Road trips are a blast until an emergency happens. If you’re stranded on the side of the road, as I have been in the past, trying to calm panicked kids and call for help, fun goes down the drain. I learned the hard way; pack travel emergency supplies to keep in the car. Want to pack a kit for your travel adventures but aren’t sure what to pack? We’ve got you covered with our list of items to include in Road Trip Emergency Kit.
How to Pack a Road Trip Emergency Kit
I’ve discovered it’s smart for me to carry a big purse. It can hold the kid’s junk that they randomly hand me, along with cameras, phones, and whatever else we need. Whether you have a big purse or not, it’s a good idea to keep emergency items in the glovebox, in the console, and in the trunk.
Emergency Items to Keep in the Glovebox
Remember all those documents you need in an emergency situation? This is the place to store them. Place them in an envelope and label them as “Emergency Documents” in case you are incapacitated.
- Insurance Card
- Vehicle Registration
- Copy of Driver’s License
- List of medications and dosage information for each family member, drug and other allergies, along with any medical conditions
- Keep these items in a plastic bag in the glove compartment:
- tissues
- hand sanitizer
- wipes
- Other handy items to keep in the glove compartment:
- small notebook and a pen
- small flashlight with extra batteries
- the car owner’s manual
- phone charger
- ice scraper
- a multipurpose tool
- tire gauge
Emergency Items to Keep in the Console:
- I like to keep any of the emergency medical items I might need quickly here. Good items to include:
- one day’s worth of any prescription medication for each family member
- extra set of glasses and a lens cleaning cloth
- headache medication
- antacid medication
- motion sickness medication (if your kids are prone to frequent bouts of motion sickness, keep these items in a plastic bag. You’ll thank me for that tip later.
- If you have extra room in the console, throw in a small portable umbrella and sunglasses.
Emergency Items to Keep in the Trunk:
This is the place to keep all those large items that take up more space, along with a compact emergency first aid kit. I usually store my first aid supplies in a small plastic pencil box. You can find these on sale for around 50 cents in July and August during back-to-school sales.
- Items for First Aid Kit:
- sunscreen and aloe vera burn gel
- insect repellent
- band-aids in different sizes
- allergy medication (like Benedryl) in pills and cream form
- antibiotic ointment (like Neosporin)
- cough and/or cold medication
- gauze
- thermometer
- tweezers (if you need to remove splinters, bee stingers, or ticks)
- hydrogen peroxide for cleaning wounds
- calamine lotion for poison ivy, itching, etc.
- lip balm
- All medications from the console if you prefer not to keep them there
- Hand Sanitizer and wipes if you prefer not to keep them in the glove compartment
Other Good Items for the Trunk:
- Blanket
- Snacks- Granola bars and bottled water are good choices
- Spare Tire or Fix-a-Flat
- Jumper Cables
- Flares
Good Items For Kid’s Emergency Kits:
“Be Prepared for the Unexpected.” That’s been my motto since I had children. Who knows when they are going to fall into a creek, fall off a swing, or tumble down a hill? Yes, these are all things that have happened to my kids.
- If you have younger children, include the following:
- a change of clothes for each child (I pack an older set), along with extra diapers or pull-ups, and wipes
- snacks- something easy, portable, resealable, and doesn’t melt. I like to keep dried fruit or granola, along with bottled water or juice packs
- coloring books and a set of colored pencils (don’t use crayons. They melt; usually in the backseat where your child will sit in it.)
- If your children are older, add in an extra pair of earbuds or headphones. It’s helpful in case their earbuds quit working and you don’t have the same taste in music.
Important Safety Tip:
Check the dates on medications, batteries, food, and water and replace as needed.
Do you have any suggestions for car emergency items? What is your must-have road trip emergency item you would never leave home without?
You Might Like These Posts:
8 Safety Tips for Women Traveling Solo
It makes things so much easier when you pack what you need & you don’t have to run out & buy the items in a panic! We always pack away an old set of clothes in the trunk.
I keep an emergency kit in our car and it contains the items you mentioned plus a mini sewing kit for small sewing repairs. I need to check my kit to make sure no items have passed their expiration dates. Thanks for the reminder.
I love this. I always feel like I am not prepared in case of an emergency but this has it all covered.
