A good Zombie Prepper stays ready no matter when or where disaster might strike. These are a few items I keep in my vehicle to ensure that I am prepared for any situation that might arise.
I’m going to list these items by my preference of priority:
I believe the most important thing to keep in your car at all time is a First Aid Kit. I purchased this First Aid Kit several years ago and I always keep it in my vehicle. Its great for an emergency or if the kiddo gets a boo-boo. Be sure to keep your First Aid Kit re-stocked as you use items from it and feel free to build on any pre-made kit you might purchase.
Another important item I always keep in my vehicle is an Instant Power Source. The Schumacher XP 2260 Instant Power Source is an all-in-one power supply and vehicle utility tool. Not only does it supply 1200 amps of 120v and 12v power, it also contains a battery jump-starter, tire pump, air mattress pump, led light and even a USB outlet! I have used this tool countless times to air up my tires and jump batteries. It is a lifesaver and a great tool to keep in your vehicle for emergency situations. It does require to be charged every 30 days so make sure you keep it in top working condition!
It is a good idea to always keep a set of tools in your car. You should always carry whatever you need to make quick repairs while on the road. It is better to make repairs to get home then to try and make it back on foot. Also, be sure to check the quality and condition of your spare tire regularly and make sure your tire jack and tire iron are in the vehicle and in working condition. Keep your vehicle properly maintained and check and change your fluids regularly. When disaster strikes you can’t always call AAA or rely on a tow. Be prepared to make emergency repairs on your vehicle at anytime!
If you do find yourself stuck on the side of the road its always useful to carry emergency road flares. Flares can alert oncoming cars of your position and prevent roadside accidents. Emergency flares can also be used to signal oncoming cars of other dangers that might lie ahead. In a tough spot they make a great fire-starter. Just pop the flare and leave it burning near some tinder and you’ll have a fire started in no time!
In an emergency situation you may find yourself running low on gas with your destination far out of sight. You may not be able to find an easy source of fuel but abandoning your vehicle will make travel much slower and increase your chances of Zombie encounters. If this unfortunate situation arises you want to make sure you have a way to re-fuel when the gas pumps don’t work. With a siphon pump you can pump gasoline from abandoned vehicles, deserted fuel stations or maybe even a tanker truck. With a few pumps you can fill your tank and be on your way. This siphon pump also doubles as an air pump to inflate your tires and you can also use it to pump other needed fluids into your vehicle to keep your motor running. If its clean you can also attach it to a Life Straw to pump clean water into your canteen… just be sure its very clean, you don’t want to mix your drinking water with petrol!
Speaking of drinking water that bring me to my next must-have item for your vehicle: A Lifestraw! The LifeStraw Mission is a great item to keep in your vehicle to ensure that you can filter clean drinking water if you get stranded on the road. I would also recommend keeping at-least a gallon of drinking water in your car at all times. But when your water supply runs low you want to be able to re-fill it without much hassle. With a LifeStraw mission you fill the reservoir, let the bad water drain off and fill your vessel with good clean drinking water. It has the capacity to filter 18,000 liters of water. That is enough to keep a family of 4 supplied with clean drinking water for 3 years! I hope you aren’t stranded on the side of the road that long!
Now that you are stranded on the side of the road and camped out, you might get a little hungry. Having an emergency food supply in your car is a necessity! Keeping an entire 1 month supply of food might be overkill, but being prepared is a good idea. I try to always keep several cans of soup as well as protein bars and other food items in my vehicle at all times. You never know when you are going to get hungry and not be able to find food easily. The more food you keep in your car, the longer you can survive when stranded!
The sun is going down and you are still stranded. If you are alone then you can probably camp out in your vehicle for the night. But if you were traveling in a group, things could get uncomfortable, crowded, and stuffy. I recommend keeping an emergency shelter in your vehicle or in your Preparedness Bag. This group shelter sleeps 8-10 people, packs very small and is lightweight to carry. It can be held up with posts or hung with a rope. Make sure when you setup camp you do it in a safe place away from the roadside but within earshot of your vehicle.
While you are making camp you might need an emergency blanket to keep warm. An emergency blanket is small enough to keep in your glove box but will be an essential item if you get wet and cold. Don’t risk hypothermia or freezing to death! Keep several emergency blankets in your car and in your Preparedness Kit at all times!
To finish this list the last think I recommend keeping with you at all times is your Preparedness Kit. I’m building my Preparedness Kit or ‘Bug-Out-Bag’ in this Red Rock Outdoor Gear Assault Pack. These packs come in 2 sizes and feature tons of MOLLE to attach additional items. The smaller pack is great for a light bag but the larger pack is almost double the carrying capacity! Pay attention when you are ordering to make sure you get the one that fits you best! I purchased the smaller Red Rock Assault Pack for my beautiful and amazing girlfriend to build her Preparedness Kit and I purchased the larger Red Rock Assault Pack for myself. So far I have been pretty happy with this bag and I have loaded it with quite a few useful items…. but that is an article for another day.
So that about sums up my list of must-have items to keep in your vehicle for emergency preparedness. Did I miss something? Do you disagree with my selections? Feel free to leave your comments below!
