Emergency Roadside Kit: Your Must Haves!

by Easton Motors

Emergency Roadside Kit: Your Must-Haves!

In my last post I talked about my favorite gift ideas from Amazon Prime. I waded through tons of reviews and made sure that the items I found weren’t only fun, that they were also GOOD products. The item I had the most difficult time with were the roadside emergency kits. There were SO many kits that claimed they were the best! In fact, the “Amazon’s Choice” one was one of the worst ones I found. It’s so hard to find a kit that has both variety and good quality items in it! A good or bad kit could mean someone’s life in these unforgiving Wisconsin winters, after all. After the time I spent looking for a good kit I decided to make a post dedicated specifically to finding/making an emergency roadside kit that meets our Wisconsinite standards!!! 

            The first thing I looked at when choosing a kit was the pictures. I have to say that they were deceiving. Even the descriptions of some if the kits were not exactly honest. One of the kits claimed to have 48 pieces and 24 of those 48 pieces were individual Band-Aids. *insert eye roll here* I quickly learned that I needed to be looking past the surface to find what I was really searching for. I scrolled down to find the contents of each kit. I was sure I found the right one! The list of items and the pictures looked great! Then I scrolled a little further to find the reviews…

Now, any veteran online shopper knows that sellers always put the best reviews first. Do not be afraid to do your homework guys. As they say, knowledge is power! The biggest issues I’ve seen were the quality of the items not matching their pictures and misleading descriptions. The best way to combat those issues is to read the reviews! A lot of people will even post actual pictures of the items they’ve received!

The must haves that I’ve seen for a good kit are as follows!

  • #1 A GOOD QUALITY SET OF JUMPER CABLES- this is so important! Even if you already have a jumper pack (which I definitely recommend); having a good set of cables will make a HUGE difference. I have not found a kit yet that has a good set of jumper cables. Buying them separately is the best way to go.
  • #2 A MINI AIR COMPRESSOR FOR A FLAT TIRE- this can save so much time! If it’s just a simple flat tire and not a puncture or burst, one of these will help until you can get to a shop and get a new tire. *It is recommended that you have matching front/back tires, so you’ll want to spring for two if you can* 
  • #3 A GOOD FIRST-AID KIT- you’ll want a kit that includes burn cream, antibiotic ointment, gauze medical tape, and plenty of bandages/Band-Aids. 
  • #4 A GOOD QUALITY, STRONG TOW STRAP- this is another item that I saw a lot of negative reviews for. Almost every kit I saw had a poor quality strap that snapped on the first attempt at use.
  •  #5 BUNGEE CORDS- this would be helpful if you hit a deer or tree or in a worst case scenario another car. You can use them to hold your hood or trunk closed or your bumper on until you can get to a shop to get it fixed.
  •  #6 GLOW STICKS AND/OR ROAD FLARES- when we finally do get the snow that is inevitably coming, that paired with the darkness at night can cause slim to no visibility. Have flares/glowsticks can be a huge help in getting assistance in an emergency situation.
  • #7 AN EMERGENCY THERMAL MYLAR BLANKET- these things are cheap and vital to any winter emergency. I’ve found them from .80 to $4 for a reusable one! Grab a few of them! They take up no space and can save you from hypothermia and frost bite!
  • #8 A SNOW SHOVEL – if all it takes is shoveling yourself out to get back on the road, you will kick yourself for not having at least a small shovel in your trunk.
  • #9 A MULTI-TOOL- I don’t need to tell you what uses a multi-tool could have in ANY situation let alone an emergency one. One of these bad boys is great you carry with you anyway in your pocket or purse.
  • #10 A WARM BLANKET AND WOOL GLOVES, HAT, & SCARF- If you’re going to be stuck outside changing a tire or shoveling out your vehicle, you will thank me for suggesting these items ;)

 

Well there you have it!

Again, quality is everything here. It is so tempting to go cheap, but these things are being purchased for an emergency situation. This means that you don’t have any other option. We don’t know when another car will pass by, or how long you will be stuck for. In these situations you can’t afford to put price over quality. Thanks for reading and if anyone has more ideas for must-have items for your roadside emergency kit, PLEASE, let us know in the comments!

And remember to stop in or call any of our 5 locations to talk about our AMAZING In-house Financing program! You can call 608.254.6855 to reach any of our sales reps! Until next time, stay warm and stay safe! –Lindsey Wade, Finance Associate, Baraboo Location

Emergency Roadside Kit: Your Must-Haves!