Those are great ideas! It’s good to have an emergency travel kit especially if you travel often. It’s a must have!
This is not a bad idea to do. I love that you included lip balm. I’d be lost without it!
Wow, this is so nice. I love this idea, I should make some emergency bags for the family.
Omg this has me wanting to make an emergency bag since I don’t have one!!!! I really need to get on this. You never know when something can happen
I keep a bag of similar items in our motorhome. You never know when you’ll need extra or if there’s an emergency that arises.
Thanks for the reminder to create an emergency bag and deets on everything I need to put in it! Definitely going to get on this over the weekend! Great post!
I have an emergency bag with several of the items you mentioned, especially our son’s EpiPen in case of emergencies.
I should do better about keeping an extra set of clothing for him even though he’s 6.
I need to make a bag like this for my car. It is a great idea to have these things on hand. I will have to make one for my Daughters car as well.
This is a handy list. I always need lists to keep me in order or I always forget something and that one thing is usually what I end up needing the most! ha!
This is such a great idea. I have 3 girls now so having these will be a must, especially when we take some trips in the future. Can’t ever be too careful!
What a great idea. We so need an emergency kit in our home. Your post just reminded me to make one!
This is a great list of things to have in an emergency travel bag. You never know when something is going to happen when you are on the road so an emergency travel bag is indeed awesome to have for sure. Thanks for sharing the list.
Great article here – I like your list.
Your pictures also really spell things out nicely.
These are absolutely great ideas and all are must have for a woman’s emergency. Thank you for sharing.
These are great suggestions. Some of those are on my car emergency kit but I think I need to update and add more important stuffs..
This will be perfect!!!! Hahahaha Im socrash up when it comes to emergency bag feels like i wantto put everything! 😀
You know I did have a little first aid kit in my old car but I probably need a full blown emergency travel kit. I need to make one because I travel outside my state often.
I have an emergency kit for road trips too. I include many of the same items you have and I also include some emergency cash. You just never know when you’ll need it.
I really need to do this. I am the most unprepared person!
As a Mom I feel like I’m a walking emergency travel bag kit. During the winter months I create a safety emergency back to keep in my truck.
An emergency travel bag is actually a genius idea! I usually just put all essentials in my carry-on but a separate bag or pouch would actually be really good to have.
Hand wipes, extra clothing, band-aids, and bottles of water are definite musts in our emergency travel bag. Then there’s the book to read during stops or road construction. I haven’t carried crayons for awhile. I appreciate your hint about them melting, so use colored pens or pencils.
I need to do this. I used to be so good at it.
What a great idea. I totally need to do this for self. It really would come in handy.
I totally do! A Momma Bag is what my kiddos call it – pass the Momma bag please they always say – usually for bandaids! I will have to have a flashlight to mine now!
This about covers it. I keep a lot of things we need in my console storage. First aid kits, brush, wipes etc.
When traveling regardless of if it’s far away or just to the store I think an emergency travel bag or kit is a fantastic idea because you really never know what’s going to happen! One of my travel must haves is my pain medication; travel can be hard on me, especially if it’s a long trip, and pain does not bode well when traveling.
I wouldn’t have thought of all of these things! Good ideas. We ran into the ‘crayons melting in the seat’ situation when my kids were little!
This really is a great idea, especially when you have kids. I tend to throw last min stuff in my purse if we are headed out for a while, or a long road trip. But an designated bag would be even better.
These are some great suggestions. We like to have dramamine on hand.
I am absolutely awful at packing I never know what I should put in, so this is such a great post I shall definitely be saving it for later.
Everyone needs a kit like this. I also keep $20 in it in case I need cash for something.
We had one and they defiantly come in handy for road trips.
These are great ideas to have in your mobile emergency kit. I love road trips as well and these would come in handy :).
This is a great reminder of everything that should be in an emergency bag! I need to update mine, you gave me some good ideas of things to add to it!
When we travelled a lot we had one but now we don’t really go out of the city very often so my emergency bag is non-existent. We do have an emergency bag with jumper cables and a pump to inflate a tire but nothing for me…. I need to get my bases covered!
I pretty much keep the same stuff in my emergency bag that you do. You’ve got to cover all your bases for the kids and the adults.
My must have item is an emergency tool. It can get you out of almost anything if you wreck your car.