Car Emergency Kit – Make Sure Your Prepared

With shorter days and longer nights in the northern hemisphere comes the seasonal reminder that it’s time to make sure that your car emergency kit is up to snuff.  If you live in a location where snow is the normal form or precipitation or ice and sleet is what you see one thing is certain and that is driving conditions become much more hazardous.   

A car emergency kit is essential.  Kit supplies include such items as blankets or sleeping bag, bottled water (if filling your own water bottles fill 75%), extra clothing, sand or kitty litter to aid with tire traction, first aid supplies, jumper cables, rope, shovel, candle, knife, cell phone and a dependable flashlight.  The ideal flashlight is a high quality capacitor powered shake flashlight or crank flashlight.  These no maintenance flashlights never need batteries and will provide bright dependable illumination for years.  

Another advantage of a capacitor powered flashlight over a battery powered flashlight is capacitors withstand very cold temperatures with no negative effects.  Batteries lose their effectiveness as the temperatures drop below 32 degrees.  Ideally having a no battery flashlight that also serves as a charger for cell phones is a perfect addition to the car emergency kit.

Looking beyond the need for an emergency kit in your car, every household and business should prepare 72 hour emergency kits in order to significantly increase the chances of surviving and helping others to survive natural and man made disasters.