When most people think of what to include in their emergency supply kits, they are mainly focusing on items for their home. If you have a preparedness mindset like we do, you probably have the necessities to survive in your home. Great start! However, there are disaster scenarios that can arise where you’ll be away from home - such as being on a long ride in the car, or on vacation, such as an RV trip. What if an evacuation was ordered? What if an earthquake, a hurricane, or a tornado struck your area unexpectedly, and driving on the roads was an impossibility? Do you have the necessary items in your vehicle to last you for at least 72 hours? The answer for most people is most likely not. Vehicle survival scenarios are different from those of your home or office. In today’s world, we spend more and more time outside of our homes than we do actually being at home. No matter what you’re doing - taking the kids to school, driving to work, or any other activity, it’s crucial for your survival to stock up on the right kind of items for your vehicle survival kit. Typically, there are two distinct types of need for a vehicle survival kit - either a natural disaster or a roadside emergency. Both of these will require different types of items for your vehicle survival kit. It’s never too late to stock every one of your vehicles with emergency supplies. But where to start and what to look for? We’ve got you covered.

Roadside Emergency Vehicle Supply Checklist

• Roadside flares - if you get into an accident at night, you might not have immediate access to mobile phone usage. Towers might be down, or your phone might die on you, forgetting a car charger at home. In this unfortunate scenario, it’s imperative to be able to get the attention of someone who can help out as soon as possible. Roadside flares alert other motorists or passersby that can call for help.
• Jumper cables - every driver should own a pair of jumper cables. Most of us have an experience where you or someone you know needed a jump, and you don’t want to be without the necessary tools to make that happen.
• Fix-a-flat - while not a permanent solution, fix-a-flat can be a lifesaver if you discover an issue with a flat tire while out on the road.
• Spare tire and tools to change a tire - even if you have a roadside assistance service that will change your tire for free, it never hurts to have the necessary tools to change a tire, because again, sometimes your phone won’t work. Also, sometimes there are issues with tires that simply cannot be fixed with a can of fix-a-flat.
• Ice scraper - if you live in a cold weather climate, an ice scraper probably goes without saying. Even if you live in an area where it doesn’t snow much, you can never be too careful.

Miscellaneous Roadside Emergency Items

• Work gloves
• Radio with batteries
• Spare car charger for mobile devices
• Duct tape
• Fire extinguisher

Natural Disaster Vehicle Supply Checklist

• Natural disaster water pouches - bottled water from your typical grocery store won’t hold up to extreme temperatures in your trunk, so be sure to get the right kind of water for everyone in your vehicle for up to 72 hours.
• Food rations or food bars - be sure to use the same logic as you would with your water storage.
• First aid kit - complete with enough items to treat various cuts, bruises, sprains, etc.
• Survival blanket - even if you live in a warm climate, you might start to get very cold, especially at night and if your vehicle no longer starts.
• Particulate dust mask - in the event of a disaster such as a wildfire, or an earthquake, there will likely be a lot of debris surrounding you. And so, you’ll need a way to breathe clean air, so don’t forget the dust mask.
• Heavy duty poncho - this is especially important if you live in an area that is prone to big storms like hurricanes.
• Flashlight - you might have to venture out away from a vehicle that won’t start at night, so you’ll need to be able to see.
• Whistle - you might be surprised how a simple whistle can be a life-saving addition to your vehicle supply kit.
• Hand warmers - just in the same way that you should always keep some kind of blanket in your vehicle, it never hurts to do the same with hand warmers, regardless of your climate.
• Glow stick - believe it or not, glow sticks can prove to be invaluable additions to any survival kit. For instance, if you’re caught in a flood, drop the glow stick down into the flood waters to see how deep it is before proceeding through it.

Of course, you could take the time and money required to build your own vehicle survival kit, or you could just opt to purchase one that contains everything you’ll need. Our high-quality vehicle survival kits come with everything that 1, 2, or 4 people need to survive in a car, truck, SUV or RV for up to 72 hours and have a shelf life of 5 years. The food and water items in our vehicle survival kits can also withstand extreme temperatures that most items from a grocery store could not. Learn more about our vehicle survival kits here.