If you would list the make and model of the camera or how many megapixils it is, the answer will be pretty simple to calculate.

Although it's unlikely, some cameras do not support 1 Gig cards.

What kind of card?

There are at least six popular types, although chances are good that yours uses, SD which is easy to find or CF which is also all over. Then there are the Sony cameras that need Sony memory cards. Some Hitachi and Minolta cameras that will take any brand of flash memory, but you loose some features. (nice of them isn't it?)

Save the 16 mb card for a backup, just in case your main card(s) get filled.

6 mp camera produces about a 2 megabyte file for each image. So your car would hold 12 - 16 pictures. 1 gig card will hold - about - 400 pictures. 512 mb card 200 pictures.

This may seem odd, but I'd rather have 2 512 mb cards than one 1 gig card. If I'm shooting an event I can swap them for different subjects, and have them somewhat sorted. If I want to take pictures in to be printed, I can use one card for those and have one always in the camera.

If you are traveling and want prints made, so you can empty the card, you'll still need a second card to shoot, while those are being printed.

If one card goes bad (never happened to me yet) you still have one that works...

Office Depot and Office Max, often have sales with rebates. Comp-USA and Sam's club have some good deals, all the time. Sorry if this offends anyone, but Radio Shack is usually a rip off, especially on cables and card readers.

That's next on your list, a card reader and a spare set of batteries. If it uses AAs you are in luck, get a set of NiMh and a charger. (if the camera came with a charger, you are even better off) If the camera uses a propritary battery, buy a second one, right now.

Yes you have a cable, and it will read the contents, using some software that came with the camera. If you use a card reader, it will work on any computer, anywhere. If you carry a laptop you can dump the pictures to the hard drive, and start filling the card again. They make inexpensive, easy to carry, PICMCIA cards for laptops.

Most of all, you just saved $10 for film and processing, for every 25 pictures you take. (roughly) Never will pay for a bad picture again. If you don't like a picture, it's gone in seconds. Shoot everything, throw away what you don't like, it doesn't cost anything to cull out the bad ones, and it's better than missing something.

Don't bother with a "photo" printer. You can find places that will print 4x6s for 24 cents, without blinking, probably 19c and if you try, some are less! The paper and ink costs more than that, and the pictures look like you printed them at home.

Professional printing at Walgreens or many other places, can be done from your computer, (free software)you go pick them up in an hour. They look like photographs. There's usually a discount for printing online and then picking up at the store, under the walk in price.

Check list:

Backup battery
2 memory cards

possible option

card reader

I know this is crazy, but I just spent over $3000 on a digital SLR (more than my car is worth, as usual) so I could take "free" pictures.

This one is reduced size...