whether you're a new car owner or have
owned a car for many years
there will come a day when you get into
an emergency situation
to get yourself out of that situation
you need to have the right tools and
supplies
a car emergency kit or survival kit is
what everyone should have
and is something that is easy to put
together for yourself or for a loved one
in this video see what we have in our
vehicle survival kit
and get some tips along the way so that
you can build a kit for you and your
family too
if you already have a kit consider
adding any items that you don't have
and stick around as we also have a
winter add-on section
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if you rewatch this and need to skip
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and skip to the chapter of interest our
guide will break the vehicle survival
kit
items into three sections first for the
items that will go into your glove box
for
easier access as they are small and can
be used not just for emergencies
the second area is for bigger items that
will go into your trunk or boot of the
vehicle
the third is for the add-on winter items
for those that live in winter zones
here we go glove box items
pen pencil and paper great for taking
notes if an accident happens
or leaving notes for any reason like if
you accidentally hit someone's car in a
parking lot
car usb charger wall usb charger with
smartphones are so important nowadays as
they are a lifeline that gives you
access to phone calls instant messaging
emails and more so having them charged
up is important
if your vehicle doesn't already have one
getting a 12 volt usb
charger will be important also have a
wall charger too so that if you have to
go into a restaurant or building
in an emergency you are still able to
charge from an outlet
make sure to include charging cables
compatible with your phones too
you can also get adapters that convert
to different types of connectors too
whistle compass paracord a whistle is
great for getting attention in an
emergency
a compass can help you navigate
smartphones have apps for this too
so you can get these but in an emergency
you might want to conserve the phone
battery as much as possible
i added the paracord here as it can be
useful in an emergency for tying things
up
usb power bank great for portability
where access to a wall
outlet is not possible or in the case
where the car battery is dead
a two in one electric hand warmer power
bank is a good combo to have for winter
or have both individually led flashlight
being able to see in the dark is
important and these can even be used in
non-emergency situations
make sure to have one that uses double a
batteries or higher
as one that uses smaller batteries or
watch batteries will not last long
i also choose flashlights that use
batteries that are easily available at
convenience stores so that
if you need to buy any replacements you
can go to almost any store
i don't go with a rechargeable
flashlight because once the batteries
are depleted
it takes a long time to recharge being
able to switch out batteries
quickly can be important in emergency
situations
spare batteries always have spare
batteries for your led flashlight as you
never know how long you will need the
flashlight
multi-tool a multi-tool with pliers
knife and other tools will be good to
have around for quick access in the
cabin
one like this is high quality and small
enough to put in your pocket to carry
around
if needed these glove box items are all
small so they fit nicely into a soft
pencil case like this for easy and fast
storage and access
trunk boot items next on the list are
items that will reside in the trunk of
the vehicle
store these in a large plastic container
or box with lid
for items i show in this video or
similar check out our video description
below
safety gear safety first work gloves
protect your hands and the reflective
safety vest will make sure you are
visible to oncoming traffic
the safety glasses are just as important
and will protect your eyes
basic toolkit in the basic tool kit make
sure to include pliers a spanner and
screwdriver
set these will help you make minor
repairs to your vehicle or someone
else's when needed
you also want to include duct tape as
duct tape fixes anything
right you can also include electrical
tape and other tapes like these that can
be used to fix
wiring or leaking hoses or pipes fire
starting and heat source
a lighter is important to be able to
start a fire or light a candle
note that in the winter when it is cold
lighters may have problems lighting
so some waterproof or windproof matches
are a good backup to have
a candle can be used as a small heat and
light source
you will just need to be careful as it
can also create carbon monoxide which is
a deadly gas
have a metal canister to put the candle
in to prevent it from easily knocking
over
and starting a fire battery powered
warning lights or
regular flares are good to have for
warning oncoming traffic
there are many types available from ones
like these to typical cylindrical type
flares
tire repair kit whether you get a flat
have under inflated tires or have
someone maliciously deflate your tires
