10 Necessities for Your Car Emergency Kit - Part 1

This is from the GrandParent site and needed to be shared.

Stuck on the side of the road? You'll be ready for most anything, if you've got a duffel bag-full of these must-haves from automotive experts.

Heavy-Duty Jumper Cables

Tom and Ray Magliozzi, the former hosts of NPR's top-rated show, Car Talk, put high-quality jumper cables at the top of their list. "In our humble opinion, most jumper cables stink," they say. "They're either too short, too thin, or won't stay flexible in the cold — which is when you really need them."

Experts recommend choosing cables that are at 10 to 20 feet long, 4- to 10-gauge, and made of copper.

10 Necessities for Your Car Emergency Kit - Part 3

Flashlights and Extra Batteries

Never underestimate the value of a good flashlight. Every car expert under the sun (err, moon?) recommends packing a reliable flashlight in your emergency kit, in case of a breakdown at night. Plus, it can be hard to see what's going on under a car hood, even in the daytime, without flashlight assistance.

Tip: Always store flashlights and new batteries separately — when pre-loaded in a device, batteries can corrode and will definitely loose their juice over time. Put a couple packs of the right-size batteries next to the flashlight in your kit.