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Essential spares when touring abroad
Bob Grieves (Black 2778) from Kent posted a query for ideas from fellow members of the essential spares anyone should carry when touring overseas. Responses came from Geoff King, Bob Owen, Victor Smith, Jim Gibson, Rob Lewis, Rob Collier and Mike Lane. So the combined list below will probably cover most reasonable spares needs. (Jul 08)

Geoff King
Mobile phone.
Set of bulbs and a screwdriver so they can be fitted.
Reflective vests (two).
Warning triangle.
First aid kit.
Fire extinguisher.
Jack.

Bob Owen
Set of points for the distributor.
Condenser for the distributor.
25A 1 1/4" fuse.
Fuel pump.
Can of brake fluid - so with a weeping wheel or clutch cylinder could help get you to a garage.
Some galvanised steel wire - handy for temporary fix. for dislodged items, for example exhausts.
Basic tools to allow the use of the above spares including feeler gauges.
Victor Smith
Spare alternator - I had one fail going down to le Mans one year and my good fortune was Paul Busby had a spare.
Spare rotor arm.
Set of contact breakers.
Fan belt.
Set of bulbs.
Some fuses.
Simple test meter.
Dwell meter - in case I have to set up a new set of points.
Duck tape and a small roll of insulating tape.

Jim Gibson
Corkscrew - once forgot it so will not make that mistake again!

Rob Lewis
Swiss army knife.

Rob Collier
Fan belt.
Spare radiator hoses - but pay particular attention to the cooling system and would flush and refill the radiator system and fit new hoses before setting off.

Mike Lane
Spare hose clips of the correct size as well as spare hoses - as I found out, the clips originally fitted cannot always be re-used!
Safety equipment for touring on mainland Europe?
See our checklist with links to a very useful tabulated checklist on the AA website. More		 Where can I buy a safety triangle and a hi-viz reflective vest?
AA travel shop and the Online V8 Shop
Insurance requirements - Mike Russell notes "Some motor insurance cover for Continental driving may be invalid if you do not comply with the compulsory safety equipment requirements of the European country irrespective of the merits of a claim, so making sure you check out the current requirements and take the equipment with you is very important". He also reminds fellow V8 enthusiasts that the red warning triangle should be positioned 150 to 200 yards (or metres) back along the road and not a few feet behind the car as you so often see.
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