I'm listing this rather than a "jumper cable," which requires you to find another driver willing to stop and allow/assist in hooking up your battery to his/hers. This is the best compromise between performance and price. Besides starting and tire inflating, the Start-It has a small LED work light and a 12V power outlet (good for powering your cellphone charger, for example.)

This is an iGo tip for a Blackberry.(much smaller than this image appears) I include it to remind you to get a tip for your iGo car charger. Most are $6-8. In Amazon, enter the name of your phone and "iGo tip" to find one.

Although your first aid kit will have a little first aid instruction booklet, it may be hard to get to the procedure you want when seconds count. I recommend you get one of these laminated First Aid charts and keep it in your glovebox. It's really easy to use and it's sturdy. Note: you'll have to fold it, but that's OK. Make it the bottom item in your glovebox.

At $30, this is a far better flashlight than what you can get at a hardware store, Target or Walmart for that money. This is very bright - and you can adjust the beam from spot to flood. The E20 takes two AA batteries (not supplied). If you get this light, buy Energizer Lithium AA batteries. They will last for years in an emergency kit (which gets little use)

This is a tire Inflator/sealer in a 24.5 oz. double-sized can – enough for a light truck or SUV. I think you should have this bigger size, even for a regular size car. Why? If you have a flat, you need all the pressure you can get; remember this can is lifting one or two tons of car! ! IF YOU HAVE TO FIX A FLAT YOURSELF, THIS ISA LOT EASIER THAN A JACK!

There are times when nothing will do but needle nose pliers. For an E-Kit, these are a good size, and Fuller's a good brand.

Conventional screwdrivers like these are preferable to a "5 in 1" combo screwdriver, because often you need the great length. These are a good buy from a quality maker.

Yes, you can put an old roll of ordinary duct tape in your E-Kit, but remember, this is an "emergency" kit. Heavy duty duct tape is what you need. This is the right stuff.

I keep a pack of these disposable, pre-moistened Windex wipes in the car just because they're so utterly handy. And having a bottle of Windex is just one more thing to leak.

This is a step above the el cheapo rain parkas - a bit thicker vinyl - it's full length - and IT'S YELLOW - the essential color for emergency gear!

If you have an old piece of luggage, use that. If not, put your E-Kit in something like this. The Amaro's a good buy. Even better is the red "Protege" bag I got at Walmart for $19. Target offers a similar one for about the same price.