With the reliability of today's cars and trucks and the fact that your smartphone makes it easy to get help when you need it, you might overlook the importance of a car or roadside emergency kit. Most people, including me, give little thought to what could happen until we're in the midst of an emergency situation.



As a man, husband, and (grand)father, I feel a sense of responsibility to protect my family, and part of that protection involves preparation.



I'm grateful that up to this point, we've gotten by without needing an emergency kit and not having it, but I'd prefer to have the kit and not need it.



But what happens when you get caught up in a winter storm with no winter emergency kit? Or what if the DOT shuts down the freeways and your cell phone stops working?



If it could happen, it will happen to someone. If it's you, you'll be glad you planned ahead. I know I will.





If you'd like to skip over the backstory to this roadside emergency kit, and get right to the list of items I put in my kit, use the shortcuts below. Otherwise, keep reading.





An Unplanned Evacuation



It was 2005. A month prior, I had just moved my family to Richmond, Texas, southwest of Houston. The models showed Hurricane Katrina headed straight at us.



Being our first encounter with a hurricane, we called our realtor to understand how serious it was. She said that she'd lived in the area for more than 20 years and, although the hurricane was still a couple of days from landfall, she and her husband decided to evacuate.



We immediately packed our sons, the dog, and some suitcases in Vanessa's RAV4 and headed for Austin. It usually takes under three hours to get there.



Driving at a snail's pace, we passed one gas station after another with either a sign that said they sold out of gas, or with a line longer than what you see at a Trump rally (ok, that's probably an exaggeration…I don't think anything creates lines of people like a Trump rally).



Though we left earlier than many Houstonians, it still took us 16 hours to reach Austin. We felt worn out and hungry, but we'd made it. In the end, the hurricane didn't hit much of Texas and took a sharp northbound turn in the Gulf.



Looking back, I was woefully unprepared. What would have happened if we'd gotten a flat tire or the car broke down? What if we'd run out of gas? What if the freeway got shut down by an accident, and we'd been forced to camp by the car?



I expect things to just workout. Most of the time, they do. But what happens when they don't? I should have learned from that experience right away, but sometimes it takes time and new circumstances for wisdom to become meaningful.



An Emergency Kit for an Upcoming Road Trip



As Vanessa and I planned a road trip to Florida with our grandson, it got me thinking about a plan for the unexpected.



I read about bug-out bags and survival kits in the past. But traveling with our grandson added another level of importance to being prepared.



So, I made a list of items specific to roadside emergencies and another list related to survival needs.



Since there's plenty of room in the bed of my truck, I decided to get most of the critical stuff put together into one kit.



A few points about the kit:




I don’t believe this is the “ultimate” emergency kit as each emergency requires different items. I think I have most of the essentials covered, but I’m sure others would think of additional items to add (please do so in the comments section).



Depending on your budget, you can spend a lot more than I did. For example, I spent under $40 on the backpack but could have easily spent $400+ on a better bag. I wanted my bases covered without breaking the bank.



After my emergency kit components showed up, I realized how few of the items were "Made in the USA." Even worse, many show they were made in China. That might not bother some people (and might even be celebrated by President Biden),