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Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Reader Question: Car Kit...Emergency or Everyday Use?

Hey all, reader Sadie wrote in with a great question:


HI, I have a car kit question... well more I want your opinion. My friend and I were discussing car kits and she thinks you should only use them in emergency. But I think I can use it like I use my food storage... whenever I need it. We are an hour drive from any city and a lot of times my kids get thirsty so I let them get a water bottle from the car kit, etc. Do you think it should be for emergency use only?


Hannah weighs in:
I think that one of the biggest benefits of the car kits is that it's right there for ANY situation! I use my car kit a lot too, and just replace anything I use. It's not only for emergencies, it's to make life easier!


Abs says:
I agree with Hannah in that we use our car kit whenever we need it. Although I try and bring snacks and drinks whenever we go somewhere, if I've forgotten and we're 15 minutes from home I have no problem busting out the water bottles for the kids.


However, if you know that you won't constantly replenish your car kit as needed, then maybe you'd better leave it alone and just rotate the snacks every 6 months as planned. You would hate to not have the things you need in a real emergency, just because you don't go out and refill your car kit whenever you use it.


What do you think? Do you use your car kit for everyday "emergencies" or do you save it for the big time?


We're building car kits one week at a time, check out the list on the right to see where we are in the process. For a printable list of what we suggest go into a car kit click here.

6 comments:

Katie said...

I have 3 kids, expecting the 4th, and I definitely use mine. I have used the spare clothes (wet pants), the snacks, the spare cash (when I drove into town with 4 kids to visit a museum and forgot my purse...), and the first aid kit. I love having it all in the car already, and using it makes it easy for me to remember to keep it updated.

Angela said...

We definitely use ours for the minor emergencies. I'm constantly restocking snacks and waters (especially in the summer time). Bandaids, tylenol, toilet paper, wipes, etc. all get used and replenished also. We've even hacked into the fire starting supplies when we decided to stay in the mountains for a picnic and it wasn't all that warm. To me, that's what it's there for while we're waiting for something more serious which may or may not happen. It also helps keep things fresh in the kit if you're using and restocking them occasionally. Just don't forget to replace what you use so it will be there when you need it.

kdonat said...

I frequently use mine, mostly for quick snacks before a stop at the grocery on my way home from work, or when I find myself waiting for a major traffic snarl up. I keep a stainless water bottle for sipping and a spare in the stash "just in case". There's also 3Liters in the rear with the "tools". It has provided bandaids, matches, knife, wipes and a quick lunch when needed at work.

Robin Fisher said...

I guess it depends on your definition of EMERGENCY. My definition includes anything that might ruin a perfect day at the park or saving a child from a melt down when you have just-one-more-quick-errand. I love having those things in the trunk of my car. I love that I can lend an un-prepared friend a diaper or bandaid or always have a blanket for the park. Use it and replace it.

Sadie said...

Thanks, I love everyone's comments. And now I don't feel so bad for using my car kit when I need it. Although sometimes I do forget to replenish and that always worries me. Usually if I take something out, I write it down on the notepad in the car kit and remember to look at the notepad every time I visit the store to be sure and get the stuff back in there that I used.

Unknown said...

Well! If i walk about my self then when we decided to stay in the mountains for a picnic and it wasn't all that warm. To me, that's what it's there for while we're waiting for something more serious which may or may not happen and more I love having it all in the car already, and using it makes it easy for me to remember to keep it updated.
Manual Tyre Changer