What does your roadside emergency kit contain?

Roadrunner

Roadrunner

Joined
Jun 9, 1999
Messages
4,729
I just bought a new (to me) car and have decided to take this opportunity to beef up my emergency kit. The stuff I carry now has saved my butt a few times, it's really a great idea to have at least a few basic things in the trunk for a bad day. Here's what I've got now:

- First Aid kit
- Fire Extinguisher
- Jumper Cables
- Ratchet Straps
- Flashlight
- Jack, Spare, lug nut wrench
- Blanket
- Mini Snow Shovel
- Cat litter (for traction)
- Spare fuses
- Oil
- Tire Pressure gauge

I'm planning to add a small tool kit (screwdrivers, socket wrench with applicable sockets, pliers, etc.), flares, triangles, D/C powered tire pump, tow strap, zip ties, rubber for patching coolant lines, duct tape, a headlamp, and spare batteries. So what's in your kit, or what am I missing? This is a kit for a little economy sedan, not an off-road machine, if that were the case the kit would be quite different. Let us know what you've got!
 
Your list is fairly comprehensive. I would add a couple of cans of the heavy duty Fix-a-Flat and if you know how to use them a flat tire repair kit (the kind with the fibrous rope patches). The fix-a-flat has worked for me several times and I have gotten several friends and strangers out of a quick jam with it. The fibrous patches work great for nail or screw holes where all you have is a neat hole as opposed to a jagged glass cut. I have fixed tons of tires with them when I worked at a gas station in my younger days.
 
Hi Roadrunner-

You might wish to consider some drinking water, athletic drinks, non-perishable food, and extra clothing. That might have been enough to save Mr. Kim earlier this winter. :(

~ Blue Jays ~
 
I would like to see the word blanket disappear from all emergency lists, and be replaced by "cheap sleeping bag".
 
Fire extinguisher: note to self - get one

Also headlamp, gloves, little air compressor
 
Blue Jays said:
Hi Roadrunner-

You might wish to consider some drinking water, athletic drinks, non-perishable food, and extra clothing. That might have been enough to save Mr. Kim earlier this winter. :(

~ Blue Jays ~
Click to expand...

Good thinking, I'll have to add that. What incident with Mr. Kim are you referring to, I'm not familiar with it?

Thank you all for the suggestions also, they're all good ones. Keep 'em coming!
 
iirc it's james kim who froze to death while trying to get help for his stranded family
station wagon broke down in the middle of nowhere
 
I carry a winter survival kit mostly as camoflage for my CS spetznaz shovel.
The jumper cables come in handy and the tow strap. One thing that is not in there is a old cell phone and car charger I just found out you can use a cell to cal 911 even if there is no service plan.It is worth moving it from my junk drawer to my car anyway.
 
Keep in mind that what you carry can be dynamic depending on season and on the nature of your trip. If you're doing daily urban commuting, you probabaly don't need a full kit of camping gear and a week's worth of food and water, no need to carry all that bulk and weight around all the time. You may wish to organize and assemble your kit in several stages. Stage One for day-to-day commuting, running to the store, that sort of thing. Add the Stage Two pack for longer, intercity travel. And, throw in the Stage Three pack for those occasions when you head off for wilderness adventures. Something like that. You may also with to vary your kit seasonally.

Mr. Roadrunner's kit is a good sort of Stage One kit

- First Aid kit, just the basics focusing on self-care for life's minor cuts and scrapes... and upset stomachs and headaches, plus things for immediate response if you're first on the scene of an accident, bleeding control, etc. Keep in mind that if you are first on the scene of an accident on an urban street, there will probably be a well-equipped rescue squad along in just a few minutes so you're not going to be doing any splinting or sutures or anything like that.

- Fire Extinguisher, a must-have.

- Jumper Cables, another must-have.

- Flashlight, another must-have.

- Jack, Spare, lug nut wrench, another must-have. Check the stuff the manufacturer gave you; it's probabaly cheap! I once had to call a tow truck because GM cursed me with a lug nut wrench made of bent-up sheet metal that was unable to remove the nut. Also, get a couple of extra lug nuts. There's nothing as annoying as dropping a lug nut and having it fall into a deep puddle or roll down the storm drain or some such thing. Just carry a spare or two; they're cheap and small. A lighter-powered tire pump is also essential. In many cases, you can "fix" a flat temporarily, at least long enough to get to a more convenient place to fix it -- like the nearest Les Schwab store -- by just pumping some air into it. Finally, add a pair of $1.98 canvas work gloves.

