What Items Do I Need In An Emergency Car Kit?

• Emergency Car Kit
• Battery Booster Pack or Jumper Cables
• Multitool
• Gloves
• Fix a Flat
• Battery Backup for Electronics
• Anti-Freeze
• Snacks
• Sunblock
• Map
• Case
• Small Mechanics Tool Kit
• First Aid Kit
• Flashlight
• Flares or Warning Signals
• Charging Cord
• Water
• Wipes
• Bug Spray
• Toilet Paper

Now, whether or not you want to build your own emergency car kit or just get one that is already packaged for you, that’s up to you to decide. We will go through the items on the list, and you can make the decision that is best for you.

• Read down to the end, and you can get a free downloadable PDF copy of what we pack every time we take a family road trip

5. First-Aid Kit

This will probably be the most used item in your emergency car kit. If you opted to go with a prepared kit, as mentioned above, you most likely already have one.  

However, if you have kids or are accident-prone, you may want a beefier first aid kit.  There is no shortage of selection when it comes to selecting a first aid kit. 

6. Gloves

Who wants to get their hands dirty?  I always have gloves.  I like gloves that have a high tactile feel and are sturdy.  When working with lug nuts whilst changing a tire or trying to manipulate a pair of pliers, you need to have control of your tools.  A simple set of gloves like these are awesome for an emergency car kit.

7. Flashlight

Flashlights are not just for emergency car kits.  You should have a flashlight in your car at all times. You never know when you will need it. 

8. Fix-A-Flat

This selection is somewhat controversial.  I always have a can of Fix A Flat or Slime in my truck.  If I have the option, I am going to change to my spare tire; sometimes, though, that is not an option. 

Having Fix A Flat gives you the ability to get back on the road quickly.  It is not ideal in all situations and should be looked at as a last resort.  But you will be thankful you have it if you need it.

9. Flares or Warning Signals

Again, some prepared emergency car kits come with these.  But if not, you want a set.  These will warn other cars that you are on the side of the road.  If our fine highway workers and survey crews use warning flags and signs, there must be something to them.

In lieu of having any warning system, a buddy with a flashlight will do in a pinch. But they aren’t that expensive, and it’s one more layer of safety.

10. Battery Pack Backup and/or Charging Cord

You never know when you are going to break down.  It will probably be when your cell phone is almost dead, which is the last thing you want.  These little backups are small, inexpensive, and easy to carry around.

Now, they shouldn’t go in your emergency car kit per se’.  You will want to keep this in your glove box or center console. Someplace you can get to easy enough so that it can be recharged.  

Or if the weather gets too hot, you can easily grab and carry it with you.  The extreme temperatures will damage the portable battery. 

• Wait! Did you find this article during wintertime? You don’t need this stuff during winter. Check out our article on how to build an emergency car kit for winter.

Items For a Summer Emergency Car Kit

All right, so these first few items are general items that you should have with you at all times, no matter the season. 

12. Anti-Freeze or Water

Just like you, your car needs water, but more specifically, antifreeze, even during the summer. Summertime is a prime opportunity for your car to overheat. Having an extra gallon of water or antifreeze in the trunk is essential to ensuring that when your car gets hot, you can fill it up and get to a safe spot. 

Having antifreeze is preferred because it provides a level of lubrication to your engine, and you don’t necessarily have to worry about a change in the winter.

Water will be sufficient, and if you get there, you can also drink the same water. Having a gallon of water in your trunk is also acceptable because you can have some of that, too. Just don’t drink the antifreeze that would be very bad.

• We share more tips for driving in the heat in our desert driving tips

13. Snacks

Well, if you have water, you might as well have some snacks to go with it. Just keep in mind that you don’t want anything that’s perishable or can melt in the summer heat. Think high energy and healthy snacks, not sugar-laden.

You want something that’s high in protein and will last a while like a pack or dried nuts or fruit bars.

14. Wipes

What should one of those things that are good to have all the time in your car as well as keep things clean? And your hands up are dirty after you get done changing your tire, so now you have a way to clean them up?

If you have kids or babies, you understand the importance of having wipes in your car.  Heck even having to be an adult it’s good to have wipes in your car.

15. Sunblock

You may think that having sunblock is only for the beach. However, if you think about it, if your car breaks down and you’re on the side of the road, you are not going to be sitting inside the car.

It’s hot in the Summer sun, and you want to have a way to protect yourself while you’re waiting for help to come or waiting for to get your car going again.

16. Bug Spray

I’ve lived in Maine, and I lived in Florida, and no matter where you’re at there are bugs in the summertime. So, have a can of bug spray or some sort of bug repellent that you can apply to yourself.

You will be an easy target sitting on the side of the road or wherever you’re broken down if you don’t have any bug protection. Even if it’s not an emergency, you have some there just in case if you’re out.

17. Toilet Paper

Ummmm, I’m not going to write much here. Maybe it should be at the top of my list. You know what you need this for.

18. Paper Map

At the very least, it will give you an idea of where you are going.

In my humble opinion, reading a map is becoming a lost art. What happens if your GPS fails? Maybe I am old-fashioned, but I always have a paper atlas when I travel.

Essentials you’ll want in your car for any sort of cold weather travel

Traveling during the cold winter months can be a dicey prospect, whether you are commuting to work or traveling for recreation. Careful planning and preparation are necessary in order for you to be safe on the road.

Accidents can happen at any time, and preparation is key in order for you to come through safely.  Preparing an emergency kit for the cold weather doesn’t need to be a daunting task.

