Vehicle first-aid and emergency kit

A vehicle kit has a different job from a household one: nobody is coming for a while, it may be dark, and it may be cold. Class A first aid, a hand-crank light and radio with a phone charging output, jumper cables, a thermal blanket, a folding shovel, tow strap, warning triangle and a glass-break and belt-cutter tool.

In a case that straps into a boot rather than sliding around it. Everything datable is dated, and the case has a checklist inside the lid for the twice-yearly look that keeps it honest.

Fitting and care. Strap it in rather than letting it slide; anything loose in a boot is a projectile in a collision. Check it every six months and crank the radio for a minute at each check so the internal cell does not sit flat. Replace the water and any food you add every year. In winter, add a blanket, a hat and gloves per regular occupant — the kit covers the equipment, not the people. Keep the glass-break tool within reach of the driver, not in the boot with everything else.