I carry lots of stuff in my truck, but the first thing to look at with a well equipped automobile is the condition of the car/truck — tires, battery, belts, oil and filter changed on time/mileage. The steering, brakes and coolant system should be checked regularly and changed as necessary. IOW, keep the vehicle itself in really good condition.

I have an older truck that I like. I’d prefer to get something newer and bigger, but the truck I want won’t fit in the garage, so I keep this one. Over 200K miles and if I needed to drive cross country tomorrow, all I’d need to do is fill the fuel tank. It’s nearing a half tank and that’s when it gets topped off, otherwise it is ready to go.

One item that hasn’t been mentioned (or I missed it) is alongside the red warning triangle I keep LED Roadside Flares. They are reusable and unlike normal flares, these are not a fire danger.