Home » Automobile Emergency Kits: Don’t Leave Home without Them

Reprint

The automobile and the love Americans have for it has been fostered ever since the gasoline engine has been around.  
   

As access to mobility increases we tend to spend more time in our vehicles. We conduct business from our cars, we travel in our cars and we use our vehicles for fun and games. Infatuation with our cars has provided a unique insight to the American culture. We spend hours stuck in traffic and if we go to a professional sports game, we know we'll be in our vehicle for a while just exiting the stadium. That being said, ask yourself "am I prepared for an emergency that may happen in my vehicle?" If you're like most Americans, you'll answer "well I have car insurance and/or roadside assistance, does that count?". Unfortunately that doesn't cover the higher degree of preparedness that we're referring to.

As we spend more time away from home and in our vehicles, the Law of Averages mandates we will at some point experience some form of crisis or emergency there. Lawlessness, accidents and medical conditions increase that probability substantially. The best defense is a good offense and that means being prepared in advance with a mobile survival kit. These kits are kept inside the vehicle at all times so they are available when you need them. They should be designed with the locale in which you live in mind, yet contain common basic features. People who live in the state of Florida have little need for a thick comforter-type blanket stashed away in their E-kit, while people who live in cold climates do. A sleeping bag is perfect for this.

First order of business is a trip to the local hardware store. There, you should be able to locate an inexpensive plastic, bright orange, watertight "gunny-box". You want the color to stand out for easy access and you want it watertight in case you have to use it as a float. Next, if you live in a cold climate you need a thick blanket for warmth; warmer climates need thin blankets. Then you need to add common elements to your E-kit regardless of where you live. Those common elements are:
• Jumper cables
• Flashlight
• Emergency strobe light
• Flares
• Non-perishable food (Energy bars and jerky are great for this)
• Minimum of 5 bottles of water
• Individual sugar packets for quick energy
• Waterproof matches
• First-aid kit
• Old but clean towels that can be torn apart if needed
• Small fire extinguisher
• Length of rope
• Siphon hose
• Small multi-tool kit
• Swiss Army knife
• Tire inflation can for flats
• Box of moist tissues
• Hand sanitizer
• Can of Sterno for cooking
• Steel cup

Any type of emergency is by definition very unsettling. Being away from home when the inevitable crisis happens only compounds the problem. Advance preparation is the key to survival. Having the tools and supplies needed at a moment's notice allows you to focus on the problem at hand and come away unharmed.