Five of the hottest summer essentials for you and your car
Roll down the windows, cue the soundtrack, and get ready to do some summer mileage.Before the days and nights hit sizzling point, it’s a great time to treat yourself and your car to some extras that will take you from stop to go, go, go. Here are our five hottest summer essentials to ensure you and your car are ready to take on summer.
Tinted windows
Take the temperature down inside your car, and reduce interior fading, with tinted windows that reduce UVA and UVB rays. Australian Vehicle Safety Regulations allow all states and territories to set different limits for window tinting, most between 15 and 30 per cent, with none on the windshield.
Hilary Whitwam, owner of Tint A Car’s Osborne Park and Perth franchises says, once you know the legal limits, you can decide on whether you want all windows the same, or the back one darker, for example. After that, it’s simply a matter of what type of film you want.
Popular choices include the Octane, the darkest legal limit, and the Spectre Ceramic window tint that gives the highest performance solar, glare and infrared rejection. Cost is dependent on the film type chosen, make, model and year of your car.
A driving cap
Worn by everyone from Ryan Reynolds to Cameron Diaz, the flat cap is having a moment. Somewhere between a baseball hat and a fedora, it’s ideal for driving because its short brim shades your eyes, but allows good visibility.
We recommend the Brixton Brood in brown khaki, $59.95 or, the Cappuccio Leather Drivers Cap, $169.95, from The Hat Store. Fashionistas can’t go wrong with a baseball cap like the Polo Ralph Lauren Cotton Chino Cap, $69, or the pricey but Instagrammable Rough Out Ball Cap, $369, from The Iconic.
A windscreen shade
Reduce heat and fade while you’re out and about while letting your kitsch hang out.
At Supercheap Auto, you’ll find sunshades adorned with succulents and turtles, $16.99, at Autobarn the Retro Beach Fashion Sunshade, $16.99, is all about sand, sun and surf while, at Repco, you can get a rather manly Penrite Racing Front Sunshade for $25.
You can also upload your own design/logo, for $74.99, at Totally Covers.
A bear-proof esky
You had us at bear-proof – yes, grizzly, not the foamy type.
Yeti’s 15-litre, lightweight The Roadie 24 Hard Cooler, $299.95, is designed to withstand aggressive wildlife and hold an upright bottle of wine and a picnic, or up to 16 cans with ice. Its slim design also means it will slide behind the front seat of your car.
We also love BCF’s very funky and affordable Engel 18L Cooler Drybox in Orange, $79.99. It won’t stand up against a bear, but it does float, which means you could always use it as an abandoned ship bag.
The clip and dip
Perfect for anyone who has ever tried to dip their French fries in those tiny tomato sauce packets while navigating the road, the Clip and Dip vehicle vent accessory fits on horizontal or vertical air-con vent blades. Find it on Etsy or eBay for around $10 plus postage.
Related: Five fun accessories to make your car summer road trip ready
Related: 10 Aussie spots to take a detour through on your summer road trip
Related: Four easy car hacks to keep your car cool in summer
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