We couldn’t think of anything worse than being stranded. Well, we could, how about being stranded and not being fully prepared.
Discover how to build an emergency car kit here and a few of the essentials that we think you should have:
1. Emergency H2o
Water is the key and has to be one of the most up there with one of the most important survival supplies. The moment you ever find yourself stranded and stuck in an emergency without water then alarm bells should start ringing.
So before you set off, it’s definitely a good idea to add some freshwater to a bottle and to keep it in your car emergency kit. What sort of bottle? Perhaps not a plastic one and maybe something a little more stainless steel.
2. Some savvy sheltering
Shelter has to be up there on the list of car essentials too. Although you might think and maybe hoping that food would be next, sadly it’s not. Think about it, you never know what the weather is going to be like, especially here in Britain, so that’s why having some shelter in extreme weather can quickly come in handy.
Plus, food is one of the least important on the list. You can survive weeks without stuffing your face, whereas you might freeze to death or be stuck in a blizzard and you’ll wish you had shelter over that chocolate biscuit. So think about packing a sleeping bag or a blanket of some sort when building your car kit.
3. Testing tools
After you’ve got your water and shelter sorted, it’s then time to get down to the nitty-gritty tools. Tools are a gooden and can help prevent you from being stranded in the first place.
The two main issues that might cause you to be stranded are a dead battery and running low on fuel, oh and potentially a flat tyre too. These days, most cars have tools already available so your good to go. It’s always worth picking up some simple tools too, like jump cables, which can help to fix dead battery problems.
Running out of fuel is easy, just fill up your tank when it gets below half. But sometimes life just gets in the way and before you know it you’re on E and pushing it to get to the petrol station. So the next best thing is to fill up a small can and leave it in your car in case of emergencies. You never know when you might need it.
4. Great escape equipment
You might think that being stuck in an emergency will never happen to you, but you could be wrong. Thinking like this could potentially put you in exactly that position. Let’s be real, no one wants to be stuck with the engine light on, hanging on to the edge of a mountain or drifting in the snow. Believe it or not, though, these sorts of things happen to everyday people.
To help get out of a tricky situation like this, should you ever find yourself in one, we would recommend getting any piece of equipment that can help you get in touch with someone, whatever you fancy, you decide.
5. Charger that charges
It’s all well and good have a phone charger in your car but it’s useless if it’s broke. We’d definitely keep this one front and centre at all times. You can guarantee that the one time your phone needs charging and you don’t have your charger, or it’s a dodgy one.
This small device could be life-saving and be your rescue in a car emergency! You don’t want to go without, if you haven’t got one permanently in your car already, we’d get one.
6. Stay lit in the dark
Torches are similar to phone chargers, you can never have too many. You could have on in your glove box, in the boot, or in a bag somewhere in your car.
It might sound daft, and you’re probably thinking, when will I ever need to use a torch, why would I need one of these in my car? When you think you don’t need it, you can bet there will come a day that you do. It’s a great tool for getting someone’s attention in the dark and could be the key to helping you fix any car problems at night.
Staying safe on the roads is such an important part of driving so whether you’re investing in an emergency car kit or you’re just planning for a road trip before you go, make sure that you’re safe!
