Prepare an Emergency Car Kit: Make Your Vehicle Emergency Ready

When prepping for an emergency, don’t forget your getaway vehicle. Make sure it is ready to go when you need to go and it has the essentials for survival, at least while you are on the road travelling to a relatively safer place or to your bug out place.

Having an emergency car kit will also become handy in case you unexpectedly get stranded somewhere.

Prepare your emergency car kit and it should include the following essentials…

Water

You can keep a case of water bottles in your car which you rotate on a regular basis. You can also re-use 2-liter soda bottles after cleaning them. You should include a portable water filter, just in case.

Food

Stocking your vehicle up with food can be tricky. You have to consider how the temperature inside your car can get too high especially in the summer.

The kinds of food you can keep in your car emergency kit include:

• Energy bars
• Almonds
• Peanut butter
• Jerky
• Dried fruit
• Crackers
• Hard candies
• Tuna packs
• Trail mix (no chocolate)
• Shelled sunflower seeds

If you think your food will perish when kept inside your vehicle which will be a waste of money, perhaps you can pack the food and (medicines – they get destroyed in high temp too) in a go bag that you can easily grab on your way out.

Keep Your Car Ready To Go

Always check your vehicle’s gas tank – it should at least be half full all the time. You should also check the air in the tires and keep spare tires. Keep your car repair kit handy and ready. Make sure you have all equipment and tool ready for even the basic car repairs. Having a tow chain, jumper cables and flares on board is advantageous.

Other Items for Your Emergency Car Kit

It pays to think ahead especially when an emergency or disaster is being anticipated. Have the following items in your emergency car kit for survival in the vehicle:

• multipurpose knife
• flashlight and batteries
• fire extinguisher
• whistle
• rain poncho
• vital medications
• blankets
• tarps
• cash and change
• toilet paper
• cell phone charger that plugs in the lighter outlet of your car
• map
• other special needs items for children or infants or disabled person
• light sticks

Again, think ahead. What can you possibly need if you suddenly have to get out of dodge? What if you get stranded someplace in your car unexpectedly? No one knows your area better than you, the roads you travel regularly, the routes you can possibly take in an emergency to avoid heavy traffic, where you’re heading. If you know what to expect, you know how to prepare for it.

Many of the items you put in your emergency car kit are also in your BOB or emergency kit in your home. But redundancy is very welcome in a crisis scenario so don’t think of it as a waste of money. You’d rather have 3 or more of the same survival gear than just one with no backup.