a portable tire pump or tire inflator is
always good to have
add a tire pressure gauge if your air
inflator doesn't have a built-in gauge
to round things off include a tire plug
kit these allow you to repair small
holes in the tread of the tire
they will allow you to repair a flat in
case the tow truck might take a while
or are busy and not able to get to you
in a reasonable time
include the instructions too if you
haven't plugged tires before
jumper cables for cold winter days or
when your battery dies
jumper cables are a must note that there
are different types available so pick
one that is suitable for you
if you need more cranking power make
sure to get a lower gauge number so that
the wires are thicker
allowing more current to flow note that
short jumper cables mean that you will
need to have both cars facing each other
in order to be able to connect
longer cables allow for cars to be side
by side or even from behind
you will need to balance how much space
you want the cables to take up when
stored in the trunk though
i find a 12 foot cable a good balance
first aid kit
get a decent size kit with items from
bandages to glass pads
antiseptic wipes wraps and more a larger
kit tends to have more variety of items
needed in an emergency situation add
nitrile gloves and scissors to your kit
too
if not included hand sanitizer
great for sanitizing your hands before
and after treating someone with the
emergency kit
plus they can be used to start fires
when necessary if they contain alcohol
heat packs at least have a few body
sized air activated heat packs
and a few hand sized ones too these heat
pads are great for emergency use and
don't need the lighter or electricity to
work
just add air emergency blanket
these are great to have as they are easy
to store so you can have a few packs in
your kit
some first aid kits also include one
check the size so that you don't get
ones that are too small
i also have one that can be used to make
a tent this can double as a large
blanket too
you might also want to have a cloth
blanket or sleeping bag as well
during the winter season as they are
more comfortable than emergency blankets
and can let you layer up with emergency
blankets for more warmth if you get
stranded in cold
glow sticks and larger led flashlight a
glow stick or light stick
can be a backup to the flashlights if
the batteries freeze up in the winter
or if you run out of battery power a
larger led flashlight is optional too
and provides additional lighting make
sure it uses larger batteries though
these use d-type batteries
non-perishable food
include dry snacks granola bars energy
bars nuts and seeds
they are packed with energy and won't
spoil fast but make sure to change them
out and use them up every six months or
before best before dates
water though you can survive many days
without food you can only survive
a few without water so having water with
you is important
have bottled water or a hydration pack
like this
i like the hydration pack because it is
portable and can be packed in a backpack
easily it's easy to fill
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drink out of
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and is safe for storing water
note that if these are used in the
winter the water will freeze in the
bottle or hydration pack when left in
the vehicle
since water expands about 10 in volume
when it freezes
i like to have the container not more
than 75 full
to allow room for expansion for the
hydration pack
make sure to remove excess air before
sealing and storing then only pump air
in when you are ready to drink from it
i also suggest to bring a double wall
insulated bottle or thermos with hot or
cold water with you
anytime you head out in your vehicle
warm or hot water will be great in the
winter
and if you are traveling long distances
or out of cities
in the winter the water in your
emergency kit will be frozen
when left in the vehicle and unfreezing
it can take a long time so a warm or hot
water filled insulated bottle can
provide water in
emergencies in the summer or hot
climates
fill with cold water and ice instead
these insulated bottles are great for
keeping water hot or cold for many hours
and by the way in the winter never use
your own body heat to melt the ice
i heard this advice on another video and
it's just not a good idea in an
emergency when it's cold out and you
need to conserve heat
toilet paper and plastic container if
you have to go to the toilet for number
one or number two
but can't get to a washroom a large
plastic container like this with a lid
and toilet paper can be a life saver as
you can see
we just reused an old coffee container
for this rain poncho
in rainy conditions having a rain poncho
can keep you dry and cleaner if you have
to be outside of the vehicle
to fix it or to get under it
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shop towels shop towels are great for
cleanup in general
windshield washer fluid in rainy muddy
or slushy winter
freezing rain conditions you may find
yourself using your windshield washer
much more
and may run out while on the road having
a spare bottle is a good idea so you can
refill when needed
