Fall and winter roads can be tricky. As the weather gets unpredictable, roadside hazards and gridlock are bound to occur.
In 2014, winter storms left Atlanta area emergency services unprepared, and thousands of drivers stranded for hours without assistance.
Don’t get caught unprepared for inclement weather and its negative impact on traffic. Here are some suggestions to upgrade your automotive emergency kit.
Take Stock of Your First-Aid Kit
To improve your standard kit, professionals recommend adding:
- Liquid Skin: This product is better at holding deep cuts together than disposable bandages alone.
- Scissors: Pre-packed kits tend to include middle-of-the-road scissors, making them ineffective in a real emergency. Industry experts suggest purchasing fabric or medical bandage scissors.
- Hot and Cold Packs: Hand warmers and cold packs are usually only thought about when you need them. Getting stuck in the cold or turning an ankle will make you immediately regret not having these essentials.
Keep Your Monsters Fed and Watered
“Have kids,” they said. “It will be fun,” they said until you are stuck in traffic with them. You are not going to be able to avoid the inevitable, “Are we there yet?” or “I’m not touching you!” But you can keep them occupied.
- Pack Snacks. Toss a couple of granola bars into the console just to keep hunger at bay. Nuts and dried fruit also last a long time in the car. Hangry drivers are bad drivers. Hangry kids are even worse.
- Bring Water. Water will keep your car castaways hydrated. You can now purchase water in aluminum cans, making it safe to drink even if it has been in the car for a while.
- Have Car Games. While it is not everyone’s favorite thing to be in a car for a 5-hour traffic jam, bringing along classics such as Mad Libs or Travel Bingo can help distract even the feistiest of passengers.
Make Sure Your Car Is Calamity Ready
You know that you need a car jack and a spare tire. What else can you do to make sure that a car will be able to make it through the next weather disaster?
- Cash: Stashing an extra $40 in the emergency kit is going to come in handy when the last place to buy gas for the next 50 miles only takes cash, and you are running empty in a snowpocalypse.
- Jumper Cables: Turning off your car to save gas in a traffic jam is a good idea, but batteries can get drained. Save yourself or someone else with a quick jump.
- Tune-Up: We sound like your mom, but seriously… she’s right. Get your car tuned before the bad weather hits. When your engine doesn’t overheat while trying to make it through an ice storm, you will be glad you did.
The Ultimate Upgrade to Your Emergency Roadside Kit
Keeping everyone safe, fed, hydrated, and the car running smoothly while you wait out a storm or traffic jam is an accomplishment. However, your kit is not complete until you have resolved the problem of where you are going to answer nature’s call while stuck in your car.
- The words “I have to pee” fill you with dread. You asked. You asked him three times. You even had him come with you to the bathroom. Now he needs to go, now that you are 40 miles from the next exit on a freeway with no shoulder. And traffic is unforgiving.
- Now you have to pee. It is inevitable. The second you see brake lights getting tapped in front of you, your bladder starts making itself known. It’s not like you can pull off to the side with any privacy. Everyone is rubbernecking and going to see you doing your business.
You need the Trip Extender in your Emergency Kit or car glove box so that it doesn’t fill you with panic when nature calls. You have this situation covered because you planned.
The Trip Extender is a disposable travel urinal designed for both men and women to use while sitting. No more aiming for a used bottle and hoping it doesn’t get everywhere!
The bag is 3mm thick and has odor-absorbing polymers and enzymes that lock away smell and liquid. Once the bag is sealed, it is spill-proof. No smell. No mess.
When you are done, just toss the used bag in with your regular garbage for disposal. Simple as that. Trust us, use it once, and you will never want to travel without it again.
Make sure that your Roadside Emergency Kit is complete with the Trip Extender.
At RESTOP, we are striving to make a difference in how people enjoy the world around them without destroying it. That is why all of our bathroom products render human waste inert. That means that when you toss our used products into a regular waste bin, your poo and pee doesn’t end up in the watershed. We are proud supporters of Leave No Trace and getting more humans in connection with nature. That includes helping you get from Point A to Point B safely and with proper sanitation.
