Your car is where a small emergency is most likely to find you — a dead phone on a dark road, a cut that needs covering, a cold wait for help. A compact car survival kit won't turn you into a survival expert, but it means you're not caught completely empty-handed. Here's a simple checklist of what's worth keeping in one.
A light source
When the sun's down and something goes wrong, light comes first. A small LED flashlight helps you check under the bonnet, find dropped keys or signal for help.
A way to make warmth and fire
A thermal blanket takes up almost no space and can keep you warm during a cold wait. Matches give you fire for warmth or light.
A cutting tool and cordage
A small knife handles seatbelts, packaging and rope. A few metres of cord and some cable ties cover quick fixes and securing loose things.
A way to signal and navigate
A whistle carries much further than your voice, and a built-in compass helps you get your bearings if you leave the car.
Small repairs
A sewing kit and a couple of plasters handle the little things that would otherwise nag at you all day.
Keep it compact
The trick is to keep it all in one place, so it's actually there when you need it — not scattered through the boot. That's exactly the idea behind our Survival Kit M and Survival Kit L: the tools above, gathered into one tough, white 3D-printed case that fits in your glovebox. Designed and made in Estonia, with kit items in your choice of five colours.
Keep one in the car, forget about it, and be glad it's there on the day you need it.