I want to keep an auto emergency kit. What are your suggestions for things to go in it? Thanks!
By MTeel
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One important item to include with your other items in your auto kit is a large size coffee can with lid that can be used for an emergency potty. Should you get stuck for several hours in a traffic shutdown you are prepared; especially handy if you have children.
A blanket or "space" blanket
Rain poncho or other waterproof jacket
Small tool kit with pliers, screwdriver, pocket knife
Some strong wire
Also make sure your spare tire and jack are ready for use in case of a flat.
One other item to keep in your emergency kit is duct tape. If one of your hoses develops a hole in it, then you're pretty well stuck. You can use duct tape to seal the hose and will allow you to drive for a short while until you can repair it.
Just remember to wrap the duct tape all the way around the hose several times, and cover couple of inches to either side if it as well.
I had this exact problem a few years ago, and the duct tape kept the seal long enough for me to drive to work the next day and bring my car into the shop so that the hose could be replaced.
In addition to other items listed in reply to your request:
*JUMPER CABLES
*TOILET PAPER IN A ZIPLOCK FOR EMERGENCIES
*CAR JACK - Also make sure that your car jack works on your car! I bought a car and had to change a flat and the jack was about 1/4" too short! I do not know if this was the jack the manufacturer included with the car because I had bought it used, but it would be smart to do a test on your jack before you get stuck. This could also occur from buying larger sized tires for your car and the jack does not accomodate it. If for some reason you DO get stuck in a situation like that, you can use a 2x4 piece of wood under the stand of the jack to make it taller.
*FLASHLIGHT
*A cardboard sign you can set in your window to ask passersby to call 9-1-1 for help. If you are alone and are leery of getting out to change a tire, etc. you may just want an officer there to ward off trouble. You never know if your cel phone will be out of range or go dead.
For Cold weather emergencies always keep a warm blanket and a candle or two with matches in a waterproof container. If you have to stop in cold weather to rest or if you get stuck in an icy rut you'll be able to turn off the motor-so you won't use up all your gas nor get carbon monoxide poisoning. Then you can get under your blanket(s) and light the candle in its holder.
Once I was driving on a very icy secondary road by my house, and I could not get up the hill. Because I was coming from grocery shopping I just happened to have a can of table salt in my car, so I sprinkled some of the salt on the ice and I was able to get past the patch and to my house. A little bit of road salt or sand kept in a coffee can might not be a bad thing to keep in your trunk, if you live in a snowy place.
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