What to Have in a Car Survival Kit

I've recently become somewhat-obsessed with survivalism.

If you've watched the show Doomsday Preppers from National Geographic then you'll quickly know my feeling of needing to stockpile canned goods and toilet paper.

After watching several episodes I talked to my fiance who has lots of experience with survival skills. He then surprised me with a car survival kit on my birthday and I think it's valuable for everyone to have these with them in case of emergencies.

Everything that is listed fits inside of this small medicine bottle and is kept inside of my center console. It's small and compact for easy storage.

Here's what's inside of my kit:

• fish hook
• plastic bag
• compass
• knife
• lighter
• storm proof matches
• twist tie
• trapping wire
• regular wire
• aluminum foil
• Vaseline covered cotton ball wrapped with cellophane
• ibuprofen wrapped in a paper towel
• bobby pin w/ twine
• single use antibiotic ointment

Below is a breakdown of each item with some suggestions (but of course there are tons more) of what you can do with each of them.

Fish hook & Twine

• Fishing
  
  

Plastic Bag

• Capture water through a solar still.
• Rain protection
• Kindling protection

Compass (glued onto inside of lid)

• For finding North

Small Knife

• Cutting 
• Slicing
• Dicing
  
  

Lighter

• Starting a fire
• Sanitizing items
  
  

Storm Proof Matches

• Starting a fire
  
  

Twist Tie

• Tying things together
  
  

Trapping Wire

• Catching animals
  
  

Wire

• Catching animals
• Tying things
  
  

Aluminum Foil

• Cook
• Bowl/Container

Ibuprofen

• Medical emergency

Paper Towel

• Kindling
  

Vaseline Covered Cotton Ball

• Incredibly good fire starter
  

Bobby Pin 

• Hook
• Repair Clothing
• Hold back hair
• Excavation in case of injury/splinter
  

Single Use Antibiotic

• Medical emergency

There are tons of different things that can go into an emergency kit. You can modify these to fit your own needs. 

A piece of advice from the fiance is not to put anything inside of your kit that you don't know how to use. My fiance has arranged for us to meet with a wilderness expert where we live so that I'll be able to expertly use any of these items if needed.