You don’t like to think about problems that might arise when you are out driving, whether you are heading to work or you are on a road trip. However, problems can and do occur regularly, so it is important that you have the right equipment and items in your vehicle to handle different types of issues when they occur. The following are some of the most important items that you need to make sure you have in your vehicle emergency kit.

Spare Tire, Tire Iron, and Jack

Naturally, these items should be in every vehicle, and you should know how to use them properly. You never know when you might have a flat tire, and having the jack, tire iron, and the spare tire is going to help ensure that you can get back on the road quickly. Make sure that you know how to change a tire, as well. It is not difficult to do, and this is a skill that everyone should have. While it might be possible to call AAA sometimes, you can’t always rely on someone else to provide you with the help that you need. And when you're in a hurry, you'll be glad that you were able to change your flat in 5 minutes rather than waiting a half hour for help to arrive.

Flat Tire Inflation Canister

What happens if you have more than one flat tire, and you have only one spare? Fortunately, there are products available today that can help to take care of this problem for you. There are a number of companies today that make emergency flat tire canisters, such as Fix-A-Flat and Slime. These can help to provide at least a temporary “fix” to the tire until you can have it taken care of properly.

Cellphone Charger and Portable Power Bank

Since just about everyone today uses a cellphone, it makes sense that you will want to have a cellphone charger that you can use. In fact, you will want to have one that you keep in the car at all times, so you never accidentally forget it somewhere. You might not want to have it plugged in all the time, but you will want to have it in your glove compartment at least.

In addition to your plug-in phone charger, you should also consider getting a portable power bank charger that stores power, which you can use to charge your phone, even if your car does not have any power.

Water

Of course, water is always important to have with you, and you should have more than just a liter or so. In fact, it is a good idea to keep a case of water in the back of your vehicle. If you are ever stranded, you will have water for several days. If you see someone who is in need of help, and who looks like they could use some water, you will have it for them, as well. It’s a simple, but great idea.

Food

It is also a good idea to keep at least some food in your vehicle emergency kit, as well. You do not have to go overboard and have a lot of food, but having enough protein bars, trail mix, and similar types of food items that are not going to melt or go bad tends to be a good idea, just in case.

Blanket/Sleeping Bag

While you might not plan on needing to sleep in your car – most people don’t – that doesn’t mean that it can’t happen. When you are stranded, stuck in a snowbank, or dealing with some other emergency, having a blanket or a sleeping bag with you that can keep you and your passengers warm is essential.

Extra Clothing

Along the same lines as the blanket, you will want to have some extra clothing with you in the vehicle. You do not need to have much, but you will want to have one outfit for hot weather and one for colder weather, including a jacket. This way, if you do end up stranded, you will have clothing that is right for the weather. In addition, having something that you could change into in case you are caught out in the frigid rain when you are trying to fix your car on the side of the road is going to be very welcome.

First Aid Kit

You should have a fully stocked first aid kit for your vehicle, too. It should have bandages, gauze, over the counter pain medication, salves, and any medication that you or a family member needs to take regularly. It should have everything that the first aid kit you have at home features. You never know what type of injuries you might have or come across when you are out, so having a well-stocked first aid kit can be a lifesaver to you and to others.

Small Tool Kit

What happens if you need to make some small repairs to your vehicle? If you do not have a tool kit that’s part of your emergency kit, you are going to be out of luck. The toolbox does not need to be too large, but it should have some of the basics that you might need, including things like wrenches of different sizes, screwdrivers, some rags, and perhaps a couple quarts of extra oil.

Flashlight

If you need to look under the hood after dark, or if you are stranded on a rural road surrounded by the forest, you are going to feel much better when you have a flashlight with you. Make sure you have plenty of extra batteries for it, as well. In addition, you might want to get an additional flashlight that has a hand crank, just in case the batteries for your main flashlight were to give out. It's worth mentioning that most cell phones have a built-in flashlight mode that can get you by in a pinch, but you are going to want to save your battery for calling for help and getting updates in case of an emergency.

Flare

Having a flare as a part of your kit can help, as well. It get you seen on a dark road, and let other drivers know that there is a problem. Make sure that you have several flares in your kit and be sure to keep them in a safe location.

Knife

A knife, whether it is a fixed blade or a folding knife, is important to have with you, as well. It makes cutting through any other items much easier, and it can offer you an added element of protection (or at least peace of mind), which might be needed depending on where you are stranded. After all, if you are alone on a desolate stretch of road surrounded by the woods in the middle of the night, you are going to feel just a little bit better if you have a knife with you.

Lighter

Having a lighter is also important. Not only is it an emergency source of light, but a good lighter can help make starting a fire much easier. In the event that you were stranded and it was cold enough that you needed to start a fire outside of the car to survive, then you are going to want to make starting that fire is as simple as possible. This means you need to have a lighter or two in the emergency kit.

Shovel

You don’t want to get stuck in a snowbank or in the mud or sand. Having a small folding shovel that you keep in your vehicle with you is going to help prevent that from happening.

Emergency Triangles

When you are stuck on the side of the road, you want to make sure that other drivers can see you and your vehicle. One of the simplest and most effective ways to do this is to get a set of reflective emergency triangles that you can put out on the road as a warning.

These are some of the most important items that you will want to have in your vehicle for your emergency kit. There are probably some other items that you can think of that you are going to want to add to your own kit, and your climate and location in the country will often dictate what types of items you will need to have. Get started putting together your own kit if you haven’t already.