Breakdowns are inevitable. The older your car gets, the more likely it will, one day, leave you stranded on the side of the road. If you’re lucky, you’ll be within range of help, but sometimes, you’ll be left to your own resources.
Known for its survival emergency kits, Survive Outdoors Longer (SOL) has put together a preparedness kits specific for your car, the RoadTripper Auto Emergency Kit. This kit is comprehensive, easy to use and designed to reside in your car and be helpful in an emergency, natural disaster, or storm. It is small enough to store in your trunk or under the seat, but big enough to include all of the basic essentials you might need in a car emergency situation.
Housed in an 11 x 10.75 x 4-inch orange and black nylon pack that was designed to fit inside the wheel well of most spare tires, the kit consists of a small medical kit (basic first aid supplies), a multi-tool, duct tape, a mini LED headlamp, an emergency rain poncho, an emergency blanket, 10-foot long 250-amp jumper cables, a tire gauge, a reflective hazard triangle, a reflective safety vest, and work gloves.
Weighing at just over four pounds, the RoadTripper is well organized with several different pockets inside the pack so you can reach specific gear quickly and easily. It features a reflective orange triangle on the pack so it can be used to alert other drivers to your hazard, and it stands up on its own.
Inside, there is extra room to add any additional items you might need in your part of the country. The kit itself is well thought out but not fancy. It has the basic elements that most people will need in a typical breakdown scenario and not a lot of extraneous gear you wouldn’t likely use (which would also drive up the cost of the kit). Whether you’re changing a tire in the pitch-black night or jumping a dead battery on a busy highway in the rain, this kit has you covered and will keep you safe on the side of the road.
Watertight pack
Weight: 4 lbs. 8 oz.
Multitool
Duct tape
Mini LED headlamp
Emergency rain poncho
Emergency Blanket
10-foot 250 amp jumper cables
Tire gauge
Reflective hazard triangle
Reflective safety vest
Work gloves
MSRP: $70
Editor’s note: A version of this article first appeared in the June 2015 print issue of American Survival Guide.