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If you’ve ever had to deal with an auto break down, then you know first-handed how frustrating and potentially scary this situation can be. But the truth of the matter is this: cars are machines, and machines will inevitably break down. Even the sturdiest, newest car or truck can encounter problems, especially during the coldest months of the year. Each year, over twenty-nine million calls for vehicle assistance will be fielded by the Automobile Association of America (AAA), the U.S.’s largest emergency roadside assistance organization. About sixty percent of these calls will the handled expediently on site without the need for towing or further assistance, but the remaining two of five calls involve drivers needing a bit more help. Should you need a tow and aid is neither nearby or closed for the night, you could find yourself in need of certain essentials while you are held up. The old motto “be prepared” definitely applies in terms of things you should have in your car at all times, just in case an emergency should arise. Most of these things are very simple and inexpensive to obtain, and yet become worth their weight in gold during a crisis where you otherwise would not have access to them. Read this, compiled from MSN Auto, and then go out and put your own “worst case scenario” kit together!

I know what many of you out there are saying: “but… I have spent all kinds of money on AAA [or a roadside assistance policy from your car insurer, etc.]! This isn’t for me! I don’t actually need all this stuff taking up space in my car, do I?” To that I have to say: you just never know. I live in Florida, one of the hottest states in the nation, and we had a two-week period this winter where it froze every night and parts of the state saw snow. And are you saying that you never travel in your car to anywhere far away? What if, heaven forbid, your cell phone loses its battery or something else, and you can’t quickly call on your trusty friends with the tow truck? I will defend the fact that nothing on this list – with maybe the exception of the tools – is very expensive, and all can make your life much easier. Is it really worth the risk? I think not.

When you buy a car, one of the first things in it should definitely be an emergency kit. This is a kit of tools and items that serves two purposes. First, to get your vehicle back on the road in the event that it should become disabled. Secondly, the items in your emergency kit can act as first aid in the need that either you or a passenger is hurt in the car. Generally, you can buy one of these kits pre-made from the store, or else assemble your own based on what you need yourself. An example of an emergency kit that you’d buy from a manufacturer might include: a flashlight with spare batteries, a blanket, a weatherproof poncho, an air compressor, jumper cables, tow rope, bungee cords, any of a number of tools, gloves, a roll of duct tape, and a comprehensive first aid kit (with alcohol wipes, disinfectant, band-aids, gauze and tape, scissors, et cetera). There are kits that are less general and more tailored to specific situations, like winter driving or survival-specific kits. MSN recommends building your own to be sure that you get everything you really need – you can tailor it to your own mechanical capabilities, the number of people in your family, and the climate in which you live. Your do-it-yourself emergency kit should be a large container, preferably Velcro-attached at the bottom so it does not slide around your trunk and hurt the contents.

First of all, you should have a few basic everyday mechanic’s tools and an automobile fix-it guide that is simple to read and utilizes layperson’s terms in its instructions. Even if you are absolutely hopeless as a mechanic, there’s a chance that with these items you might be able to avoid becoming stranded for a very minor problem. Alternately, you might be able to fix up the car well enough to get yourself to the closest mechanic or repair shop for a full fix and off the side of the road! These items are the absolute essentials in your kit; the rest are mostly those items that could make the difference between a miserable night on the side of the road somewhere, and an evening spent in relative comfort.

High on that list? Food supplies. Naturally, you aren’t going to be able to keep any amount of fixings for a gourmet dinner in the boot of your car for a long period of time, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t secure provisions that will be edible for the long-term and serve as a meal or two in a pinch. MRE (non-perishable meal rations, available at military supply stores) are optimal, long with survival food bars. High-calorie fitness bars are the next-best alternative, as long as they fall within the two hundred to four hundred calorie range. These ratios will provide you with ample energy in the event that you badly need it. A box of your chosen granola bars is relatively cheap, and will keep well. Individually-packaged nonperishable foods are definitely the way to go in this area.

The next item? You can probably guess that it is water. How much water you pack in your car as an emergency supply for yourself and your family is up to you, and depends to a large extent on how much room you have available in your vehicle. You might be able to fit one of those huge three-gallon dispensers under a seat in your minivan, or you might have to settle for a few liter bottles in your sportscar. Just remember that water is a commodity that is subject to freshness, so be sure you rotate your supply our at least twice a year. MSN recommends that you use holidays as milestones to remind you to do so.

