Emergency Car Package

Way back when before the days of kids in the car I never thought of carrying anything more than jumper cables with me. If you looked through my car when I was in my teens and younger twenties you would find a set of old jumper cables, garbage, tire iron, more garbage and possibly a pocket knife of some sorts. It was nowhere near what I have put together now with the idea of being stranded on the road with my little ones in the back seat. I have certainly matured as a man with age, but having children makes you think about life in a different way, with that said, let me walk you through my everyday car bag.

To begin, the bag itself is a large Craftsman tool bag, it came with my six tool battery operated set, the bag is large, well made and has a zipper to keep it closed. I love the bag over the tool box because it gives me a secure zipper to keep it shut, allows for some give when moving or stacking items around the bag and also has two well built handles making the bag easy to carry.

Now what's in the bag is the big question. I will add a list showing everything I carry in the bag, then will highlight why I carry some of the items and discuss how or why I would possibly need it. Now some items I will not discuss, because it is obvious what some are used for, take fire starters for instance, we can all assume they are used to start fires. No need to discuss that item, but it is important to have in the bag in case you are camping overnight due to a blown tire or lost on a back road. With fire starters out of the way, here is the rest of the list of items you can find in my bag.

• Fire starters, for obvious reasons

• Matches and lighters

• Flashlights

• Headlamps

• Extra batteries for flashlights and headlamps

• Pencils, pens, markers and paper (this allows you to take notes, write messages, mark items or keep your mind busy while waiting for help)

• Zip ties

• Paracord (50ft, enough to tie a shelter up with the emergency blanket if need be, or to handle multiple tasks)

• Emergency blankets (5 blankets, one for each person and an extra. It is important we all have a blanket and an extra allows it to be used for shelter or extra warmth.)

• Pliers

• Screwdriver with magnetic head that receives multiple bits.

• 3/8th socket set

• Fixed blade knife and sharpener

• A pair of work gloves

• Allen wrenches

• Plastic grocery bags (multiple uses and multiple bags)

This may seem like a lot to keep in the car, however, in my opinion it covers a lot of different scenarios. I do keep a tire iron in the car, jumper cables, pocket knife, and multi tool. However, this bag is mobile. I can take the bag and move it from my car to my wife's car depending on where we are going. My goal is to take the bag in whichever car the children will be in. I feel like the bag can be altered and will be added to as the years go on. I have added and created this bag over the last two years. What I have added is due to watching others' car preparations on Youtube and from my own experiences and wants.

Over the last two years I have utilized the bag to help family and friends with car trouble. I have utilized the tools while camping and hiking with the family as well. A pair of pliers goes a long way when splinters are a part of an equation. The item I used the most and replaced the most is the grocery bags. They do a great job keeping wet clothes off the car floor, and are great to put around your kids socks while walking around a wet area and you want to keep them dry as well. Luckily, I have never needed any of the other items in an emergency situation. This bag is a what if bag, a bag I hope I do not need to use for emergencies, but will be glad I have if need be. My slogan in life lately has been, “I’d rather have and not need it, then need it and not have it.” If this bag is something you think would be great to add to your vehicle I suggest you do it. It does not have to be super high quality items, you can make it budget friendly and have a set up with you if an emergency arises.