How to prepare your car Tips
Read these 4 How to prepare your car Tips tips to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Each tip is approved by our Editors and created by expert writers so great we call them Gurus. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Emergency tips and hundreds of other topics.
Basic items
These items should always be in your car and fully accessible.
1. Fuel (Always keep your gas tank half-full and store extra fuel in approved cans.)
2. Battery cables
3. Traction mats or tire chains for snow and ice
4. Shovel
5. Chain or rope (thick enough to pull a car out of a ditch or tow a vehicle.)
6. Road maps
7. Tools (for car repair, to turn off utilites when you leave house.)
8. Flashlight with extra batteries
9. Flares
10. Solar balnkets
11. Brightly colored rain gear
12. Water (for battery and for drinking)
13. First aid kit
14. Spare tire in good condition and tire changing items (jack, lug wrench, etc.)
A few things I always have in my car trunk is three days supply of MRE's. I lived off these for three days when trapped by a blizzard in my car. I also have emergency candles and a good supply of lighters. And, tucked away with a magnetic box is a spare set of car keys and I always have at least twenty dollars in my car at all times. Make sure some of this is in usable change for phone, vending machines and such.
Glove Box
What you carry in your car could well save your life.
Most people use the glove box as a catch-all and don't think twice on what is inside.
You should first clean it out and restock it with items you need. These should include the following list.
Flashlight with fresh batteries
map of the area you are traveling in
car maintainance records
car registration and insurance papers
gloves (of course!)
cigarette lighter in good working order
box of wooden matches
small tissue pack and/or wet wipes
I keep some lifesavers or hard candy for long trips
I also have a very small current address/phone book with working pen/pencil and a small pad of paper
These things should be compact and you should not have to jam them in to fit.
Advice for car kits
Your car is frequently your home away from home. Most of us spend many hours in our cars each month. Anything from a jammed-up freeway to a major disaster could force your to rely on your car for short-term shelter and survival. It is a wise practice to keep simple provisions for emergency situations in your car at all times.
A self-made, cold or hot weather car kit, as described in some preparedness stores, websites or pamphlets, is a good idea to keep in the car trunk. Be sure to rotate the items and replace those no longer usable with fresh supplies for optimal usage.
I should...??
I should keep the gas tank full at all times (or at least half full)
I keep an approved gas can full in the trunk.
I keep tools for car repair in my trunk.
I keep the spare tire in good repair at all times.
I keep the car mechanically sound and ready to use.
I keep an emergency kit in the car at all times.
I have the tools to change a flat tire and know how to change one.
I keep extra oil, water and other liquid items for the car at all times in the trunk.
I keep tire chains or other traction devices in my car.
I have a cell phone or cb radio in my car and it is in good working order.
I keep flares and other safety equipment in my car.
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| Sheri Ann Richerson |
