Survival Items Every Vehicle Must Have

everyday carry items

Whether you spend a lot of time in your vehicle or not is regardless to what you should have at your fingertips if a survival crisis hits and you are away from home or in your vehicle.

This list is not comprehensive, but it is a good way to get started to making sure you can survive virtually anything.

• Jumper cables
• Two tow straps – Vehicle extraction.
• Small bag of easy light charcoal – fire starter / signal fire.
• 5 road flares – Emergency distress signal, fire starter.
•Come along – Vehicle extraction.
• Bobby Stick / Club – Self Defense, fire starter.
• First aid kit – Medical, Fire starter.
• 12 Volt Air Compressor – Refill a flat tire, Light, Signal.
• Extra fuses – Vehicle repair.
• Siphon pump – To transfer gasoline from one vehicle or gas can to your vehicle.
• Hat
• 2 – 40 ft sections of old climbing rope – Vehicle extraction, emergency repelling to assist another, etc.
• 2 – carabineers, a figure eight and enough rope for an emergency swiss seat.
• Extra batteries – For GPS, Spotlight, etc.
• Bottle of Excedrin – Medical, Energy boost.
• Binoculars – For locating nearest civilization (if you travel in rural areas).
• Gloves – Personal protection.
• Extra 550 – Multi Use, Fire, Shelter, Improvising, etc.
• Seat Belt Extractor /Cutter – To cut jammed or locked seat belts after an accident.
• Cell phone charger
• 120 Volt to 12 Volt Inverter – For powering a laptop or other potential communication device.
• LED Spotlight – Distress signal, warn oncoming traffic of your presence at night, work light for vehicle repair.
• Mag Lite – Distress signal, warn oncoming traffic of your presence at night, work light for vehicle repair, self defense.
• Tire Repair Kit
• Valve stem tool and spare valve stem cores
• Roll of black tape – Multiple Use, vehicle electrical system repair, improvising.
• Roll of duct tape – Multiple Use, temporarily stopping leaky hoses, improvising.
• Fire extinguisher
• Sun tan lotion – For long walks in sunny or desert environments, fire starter.
• Insect repellent
• Ice Scraper – Snow removal, improvised digging device, self defense.
• 2 Gallon Gas Can – With Gas.
• One gallon premixed water and antifreeze (Note: Don’t ever use anything that has contained antifreeze as a drinking water container. Also don’t attempt to drink any fluid that contains antifreeze, even if its been boiled. Antifreeze is poisonous.)
• Entrenching tool (E-Tool) – Not seen in this picture, because I think it was left in a prairie dog field on my last trip to West Nebraska.
• Tool Kit – Includes: Basic Socket which has Phillips and straight, metric and standard 3/8 sockets and wrenches, ¼ inch multi-bit driver, variety of ¼ bits, hex wrenches, needle nose pliers, adjustable wrench, spark plug sockets, wire cutters, 3/8 drive flex universal adapter, 6 inch extension, 3 inch extension and 3/8 ratchet. Also added is a small hack saw, 2 pair of vise grip locking pliers, standard and metric deep well sockets, a leather man, a bigger adjustable wrench, a roll of electric wire, a roll of utility wire, a standard pair of pliers, a 2 pound hammer, another ratchet and a bag to carry it all.

Also not pictured here, that should be added for older vehicles is a few quarts of oil, and transmission fluid, an extra serpentine or V-belt(s) for your specific vehicle and any unique tools that are required to change it.

I also recommend keeping a Get Home Bag (GHB) in your vehicle in case it breaks down beyond repair, gets stuck in a ditch or for whatever reason you just have to leave the vehicle and go on foot.

• Small backpack
• Emergency credit card – With at least a $3000.00 credit limit.
• Prepaid calling card – With 60 minutes or so of time on it.
• $100 cash – Pay for a ride, buy spare parts or food, water, etc.
• Bright colored poncho – shelter from rain, signaling.
• 4 Bottles of Water
• 4 granola bars
• Combat field bandage – Medical, Fire Starter.
• Toilet paper
• Candle – Fire starter, Signal, Night travel (cut the bottom off of a water bottle and stick the candle through it to shield from the wind).
• 6ft x 8 ft Tarp – Shelter, ground tarp for working on vehicle.
• Compass / Signal Mirror – Navigation, directional day time signaling (A couple flashes in a drivers eyes will get their attention – just don’t hold it on them as it could cause an accident).
• Led flashlight – For night time travel and vehicle repair.
• Emergency road flare – Emergency distress signal, fire starter.
•Fixed blade knife – Multi use.
• Road map – Finding ways around obstacles or detours.
•6 hand/foot warmers
• Gloves

Your vehicle can be your safe haven if you experience a survival crisis away from home.

It is not ideal and you should try and get to your home or a bug-out location, but your vehicle should also have enough stuff in it to help you get through a day or two if needed.

To read up on other survival materials, supplies and equipment you should always keep in your vehicle, please check out Willow Haven Outdoor.

Featured Image via Willow Haven Outdoor


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