Before each General Conference, I pray that while I listen I’ll receive specific inspiration for my life. Although all of the messages were wonderful and inspirational, no particular talk or message stood out to me at the time. There was one thought, however, that did keep coming to mind, and that was that I needed to update my car and bedside emergency kits. The last time I did was in early 2020, so they definitely needed an update. The food items in the kits were expired and needed to be replaced, and we now have another driver in our household who didn’t have a kit in his car, so I needed to make one for him. After conference, I set to work making and updating all of the kits, and finally finished Monday, April 22.
Fast forward six days to Saturday, April 27. My husband and I had just left the Saratoga Springs Utah Temple and were on our way to a family birthday celebration just a few blocks away, when we happened upon a head-on collision. We were the first ones to respond to the accident. After safely pulling to the side of the road, I grabbed my newly refreshed emergency kit out of the back of our car and made my way out to the accident scene. I noticed that the people in the black SUV were in need of help, so I approached their vehicle and assessed the situation. The father and mother in the front seats were in shock, and had a few minor cuts an burns from the airbags, but were otherwise okay. The mother in the front passenger seat was stuck, but was working on getting out through the driver’s side door. The teenage daughter in the back seat was in shock and was bleeding profusely from her nose. She also had some minor bruises, but was otherwise okay. I was able to help her calm down, and with the contents of my emergency kit, was able to help stop her bleeding while someone else called 911. Another bystander and I were able to wash the blood off her hands and arms with the water that was in my kit, and wipe her hands clean and dry with the other supplies. I noticed she was shivering from shock, so I wrapped her in a blanket. I was able to reassure the parents, who were also in shock, that their daughter was okay and that her injuries were minor, and had been taken care of. By the time the paramedics arrived, her bleeding had stopped and she was mostly cleaned up.
After I was done helping the family and was leaving the accident scene, several bystanders came and told me they were impressed with my kit and with the way I knew just what to do and with how calm I was. During that experience, I felt so much peace. That day, I received a witness from the Holy Ghost that Heavenly Father had prepared me to help that family in that moment because I had listened to His promptings to update my emergency kits. I know that our Heavenly Father will guide us to safety when we heed his promptings and will allow us to be His hands for others when we follow Him.
Since the accident, I’ve had several people ask me what is in my emergency car kits. The following is the new and improved version of my kit. I started with a sturdy backpack and filled it with items that can sustain life for a few days if we were to be stranded somewhere and needed to wait it out until someone could find us, or if we were to get stuck somewhere and needed to trek it home. Included is a first aid kit. Some of the items I already had on hand, but most things can be purchased online or at the store. For your ease, I’ll try to include links to where you can buy most of these items online.
I chose this backpack because it’s black so it’s not as easily visible in a car, which means it’s not as easy for a thief to see from outside of the car(hopefully if they can’t see it they won’t want to break into your car to steal it). I also really like the price and that is has a lot of pockets. The US flag decal is removable.
Before the accident, I had a smaller first aid kit in my bag and I didn’t love it. This one is too big to fit in my backpack, but that doesn’t bother me. Because I used many of the supplies to help during the accident, I needed to restock my first aid kit after the accident and I chose to buy this one instead because I love that it has labels in it. During a stressful situation, if you don’t know exactly where your supplies are, it makes the situation more stressful. For example, I knew I had gloves in my first aid kit, but because nothing was labeled, I couldn’t find them quickly enough to be able to use them to help that poor girl who was bleeding everywhere! Instead of forgoing my safety next time, I’ll be able to see clearly exactly where my gloves are stored in this first aid kit. I liked this kit because it comes with a small first aid guide, a CPR mouth cover, an emergency blanket, a whistle, tweezers, and scissors, as well. After I purchased the kit, I added extra bandaids for common cuts and more padding for soaking up blood, as that is what I find the most useful in car accidents, which I have a habit of responding to. There is a small flashlight in the kit, but it doesn’t come with batteries, so I added some AAA batteries, as well. Just remember not to put them inside the flashlight as they can corrode over time and ruin the flashlight. Also, if you use items from this kit, don’t forget to replace them right away!
