What goes in a car emergency kit, and what is just clutter
A short list of the things that actually help when something goes wrong.
By CampingSpirit Editors · August 19, 2026 · 3 min read
Pre-built car emergency kits are often full of things you will never use and short of the things you will. A useful kit fits in a small duffel bag and covers the four most likely problems on a road trip: a dead battery, a flat tire, getting stuck, and waiting a long time for help. Everything else is a bonus.
The essentials
Bring a lithium jump starter, which lets you restart the car without a second vehicle, and a tire inflator that plugs into the 12-volt socket. Pack a tire-plug kit if you know how to use it, a headlamp with spare batteries, a first-aid kit you have actually opened, work gloves and at least four litres (a gallon) of water per person. Add an emergency blanket for every seat and a phone charging cable that fits the car.
What European rules require
Several European countries require specific items by law, and foreign cars are not exempt. A warning triangle and a reflective vest are compulsory in many countries; some require a vest for every occupant, kept within reach of the seats rather than in the boot. Some also require a first-aid kit, spare bulbs or, in winter, snow chains or winter tires on marked roads. Check the rules of every country on your route before you leave.
By season and region
In winter, add a folding shovel, traction mats, an ice scraper, hand warmers and a proper warm layer for everyone, because a stopped car gets cold fast. For desert trips, carry much more water than you think you need, a shade cloth and electrolyte tablets. In the mountains, carry chains if you might need them and practise fitting them once at home. On remote gravel roads, a full-size spare wheel is worth more than any gadget.
Information is part of the kit
Write down your roadside assistance number, insurance details and the emergency number for each country (112 works across the EU, 911 in the US and Canada). Save offline maps and know roughly where the last fuel and phone signal are before a remote stretch. A note on the dashboard with your vehicle height and the tire pressures saves guesswork at the roadside.
Skip these
Leave out cheap multi-tools that break the first time you use them, glow sticks when you already have a headlamp, and flimsy jumper cables too short to reach between two cars. Most of all, skip any kit you have never unpacked. Open everything once at home, charge what needs charging, and check it again at the start of every season.
