Being stranded in your car can be a scary experience. But if you’re prepared, you don’t need to worry. Follow these tips below to help you stay safe and find the help that you need in an emergency situation.

Don’t Abandon Your Car
Walking away from your car can be dangerous if you’re far from any city or town. Especially if you are caught in a storm, your car offers great shelter. Don’t abandon the car unless you know there is a city or help nearby.

Flag
If you get stuck on the side of the road, tie a fluorescent flag on your antenna or hang it outside of your window. If night comes before help arrives, use a flashlight or your car’s dome light. Try and have someone stay awake – or take shifts throughout the night – to ensure that if someone passes in a car, someone is awake to signal for help.

Call for Help
If you have a phone, use it. Try and describe your location as precisely as possible. Where were you driving from? Where are you going? What road are you on? What landmarks do you see nearby? All of this information will help them locate you if you need help.

- Which emergency radio works best for your family?-

Don’t Use Gas All at Once
Run the engine periodically to run the heater for warmth. But even with a full tank, you’d be surprised at how fast the car can run to empty. Don’t run your vehicle for longer than 20 minutes at a time. If you’re stuck in the cold, run the heat on high as possible when the engine is on. Try to go as long as you can between intervals of turning the engine on. Also, be sure that your exhaust isn’t covered while you’re idling.

Go Crazy on the Horn
Your horn and lights are a great way to signal where you are and that you need help. However, your car battery can only go so long before it loses all of its juice. Remember that while the car is idling you can use the horn and lights as much as possible. While the engine is idling, the battery isn’t in use and the engine is powering the lights and horn.

Don’t Drive with an Empty Car
Your car can be a great asset if you use it correctly. So, why not start with the upper hand and add some emergency items to your car? You should have a supply of water and food to help you in a time of need. Also prepare wisely with jumper cables, a flashlight, emergency radio, etc.

- What should you put in your Auto Emergency Kit? –

Hydrate
If you’re stuck in your car during the summer, you will need to stay hydrated and make sure you are drinking water. Even during a winter snowstorm, you’d be surprised at how quickly your body can lose water. Pack water in your auto emergency kit. Especially if you are going to be in your car for 48 hours, you’ll need to have food and water.

Insulate
Try and insulate your heat as much as possible during a winter storm. The metal parts of your car are going to make it a little harder to insulate your vehicle but try and use blankets, floor mats or any part of the car to try and insulate your body heat.

Avoid Overexertion
Shoveling snow or pushing your car can take a lot of effort in a storm. Don’t risk an injury. Besides a risk of injury, the exertion will make you hot and sweaty. Wet clothes lose insulation value and make your more susceptible to hypothermia. Instead, try and do light exercises in your vehicle – stretching your arms and legs from time to time.

Your Plans
So, what plans do you have in place for your vehicle’s emergency kit? Comment below sharing what items are most helpful for you and your family.

You might also be interested in these articles:
- How to cook on your car engine –
- How to winterize your home –
- How to find water in the wild –

Fuel is one of the most important things that you can use in an emergency. Whether it powers a car, generator, or stove; you’ll need to make sure that your fuel is ready for when you need it.

Handle all fuels with care. Remember that all of these could light at a moment’s notice.

We’ve collected a few tips on how to properly store different types of fuels, where you should store them, and how long they can store.

Containers for liquid fuel
When storing fuel, or other fire-starting material, you’ll want to make sure to put them in a different colored container. Most of the time, liquid fuels are stored in red containers. At a minimum, containers should be obviously labeled.

Make sure that containers are sturdy, reliable and have a good seal on them. You want to make sure that the fuel won’t leak. You should also consider a container that isn’t clear or translucent.

Gasoline

The American Petroleum Institute recommends that you only store gasoline for up to two years. This recommendation does not include gasoline that has been treated with a stabilizer.

There are many types of stabilizers on the shelf that can get your gasoline to store for a few years longer.

While I’ve used gasoline that has been stored for years on my lawn mower, using “stale” gasoline that has been stored for an long time can have some diverse effects on your motor. The recommendation for 1-2 years of shelf-life would provide optimal gasoline.

Diesel Fuel
Surprisingly, diesel doesn’t have a very long shelf-life. It can only last for 6-12 months.

The problem with storing diesel is that it begins to oxidize as soon as it leaves the refinery. Sediments begin to form that would clog the motor. This reaction can be slowed by keeping the fuel cooler and by adding stabilizers. The condensation from the gasoline can also form algae.

Some people who store diesel for a long time (the Navy, gas companies) use methods to stabilize their supply. These methods can be pretty expensive though.

We recommend that you store only a maximum of two-month’s worth of diesel at a time and empty the canisters into your car or generator when you rotate. (Thanks to Oblio13’s blog for the insight.)

Kerosene
Kerosene is one of the easiest fuels to store, and is more versatile than most people think. It does not evaporate as readily as gasoline and will remain stable in storage with no special treatment.

Kerosene has a shelf-life of about three months in a plastic container. Storing kerosene for longer than that can result in bacteria and mold forming in the container.

