Summer Survival Car Kit

We just got home from the first camping trip of the season, which only means one thing: summer is officially upon us. If your family is anything like ours, you’ll be spending a lot of time on the go this summer.

To prepare for a summer full of adventures, I put together a summer survival car kit to keep in our van at all times so that we will be well prepared for whatever situation we find ourselves in this summer.

We’re hoping to take part in the Nebraska Passport program, which means we will attempt to travel around our state, touring designated locations. This will be our first time participating in this program, and I think it sounds super fun. There are so many hidden treasures around us that we’ve never seen!

But Nebraska is a big state, so it could mean some long travel days in some very remote locations. I put together this kit for the van so that we’re prepared for wherever we end up. (I like to be prepared. 🙂 )

I love the stow and go storage in our van…it’s super easy to store loads of supplies without taking up lots of space. I’m just using a few baskets because they’re what I have on hand and I’d rather spend money on adventures than on new storage containers. 😉

I love using these pencil cases to organize items. I’m using them for our first aid kit, travel games, and plastic utensils right now. These pouches are $1 each at Dollar General – I stock up on them because they come in so handy for things all over the house. And, now in the car also.

Here are the items I’m including in our summer survival car kit:

Wet wipes
First aid supplies
Sunscreen
Bug spray
Snacks (no chocolate – it will melt! I like to include crackers, granola bars, nuts, etc)
Hand sanitizer
Toilet paper (because you just never know when you’ll need some)
Kleenex
Plastic grocery bags/trash bags (it takes my kids approximately 39 seconds into a trip to trash the vehicle – a stash of these are a must for us! We hang them on the armrests between their seats.)
A small amount of emergency cash (I received a stash of $2 bills to use as emergency cash when I graduated from high school eons ago…I’m still carrying them in my glove box today! Best graduation gift EVER.)
Bottled water
Flashlight
Travel sized games (I love these small games that the kids got in kids meals recently; they’re the perfect size to keep in the car.)
Monkey mat (picnic blanket/tablecloth)
Hair ties
Paper plates, napkins, plastic utensils

Additional items we will be including:

Pop up tent (in case our day trips take longer than expected and we decide we want to stop and camp for the night)
A change of clothes for everyone
Insulated cooler tote
Blankets
Activity bags for the kids (books to read, activity books, small toys, flashlights, etc)
Jackets

Emergency items we always have on hand in the van:

Justin Case vehicle kit (jumper cables, flashlight, tow rope, etc)
4-in-1 emergency flashlight/radio/charger
Survival straw

The size of your kit will likely depend on the amount of storage in your vehicle. Since we have lots of storage, I’m planning to use every little bit of it.

You can make your kit as simple or extensive as you’d like…customize it for your family’s needs this summer! For instance, if your family likes swim, pack extra suits and towels. The idea is to be prepared for spontaneous fun!

Summer Survival Car Kit