Does Your Vehicle Have An Emergency Kit?
By Adelia Ladson
When you’re driving to work or driving for a vacation, there’s always the possibility of having some kind of vehicle emergency. You could have a tire blow-out, get caught in an unexpected blizzard or have your engine overheat in the summer, leaving you stranded. It’s absolutely imperative that you have a kit in your vehicle that has some basic survival tools and emergency supplies to be prepared for a vehicle emergency. So grab a good, sturdy zippered bag that you can keep in your trunk and let’s start packing your vehicle emergency kit.
What’s In The Bag
As I said above, there are several scenarios that you could face when you’re out on the road. These are the basic emergency tools and gear that you need to pack in your bag for both a warm weather and a cold weather, minor to major, vehicle emergency.
Car Battery Jumper And Power Bank
Of course, one of the most common emergencies is that you stop, and your automobile battery goes dead. It’s not so bad when you’re parked at a restaurant or state-funded rest stop. But what if you stopped to get that picture of your kids in front of one of those picturesque Saguaro cactuses in the desert or stopped to picnic at a roadside park in the mountains, which is, basically, just a picnic table? Sometimes, mobile service isn’t very reliable in these kind of areas, so calling for roadside assistance may not be an option. Wouldn’t you like the peace of mind to know that you’ll be able to immediately jump your battery in even the remotest location? That being said, the first item to go into your bag is the Car Battery Jumper and Power Bank. I have this product in my kit, and I absolutely love how compact it is in its zippered case that doesn’t take-up a lot of room. On a full charge, the 8,000 mAh battery power bank can jump a vehicle approximately 20 times and it will retain a charge for approximately three months. The sleek white power bank has a jump start socket, USB port and 12V input port, plus an LED light with three modes. The kit includes a home adapter plug and a car adapter plug to charge the power bank and the battery clamps with jumper cables.
It never fails that, at the worst possible time, your phone’s battery will, all of a sudden, need charging and that is the absolute truth. You know. You’ve been there. Being stranded on the side of the road with no way to call for help is a place you don’t want to be! You can use the USB multi-head cable, that’s included with the Car Battery Jumper and Power Bank, to charge your smart phone. On a full charge, the unit will juice up a smart phone three times and it takes about an hour to charge it fully.
Compact First Aid Travel Kit
The next thing that you need to pack in your bag is a first aid kit. Whether you’re traveling cross-country or going to your kid’s ballgame, having supplies to deal with those minor medical emergencies is important. A rounded, zippered EVA case secures the supplies neatly organized inside the Compact First Aid Travel Kit, making it the perfect size to drop into your vehicle emergency kit. You’re getting a total of 85 pieces including a pair of vinyl gloves, assorted sizes of bandages and dressings, adhesive tape, alcohol prep pads, sting relief pads, antiseptic towelettes and a mini rescue whistle. Rest assured that you’re prepared for basic first aid treatment with this great, little first aid kit!
M48 Survival Tool Box
If you want to be completely prepared for any automotive emergency, you need to pack the M48 Survival Tool Box in your bag. You never know what you could face if your vehicle breaks down, especially, in a less-traveled area. You don’t know what exactly you may need to survive but it’s almost guaranteed that you’ll be able to pull it out of this box. Some of the most important items it contains are a flashlight, a tactical pen with a glassbreaker, a paracord bracelet, and a ferro rod with a steel striker. You just never know, if you’re going to need to start a fire for warmth or to boil water.
Hydration Tools
And speaking of water…hopefully, you’re in the habit of bringing a few bottles of water with you when you’re commuting or traveling, whether it’s winter or summer. However, you should add some kind of container to carry water in, just in case, you run out drinking water or if your vehicle’s engine overheats. The 20-Liter Water Bag makes a great addition since it folds down compactly and has handles on both ends. It also has a twist spout for easy pouring, which if you have to add water to your vehicle’s radiator, is invaluable. As far as drinking water goes, add a few packets of Rothco Water Purification Powder in your bag. You can use the empty water bottles and the powder to purify water for consumption.
Emergency Food
Along with water, you also need to plan for a meal or two in the advent that you’re stranded for several hours, overnight or, at the most extreme, a couple of days. The extreme being caught in a blizzard or stranded in an out of the way place. A few meals pouches from the Ready Hour 72-Hour Kit Sample Pack are the perfect options to put in your vehicle emergency kit. All you need to do is add water and cook for about 10 to 15 minutes. You’ll find breakfast, lunch and dinner meal choices. The heavy-duty, resealable pouches have zipper tops and oxygen absorbers have been inserted into them to extend the shelf-life. So, you’re going to need to add the Trailblazer Folding Pocket Stove, which is ideal for your vehicle emergency kit because it folds down to a very small size and comes with eight solid fuel cubes. Add to that the Mil-Spec Aluminum Mess Kit and the Camp Dining Tool and you’ll be ready to prepare and eat your meal.
Wool Blanket
Sitting next to your vehicle emergency bag should be a wool blanket. The properties of wool put it way ahead of other textiles, making it suitable in any environment or weather condition. The fabric resists heat flow, impeding heat transfer either in or out, which makes it great insulation from the heat of the desert or the cold of the mountains. It also retains insulation even when wet, absorbing almost one-third of its own weight in water, giving it an inherent wicking ability. If you’re stranded in your automobile during the winter, it will be a lifesaver. It’s a great picnic blanket in a non-emergency situation. It’s a must-have to cover a victim who’s gone into shock. There are just too many uses for a wool blanket to list here.
Tow-Rope
There are just certain items that you need to keep in your vehicle for roadside emergencies and a tow rope is one of them. The BugOut 20-Foot Tow Strap has a 2 1/4-ton rating that makes it a great addition to your vehicle emergency bag. The strap is made of 1 9/10” wide, bright orange reinforced polyester webbing with a heavy-duty steel hook on each end.
Signaling Tools
You need to make sure your vehicle is easy to find for rescuers, so you need to add some kind of signaling tool to your vehicle emergency bag. Flameless road flares are great because they’ll last for hours and hours. Another good thing to have in your car is a piece of bright-colored plastic that you can hang out of your window or tie to your antenna. Just get one of those cheap plastic table cloths to keep in your vehicle’s survival kit.
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