Your Automotive Emergency Kit
Three Lions Garage recommends you have the following items in your Automotive Emergency Kit (and keep them all in a medium-sized tool bag in your trunk):
- First Aid Kit
recommended: AAA 121-Piece Road Trip First Aid Kit
(other sources: your neighborhood sporting goods or outdoor outfitter store)
- Safety Glasses
recommended: DeWalt Dominator Safety Glasses, Clear Lens
(other sources: local hardware or home improvement store; because you only get one set of eyes)
- Heavy Duty Jumper Cables
recommended: Capri Tools Heavy-Duty Auto Jumper Cables – 20Ft Length – Heavy 4-Gauge Wire with Storage Bag
(we recommend ONLY 4 or 6 gauge cables in 16-20 foot length so you are never caught “short”)
- Emergency Flares
recommended: Emergency Road Flares, 6-Pack, 30 Minute Capacity 13″x2.75″x4″, Includes Bright Orange Vest Packaging
(we prefer to rely on the old fashioned “strike-to-light” flares rather than hoping the batteries are not dead on the electric flare lights which have been sitting in your vehicle since who-knows-when. Get 4-6)
- Wheel Chocks
recommended: RhinoGear 11930 Tire Hugger Wheel Chock – Set of 2
- 1 box Heavy Duty Nitrile Gloves
recommended: Dynarex Black Nitrile Exam Gloves, Heavy-Duty, Powder Free, Large, Box/100
- rags
(you have some around the house)
- Funnel
recommended: Hopkins FloTool 05034 Super Funnel
- two quarts of oil
(check your owner’s manual for the recommended type & viscosity for your car)
- a gallon of pre-mixed anti-freeze
recommended: Prestone AF2100 Extended Life 50/50 Antifreeze – 1 Gallon
- duct tape
recommended: Duck Brand 1265013 Colored Duct Tape, Black, 1.88-Inch by 20 Yards, Single Roll
- 1/8″ Nylon Rope
recommended: Lehigh NML48X 1/8-Inch by 48-Feet Diamond Braid Nylon Rope, White
- Multi-bit screwdriver
recommended: Channellock 181CB 18 in 1 Multi Bit Ratcheting Driver
Optional kit items (but a great idea):
- leather work gloves (1 pair)
recommended: Custom Leathercraft 125M Handyman Flex Grip Work Gloves, Medium
- 6′ x 8′ drop cloth
recommended: Dry Top 200683 Heavy Duty Reversible Full Size Polyethylene Tarp, 6-Feet x 8-Feet, Silver/Brown
(this is especially helpful to keep your clothes clean if you have to kneel or lie on the ground)
- old rain jacket
(you have something you can use at home)
- high quality long lug wrench
recommended: Dorman 711-900 AutoGrade Lug Wrench
(why? click here to read what happened when our friend tried to use the one that came with her car)
(I’m a big fan of the Dorman version of the Gorilla Lug Wrench–less expensive but similar quality)
Items to keep in your glove compartment:
- small powerful flashlight
- accurate tire gauge
recommended: TEKTON 5941 Digital Tire Gauge, 100 PSI
- $100 in cash (stashed in a page you’ll remember in your owners manual
- four quarters for phone calls
- a SHINY lincoln penny (for checking tire tread depth)
You can purchase these items in TLG’s Amazon Store by following this link:
THREE LIONS GARAGE STORE
…or source them at your favorite automotive supply and hardware stores.
Think we’ve missed something? Drop us a line on the Contact Us page or, better yet, add a comment…
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