I’m putting together a little emergency kit for my wife’s car. Something very compact that will reside permanently in the trunk and could come in handy for a common emergency or inconvenience, like a simple break down or a minor injury. It’s not a BOB or a GHB by any means.
She lacks any sort of mechanical experience and would be hard pressed even in changing a tire (although the car itself has a tire jack, a wrench and a full spare, in case she can get outside help), so I don’t see a reason to include any tools to the contents (but feel free to express your dissent if that’s the case).
We live in a suburban area with good cell phone coverage. We have zero chances of being stranded for days in the snow on a mountain road and starve to death, therefore I’m overlooking common “survival” gear and focus instead on items that could help her to safely wait for road assistance to arrive.
My main and most realistic concern is for her to have a break down and be stranded on the side of the road at night, with the danger of being run down by passing vehicles. So I’ve been focusing in covering signaling, visibility and communication.
So far I’ve assembled, in a small red deployment bag:
- LED road flare, the orange disk-shaped kind, with various light and strobe modes. (Chemical road flares are prohibited in my country)
- Reflective blaze orange safety vest.
- WOWTAC A2 flashlight, with the included strap to convert it to a head lamp. Good quality waterproof flashlight with various modes, including strobe.
- Portable battery car jump starter with cables. It’s rechargeable via USB and can double as a power bank to charge USB devices. Can charge a cell phone multiple times (USB charging cable included).
- Pair of work gloves.
- Roll of duct tape (always handy!
)
- Medium sized SAK.
- Basic FAK with band aids, gauze pads, bandages, EMT shears, alcohol swabs and painkillers.
Aside from the contents of bag, she always dresses for the weather and keeps an army surplus wool blanket in the trunk.
Any suggestions on changes and additions to the list are most welcome!
