A car emergency kit is something I have thought about putting together for a long time, but still haven’t done! So I decided that with winter coming and two of my kids being drivers now, it was passed time to get it done. You can make the most of this car emergency kit with things you have around your house. You can get some of them from Amazon or Walmart or even like a Sportsman’s Wharehouse or Cabelas. Customize it to what your family needs and likes, but put it together and get one in every vehicle.
PRINTABLE CAR EMERGENCY KIT CHECKLIST PDF
There are a few things you should always have in your car that I am not going to include as part of the kit. These are a properly inflated spare tire and the tools to change a flat tire and jumper cables. For everything else, you can keep the items in a tote or zippered canvas bag. Don’t store chemicals next to the food and water. You may want to get a small tote to keep the water and food in and everything else in the zippered bag.
Car Emergency Kit list:
- Small tool kit
- Utility knife
- Window breaker/ seat belt cutter tool
- Small shovel that folds
- Flashlight (don’t store batteries inside)
- Headlamp (don’t store batteries inside)
- Extra batteries (these will die faster in the heat or cold)
- Reflective triangles or emergency flashing lights
- Compass (here is a compass with a whistle and firestarter)
- First aid kit
- Mylar blankets (1 per potential passenger)
- Body and Hand warmers
- Paracord
- Reflective vest
- Cell phone car charger
- Duct tape
- Shop cloth (or rag)
- Work Gloves
- Cable ties (zip ties)
- Baggies
- Rain poncho
- 6″ glow sticks – also can get rechargeable LED light sticks
- Drinking water
- Nonperishable high-energy foods (nuts, dried fruits, hard candy)
- Blanket
- Warm clothing (or change of clothes)
- Wool socks
- Warm hat (beanie)
- Winter gloves
- No spill gas can (2-5 gal capacity – kept empty for emergencies)
- Non-explosive Flat tire inflation canister
- Extra car fuses
- Pen and paper
- Sanitation supplies (toilet paper, wet wipes, sanitizer, feminine products)
- Solar battery charger
- Battery powered radio
- Toiletries (soap, shampoo & conditioner, toothbrush, brush, etc)
If you live in an area with a lot of snow, you will want to add snow removal gear seasonally. Especially an ice scraper.
PRINTABLE CAR EMERGENCY KIT CHECKLIST PDF
This is a basic list of the essentials. If there are other things that you know your family will need (ie diapers, formula, baby food, dog food, etc) plan accordingly. Some of these items you can’t leave in a hot or cold vehicle – so you will want to get into the habit of keeping them in a bag or backpack by the door and take it with you every time you leave the house!
I hope this helps you get a car emergency kit put together so you can be prepared if anything happens. (They are great even if you get stuck behind an accident or road closure). Is there something you think should be on here? Let me know.
Other posts about emergency preparedness:
Emergency kit checklist printable (72-hour kit)
A monthly budget worksheet that works (+ printable monthly budget)
Preparing for a family road trip
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