Car Emergency Kit

[Bulldawg]

So, I am the happy owner of a new car. I am in the process of putting together an Emergency Kit to keep in the trunk in case of breakdown (as happened a few times on my last vehicle). There is not a ton of room, so I'd like to keep it as compact as possible, but here's my list so far...

Note: The car already came with a spare tire, tire changing tools and fix a flat.

1. Jumper Cables
2. Tow Ropes
3. First Aid Kit
4. 2-3 Cyalume SnapLight Ultra-High Intensity Flare Alternative
5. LED Flashlight
6. Multi-tool
7. Tire Pressure Gauge
8. Little bit of Paracord
9. Emergency Blanket
10. Poncho
11. A Few Zip Ties
12. Hand Crank Phone Charger/Flashlight (It's very small and very cool!)

I fit all this except the jumper cables into a small zipper bag about 2x the size of a Kleenex box. This is NOT an "End of the World - arm my car to the teeth and be able to live in the woods where I break down for the next year" bag, it's only purpose is for roadside emergencies.

With that said, and very little room left, what one item would you add that I forgot?

 

[SpeedRacer]

Duct tape!

Also, I rarely have cash on me so I tuck at least a $20 bill in all my emergency bags just in case. You may need it for a tow truck, to bum a ride, etc.

 

[nola_]

Toilet paper and baby wipes in a ziplock bag.

 

[2011Corvette]

Aspirin or Tylenol.

 

[Trey@IG]

i have a can of that fix a flat stuff in my jeep with a small air compressor tucked under my back seat. no clue if that crap actually works as advertised but i figured it couldnt hurt

 

[Guate_shooter]

quick food (granola bar or MRE) never know how long you might have to wait on somebody to show up, I also usually keep individual bottles of water in the back compartment of the front seats. They came in handy a couple of times already

 

[Boothkicker]

Extra vote for duck tape and fix-a-flat!

 

[M-66supersingle]

I have a craftsman 100 piece tool kit in mine, and some sae, metric wrenches.

 

[Butrbal]

An ABC fire extinguisher. I have used three of them in the past 5-6 years putting out other peoples car fires. Used the most recent one on Saturday afternoon at the Prairieville Domino's near Hebert Guns to put out an under hood fire on a guys truck.

A fire extinguisher is a must. Hopefully you never need to use it on your own car but at least you can help out someone else.

 

[Pocket]

An ABC fire extinguisher. I have used three of them in the past 5-6 years putting out other peoples car fires. Used the most recent one on Saturday afternoon at the Prairieville Domino's near Hebert Guns to put out an under hood fire on a guys truck.

A fire extinguisher is a must. Hopefully you never need to use it on your own car but at least you can help out someone else.

Thanks for the assist!
Prairieville Fire Dept

 

[RedStickChick]

i have a can of that fix a flat stuff in my jeep with a small air compressor tucked under my back seat. no clue if that crap actually works as advertised but i figured it couldnt hurt

This. Along with the things you listed, I also keep TP, a towel, $100 cash, a knife, multi-tool, fix a flat, lil fire extinguisher and duct tape.

 

[S&W4ME]

Condoms!

You never know when opportunity may arise

Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using Tapatalk 2

 

[Scott.Thornton]

And on the jumper cables make sure you don't cheap out on them. Cheap cables will let you down when you need them most.

 

[ry_kj_an]

LED headlamp to be able to use both hands at night.

 

[Bulldawg]

All great ideas! I will add duct tape, wipes and a little extra cash. Most of my flashlights are already headlamps haha (backpacking habit).

 

[RustyHammer]

... helicopter.

 

[RyanW]

My list

Small first aid kit
QUALITY jumper cables, not the harbor freight $5 special, spend some money on a nice set.
12v air compressor
16" flex head 1/2" ratchet and thinwall deep socket for lugnuts
hydraulic bottle jack for trucks, floor jack for cars. scissor jacks suck
tire plug kit
4 extra lug nuts
heavy duty zipties
LED flashlight
flathead and phillips screwdrivers, size #2
side cutters
mechanics gloves
baby wipes
pocket poncho
I used to carry a tyvek suit too, mainly to stay clean if I was having to work on the car, but it's so damn hot the sweat would be worse than the dirt anyway.

A roadside assistance plan is so cheap these days, I don't bother carrying anything more than very basic tools. Most of my cars are under warranty too, thankfully. The most complex thing I plan to mess with on the side of the road is a flat, nothing else, unless something hits the car and does some minor damage than can be repaired with zipties long enough to get home.

 

[cookiemonster]

All you need is a trunk monkey.

 

[Storm52]

Cell phone with roadside assistance # loaded. I have On-Star® and Toyota.

 

[Cochise]

Basic tool kit, multi-pliers, head lamp, duct tape, toilet paper, a gallon of drinking water, and a jar of peanut butter with a few plastic spoons. I also keep a blanket in there in the winter.