When you store the kerosene, be sure to label the container properly. You want to make sure that it doesn’t mix with gasoline or another type of fuel. You should store your kerosene in a different color container than gas to ensure that they are not mistakenly mixed.

Be sure to store the kerosene outdoors but protected from direct sunlight. Prolonged sunlight can degrade the kerosene.

Butane
Butane isn’t as popular of a fuel as gasoline or kerosene but many people use the fuel for lighters or other small fire starters. Many backpacking kits use butane fuel.

“Butane comes in pressurized containers and the canisters are required, by law, to have instructions on the label regarding storage and usage of the product. Following the instructions will ensure that you keep your butane supply safe.

Proper storage is the first element in butane safety. Keep it in a safe place at home that is out of any children’s reach. Many containers can withstand even high temperatures. Even if you live in a climate that is rather warm, your butane should still store well … find a dry and cool place, out of the direct sunlight and away from any other sources of extreme heat.

Additionally, also make sure that the tip of the butane container is not damaged or clogged. If the tip is damaged or is clogged through use, remove the clog or throw away the container and buy a new one.“ (Read the Ebay article.)

Propane
You’ll obviously want to store your propane in a well-ventilated area outdoors. Make sure that your propane tank is stored upright – probably on a concrete slab.

Don’t store the propane tank next to anything flammable. Also ensure that it is stored in an area where a large amount of water will not fall on the tank – for example, next to a gutter or in the open under the rainfall.

Never store the propane in a house or garage. Click here to read Propane 101’s article about proper propane safety.

Charcoal
Charcoal is a great option for cooking fuel. They might get your hands a little bit messier but that’s not always a bad thing. The good thing is that you can store this dry fuel inside your home! However, never cook with charcoal indoors!

You can store charcoal in a dry location – like a bin or metal canister. You can also make a waterproof container by placing the charcoal in a bucket and use a gamma lid to seal the top. This should keep the briquets by not letting moisture into the bucket!

Coal
According to the Fireplace Supplier Register, coal can be stored in damp places without harming it. It can also be retained in areas that have little or no protection from the rain and snow. If you choose, so you don’t have to handle wet coal, you can cover it outside with tarps to keep it dry.

Store bagged coal inside the bags until you’re ready to use it. It will be easier to store it and carry it to the stove. Coal either comes by the bag or by the truckload (if you order several tons). Loose coal is easier to contain if it’s stored in wooden bins, but it’s not necessary. (Reference to the eHow article.)

Firewood
Avoid the temptation to keep a lot of firewood in your home. You can obviously carry in a few logs indoors at a time, but the best location to store firewood is outdoors. It’s recommended that you keep your firewood at least 30 feet away from your house – not leaning against the house, next to the door. Ideally, wood should be kept off the ground too.

You can make a simple firewood holder out of two-by-fours in order to stack the wood properly. Be sure to stack the larger pieces of wood on the bottom of the pile. This will help the pile from leaning or falling over. Here is an article on how to build a firewood caddy.

You’ll want to use a cover to protect the wood from getting wet. You can purchase a specific log rack cover or a simple tarp will do. Make sure that the cover is secured so it doesn’t blow away in the wind.

You may notice that there are some bugs in your firewood. Do not spray your wood with insecticide! This can seep into the wood and fume in your house when you burn the log. Instead, the best thing to do is dry out the wood as quickly as possible. This will encourage most of the bugs to leave the wood.

Matches
There are a variety of matches out there. Avoid placing cheap matchbooks in your kits and emergency supplies. They can absorb moisture a lot easier.

Instead, focus on matches that are waterproof and have longer stems. This will allow you to light things from a safe distance and make sure that your matches are safe from moisture.

If you don’t have waterproof matches, you can place your matches in a waterproof container. Make sure that the container is a thick plastic and isn’t stored in direct sunlight.

By The Ready Store

The last place you’d want to be in the middle of a Winter storm or in the Summer heat is stranded in your car.  That’s why it’s very important to be ready ahead of time.

Create a plan for being stranded. We hope it will never happen, but chances are it might. Whether it is the hottest day in the summer or the snowiest, coldest day in winter you really should have a few things in case you get stuck.

So what are those things?

Think of these three:

• Yourself and passengers
• Other drivers.
• Your car, and

For yourself and any passengers, store essential items in your car, including water, extra fuel, emergency blankets, and a map. For your car you might have some lock de-icer, jumper cables, a spare tire, as well as a First Aid Kit.

Many people now have cell phones, which would prove beneficial in a situation like this. However, in some cases, even if you have to call 911 your cell phone number might not show up on their screen, so you need to give them a number so they can call you back.

If you are caught in a lot of snow, a shovel is definitely an item that could come in handy, as well as extra washer fluid. For other drivers, you should have flares to warn and alert them that you need help. And of course, the all important flash light is another necessity.

Before you leave on any trip, make sure you alert someone that you are going and let them know you will be contacting them in case of an emergency. You can pick up each of the items mentioned above individually, or you can get it all in one “kit” and save money by purchasing our Quad-X-treme Auto Emergency Fuel & Survival Kit.

It contains pretty much anything you would need in case of a car emergency.  One of the other benefits is that you may not have to use the items for yourself.  You may be able to help another stranded driver.