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Useful car accessories
consumer advice,UK travel,in the car
woman gets out of a car
Your car can get cluttered up with all kinds of left-behind bits and pieces, but there are some key items you'll be glad you have with you on the road, for everyday motoring or a longer road trip. Here's our guide to the essential in-car accessories...
By Adrienne Wyper
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Useful car accessories
eco friendly,consumer advice,UK travel,in the car
woman holding plastic bags in her hand
Pull out some of that mountain of carrier bags stowed away in your kitchen. They're more use to you in the car for last-minute shopping, tidily tucking away wet or muddy shoes, dirty games kit, and even as an emergency receptacle for a carsick child to vomit into. And while we're on the subject of bodily functions...
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Useful car accessories
consumer advice,outdoor pursuits,UK travel,in the car
AAY she wee
Sometimes there isn't a loo or even a blush-sparing bush handy. The Shewee lets you pee standing up, without having to bare your bottom to passing traffic. It's best to practise first at home in the shower. It costs £5 from www.shewee.com, where you'll find handy tips on when and how to use it, and more stockists.
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Useful car accessories
consumer advice,UK travel,in the car
foot pump
For emergency inflation of a soggy tyre (also makes blowing up paddling pools and airbeds much easier). You can buy one from about a fiver.
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Useful car accessories
consumer advice,films,UK travel,fun for children,in the car
portable dvd player
More of a luxury than an essential, but sometimes the price of keeping the kids quiet in the back of the car is worth paying. And, at your destination, once they've gone to bed, you get to watch what you want - which probably won't be 'Bionicle' movies. And you can look at your photos on it.
The Venturer 7in Portable DVD Player has top-loading action and LCD screen and costs £69.99 from www.halfords.com
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Useful car accessories
consumer advice,books to read,UK travel,in the car
woman reading the car handy hand book
You need this for that stuff you don't need to know very often, like what the tyre pressures are, where the jacking point is, and how to get at the spare tyre. Keep it in the quaintly named 'glove compartment'. Or you could just photocopy the relevant bits and stick them in there.
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Useful car accessories
eco friendly,consumer advice,UK travel,gadget,in the car
the solar car charger kit
It's barely bigger than a mobile phone, but the FreeLoader solar-powered charger opens to reveal two solar panels. Charge it up by leaving it to soak up some rays. Once charged, its battery will power an iPod for up to 18 hours, a mobile phone for up to 44 hours, a PSP for over two hours and a PDA for up to 22 hours. And it comes with various adaptors for all your gadgets...
The FreeLoader costs £29.95 from www.firebox.com
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Useful car accessories
consumer advice,UK travel,safe in the sun,accessories,in the car
woman getting out of car in sunglasses
Given the unpredictability of British weather, keep a pair of sunnies handy, whatever the time of year. Just a couple of piercing rays from behind the clouds can have you squinting - and that's no way to drive. Use last year's pair for in-car purposes or buy some cheapo ones to leave in the car.
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Useful car accessories
consumer advice,UK travel,accessories,in the car
woman with umbrella
Again, with the unpredictability of British weather, a brolly in the glove compartment will come in handy for sprinting out of the car when you get where you're going. And you'll be very grateful to yourself if you ever have to call the AA and wait in the rain...
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Useful car accessories
consumer advice,UK travel,in the car
woman using a convenient wet wipe
What your mother-in-law may refer to as 'moist towelettes' are extremely versatile. They'll get the grime off your hands when you've put air in the tyres or been under the bonnet, clean up messy little faces and hands, tidy up makeup mishaps, help to clean the windscreen and even give your shoes a quick emergency polish.
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Useful car accessories
consumer advice,UK travel,in the car
car light bulbs
Let's face it, when the bloke behind you keeps honking his horn and you're convinced he fancies you, it's embarrassing to discover that he's actually trying to signal 'your brake light isn't working', and not, 'are you free for dinner?'. Pop a spare bulb for each light in the car and consult that handbook for how to change them. A full set costs about £10.
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Useful car accessories
consumer advice,UK travel,in the car
car phone holder
Don't be tempted to take calls on the move (it's illegal) but at least you'll know where your phone is, so you can pull over and pick up. This stylishly simple model attaches to any clean surface and holds most mobiles.
Phone holder, £5.95 from www.johnlewis.com
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Useful car accessories
consumer advice,UK travel,in the car
woman fixing puncture
Punctures rarely happen when you're conveniently parked up on a garage forecourt so if you doubt your ability (or desire) to change a wheel, you might be interested in the ContiComfort Kit. Plug one end into the cigarette lighter and the other into the tyre's valve, and it pumps a mixture of liquid sealant and air into the tyre to seal the puncture from the inside and re-inflate the tyre. You can drive 125 more miles at up to 50mph – plenty of time to get to a garage. It costs £59.99 from tyre retailer stockists. Visit www.conticomfortkit.co.uk for details.
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Useful car accessories
consumer advice,music,UK travel,gadget,in the car
AAY car mp3
Listen to music from your MP3 player through your car radio. Plug the Kensington Universal FM Transmitter into your cigarette lighter and attach your MP3 player. Then choose an FM radio frequency and sing along to your personal MP3 compilation of driving tracks. The Kensington Universal FM Transmitter is compatible with all MP3 players, including all iPods with a dock, and costs £34.95 from www.johnlewis.com.
Useful car accessories
Kit to keep in the car
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