Here’s his list of must-have, don’t-leave-home-without items:

1. Jumper cables—Get a set and learn to use them. A battery jump pack can also come in handy if you have a dead battery and there’s not another soul in sight who can share his or her car’s juice with you.
2. A can of tire sealant—Designed to seal and inflate a tire in minutes, this is super handy to have. It can get you from being stranded on the side of the road to a nearby gas station in no time.
3. A flashlight—In the dead of night on a dimly lit side street, nothing beats an old-fashioned flashlight (just make sure to keep working batteries in it) for getting a better look at what made the awful noise before your car sputtered to a stop. At least then you can describe it better to whomever you’ve called for help.
4. A car phone charger—Speaking of calling for help, make sure you’re able to reach out to someone if the need should arise.
5. Cold-weather gear—You’ll be glad to have a couple of blankets, hand warmers and other gear to keep warm if you find yourself waiting for a tow truck during the winter.
6. Check your spare –  Check your spare tire whenever you have your oil changed, and make sure you have a jack and tire iron. You don’t want to discover you’re missing the proper tools or have a flat spare when you’re on the side of a busy freeway with a blown-out tire.