Has your vehicle ever broken down, leaving you stranded for hours?

Have you ever been caught in a sudden snowstorm, or ice storm, making roads impassable, or worse yet, end up with your car stuck in a ditch? Ever run out of gasoline in a remote location – or have your truck over-heat in the desert? Discovered that a flash flood took out the bridge leading to your home? Been involved in an accident?

A few weeks ago, I discussed the benefits of having a First Aid Kit in our vehicles, as well as in our home. You can read the content in: Preparedness: Accidents Happen. But, today I’d like to take it a step further and talk about having an Emergency Car Kit in your vehicle.

Being Prepared for the Unexpected

Being prepared for all types of unexpected circumstances helps us to not only be more self-reliant, but gives us some sense of a peace of mind. It’s not a fun experience to have your car break down. But wouldn’t it be less traumatic if you knew you had resources on hand to stay warm, hydrated and fed while you wait for assistance?

I’ve lived in the Midwest and in Colorado, and I haven’t forgotten about those winter storms. People living in those areas tend to carry extra coats, blankets, shovels, food, water and chains in their vehicles at all times. And although it’s true that people who live in warmer climates don’t need to worry about ice and snow, they have their own natural disasters to contend with. Hurricanes, floods, wildfires and earthquakes. Wildfires and earthquakes can be even scarier, in that most times you don’t get any kind of warning.

Where do you begin when planning an Emergency Kit for your vehicle?

I wish I could wave my magic wand and give you the perfect answer, but alas it depends on many factors: where you live and the weather, your age and physical condition, whether you have children, pets, how far is your commute to work?

Every Car Emergency Kit should be, and needs to be, tailored for you and your family’s individual needs. When I first began thinking about creating a kit, the task felt daunting. That’s why I decided to share our own personal Car Emergency Kit with you—to give you someplace to start. You can use this list and customize it for your own weather, location, children, special needs, etc.

The important thing is to start – one step at a time will get you there!

My husband and I have the following Emergency Car Kit items in each of our vehicles. No matter which vehicle we’re in, we’ve got the same resources on hand. We used medium-sized backpacks to store all the smaller items in one place. We made sure to purchase packs that wouldn’t be too bulky or heavy to carry, if need be. And they are easy to grab and go. Larger items, such as the wool blanket, boots and such are stashed in the trunk for easy access.

Here are the items found in our Emergency Car Kits:

STORED IN THE BACKPACK:

Local County Map (highlighted possible emergency routes on maps)

List of phone numbers and emails to use if cell phone is inoperable

Cash (make sure you have some smaller denomination bills and coin, as well)

Small Notebook and pencils

First Aid Kit

N95 Face Mask

Led Flashlight and Batteries

Headlamp

Extra Batteries

Solar /Hand-Crank Radio with Light and USB Charger

Compass / Whistle and Lanyard / mirror

Multi-purpose Tool

Multi-purpose Knife

Strike Anywhere Matches / Waterproof Matches

Magnifying Glass and Ferro Rod or Mag-Strike Fire Starter

Paracord or #36 Bank Cord

Duct Tape – not an entire roll. Hint: You can wrap quite a bit around a pencil

Zip-Ties

Miniature Sewing / Repair Kit

Rain Poncho in a pouch

Mylar Thermal blanket

Emergency Tube Tent

Emergency Bivvy /Sleeping Bag

Chemical Hand & Foot Warmers

LifeStraw Utra-Compact Water Filter

Non-refrigerated Prepackaged Foods to open and eat / tea bags

P-38 Can Opener

Toilet Paper – remove the cardboard tube and flatten

Gloves, Scarf and Wool Hat (even in warm climes, evenings can get chilly)

Wool Socks, Leggings, Thermal Top and Sweatshirt (warm layers to add to what you’re wearing)

STORED IN THE TRUNK OF THE VEHICLE:

Wool Blanket (Army Surplus store)

Heavy Duty Boots or Hiking Shoes

Heavy-duty Metal Canteen / Cook Set

Aqua Blox – potable water

Still Find This Overwhelming?

If you still find the thought of doing this overwhelming, or too big a strain on your budget, do what we did.
Start with the most important basics: First Aid Kit, Led Flashlight & Batteries, Mulit-purpose Tool, Mylar Thermal Blanket and Water.
Then each week add something new from your list. You can find some of these items at an Army Surplus, or dollar stores.

Before you know it, you’ll have a great resource in the trunk of you vehicle.

What kind of Emergency Kit do you currently have?
Have you ever had to use it?   What was your experience?