Commuter Preparedness: The value of Roadside Emergency and Car Comfort Kits

Winter is approaching. Almost every college student can feel it. Whether it is the brisk morning dew or falling leaves, the undeniable cold and eventual snow are approaching. For students that commute, this presents additional challenges. To prepare for the unexpected, I want you to prepare 2 different kits in your car. The 1^st is your Roadside Emergency Kit and the 2^nd is your Car Comfort Kit.

The Roadside kit has everything you need in the chance of an emergency; jumper cables, screwdrivers, clamps, etc. You will find these kits at any hardware store and they’re considered a car owners necessity. But beyond this, having extra lights for your Brake and Turning signals is a no brainer. In older cars these can be changed very quickly.

The 2^nd kit is designed for you. In my trunk, I keep a laundry sack with a few key items. The kit should have some extra non-perishable food. I prefer canned soup with a pull off tab and some paper plates/silverware. If you forgot to bring your lunch to work this comes in handy. There are also many different types of microwavable noodles that only require water.

This leads me to storing an extra water bottle. If temperatures fall below freezing, this definitely should be brought inside at night. Lastly snacks are another great idea. If you spontaneously decide to go to the movies, bring in a snack or two. Get hungry one day, grab a snickers. (lol). Some additional items you could include are a warm blanket, gloves and a hat. Surplus stores sell very warm wool blankets for cheap, so take advantage of that.

Leave me a comment if you have or can think of additional items to keep.

-Dylan