In my last post I talked about my favorite gift ideas form Amazon Prime. I waded through tons of reviews and made sure that the items I found weren’t only fun, that they were also GOOD products. The item I had the most difficult time with were the roadside emergency kits. There were SO many kits that claimed they were the best! In fact, the “Amazon’s Choice” one was one of the worst ones I found. It’s so hard to find a kit that has both variety and good quality items in it! A good or bad kit could mean someone’s life in these unforgiving Wisconsin winters, after all. After the time I spent looking for a good kit I decided to make a post dedicated specifically to finding/making an emergency roadside kit that meets our Wisconsinite standards!!! 

            The first thing I looked at when choosing a kit were the pictures. I have to say that they were deceiving. Even the descriptions of some if the kits were not exactly honest. One of the kits claimed to have 48 pieces and 24 of those 48 pieces were individual Band-Aids. *insert eye roll here* I quickly learned that I needed to be looking past the surface to find what I was really searching for. I scrolled down to find the contents of each kit. I was sure I found the right one! The list of items and the pictures looked great! Then I scrolled a little further to find the reviews…

Now, any veteran online shopper knows that sellers always put the best reviews first. Do not be afraid to do your homework guys. As they say, knowledge is power! The biggest issues I’ve seen were the quality of the items not matching their pictures and misleading descriptions. The best way to combat those issues are to read the reviews! A lot of people will even post actual pictures of the items they’ve received!

The must have’s that I’ve seen for a good kit are as follows!

  • #1 A GOOD QUALITY SET OF JUMPER CABLES- this is so important! Even if you already have a jumper pack (which I definitely recommend); having a good set of cables will make a HUGE difference. I have not found a kit yet that has a good set of jumper cables. Buying them separately is the best way to go.
  • #2 A MINI AIR COMPRESSOR FOR A FLAT TIRE- this can save so much time! If it’s just a simple flat tire and not a puncture or burst, one of these will help until you can get to a shop and get a new tire. *It is recommended that you have matching front/back tires, so you’ll want to spring for two if you can*
  • #3 A GOOD FIRST-AID KIT- you’ll want a kit that includes burn cream, antibiotic ointment, gauze medical tape, and plenty of bandages/Band-Aids.
  • #4 A GOOD QUALITY, STRONG TOW STRAP- this is another item that I saw a lot of negative reviews for. Almost every kit I saw had a poor quality strap that snapped on the first attempt at use.
  • #5 BUNGEE CORDS- this would be helpful if you hit a deer or tree or in a worst-case scenario another car. You can use them to hold your hood or trunk closed or your bumper on until you can get to a shop to get it fixed.
  • #6 GLOW STICKS AND/OR ROAD FLARES- when we finally do get the snow that is inevitably coming, that paired with the darkness at night can cause slim to no visibility. Have flares/glowsticks can be a huge help in getting assistance in an emergency situation.
  • #7 AN EMERGENCY THERMAL MYLAR BLANKET- these things are cheap and vital to any winter emergency. I’ve found them from .80 to $4 for a reusable one! Grab a few of them! They take up no space and can save you from hypothermia and frost bite!
  • #8 A SNOW SHOVEL – if all it takes is shoveling yourself out to get back on the road, you will kick yourself for not having at least a small shovel in your trunk.
  • #9 A MULTI-TOOL- I don’t need to tell you what uses a multi-tool could have in ANY situation let alone an emergency one. One of these bad boys is great you carry with you anyway in your pocket or purse.

#10 A WARM BLANKET AND WOOL GLOVES, HAT, & SCARF- If you’re going to be stuck outside changing a tire or shoveling out your vehicle, you will thank me for suggesting these items ;)

 

 

Well there you have it!

Again, quality is everything here. It is so tempting to go cheap, but these things are being purchased for an emergency situation. This means that you don’t have any other option. We don’t know when another car will pass by, or how long you will be stuck for. In these situations you can’t afford to put price over quality. Thanks for reading and if anyone has more ideas for must-have items for your roadside emergency kit, PLEASE, let us know in the comments!

And remember to stop in or call any of our 5 locations to talk about our AMAZING In-house Financing program! You can call 608.254.6855 to reach any of our sales reps! Until next time, stay warm and stay safe! –Lindsey Wade, Finance Associate, Baraboo Location

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