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You are here: Home / Real Life Tips / DIY Emergency Kit for Your Car

DIY Emergency Kit for Your Car

October 17, 2019 By Karen Cooper 4 Comments

Today, as the snow is falling again in Atlanta (and elsewhere throughout the south), I thought I’d show you an important project you can easily put together: a DIY emergency kit for your car.

Atlanta is famous for a lot of reasons…but one reason is that, in 2014, we were hit with a major snow and ice storm. Because Southerners and Georgians are generally made fun of for cancelling, well, everything, when a snowflake falls, the powers-that-be decided to wait to close the city down. Well, they waited too long and it was a mess. Thousands ended up stranded on the highways and side roads; many slept in schools, grocery stores, hardware stores, or gas stations.

How to DIY an emergency kit for your car - thediybungalow.com

Hopefully, we learned our lesson from Snowmageddon 2014, but it’s always good to be prepared in case bad weather hits. Here are my tips for putting together a DIY emergency kit for your car.

What you should include in an emergency kit for your car:

(Note: I’ve included affiliate links below. You can see my full disclosure policy HERE.)

– at least one blanket that could keep you warm (I have a fleece one, like this: All-Purpose Travel Blanket);

– several bottles of water;

– nonperishable food (I like keeping granola bars or Lara Bars in the car);

– a winter coat, if you aren’t wearing one, a hat, and gloves;

– an extra pair of socks (which can be used as mittens in a pinch!);

– an ice scraper or de-icing spray, like this: Ice-Off Windshield Spray De-Icer;

– emergency money in your glove compartment or console. Just bury $20 in there, just for emergencies. Have small bills and some change.

– a flashlight with working batteries in it or one that works by cranking, like this one, or on solar power, like this one: Waterproof Hand Crank & Solar Powered LED Flashlight;

– a first aid kit, which you can create yourself or buy one like this Road Trip First Aid Kit;

– charger for your cell phone that will plug into outlets in your car;

– reflective hazard triangle or sign or flares, like these: AAA Emergency Warning Triangle;

– jumper cables;

– spare tire and tools to change a flat. I also have an air compressor pump (it’s about the size of a small shoe box), like this one – Campbell Hausfeld 12-Volt Inflator and Worklight – in my car that allows me to add air to my tires if needed.

If you belong to AAA or other roadside assistance organization, make sure you have their information/phone number with you. Also make sure you have your insurance card in your glove compartment, in case of an accident; you are required to have it in your car anyway.

You can order roadside assistance kits that have some of these items in them already.

Or, to make it easier for you, I’ve gathered links to some of the products on Amazon here:

 

What would you add? The important thing is to be prepared. Be safe out there!!

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Filed Under: Holidays & Seasonal, Organizing, Readers' Favorite Posts, Real Life Tips 4 Comments

About Karen Cooper

Hi! I'm Karen. I call myself a “recovering lawyer” - I traded in my power suits for power tools and a life of DIY adventures. Join me for DIY, home decorating, repurposing and upcycling, and organizing projects and tips as I transform a 1929 Tudor bungalow into our home. I believe in merging old and new to make a house a home.

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Comments

  1. Tami says

    January 29, 2014 at 11:10 pm

    Great post Karen. I too have an emergency kit in our car but more for the Texas summer heat. It seems silly to have it all packed up for those just in case moments but I sure have been grateful after having to use it on numerous unexpected occasions. Hopefully your tips can help others to be more prepared.
    Tami @ Curb Alert!

    Reply
    • Karen Cooper says

      January 30, 2014 at 8:09 am

      Thanks, Tami! That’s so true – you have to be prepared for anything.

      Reply
  2. Toby says

    January 30, 2014 at 8:35 am

    Great tips! One difference for me is the flashlight. Keeping fresh batteries is a challenge so I have one of the battery-less flashlights. They make different versions (hand crank, twist, shake), but any of those are great because you never have to worry about dead batteries.

    Reply
    • Karen Cooper says

      January 30, 2014 at 9:22 am

      Thanks, Toby! You’re right – a crank or other kind of flashlight is even better, so batteries aren’t an issue. Thanks!

      Reply

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Hi! I’m Karen. I call myself a “recovering lawyer,” because I turned in my power suits for power tools and a life of DIY. This blog is all about DIY, home decorating, repurposing and upcycling, and organization. I believe in merging old and new to make a house a home.




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About Karen

A "recovering lawyer," I turned in my power suits for power tools and a life of DIY. I believe in merging old and new to make a house a home. Read More…

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