- Mini Snow Shovel and Cat litter (for traction), these are good winter things even in an urban environment.

- Tire Pressure gauge, another must-have.

- small tool kit (screwdrivers, socket wrench with applicable sockets, pliers, etc.), depending on how handy you are, these can be helpful, but don't get carried away. You're not going to do an overhaul on the median strip.

If your car has a unibelt (many do these days) consider just carrying a spare. Replacing the belt is like a ten minute job.

Another good thing to carry is hose tape; this is a special tape that you can get at automotive supply shops that will stand up (at least for a while) to the pressure and temperature of radiator hoses. Hose leaks are very easy to spot and the tape is a quick and easy fix that can get you by until you can get the offending hose fixed.

A handfull of zip ties can fix a lot of problems. A roll of duct tape is always handy.
 
I'd add to your list:
another flashlight
spare batteries
small axe or hatchet (khukri?)
tarpaulin
winter hat (summer/shade hat when appropriate)
leather work gloves
rain suit
rope and/or paracord
 
Tow strap hasn't been mentioned yet. I use mine regularly, most often on the Raton Pass - I've pulled broken vehicles from the no-shoulder sections to the next exit several times. They're also useful in the backcountry, as long as there are two vehicles available.

Only item I've used more than the tow strap, jumper cables.

Cell phone is critical. I think folks on busy highways today are unlikely to pull over to help stranded motorist, especially after dark. Phones don't get reception everywhere (particularly in rural areas), but they work in the majority of the country.

-Bob
 
Blue Jays said:
Hi Roadrunner-

You might wish to consider some drinking water, athletic drinks, non-perishable food, and extra clothing. That might have been enough to save Mr. Kim earlier this winter. :(

~ Blue Jays ~
Click to expand...

braddy said:
I would like to see the word blanket disappear from all emergency lists, and be replaced by "cheap sleeping bag".
Click to expand...

Speaking from personal experience - NON-PERISHABLE FOOD Stale crackers are wonderful when that is all you have for 3 days in rural New Mexico. Water or Gatorade, NOT BEER, is a life saver. Yes, you can melt snow in your mouth but, you really need the warmth your body produces to avoid hypothermia. This stuff should be in every car trunk whether you go across town or across country. The weight penalty in fuel milage is insignificant.

Definitely travel with a good synthethic sleeping bag. When it is 0 or below in your car in the middle of nowhere, that single wool blanket is not enough even with your coat and other gear on.

I hope I never need to use that stuff again but, I am prepared so I don't become some heroic statistic. I don't want to make the news either because I got stranded somewhere and died from exposure because I did something stupid. With water and food, I can take a lot of summer heat because the tarp I carry provides protection from the direct sun. Think water, food, and shelter and live through bad situations.

Travel prepared and safe!!!!
 
I usually carry the basic stuff everybody here carries (like in the first post) but i added some different stuff:
- First Aid kit
- Fire Extinguisher
- Jumper Cables
- Ratchet Straps - i dont carry em.
- Flashlight
- Jack, Spare, lug nut wrench
- Blanket - a spare space blanket from the army. the thick one.
- Mini Snow Shovel - an old g.i. issue spade w/ folding pick on the other side.
- Cat litter (for traction) - i dont carry any.
- Spare fuses
- Oil
- Tire Pressure gauge and i carry coolant as well.
if its cold out, ill throw in a fleece beenie, and 300 weight fleece socks too.

plus i carry a strobe to place in the back window instead of using my battery up with my blinkers. sometimes, if i think im going somewhere crappy, Ill carry a set of penflares, and a few mre's in there too.

The first aid kit, strobe, coolant, oil, tow straps, jumper cables, tools, flashlight and tire pressure gauge never ever leaves the trunk. every other piece of kit i mentioned is mission dependant.
 
Duluth Trading Co. is one of my favorite gear stores. I've been buying all kinds of stuff from them for quite a few years, now and I've been pleased with everything I've ever received from them. A little pricey on some stuff, but it's all been worth the money.

They've got a great trunk bag, that will fit your cables, gloves, a flashlight, some tools and a few other odds and ends. Just a nice way to organise all the stuff you might want to have in your emergency kit. They also have some good quality cables to go inside the bag, a neat two stage LEd flashlight/area light and a thermal blanket, to keep warm on a very cold day, when you're broke down and possibly waiting for help to arrive. They've got some other great stuff, too, like really tough gloves, etc. Check out their site, if you haven't already been there. You'll find all kinds of stuff you should have or wish you had and their gear is for everybody, whether you're a city boy or a country boy. site address: www.DuluthTrading.com
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top