The next step
In your car
There are two things this page focuses on: items to have in the event of a breakdown, and items to have in the event you are forced to walk home rather than drive.
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For a breakdown
0 of 7 · stuck, day or nightSeven things: jumper cables or a jump starter, warning triangles, a fire extinguisher, a flashlight, a phone charger, a bleeding control kit, and a blanket per person. A way to start the car, be seen on the shoulder, put out a small fire, and stay warm if you are stuck overnight.
01
the pack starts the car alone but needs charging twice a year
Jumper cables are tried and true. A lithium battery pack starts the car without needing to connect to a second car. The catch is that NOCO recommends recharging it every four to six months. Hybrids and EVs have an ordinary 12-volt battery that dies the same way, and either option works on it; the manual shows where to connect. Never use an EV or hybrid as the donor car.
No choreEnergizer heavy-duty jumper cables, 16 to 20 ft, 4 gaugeNeeds a second car. Nothing to maintain. The 20 ft length reaches when the cars are nose to nose in a parking lot.about $30Walmart · Amazon
Starts it aloneNOCO Boost GB40, 1,000 A (or the GB50 on Amazon)Any car or SUV, and most pickups. The GB40 is out of stock on Amazon; the GB50 there is the same line, one size up, about $150, and covers every pickup too. Recharge every four to six months.about $100NOCO · Walmart · Amazon, GB50
02
3-pack, weighted bases
A simple way to warn other drivers to slow down. Triangles never need batteries and work in daylight. LED flares are visible farther at night and in fog and rain, and need their batteries checked.
03
5-B:C, under a seat
Car fires are fuel and electrical, so you want a B:C fire extinguisher (5-B:C is the minimum). Both picks are tested and come with a bracket.
NicerAmerex B417T, 1-A:10-B:C, 2.5 lbLarger capacity and efficacy, but also takes up more space.about $63FireExtinguisherDepot · Amazon
04
AA, cells that don't leak in heat
The same recommended flashlight as the home list.
05
You probably already have this. If not, get one and leave it in the car. Newer cars have USB ports built in, in which case only the cable matters.
PickAnker 323 car charger, 52.5 W, with USB-C cableOne USB-C port at 30 W and one USB-A. Anker sells the bundle with the cable; the Target and Amazon listings are the charger alone.about $24Anker · Target, charger only · Amazon, charger only
06
a genuine C-A-T tourniquet, from the maker or a listed dealer
If you are going to keep a first aid kit in your car, consider focusing on one designed for stopping serious bleeding that includes a tourniquet, a pressure dressing, gauze to pack a wound, etc. This is another place where buying directly avoids counterfeiting issues. Take the Stop the Bleed class before you need it; it is free and takes about ninety minutes. There is no harm in having a small traditional first aid kit and/or a few N95 masks.
Bleeding controlNorth American Rescue Bleeding Control Kit, STBC-A-T Gen 7 tourniquet, a QuikClot dressing, a pressure dressing, shears, gloves, a marker and an instruction card, in an 8 oz pouch. Matches the Stop the Bleed program's kit list.about $100North American Rescue
Cuts and scrapesJohnson & Johnson Travel Ready first aid kit, 80 piecesA hard case with bandages, gauze, tape, wipes, a few Tylenol and a tube of Neosporin.about $11Target · Amazon
MasksPowecom KN95, ear loops, 10-packTwo in the glovebox; the rest stay with the home kit.about $12Bona Fide Masks
07
fleece, not foil
For being stuck overnight in the cold. A fleece throw per seat does it; a wool blanket is warmer and stays warm when damp, and one covers two people. The foil kind tears and does not insulate on its own.
Cheapest, one per personA fleece throw, 50×60 inMainstays at Walmart, Room Essentials at Target, Amazon Basics.about $8Walmart · Target · Amazon
Warmer, one per carArcturus military wool blanket, 64×88 in80% wool, 4.5 lb, big enough for two.about $40Arcturus Gear · Amazon
ScraperMallory 532 Cool-Force snow brush and ice scraper, 26 inThe plain one.about $16Walmart · Amazon
For getting home
0 of 5 · when driving isn't an optionFive things: water and snack bars, old tennis shoes, cash and a copy of the family plan, a power bank with a few days of any medication, and a paper map. Think about what you’d wish you had if you were forced to walk home. The same short list fits a desk drawer at work.
08
replace every six months
A case of bottled water and a box of bars without a chocolate or yogurt coating, which melts. Keep both out of direct sun, and replace them every six months if you can.
09
Chances are you aren’t going to want to walk home in your work shoes. Old tennis shoes and a pair of socks in a bag are worth stashing in your trunk, plus an old rain shell / fleece.
10
small bills
Fifty dollars in small bills, because card readers and ATMs go down with the power. And where to meet and who picks up which kid, from the top of the home list, printed.
11
For the walk home from the office, where there is no car battery to charge from. The same power bank as the home list. A few days of anything you take daily, from the ninety-day supply.
12
A road map, in case cell service goes down.
PickRand McNally Easy to Fold map of your stateLaminated, one per state. The Amazon link is a search for the series; pick your state.about $11Rand McNally · Walmart · Amazon
Prices in this section checked Sep 2026
Disagree with a pick, or know a better one? Email me.