What's in Your Car Emergency Kit? Here's What I Keep in Mine

A customer once came into the shop after getting a flat tire at night.

She had a spare.She had a jack. She even had roadside assistance.

Sounds pretty prepared, right? Except her phone was almost dead, it was dark, and she didn’t have a flashlight. She told me, “Audra, I had everything I thought I needed—and still felt completely unprepared.” That stuck with me. Because an emergency car kit isn’t only about having jumper cables and a first-aid kit. It’s about asking yourself:

If something happened right now, what would make this situation safer and easier?

Here’s what I recommend keeping in your car.

Start With the Car Stuff

You don’t need to carry your entire garage around with you. But there are a few basics I like drivers to have: 

A portable jump starter. I love these because you don’t necessarily need another vehicle to give you a jump. Just remember—a dead jump pack isn’t very helpful. Check and recharge it periodically.

A tire-pressure gauge. Small, inexpensive and one of the easiest ways to Auto Know what’s happening with your tires.

A portable tire inflator. If you have a slow leak or low tire, an inflator may help you get somewhere safe—but it isn’t a repair for a damaged tire.

Your wheel-lock key. PLEASE know where this is! If your wheels require a special key and roadside assistance can’t find it, they’re going to have a hard time removing your wheel.

And know whether your vehicle actually has a spare tire. Many newer cars don’t.

Let There Be LIGHT

Keep a good flashlight in the car. Better yet, keep a flashlight or work light that allows you to use both hands. Your phone has a flashlight, yes. But if your phone battery is at 4%, that’s probably not where you want to spend your remaining power. I also like having reflective triangles or another appropriate roadside visibility device so other drivers can see that you’re stopped. And if you’re on a busy highway, don’t stand next to traffic trying to become your own roadside mechanic.

Your safety comes first.

Keep Yourself Going Too

Your car isn’t the only thing that may need emergency supplies. Keep a phone charging cable and power bank. 

A couple of bottles of water.

A blanket.

Work gloves.

A small first-aid kit.

Tissues or paper towels.

A rain poncho.

In winter, add warm gloves and something to keep you warm.

And I always like having a little cash tucked away. Nothing crazy. Just enough for one of those “Of course this happens TODAY” moments.

A Few Things People Forget

Here’s where I think a good emergency kit becomes a smart emergency kit. Keep a copy of important roadside information where you can find it. Know who your roadside-assistance provider is. Know where your insurance information is. Know your vehicle’s year, make and model. And keep an emergency contact easily accessible. If you take medications you may need urgently, think about your personal needs too—but don’t leave medications in the car if heat, cold or storage requirements make that unsafe.

Your emergency kit should fit your life, not just somebody’s checklist.

Don’t Forget to Check Your Emergency Kit!

This is the part everybody forgets. We make the beautiful emergency kit. Put it in the trunk. Feel very responsible. And don’t look at it again for four years. Meanwhile, the flashlight batteries are dead, the jump pack has no charge and the water bottle looks like it survived the Jurassic period.

Twice a year, open your kit. Charge the jump starter and power bank. Check the flashlight. Replace expired first-aid supplies. Make sure everything is still there. And while you’re back there, check your spare tire pressure too.

Your Auto Know 

Being prepared doesn’t mean you need to know how to fix everything yourself.

It means giving yourself options when something goes wrong.

A flashlight won’t repair your tire. A blanket won’t start your engine. And a phone charger won’t tow your car. But at 10:30 at night, on the side of the road, those little things can make a stressful situation a whole lot safer and easier. So here’s your homework:

Open your trunk today.

What do you have?

What are you missing?

And—most importantly—does any of it actually work?

Because the best emergency kit isn’t the biggest one.

It’s the one you have BEFORE you need it.

Now you Auto Know.