# What's in your car's emergency kit? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 25, 2011, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-your-cars-emergency-kit/579690 "2011-04-25T18:38:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Peanuthead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peanuthead/32/360_2.png) [@Peanuthead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanuthead)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-your-cars-emergency-kit/579690/1 "2011-04-25T18:38:06Z")
I want to make up an emergency kit for my car and I want to make sure I have all the bases covered. What else should I get besides: Jumper cables Flashlight Basic tools (screwdriver, pliers, etc) Fluids (windshield washer, oil, etc) Waterless hand cleaner Rags Spare fuses First Aid kit Blanket Change of clothes Non perishable food Did I miss anything? ---
**Author:** ![chacoguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@chacoguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chacoguy)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-your-cars-emergency-kit/579690/2 "2011-04-25T18:40:28Z")
Tow Strap Drinking Water ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-your-cars-emergency-kit/579690/3 "2011-04-25T18:53:34Z")
> [@Peanuthead](#): > > I want to make up an emergency kit for my car and I want to make sure I have all the bases covered. What else should I get besides: > > Jumper cables > Flashlight > Basic tools (screwdriver, pliers, etc) > Fluids (windshield washer, oil, etc) > Waterless hand cleaner > Rags > Spare fuses > First Aid kit > Blanket > Change of clothes > Non perishable food > > Did I miss anything? Is this in case you break down, or in case you have to immediately flee into the frozen tundra due to a sudden terrorist attack? ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-your-cars-emergency-kit/579690/4 "2011-04-25T19:00:55Z")
Don’t worry about fluids. You aren’t likely to have an _emergency_ that requires windshield washer fluid or motor oil; keep those at home, unless you’re headed out on a journey of several thousand miles with a lot of muddy two-tracking in a car that burns oil. A few basic tools, some fuses, some duct tape, a couple of rags, a flashlight. Change of clothes? Seems like a waste of space. If I’m stuck overnight in my car by the side of the road, a fresh shirt and jeans is not high on my list of priorities. Blanket? Food? Water? Depends on the season, and on where I’m travelling. Rural North Dakota in January? Definitely, and it better be a heavy sleeping bag, not a blanket. But commuting through suburban Chicago in the summertime? You’ll have a tow truck before dinnertime. Consider keeping a wad of cash (~$100) with your kit in case your wallet gets lost/stolen. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-your-cars-emergency-kit/579690/5 "2011-04-25T19:04:02Z")
> [@](#): > > What’s in your car’s emergency kit? Nothing. (unless you count french fries under the seat). But I do have an “SOS” button on the ceiling that promises some assistance in an emergency. So, I’m not completely screwed…or am I? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-your-cars-emergency-kit/579690/6 "2011-04-25T19:06:12Z")
AAA membership. Cell phone. ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-your-cars-emergency-kit/579690/7 "2011-04-25T19:07:33Z")
All I have is a cell phone. When it dies, I’m a’screwed. ---
**Author:** ![Peanuthead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peanuthead/32/360_2.png) [@Peanuthead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanuthead)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-your-cars-emergency-kit/579690/8 "2011-04-25T19:14:20Z")
Yeah, I know it might sound like overkill and I’m sure I won’t pack all that stuff anyway but I figure the more suggestions I get the more I’ll have to pick and choose from. Like the duct tape. A handyman’s principal tool! Keep 'em coming guys, I appreciate it. ---
**Author:** ![Peanuthead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peanuthead/32/360_2.png) [@Peanuthead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanuthead)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-your-cars-emergency-kit/579690/9 "2011-04-25T19:18:48Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > AAA membership. Cell phone. Aha! The ultimate solution! Maybe I should start another thread in IMHO about AAA but I’ll ask here anyway since it’s OP related. Anybody a member? Opinions and advice about it? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-your-cars-emergency-kit/579690/10 "2011-04-25T19:24:54Z")
Been a AAA member for a long time. I think I’ve called them to change two tires over the years. Nice weather, I change my own. But it is so sweet to sit in the car and have someone else change a tire in a blizzard or rainstorm. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-your-cars-emergency-kit/579690/11 "2011-04-25T19:33:23Z")
