Create an Emergency Kit For Your Car
When I moved to California for college, one of the first things I was taught was to create an emergency kit for my car. Especially out here, where a major earthquake could really do damage. Back then, an emergency kit consisted of a first aid kit, a transistor radio, flares, a map, and water. Today, I still recommend keeping a first aid kit and bottled water but you can lose the paper map and transistor radio if you have a smartphone. Just be sure to have your phone fully charged when you leave on a roadtrip and to keep a backup phone charger in your car, just in case.
It’s also a great idea to have a blanket, snacks that won’t go bad and jumper cables in your kit no matter where you live—not just California—in case of a major natural disaster or a car breakdown. TipHero has some more recommendations, like sunscreen, a hat and bug spray.
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keep the paper map. One night, we ended up in a major detour in the dark, in a rural area. We missed one sign and had no idea where we were, as our GPS conked out and we had no paper map. I never leave home without a paper map now. Cell service is still sketchy in some areas!
Agree! In hurricane country, we have learned that cell phone towers are vulnerable – keep the paper map (free from AAA).
I prefer to take smartphones AND paper maps, in case cell reception falters.
The transistor radio is still a good idea. Cell towers can go down as can websites if electrical lines are damaged. Radio stations will always find a way to broadcast. AM radio travels a long way, too, so you can more easily get reports from out of your immediate area.