Car Emergency Kit Essentials

The other day I was driving down the road and I thought I had a flat tire. I had my two kids with me, it was 3 o’clock in the afternoon, and it was 106 degrees outside. Yay for Arizona summers right?

Anyway, I panicked a little when I thought about dealing with this situation with my kids. It turns out my tire was not flat and we went on our way, but it got me thinking about how unprepared I am for a roadside emergency. Here are the top 5 things I came up with to put in my trunk for just such a situation.

I received compensation and a first aid kit for this post. All opinions are my own. 

Car Emergency Kit Essentials

A First Aid Kit:

A basic first aid kit can come in handy anywhere! By keeping one on hand in my car I can be ready for small medical situations in my car, at the park, or anywhere else we happen to be! This 75-piece kit includes bandages, gauze pads, alcohol swabs etc. You can find one for your own car from Medical Arts Press here.

Flashlight With Batteries:

Had it been dark out when I thought I had a flat tire, I would have had a difficult time checking on it. Having a flashlight on hand could be a lifesaver in an emergency situation or even a potty emergency on a road trip! Make sure it has new batteries inside as well as an extra set just in case.

Snacks:

Throwing a bag in with snacks is perfect for if you get stranded on the side of the road somewhere! Make sure you pack food that will be good for a long time (so you don’t have to switch it out as often) and make sure its not something that will melt in high temps. (not all pictured)

Water:

Water is a must, yes it will be hot and probably not super yummy, but it would be better than not having any! They always have sales on the flats of water bottles at the grocery store, those would be really easy to throw in your trunk and not have to worry about anymore. (not all pictured)

A Gallon Ziploc Per Family Member:

I threw together a quick bag for each member of our family. They include a change of clothes and then in my kids bags I also added a few small toys and a book to keep them busy in case we get stuck somewhere. You could also add specific needs that may be specific to each member of the family, like diapers and wipes, allergy medication etc.

It all goes in my storage box that seals closed and anchors into the floor of my car, should we get in an accident everything would stay contained. For the most part everything I added to our car I had around the house. It was just a matter of gathering it together and putting it in the car. Now I can feel much better about having to deal with an emergency situation on the road. To get you started on your car emergency kit Medical Arts Press is giving away a 75-piece Curad First Aid Kit to a lucky reader! It has a retail value of $48.99.

What would you put in your car emergency kit?