Most of us spend a lot of time in our vehicles, driving around to run errands. Despite driving being an important part of most of our routines, we need to acknowledge that vehicles can often be quite dangerous. Circumstances can change within seconds; one minute, you may be casually cruising through the streets, and the next minute you could be trapped in your car due to unforeseen circumstances.
Every skilled and experienced driver knows how important it is always to be prepared for such circumstances. This is why they often keep a vehicle survival kit in the trunk of their car. A survival kit can help save the day and even a few lives. However, before opening the kit, you need to assess how serious your situation is to see if how the equipment at hand can help you act on your survival strategy.
Here are a few items to include in your vehicle survival kit:
Contents
Survival Bag
In case of an accident, you should always be prepared with a survival bag in the trunk of your car. This bag can be the bag of your choice: you can either choose a bug-out bag or a get-home bag. A bug-out pack includes items that would allow you to survive for at least 72 hours in cases of a crisis. On the other hand, a get-home bag is a smaller version of the bug-out bag that can help sustain one 24 hours in an emergency.
A Car Safety Hammer
It might seem like a ridiculous thing to keep in a survival kit, but it is quite important! Disasters such as vehicular collisions can be quite dangerous and require immediate evacuation. However, they often result in one or more people getting trapped inside, posing a major life threat.
A good car safety hammer should have three main features: a seatbelt cutter, a glass hammer, and a window-breaker. Remember to store the car safety hammer in a place where it is within your reach.
Tire Repair Kit
A flat tire can happen to anyone at any time. Even worse, this unfortunate event often takes place when you’re traveling through unknown terrain. If you are on a road trip and have no cell service to call for help or have no time to wait for roadside service, a tire repair kit will be a real lifesaver! Every experienced driver knows how important it really is to store a tire repair kit in the car, knowing that it has everything you need to repair tire punctures and get back on the road.
Jump-Starter Power Bank
A dead car battery can leave you stranded, waiting hours for a TOW service to arrive. It is even challenging if you can’t contact a roadside service, and you’re stranded in the middle of nowhere without anyone there to help you jumpstart your battery. In such cases, a jump-starter power bank is everything you need! Having a unique power bank in your vehicle supply kit can help you jumpstart your car battery while allowing you to charge other devices as well.
Food and Water
Generally, your survival bag should already contain a few water bottles and food items, but having a few extra ones will do you no harm. It would be best if you kept a few different food supplies, such as small bags of jerky and protein bars, in your car.
First-Aid Kit
A first-aid kit should be something that you carry everywhere! In case you don’t have a first-aid kit lying in your bag or elsewhere, it is wise to store a spare first-aid kit in your vehicle. Also, make sure to throw in some toilet paper and feminine hygiene products in the first-aid kit.
Clothing
Most people often forget to update bug out bags according to the current season. This means that the clothes they stored in it won’t be helpful at all. So, you should always update your bug-out bag according to the current season or the place that you’re heading to. For instance, every winter season, make sure to store a thick jacket, an extra set of pants, and footwear in your car trunk.
Tow Strap
Having a tow strap stored in your car trunk can be quite helpful! You might often find yourself stuck in an area where it can be challenging for roadside service to get on time or even reach in the first place. However, you might find cars passing by that are willing to give you a lift, but you might not want to leave your car behind. This is why you should always have a tow strap!
There are many tow straps available in the market to choose from. You can invest in a light tow strap that can easily bear the weight of your car, or you can get a heavy-duty one that can pull tough vehicles. You can also select the material you want: a rugged polyester is a good option. Having a tow strap in your car isn’t only helpful for you but can also be great to help someone else.
Auto Tool Kit
Every car vehicle needs a small tool kit. A compact auto tool kit should contain all standard and basic items required for basic tinkering and fixing. Tools such as a wrench, pliers, screwdriver, and sockets are must-haves, among others. However, as necessary as this kit is, it is dead weight in the hands of someone that doesn’t know how to use it. Therefore, every driver must learn how to and for what jobs are the tool kit’s tools.
The Bottom Line
Storing a vehicle survival kit in the car should be mandatory for all those who spend much of their time on the road. It is one of the most useful things that you can do for yourself and the passengers in your car to prepare for the unexpected.
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