Basic Car Survival Kit, Things to Help Fix the Small Problems

People keep all sorts of things in their car.  Many people pretty much live out of their car.  No matter what you decide to keep in your car, or just forget to cleanout.   You should always keep a basic car survival kit, this kit is there to make sure those little problems don’t become big emergencies.  There are 6 things will make your life easier when you need them.  Many of these will prevent you from being stranded by simple things.

Owners Manual

One of the most important things to keep in your car other than the standard proof of insurance and registration is the car owner’s manual. The Owner’s Manual tells how to change light bulbs on the car, where the fuse panels are.  Plus there is a maintenance chart in the manual, which comes in handy when trying to decide when to do your maintenance. I may not seem like part of a basic car survival kit, but if you can’t find your spare tire tools, or don’t know where to put the jack to lift your car up, the owner’s manual is going to come in really handy.

If you don’t have an owners manual you can download one from this site.  Of course, you don’t need to print off the whole manual.  Maybe just things like how to jump your vehicle, where the spare tire and jack are.  You will want to have the maintenance schedule printed off and in your car.  This will help you keep track of what’s been done, what needs to be done, and what doesn’t need to be done.  Which this information alone can save you lots of money in maintenance costs, and repairs. Not to mention help prevent your car from breaking down on the side of the road, because you didn’t know you had to change the timing belt.

Jumper Cables

Jumper cables are the next most important part of a basic car survival kit.  Always have a good set of jumper cables in your vehicle.  When you go to start the car and the battery is dead you’ll need them. It’s easier to find someone who is willing to help jump your car, then someone who has jumper cables.  Now if you want to get a jump box that’s ok, but don’t use it as an alternative to having jumper cables.  Most of the time  when you need it that battery is dead because you haven’t charged it in months.  You might try to remember to charge it once a month.  Most people will either forget to charge it or never put it back in their car.  Either way, your back to not having it when you need it.

If you are looking at buying jumper cables you can get them at most parts stores or online on Amazon.  What you need to look for is the gauge of wire used and the size of the clamps. The smaller the number of gauge the thicker the wire used, thus you want to buy cables with at least 6 gauge wire and 10 feet long although 15 feet is better.  Understanding that the longer the cable the lower the gauge wire will be required.

12V Air Compressor

It never seems to fail, you put your spare tire on and it’s flat. Unless you drive a vehicle that has a spare tire carrier and is easy to check.  No one ever checks the tire pressure in a spare tire.  So having a 12V Air Compressor is a must for your basic car survival kit.  They are also nice to have when you have a slow leak and just want to top of your tire until you can have it fixed. If you add a tire plug kit in with it you can avoid changing your tire all together when you have a flat.

When buying an air compressor you don’t have to buy the best, but a cheap one will waste your time.  Many of these aren’t designed to fill a spare tire to the required 60psi.  Even when they say they have a Mac pressure of 100PSI,  they just won’t get over about 40-50PSI.

Make sure you buy one that is of good quality.  Harbor Freight sells a good one for a decent price. This one from Harbor Freight will fill a flat spare tire to 60 PSI in under 5 minutes. Avoid the plastic bodied 12 volt air compressors. You want one that has a metal body and a detachable air hose.

Lug Wrench and Jack

Your vehicle should have come with a scissor jack and lug wrench that will also raise the jack.  Make sure they are still there and work.  Over the years this jack may rust up and stop working. It’s best to make sure you know it works before you need it.

If you find you need a new one you can get a scissor jack like the Scissor Jack 1.5 Ton or if you have enough space in your trunk a small floor jack like the Liftmaster Floor Jack 2 Ton is a really good idea.  As far as a good lug wrench a 4-way lug wrench is a must.  Don’t expect the lug wrench that comes with the car to be very useful. Be careful that the 4-way has the size you need.  Some trucks have much bigger lugs than cars, a 14″ Universal Lug Wrench will do most cars and many trucks.

Box of Miscellaneous Tools

It’s always good to have a few tools in your car.  A few various screwdrivers, and a few wrenches.  You’re looking for tools to fix minor things on the road. A dead blow hammer is a good idea to have for when your tire is stuck to the hub when trying to change it.

Flashlight

Always carry a flashlight in your car.  Streamlight Penlights  are great flashlights.  You never know when you’ll need a flashlight.  Even in the middle of the day if you lose something under your seat, that flashlight will help out a lot.

First Aid Kit

You never know when you’ll need a basic first aid kit.  This First Aid Kit is good enough, however if you want more you can make your own, the same First Aid Kit you use camping can be stored all the time in your car.  Make sure you have lots of band aids, gauze, and other wound dressings.  It’s also good to carry something to clean cuts with.  Your choice  aspirin or ibuprofen is good also.

Conclusion

This is a reasonably short list of things to keep in your car.  If you are into serious preparedness your list may include things like a go bag, water, food, maps, and all sorts of things.  However, for the general person that just wants to be able to take care of the simple things that happen on the road.  This will take care of most of them. Don’t forget that come winter there are even more things you’ll need in your car for a winter car kit.