more handy. Besides, who wants to pull over and get out a screw driver to stab at their snack bag?
It is true that the average glove box is not big enough to hold a lot of items. However, there are certainthings, like documents, napkins and cell phone charger, that should occupy that tiny space.
