Car Emergency Kit
Two things make an Australian car kit different from the generic version.
The first is distance. On a lot of Australian roads, “wait for help” means several hours, and on some it means overnight. That changes water from a nicety to the primary item.
The second is heat. A boot in an Australian summer routinely exceeds 60°C, which destroys or degrades a surprising amount of what people put in there — aerosols, some medications, adhesive dressings, batteries and plastic water bottles all suffer.
The 10-minute version
- Water first, and more than feels reasonable. Four litres minimum in a suburb, ten or more for a long drive. It is the item that matters most and the one most often missing.
- Two wide elasticised bandages cover both severe bleeding and snake bite, which are the two roadside emergencies most likely to need you.
- Heat destroys kits. Check it twice a year, and keep nothing in there that a 60°C boot ruins.
The suburban kit
For a car that stays within a city and never goes further than the next town.
| Item | Why |
|---|---|
| 4 L of water, in solid containers | Heat, breakdowns, radiator top-ups, and the reason you can wait comfortably |
| First aid kit | With real dressings, not a box of plasters |
| Two elasticised bandages, 10–15 cm | Severe bleeding and snake bite. See Snake Bite First Aid |
| Headlamp plus spare batteries | Hands free, at night, on the roadside |
| Jumper leads or a lithium jump starter | The most-used item in any car kit |
| Work gloves, leather | Hot surfaces, changing a tyre, broken glass |
| Tyre pressure gauge and a plug kit | Slow punctures, and confirming the spare is actually inflated |
| Wool blanket | Warmth, and radiant heat protection in a fire. Wool chars; synthetics melt |
| Hi-vis vest | Being visible on a roadside is a genuine safety issue |
| Sturdy shoes | Evacuations and breakdowns happen when you are wearing thongs |
| P2 masks | Smoke, dust, and cleanup |
| Phone charger and a power bank | Your phone is the map, the torch and the call for help |
| $50 in cash | Small country servos, and outages |
| Paper map of your region | GPS fails when the network does |
Cost, buying sensibly: roughly $150–300, much of which you probably own already.
What changes past the last town
For long drives, remote roads and anywhere with no coverage.
- Water: 10 litres minimum, more with passengers. In genuinely remote travel, plan on several litres per person per day and never rely on finding more.
- Extra fuel, in an approved jerry can, secured and never in the cabin.
- A satellite messenger or PLB. On roads with no coverage, this is the difference between a breakdown and an emergency. Registered, and carried on your person rather than in the boot.
- A UHF radio. Truckies and other travellers monitor channel 40; it is a genuinely effective way to raise help on a highway.
- A shovel, recovery tracks or boards, and a tow strap if you leave the bitumen.
- Spare tyre checked, plus a second spare for genuinely remote routes.
- Shade. A tarp or a large umbrella. Staying with the vehicle in the shade is nearly always right, and in summer shade is survival rather than comfort.
- Food for at least a day.
- Tell someone your route and expected arrival, with an overdue trigger. Free, and it is what starts a search.
What heat destroys
Check these twice a year, because a boot in summer is a slow oven.
- Aerosols — pressurised cans in a hot boot are a genuine hazard. Leave them out entirely.
- Medication — most degrade in heat, and some fail quickly. Keep only what you can rotate, and never keep the only supply of something important there.
- Adhesive dressings and tape — the adhesive fails and they will not stick when needed.
- Batteries — heat shortens life and can cause leakage. Store them in the cabin or check them often.
- Plastic water bottles — thin supermarket bottles degrade and split. Use solid containers.
- Sunscreen — degrades and separates.
- Chocolate and anything with a low melting point — obvious, and it ruins everything it touches.
Rule of thumb: if it says “store below 25°C”, it does not live in the boot.
What actually goes wrong
No water. The most common and most consequential gap.
The spare is flat. Nobody checks it, and a flat spare is not a spare.
The kit is buried under a pram, sports gear and shopping bags.
Everything expired. Dressings, medication, and the sunscreen from four summers ago.
No shoes, because you left in thongs and now you are on hot gravel or broken glass.
A phone with no charger as the entire plan.
Aerosols in the boot in January.
Nobody knows the route on a long drive, so nobody knows when to worry.
Leaving the vehicle in remote country to walk for help. In almost every case, staying with the car — which is visible, shaded and identifiable — is the better choice.
Thresholds
| Situation | The rule |
|---|---|
| Suburban driving | 4 L water minimum, first aid, two bandages, torch, jumper leads, shoes |
| Long drive or remote road | 10 L+ water, extra fuel, PLB or satellite messenger, UHF, shade, food |
| Any long trip | Tell someone the route, arrival time, and an overdue trigger |
| Broken down remotely | Stay with the vehicle. Shade, water, be visible |
| Fire season | Wool blanket, P2 masks, cotton clothing, fuel above half |
| Storage | Nothing that says “store below 25°C”. No aerosols |
| Maintenance | Check the kit and the spare tyre twice a year |
| Floodwater across the road | Turn around. Always. See Driving in an Emergency |
What it costs
| Tier | Spend | What it buys |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Water in an old container, shoes and a blanket from home, a printed map, telling someone your route |
| Solid | ~$150–300 | First aid kit, two elasticised bandages, headlamp, jumper leads, gloves, hi-vis, tyre gauge and plug kit, power bank |
| Better | ~$400–700 | Lithium jump starter, wool blanket, 10 L water container, tow strap, shovel, tarp for shade |
| Remote | ~$700–1,500 | The above plus a registered PLB or satellite messenger, UHF radio, jerry can, second spare |
The drill: the twice-yearly ten minutes
Daylight saving is a good anchor.
- Two minutes. Check the spare tyre pressure. Actually check it.
- Two minutes. Open the first aid kit. Check dressing dates and whether the tape still sticks.
- Two minutes. Replace the water. Rotate it into the garden.
- Two minutes. Test the headlamp and the power bank. Replace batteries.
- One minute. Remove anything that has melted, leaked or expired — and anything pressurised.
- One minute. Confirm you can reach the kit without unpacking the boot.
Frequently asked questions
What should be in a car emergency kit in Australia?
Water (4 litres minimum, more for long drives), a first aid kit with real dressings, two wide elasticised bandages, a headlamp, jumper leads, work gloves, a hi-vis vest, sturdy shoes, a wool blanket, P2 masks, a power bank and a paper map.
How much water should I keep in the car?
At least four litres for suburban driving and ten or more for long or remote trips. Use solid containers rather than thin supermarket bottles, which split in heat.
What should never be stored in a hot car?
Aerosols, medication you rely on, adhesive dressings, batteries, sunscreen and anything labelled “store below 25°C”. A boot in an Australian summer routinely exceeds 60°C.
Should I leave my car if I break down in a remote area?
Almost never. The vehicle is visible from the air, provides shade and is what searchers are looking for. Stay with it, get in the shade, ration water, and use a PLB or UHF if you have one.
Do I need a PLB for driving?
On roads with mobile coverage, no. On remote roads with none, it is the single most valuable item you can carry, because it converts a breakdown from an unknown duration into a located emergency.
How often should I check the kit?
Twice a year — daylight saving is an easy anchor. Check the spare tyre, rotate the water, check dressing dates and whether the tape still sticks, and test the torch.