First, you need to figure out what you are going to need. Are you going on a winter road trip? Do you have a long commute? How will you be traveling in the cold, snowy weather? So, what should you have in your emergency car kit when the cold weather months are upon us?

These items are listed in no particular order. There are so many items that you could pack, but what do you actually need? That depends on your particular driving situation. Look through the list and figure out what you are going to need in order to build the perfect winter emergency car kit. 

Items For Winter Emergency Car Kit

This is an extensive list of items and you probably won’t need everything on this list, but let’s take a look at these items to determine what you need.

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Essentials You Should Always Travel With in Winter

Emergency Car Kit

Let’s just start at the top: an emergency car kit should be a staple for every vehicle.  It contains many of the items that you will need should you break down.

For a relatively low investment, you can have peace of mind that if something should happen, you will have the basics.  Emergency car kits are available with a variety of choices, so what do you need?

A basic emergency car kit contains only the first aid kit; this is a relatively inexpensive option, but it won’t help if your vehicle breaks down. On the other end of the scale, there are emergency car kits that contain jumper cables, air compressors, tire repair kits, etc. You would truly be ready for nearly anything that could happen.

Most likely, somewhere in the middle is where you would fall. An emergency car kit with a small tool kit and jumper cables would suit your needs. So, what are your needs? Are you commuting back and forth to work? Are you taking a long road trip? Are you going away for the weekend? All of this will determine what level of emergency car kit you need.

Having an emergency car kit is a great start. But most are not geared specifically toward cold weather.  You will need to augment your own personal car emergency kit with items specific to dealing with cold temperatures.

The HAIPHAIK Emergency Roadside Toolkit from Amazon is a great place to start. It’s one of the few kits that come with a shovel. It lacks a first aid kit, but if you want to start building your own kit. This is a good place to begin.

Jumper Cables

If these are not included with your emergency car kit then you should absolutely have a set with you.  You never know when you will need them.

If you don’t know what you are looking for, then click over here to see what size jumper cables you need.

Also, there are some other considerations that you need to keep in mind.  Like what does the red and black on the jumper cables mean?

Choosing jumper cables is not complicated, but you should be educated before you make your choice.

Flashlight

Another staple that should be in all cars, no matter what season is a flashlight.  However, for cold weather, special consideration needs to be made to the type of battery that your flashlight uses.  

Cold weather will affect all batteries, but your regular alkaline Double A’s will be affected by the cold much more than a lithium-ion battery.  Even though the flashlights are stored in the car, the constant cold will eventually drain them. Then, when you need to use them, and you will, the batteries will be dead. 

Also, look for an LED flashlight.  The LED bulb has much more versatility than a conventional bulb and will be more useful in cold weather.  The LED bulb does not get hot like a conventional light bulb, so in extremely cold weather conditions, they are less likely to break.  They also draw less power from the batteries, so an LED flashlight will last a bit longer in the cold weather.

Finally, use rechargeable batteries or a rechargeable flashlight.  By maintaining a regular routine of recharging the batteries, you will always have a flashlight ready to go in case of an emergency.

Gloves

An extra pair of gloves is always good to have in the cold.  A nice set of wool gloves or even mittens is essential to have in your car kit because once your hands and fingers get cold, it is very difficult to warm them back up again.  

Also, you never know when you are going to need to touch something that has been exposed to the cold.  This will chill your fingers even faster. Gloves are good for keeping your hands and fingers warm, even if you have to do some work outside in the cold.

A nice pair of wool gloves will do the trick nicely.  What you should really look for would be something that is waterproof or, at the very least, water-resistant.  Because once your hands and fingers get cold AND wet, it will be very hard to recover from that.

De-icer

This stuff runs along the lines of fixing a flat in your car; you don’t know when you are going to need it until you need it.  I have used this stuff to get my car doors open when they were frozen shut and to scrape a layer of ice off my windshield.

I always liked having a can in the car because you just never know.  The one thing to keep in mind is that it does not work well when extremely cold.  If it sits in your trunk for too long, you may need to warm it up a bit before it will work properly.

Blanket

You always want to have a blanket in the car during the winter months.  During the cold winter months in Maine, we always had at least one blanket in the car, just in case.  If you break down, you will be very thankful that you have a blanket to keep you and your family warm.

What kind of blanket do you need?  The first thing that people think of when it comes to having an emergency blanket is the metallic space blanket. To be sure, these blankets serve their purpose. However, a warm wool blanket is the way you want to go. A space blanket will not keep you warm when it’s 20 degrees outside and the temperature is falling.

Think of it this way. When you go camping, you don’t bring a pad and a space blanket and expect to stay warm. You have a sleeping bag to keep yourself warm and dry. The same principle applies to ‘camping’ in your car when you break down.

This is especially important when you have babies in the car. Babies tend to get cold quickly, so having an extra blanket or two is a good idea. You also want to make sure they are kept warm in their car seat.

Batteries

Spare batteries are always good to have.  You keep spare batteries in your house. You had better keep them in the car as well.  Again, lithium-ion batteries are the best to keep in your emergency kit. They have a good shelf life, and they don’t leak.

Regular alkaline batteries will freeze and leak in freezing cold temperatures. This will do you no good when you are in an emergency situation. It will also damage the device that they are in.

First Aid Kit

This should be a staple in any car, any time of year.  Pick a first aid kit that will satisfy you and your family’s needs.