Car Emergency Kit (with free printables)

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.