note that you should have winter washer
fluid for winter if you live in winter
climate zones just keep winter washer
fluid and don't worry about switching it
out with summer washer fluid
extra clothes pack extra set of clothes
and shoes
you can use a large ziploc bag and
vacuum seal it to save space
all these can be stored in an extra
backpack you have around
for easy transportation and for
emergency use
in the winter have extra gloves thicker
socks tooks and boots
don't forget clothes for the kids if any
fire extinguisher in case of a fire a
fire extinguisher can help for small
fires
a two to five pound one that is abc
rated will suffice
tow rope and rope in case you get stuck
and need to be pulled out or want to
help pull someone that's stuck
out toe ropes or toe straps are handy
make sure you know the limits of the
rope though i also added a smaller rope
for use in tying things up in general
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items to check the next list of items
are ones that even though may come with
your vehicle
you want to make sure it is actually
there as they are usually stored out of
sight
sometimes people find out at the worst
time that these items are missing when
they need them the most
scissor jack make sure if your vehicle
comes with one
that it is actually there with all the
parts including the handle that lets you
use it
tire iron lug wrench most car jacks come
with a tire iron
or lug wrench but i prefer to have these
portable four-way cross lug wrenches
as they make removing and tightening a
lug nut or bolt fast and easy
plus with four different size sockets it
can be used to help others with
different size lugs when needed
note that some vehicles with run flat
tires don't come with a jack or lug
wrench
like this mercedes-benz in these cases
they may come with a tire puncture kit
my card didn't come with either so i
purchased this scissor jack and lug
wrench myself
to add to my kit since i don't currently
use run flats
add portable wheel chocks like these for
additional safety
when you need to jack up your vehicle
[Music]
next are winter add-ons for those that
live in winter zones
add these to your kit too snow brush
scraper
a snow brush and scraper is an essential
tool that's not specifically for
emergencies but
you should have one anyway make sure you
know how to use it too
by the way it's not like this from
inside the car
if your windows are frosted in the
inside use your vehicle's defrost
function with
ac turned on instead you might also want
to get a snow brush that has softer
finer bristles to reduce the scratching
of the paint on your vehicle
using the snow brush on the panels of
your vehicle are another way to
introduce scratches to the paint
traction aid traction pad i've been
stuck in deep snow before and these have
saved me more than enough to be worth
the money i spent
sometimes when you get stuck in snow or
ice no one is around to help push you
out
having these allows you to get yourself
out with ease i haven't seen these
particular ones available online before
but there are many different types
available from plastic to rubber ones
that roll up
i'll link to some in our video
description below for anyone that's
interested
i prefer traction mats pads or plates
over kitty litter or
sand because they work better when
you're stuck in icy roads or deep snow
portable shovel these pair well with the
traction mats mentioned before
when stuck in deep snow one of the best
ways to get unstuck is to dig the snow
out from under the vehicle
if you drive into deep snow that hasn't
been cleared from the road the snow can
wedge the vehicle in such a way that the
tires don't have much grip on the ground
in such cases digging the snow out from
underneath the vehicle is one of the
best ways to get unstuck
this is especially true if you don't
have anyone else around to help push you
out
if that's not enough then employ the
traction mat after digging the snow out
from underneath the vehicle
get one that is portable foldable or
extendable
and has a large enough blade that makes
it easier to dig snow out
it should be sized so that it can fit
and not take up too much space in the
trunk of the vehicle
block heater extension cord and tester
block heaters are important for winter
especially where it gets below minus 10
degrees celsius
having a cord that can reach a wall plug
that is a few feet away to plug in your
block heater
can be a life saver when you are away
from home
a block heater tester will pair well
with this to ensure the block heater is
working
and that the wall outlet has power for
example some apartment outlets are on a
timer
so are not always energized winter ice
cleats
if you need to be out of the vehicle in
slippery conditions a pair of these will
give you the grip you need to stay safe
and on your feet
that's all the items in our vehicle
emergency kit it's up to you to decide
what you want to include in yours
i hope i have given you enough info on
why these items can be important in
emergency situation
let us know in the comments below if we
missed anything and please share our
video with anyone else you think it will
help
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