Other items to go in the backpack…
Water is essential for life so that’s an item you definitely do not want to find yourself without! These emergency drinking water pouches are awesome for car kits. Unlike plastic water bottles, they have a 5-year shelf life and they won’t crack and break if they freeze. In case one of them somehow gets punctured or leaks, I placed 10-14 pouches inside a gallon-sized ziplock bag and put them in the biggest pocket of the backpack.
Because water is so important and our bodies need so much of it to survive, it’s a good idea not just to carry a little bit of water, but a method of water filtration so if you find yourself away from home for longer than you desire, you can filter whatever water you can find. There are lots of different water filtration systems on the market today. Just make sure that if you buy something to filter your water that you have a container to put the water into.
These 3600 calorie food ration bars are great for car kits. They are packed with calories and they have a 5-year shelf life so they do pretty well in the hot/cold environment of a vehicle. You may need to replace it sooner than 5 years, because of that, but it’s an easy way to keep food in the car just in case. Word to the wise–eat these sparingly and with water, if possible. They are extremely filling and will give you a stomach ache if you eat too much at a time. Think lembas bread from Lord of the Rings. The vanilla pound cake is my favorite flavor. Back in the day when I was in my stake provident living calling, we tasted a bunch of these. This one tastes like a shortbread cookie.
I’m of the mindset that two is better than one, so while maybe not necessary, I really feel strongly about being prepared. Maybe a meal bar would be sufficient, but I’d rather be safe than sorry. A few of these Mountain House freeze-dried meals in my kit, give me a little extra peace of mind. With a 30-year shelf life, they’ll last a long time in the harsh conditions of a vehicle. They’re also really easy to prepare–just add boiled water.
If you’re going to plan on needing to heat water, you’re going to need a little stove. This quick stove is small, light-weight and inexpensive. It comes with two fuel discs, but you can also use natural materials like sticks and debris for burning, which makes this stove very versatile.
This little Stanley set is nice and compact. It can be used for cooking and serving food or liquids.
A shovel is one of those items that could come in handy in an emergency situation. This compact, foldable version is lightweight and fits well in my emergency kit.
LIGHT & HEAT
There’s a lot of things you’ll want to have in your kit to help you stay warm and have light in an emergency. Emergency survival blankets are super cheap and help keep body heat in and weather out. An emergency sleeping bag or bivy sack is another great option that can also provide shelter. A lighter, waterproof matches and flint and steel are good items to have on hand to help start fires for cooking, light and heat. Head lamps and lanterns are great so you can direct light without having to hold a flashlight. Those small flashlight glow sticks are amazing because they come with lanyards so you can wear them around you neck, plus they have different flashing modes and come with a whistle. Always remember to pack batteries, but store them separately from the flashlights or lanterns because over time they will corrode and can ruin your equipment.
OTHER ITEMS TO INCLUDE…
Work gloves; a good knife/multi-tool; a bandana to use as a face covering, extra bandage, or to capture someone’s attention; personal hygiene items such as feminine hygiene supplies, medications, sunscreen, chapstick, lotion, insect repellent, consecrated oil; a solar charger and phone cord; and CASH are good items to include in your car kit. Always carry cash! You never know when the grid could fail and you may need some cash to get the supplies you need to get you home. These waterproof/fireproof envelopes are unnecessary, but nice and will keep your cash and important documents from getting wet or burned in a disastrous situation. I’d also include a family photo with everyone’s names on the back and a short list of contact information for friends and family members that you might need in case of an emergency.
If you feel inspired to get more prepared and make a kit, do it! Your kit doesn’t have to look like mine and it doesn’t have to be expensive. You can gather items you already have around the house and put them together into a bag you already have. Just do something to get more prepared! There’s nothing like the peace that being prepared and following the Spirit can bring. I promise that when you follow the Spirit and get more prepared, you will feel that peace, too!
A House of Order 