Next on your list of essential items to carry in your car in case of emergency? Clothing. Preferably, you should carry clothing that is both warm and weatherproof – both, if you can get it. Garments made of fleece are ideal for the first criterion, and a survival poncho is great for the second. A windbreaker will help keep heat in and water out, if the elements are a factor that you have to consider. Plus, a spare shirt/pair of pants/set of socks is a good bet. This is one of those items that depends on the climate in which you live, so tailor your selections accordingly. I’m not recommending that you have a full suitcase in the trunk of your car, but a few items can really help you a lot. I’ll make this paragraph a twofer and mention that one or several good, warm blankets are also on the list. There are specialty blankets that trap radiant body heat and guarantee that you won’t freeze to death, but not everyone needs this type of drastic intervention. A few snuggly fleece blankets rolled under your seats where they are out of the way will really come in handy if you end up taking an unplanned camping trip inside your car overnight.

Another absolute essential? A good flashlight, preferably with at least one set of replacement batteries. There are also specialized emergency models that require no batteries, if you are really looking to guild the proverbial lily. These models use kinetic energy that is generated by a hand-crank, or by being shaken. These are obviously the best for long-term use in your car, but not always the first choice if you end up stranded solo with nobody to crank or shake your flashlight while you are trying to look under your car in the dark. If you go with the conventional, battery, operated model, you need to make sure that you swap out your batteries on a regular basis – maybe when you are switching out your water supply? The fancy flashlights do tend to include several other features that make them worth their high price point: attached radios, hazard lights, glass-breaking hammers, alert sirens, seatbelt cutters, and cell phone charging mechanisms. Only you know which type of flashlight will be best. But make sure that you have at least one.

Next up? Jumper cables. These are another absolutely essential and basic item for the safe motorist, since dead batteries are easily the number-one reason that motorists find themselves sidelined with a non-operable vehicle. There are two choices when it comes to the equipment that will get your engine running again: jumper cables, or a portable charging box. Jumper cables require another (working) car for you to hook up to and receive a “jump” from. The charging box eliminates the need for help from another car, but it is both large and cumbersome. If you have considerable strength and room in your vehicle, however, this might just be the way to go. Jumper boxes get their charge from household current, and have attached jumper cables that you use on your battery the same way that you normally would.

The next item on your list should be a first-aid kit. Again, you can purchase one of these yourself or assemble your own. Some new cars are starting to come with first-aid kids installed as part of their factory assembly. If you put together your own kit, you will need basics like adhesive bandages and aspirin, plus non-adhesive bandages (like an Ace wrap), gauze, first-aid cream or ointment, an irrigation syringe, and some nonprescription painkillers like Tylenol and/or Motrin.

Something you might not consider when you think of the next item – tools – is a good spare tire. It can be tempting to avoid the expense, but I guarantee you that you will be ruing the day you were a cheapskate if you have a blowout and your spare is shot to hell. A proper jack and a decent-fitting lug wrench are next up on your list of tire-changing essentials. Have wheel-lock lugs on your tires? Make sure that you know where the key is, and have one on you in the car at all times. Duct tape is another essential. You can do all kinds of things with this kind of tape, from patching a hose to reattaching a thrown belt until you can get the car to the shop. It’s not that you want to be equipped to do a major procedure on your car like change a transmission on the shoulder, but it’s good to be equipped for the basics to give yourself a fighting chance at avoiding time-consuming and potentially costly assistance.

A lighter and matches are next on the list. You definitely don’t want to be lighting anything up in your car, since the risks of fire or carbon monoxide poisoning are too great, but your fire-making tools will definitely come in handy if you find yourself out of your car and in cold weather. This is, of course, unless you have mastered the ancient art of rubbing sticks together to make fire! Of course, these items should be almost unnecessary if you have indeed packed your extra clothes and blankets for warmth, and your super-duper flashlight for light.

Lastly, you should always make sure that you have a decent tow rope. It might be just the simple thing that saves you from a snowdrift, if you are able to get another vehicle to drag you out. You never know when a good length of rope will come in handy, and it doesn’t take up that much room.

Now that you know the ten top items that you should keep in your car in case of emergency, I hope that you are already off putting a kit together! If you are a savvy user of the world wide web, you can quickly and easily compare and contract prices on the items you need for your kit, or look into the pricing of purchasing one pre-assembled.