How does your vehicle’s emergency kit look?

You don’t want to leave anything to chance when contending with Portland’s often unpredictable seasons. Packing an emergency kit may make the difference between getting back on the road soon, or being stuck for an unpredictable amount of time. (Brr!)

Every driver should think about such protection. After all, you can’t always predict the weather, but you can prepare for the worst. Yet most people neglect to prepare for such occurrences and find themselves wishing they had had more foresight.

The good news is you can be proactive and gather some necessary items that can help in the event of a breakdown or whiteout. First of all, always make sure your have the equipment for changing a flat ― a working jack, an inflated spare tire, a lug nut wrench or tire iron, and pipe for leverage.

In addition, you should consider including the following:

• Roadside flares
• A first-aid kit
• Work gloves or latex gloves
• Two quarts of oil
• Jumper cables
• One gallon of antifreeze
• Brake fluid
• Extra fuses
• A blanket
• A flashlight with fresh batteries
• A Phillips head screwdriver
• A flat head screwdriver
• Vise grips
• An adjustable wrench
• A pair of pliers
• A tire inflator
• A tire pressure gauge
• Some rags and a funnel
• A roll of duct tape
• A roll of paper towels
• A spray bottle with washer fluid
• An ice scraper
• A AAA or roadside emergency card
• Triangle reflectors and flares
• A pocketknife
• Bottled water
• Granola or energy bars
• Shovel

If you’re concerned about cluttter and/or space, consider buying a large, heavy duty bag or crate that can store these items in your trunk. You can also find pre-assembled emergency roadside kits that contain the basics. And, of course a clean vehicle is a safer vehicle, so make sure you visit Scrubby’s soon to take care of that caked on mud and grime on your windshield!