DIY Emergency Kits

You never know when a bad situation will arise. It could be five miles from your home or five states from home. Plus, fewer new vehicles offer spare tires and instead come with tire inflators and some type of tire repair sealant. We here at Sharp Automotive believe it is important to have an emergency kit in your car for any occasion where you may be stuck on the side of the road.  

What comes in an emergency kit? 

There are tons of emergency kits you can buy from places like Amazon, Walmart, or Harbor Freight. The size of your Chevy, GMC, or Toyota will start to dictate the amount of space you have for such a kit. You can buy kits for $20 that will include some gloves, jumper cables, a flashlight, and maybe some adhesive bandages. You can also buy a kit that’s $50 or more that’ll have all those things, plus a tire inflator, a tire repair kit, a full first aid kit, and some reflective triangles, among other things.  

The use of your vehicle influences an emergency kit 

If, for example, you have a Toyota Camry, you may want a simple emergency kit. If you have a truck or SUV that you use for towing or off-roading—think 4Runner, Land Cruiser, Tahoe, or Sierra—then you may want to look at adding a heavy-duty scissor or bottle jack to your emergency kit. If you have the space, then a nice three- or four-ton Pittsburgh or Badlands off-road floor jack from Harbor Freight will work great. It must be noted that a jack of any kind should not be used in place of jack stands. Any jack, new or old, can fail and hurt someone underneath a vehicle. Please always use caution when working under a vehicle.  

What if I want to build my own emergency kit? 

You can build out your own emergency kit and just buy a small duffel or tool bag in which to keep everything. Here are the main things you should have in your emergency kit: jumper cables; flashlights and headlamp; road flares or reflective triangles; proper first aid kit with scissors, gauze, bandages, and medications; good tire repair kit; tire inflator that plugs into a 12v socket; tire sealant; and a portable jump starter that you can charge in your car and use to jumpstart a dead battery. All of that will run you closer to $100-$200. 

Are jumper cables all the same? 

When it comes to jumper cables, most kits will come with a set that is anywhere from 8 to 10 feet, but we recommend getting a set that is at least 12 feet. Depending on your engine size, look at getting a lower-gauge cable. The minimum you would want to buy is at least a 4-6 gauge because that will work well with most cars that have four-cylinder or V6 engines. However, if you own a V8 or a diesel, then you want to step up (down, numerically) to a 2 gauge that will be able to safely handle the load for the battery.  

How can I choose the best portable jump starter? 

If you decide to look at a portable jump starter/box, some popular and seemingly reliable brands are Noco, GooLoo, and a few others. A popular YouTube channel called Project Farm (link opens to a video) has a great video comparing different brands of portable jump starters. The owner and face of the channel does not take sponsorship money, so all of the reviews are honest. Some jump starter brands offer all-in-one jumpers with tire inflators and chargers for devices. Most can be plugged into 12v sockets or USB ports in the car to charge.  

Should I buy some hand tools, too? 

If you are handy or savvy with a set of tools, it wouldn’t hurt to have a simple set of screwdrivers, sockets, a socket wrench, wrenches, pliers, and the like from places like Harbor Freight or Walmart with its Hyper Tough brand. A decent tool set that comes in a case that you can leave in the trunk of your car or under your seat will run you anywhere from $25 to $50, depending on the brand you buy. Make sure to secure items like tools that could act as projectiles.  

It’s better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it 

Whether you buy a pre-made kit or put together a kit piece-by-piece, it is better to have something than nothing. The last thing you want is to be stuck in the middle of nowhere or on a dark highway alone waiting for help.  

Why choose Sharp Automotive 

But if you do need help, the professionals at Sharp Automotive can help recommend some good options for the vehicle you are buying or looking to buy. At Sharp Automotive, we offer our customers some of the best prices and services around. With dozens of new and used vehicles to choose from, our excellent sales team and finance department will work hard to make sure you drive away happy. And our fantastic service department will take care of your new-to-you vehicle as if it were their own. 

We look forward to serving you soon.