Homemade Car Survival Kit: A Must-Have for Emergencies
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In this post I am going to lay out a list of the items that I keep in a homemade car survival kit in both of our cars.
These kits can come in very handy in case your are out and about and come across an emergency situation or have one yourself.
There are full kits out there that you can buy if you don’t want a Hodge podge of different items but what I am going to list here is the items that I put together in an emergency kit with the help of a buddy that has more survival experience than myself.
Here are the items I keep in my Homemade Car Survival Kit…..
#1. The Bag
- The first thing is the bag itself. I have two different bags. The first one I bought on amazon and it has many zippers and pouches to store things in.
- For the second bag I found an old army alice pack at our local antique mall and was able to buy it pretty cheap. I then went on amazon and bought a frame system for it to be able to carry it easier.
- This has also worked out great because there are tons of pockets for cell phones, duct tape, first aid supplies, etc, and lots of room in the main area of the bag for your bigger emergency car kit supplies.
#2. Water
- For water, I have water bottles, canteen, life straw personal water filter, and tablets to purify water.
#3. Fire
- For fire I have small fire starter blocks, lighter, magnifying glass with homemade char (lights easy with the magnifying glass), and a knife that doubles as a spark maker for the fire in case of emergency.
- As mentioned in other post it is best to have at least two different ways to do the same thing, so your can have a back up if needed.
#4. Light
- For light, I have a couple battery powered lanterns and flashlights. I make sure I keep a couple packages of extra batteries in the car emergency kit also.
#5. Food
- For food I keep a bag of protein powder that can be mixed with your water for quick calories. I also keep a larger jar of peanut butter. The last thing I have are survival tablets. These things come in different flavors and provide emergency nutrition in case of an emergency. They have a long shelf life and work out good for something to just throw in your bag.
- You could also have some snacks on hand, for example granola bars.
- As for the protein powder and peanut butter your will have to watch the expiration date and rotate them out if necessary. I would just take them out when it gets close and use them, so they don’t go to waste. Remember also that the things in these kits are only meant to last you a couple days in the case of getting stranded.
#6. Shelter
- For shelter, I keep a tarp and some parachord to be able to make a makeshift shelter if necessary. I also have a two-person tent that we can use if we need to. I had this lying around, so I put it to use by throwing it in the kit. To go along with shelter, especially if your live somewhere that it gets cold, I have a pack of solar reflective emergency blankets.
- They look like tin foil and reflect the heat. You can use these to line your shelter or to wrap yourself up in to stay warm. On the same topic of shelter, I also have a small hatchet and a fold up hand saw to be able to cut wood for a shelter if necessary. These can be a great idea to keep you out of the inclement weather.
Miscellaneous Items
- Homemade fishing kit(string,hooks, flies)
- A couple different knives. Pocket knife, full tang knife, and a knife that doubles as a fire starter.
- A hygiene kit I got on amazon. It is essential hygiene items that are all rolled up in a washcloth that makes it easy to grab and pack. Could put some toilet paper, paper towels, and hand sanitizer in there if you would like also.
- Ponchos. Large ones for me and my wife. Small ones for my kids. These will keep your dry and warm out in the rain.
- This isn’t in the bag, but we also have a jump starter pack for the car battery that has jumper cables, an air compressor, and USB charging ports built into it. I have used this several times to help others that have had a dead battery. Sure, beats waiting for hours on the side of the road, for AAA roadside assistance to show up.
- First aid kit.
- Roadside car kit. This has run flat, road flares, and misc items to help if your car breaks down.
- Reflective triangles, tow rope, jack, fire extinguisher
- Shovel, foldable shovel, pliers, headlamp, tweezers, work gloves, extra motor oil.
Here is another option for a jumpstarter:
In Conclusion….
All of these things are a good idea to have in your car in the case of getting stranded, being in an emergency, or helping someone who needs help.
Just like our motto says it helps me to be prepared and not scared when I am out and about.
Like I said above I keep one of these packs in each of my cars. If you don’t want to put together a homemade kit there are kits online you can buy that are already put together for you. I may review them in future posts.
If you live in an area that has bad winters, than consider the article below:
