Summer road trip safety essentials for your trunk

When you hit the road for a road trip this summer, it’s important to make sure you’re prepared for summer temperatures as well as any potential emergencies. Here’s a quick list of essential items to have in your trunk before you go.

lanterns

Yes, it is summer, but it still gets dark at night. Flashlights are an essential item to have in your trunk, whether you’re on a road trip or not. Today, the best flashlights use LEDs, which are smaller and brighter, perfect to carry in the trunk for any roadside emergency. Also consider getting a hand crank or solar powered flashlight. Solar power is great for summer as there are more hours of light during the day to charge the light. The crank power is great if you get stuck at night and don’t have batteries for the lights.

food/water

Your first essential is food and water. Buy some pitchers of water, instead of small water bottles. A pitcher will be easier to store in the trunk and will also be easier to use if you need to pour water on a fire or use water for your car. You can also drink from the pitcher if needed or fill your smaller water bottles with it. For lunch, instead of snacks that can be shredded, grab a few boxes of protein bars when they’re on sale. The protein bars will be individually wrapped and even if crushed they will still be edible. Protein bars will also be able to handle the heat, unless you choose chocolate covered bars.

Emergency and repair supplies

If you get stuck on the road and break down, it will come in handy to have essential emergency and repair supplies. Make sure you have things like a jack, jumper cables, spare tire, shovel, flares, first aid kit, fire extinguisher, blanket, tarp, flares, duct tape, and knife.

electronics essentials

Having a cell phone can be a lifesaver in many situations, but if it runs out of charge and your car battery dies, it doesn’t do much good. Make sure you have a power bank handy. There are even solar powered power banks available. Also make sure you have a regular battery-powered radio. A solar or battery-powered fan would also come in handy in case your air conditioner ever shuts down.