Kit guide

The car kit, in buying order.

Twelve things for the trunk, cheapest and most important first.

One page. Read it here, save the image to your phone, or print it for the fridge.

The car kit, in buying order. as one saveable image

Most emergencies find people in a car, on the way somewhere ordinary. This list is in the order to buy things, so the first thing you get is the one that matters most and the budget never has to be big.

1
Water
- A few bottles, swapped out monthly in the heat
- For you, the radiator, a wound
- Costs almost nothing
2
Phone charger and cable
- A car charger that lives in the car
- A cable that stays plugged in
- A small power bank if the car will not start
3
Flashlight
- LED, with the batteries in it
- A headlamp if you ever change a tire at night
- Check it when the clocks change
4
First aid kit
- Bandages, tape, gauze, pain reliever
- Add any family medication
- Keep it where a passenger can reach it
5
Jump pack or cables
- A lithium jump pack needs no second car
- Cables if the budget is tight
- Charge the pack every few months
6
Blanket
- A real blanket plus a space blanket
- Warmth, shade, a kneeling pad
- Wool does not care if it gets wet
7
Gloves and a rag
- Work gloves for hot or broken things
- A rag and a small bottle of hand sanitizer
- Cheap and used often
8
Basic tools
- Multi-tool, pliers, a small adjustable wrench
- Duct tape and zip ties
- A tire pressure gauge
9
Reflective triangle or flares
- Being seen is the whole safety problem on a shoulder
- Two triangles, one set back
- A reflective vest if you can
10
Tire kit
- A plug kit and a 12-volt inflator
- Check the spare exists and has air
- Know where the jack is
11
Food that keeps in heat
- Nuts, jerky, hard candy
- Chocolate and bars melt in a SoCal trunk
- Swap when you swap the water
12
A paper map
- Phones die, signal drops, maps do not
- A state map and one of your county
- Mark the hospital and home