5 Must Have Tools for Your Roadside Breakdown Kit

Roadside breakdown kits are essential to have in any car. However, many people aren't sure what's important to keep in them. No fear! I’m here to help you create your own top of the line roadside breakdown kit.

Here are the five essential tools I believe everyone should have in their breakdown kit:

1. A portable cell phone charger with flashlight and/or beacon OR a fully charged "emergency phone" stashed in the car: Since we all have had our cell phone batteries run low, a portable charger can be very beneficial, especially if it has the flashlight/beacon feature. There is no such thing as too noticeable when you’re sitting in the emergency lane or the shoulder of a remote two-lane road.
2. Emergency LED Flashers OR Flares (9+) OR Beacons OR Triangle Warning Signs (3): Most professional emergency kit builders recommend at least 3 triangle signs spaced 50 feet apart to give oncoming traffic better information about where the trouble is. Emergency flares can also signal your troubled situation. Much like triangle signs, you should place three flares 50 feet apart to warn oncoming traffic. The cost of flares is low enough to warrant buying boxes of 12 or 24. 
3.  LifeHammer Auto Escape Tool: Made in the Netherlands, LifeHammer® allows people to escape from being trapped in vehicles by cutting jammed seat belts and breaking car windows. www.lifehammer.com, Smittybilt Recovery Strap: You never know when you might need to give or receive a tow. www.smittybilt.com
4. Portable Battery Jumper/Charger OR Jumper Cables OR The Schumacher SpeedCharge: SpeedCharge is a fully automatic battery charger that uses advanced technology to charge up to twice as fast as conventional chargers. While it is important to have a pair of jumper cables in your car, they may not be the best choice if you are stranded on a two-lane back-road with little or no traffic. However, in many cases, insurance companies have "Jump Start / Battery Charge" included in their auto policies' Roadside Assistance.
5. Emergency Space Blankets: Low-weight, low-bulk blankets designed to reduce your body’s heat loss. Space blankets are perfect for emergency breakdowns, especially if it’s in the middle of the cold New Jersey winter! www.nitro-pak.com.

While these are what I consider the 5 most important items to have in your emergency kit, there is a multitude of other items you should consider adding as well. What are your must-haves in your emergency kit? Let me know by leaving a comment below!

Sources

1) www.farmers.com/auto/optional-coverage

2) www.cbsnews.com/news/worst-case-scenarios-8-biggest-car-breakdown-headaches/