Oof. That’s going to be a list. Off the top of my head: jumper cables flares trauma kit tow strap & come-along full tool kit emergency food (MREs and Datrex bars) emergency water AWOL bag for 2 signal panel spare batteries spare ammo assorted weaponry fire extinguisher fix-a-flat books hats rain gear spare boots emergency cash dynamo cell phone charger auto charger for same blankets flashlights oil anti-freeze fuses paper towels wet-wipes and probably a lot of stuff I’m forgetting. What can I say? I was a Boy Scout. ---
**Author:** ![Lasciel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e79b87/32.png) [@Lasciel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lasciel)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-your-cars-emergency-kit/579690/12 "2011-04-25T20:09:32Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Oof. That’s going to be a list. Off the top of my head: > > and probably a lot of stuff I’m forgetting. What can I say? I was a Boy Scout. Wow, I finally “met” someone with a paranoid extensive field kit in their car like I have! Awesome! (And I wasn’t a boyscout - my husband was, and all he kept (before I made a kit for him) was jumper cables.) The only things I don’t have on that list are the ammo and weaponry, and that’s because both of us work at places which restrict arms on the property, so we can’t even keep them in the car. Add to your list: Duct tape emergency (pay-by-hour) cell phone with different coverage pattern than our primary provider replacement wiper blades and exterior lamps (have found over time that while not precisely an emergency, the damnable things INSIST on breaking or burning out over holidays or on vacation. Easier to have spares on hand.) change of clothes. (started that about 6 years ago based on a busted tire (not just a flat)I had to change in my pretty new easter dress, which, after the change, was neither.) a full-sized spare (mine came with a donut originally, and I’d much rather have a full-sized tire.) Small bag of sand for car messes or personal trauma (have used it so far for vomit and an oil overflow). I kept cat litter for a while, but now I’m in a station-wagon, and the smell got to me after a bit, so the sand is a better fit for this car. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-your-cars-emergency-kit/579690/13 "2011-04-25T20:11:41Z")
Duct tape! I forgot to list duct tape! I also have electrical tape and [Extreme Tape](http://www.duluthtrading.com/store/departments/tools-shop/quick-fixes-and-repair/96825.aspx?feature=product_3). ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-your-cars-emergency-kit/579690/14 "2011-04-25T22:08:01Z")
SKS and 200 rounds of ammo. ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-your-cars-emergency-kit/579690/15 "2011-04-25T22:13:21Z")
Just a basic car kit: Jumper cables, gloves, and some other stuff. A sleeping bag Water. I want to put together a more comprehensive one when I get money. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-your-cars-emergency-kit/579690/16 "2011-04-25T22:13:27Z")
I have a couple of towels that get some use in the car. On long car trips, I also take a roll of paper towels and a roll of toilet paper. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-your-cars-emergency-kit/579690/17 "2011-04-25T22:14:52Z")
Condoms? You didn’t mention what type of emergency. ---
**Author:** ![thirdname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-your-cars-emergency-kit/579690/18 "2011-04-25T23:26:03Z")
A wire coat hanger. I had my exhaust pipe fall down one time when I was very close to home. I secured it with a wire coat hanger and then drove to the mechanic. Since then, I’ve kept one in my trunk by the spare tire in case the exhaust falls down again, or in case something else needs to be secured that’s too hot to use duct tape on. ---
**Author:** ![parsnip](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parsnip/32/4564_2.png) [@parsnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/parsnip)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2011, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-your-cars-emergency-kit/579690/19 "2011-04-26T00:51:41Z")
I have an emergency radio flashlight gizmo–you crank it and it plays for a while-better for not draining the battery. My emergencies seem to be more in the stuck in traffic for hours mode. Sunscreen flat shoes spare cups for holding body fluids if necessary. The back is full of stuff for the kids to drink and eat, as well as a couple of blankets. ---
**Author:** ![Bookkeeper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bookkeeper/32/281_2.png) [@Bookkeeper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bookkeeper)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2011, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-your-cars-emergency-kit/579690/20 "2011-04-26T02:46:10Z")
You might also consider: Flares and reflective triangle [Dynamo charged worklight](http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=66238&cat=1,43456) or flashlight (batteries will likely wonk out when you need them, and up here don’t survive well in -20ºC temperatures) Bungee cords and rope Replacement headlamp and turn signal/marker bulbs [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-your-cars-emergency-kit/579690.md?page=2)