The Ultimate Car Preparedness Checklist – Emergency, Security, Sustenance and Entertainment Essentials

Emergency Essentials

Some emergencies can be avoided if you have the right supplies with you. Ensuring that you are prepared for inclement weather for instance, is critical when you are driving. For those unforeseen emergencies, always ensure that you carry the following items with you at all times.

1. An emergency cell phone charger – You can purchase an emergency cell phone charger that will give you at least an hour of power should your cell phone battery go dead during an emergency.
2. Cat Litter – Cat litter is essential during snow and ice. If you get stuck, you can simply pour the litter behind tires to give yourself enough traction to get unstuck.
3. Jumper cables – This goes without saying. You always need to ensure that you have jumper cables in your vehicle.
4. First-Aid Kit – A first-aid kit should include Band-Aids as well as antiseptic, adhesive tape and gauze, pain relievers and some sort of antiseptic ointment.
5. Fix-A-Flat – Fix-A-Flat is essential for those times when your tire may go flat and you are in the middle of nowhere. It can give you enough air in the tires to get your vehicle to a safe location.
6. Flashlight – Flashlights are an important part of any vehicle emergency kit for obvious reasons.
7. Tow Straps – You want to be certain that you have a tow strap available just in case you slide off the road and need something that can pull you back out. Tow straps should be strong enough to pull at least 6,000 pounds.
8. Snow shovel – Even a small portable shovel can come in handy when you are stuck in snow or mud.
9. Ice Scraper – Never, ever leave home during the winter months without an ice scraper so that you can easily eliminate ice on your windshield before driving.
10. Blanket – You should always store a blanket in the trunk, particularly during colder weather. In the event you get stalled or stopped along the roadside during cold weather, the blanket will help to prevent heat loss from your body.
11. Multipurpose Knife – A Swiss army knife or similar multipurpose tool will come in handy for many things if and when you are ever stuck in your vehicle.
12. Extra Batteries – You want to be sure to have at least a full change of batteries for all of your emergency essentials that use batteries.
13. Gloves – Gloves will help to prevent frostbite during the rigid winter months and can come in handy for mechanic work when needed.
14. Waterproof Matches – In the event you are stranded and need to start a fire (outside the vehicle of course) to stay warm, you need to have at least one package of waterproof matches or some other fire starter.
15. Light Sticks – Light sticks or flares are essential in drawing attention to your vehicle if you are stranded along a deserted road.
16. Sunblock and Bug Repellent – For summer months, sunblock and bug repellent is essential for any time that you need to be outside of the vehicle.
17. Maps – Before you embark on any road trip, be sure that you have at least one map that shows where you are going and how to get there, even if you know the directions by heart.
18. Collapsible Bags – Nylon bags that collapse can easily be stored in the trunk and when something happens that you have to leave your vehicle, in flooding scenarios for instance when you have to head to higher ground, you can carry several essentials with you easier when you have a bag to tote them in.