Your vehicle works hard — commuting, road trips, and everything in between — and it deserves a proper kit. I'm hand-picking the automobile resources that I use or trust — from emergency essentials to the small things that make every drive easier — along with descriptions for each product written from a first-person viewpoint or experience.
~Ken Lozano, Founder, President & Owner
Required Affiliate Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, KML Affiliate Marketing earn from qualifying purchases. This website contains affiliate tracking links that point directly to Amazon.com.
Most of the cars I've used (whether owned or rented) were either a push-button start or intelligent key.
One day, I read about how criminals intercept your key fob signal in order to unlock your car, start it, and steal it all without having to steal your physical keys (or even your purse/handbag).
I decided to invest in this signal-blocking faraday bag for the key fobs and would slip the key fob inside the bag whenever I was home (where I felt most vulnerable).
In October 2026, the City of Greenville (South Carolina) Police Department shared an infographic on their Facebook post warning of this very issue. That renewed my desire to promote this faraday bag. I strongly encourage everyone to invest in something like this even if you keep your key fob in a secure place at home or even your pocket or purse/handbag
While I did not personally invest in this specific original Club steering wheel lock, I inherited a red one from my parents to use on my vehicles especially when I had vehicles that had either the intelligent key or push-button start.
When using my Club, I would also secure the steering wheel by placing the club in the front of the steering wheel as a way to hopefully deter theft of my vehicle even if somehow my key fob signal was intercepted and vehicle started, hijacked, then crashed, the front air bag would deploy and send that club toward the thief's face.
Later upon hearing a warning about how key fob signals are used to steal cars (with no signs of forced entry), I paired the Club steering wheel lock with the signal blocking faraday bag linked here.
While I have an earlier model STANLEY jump pack with compressor, it is no longer available, and so I wanted to find a comparable one to recommend.
Let's face it: there is NEVER a good time to find out your car battery is dead, and you want a way to quickly jump start your car so you can get to work, church, school, or wherever else you need to go (such as the airport to catch your flight).
I have personally used a similar jump pack when my vehicle battery has drained leaving me stranded at places like Sonic and the car wash. I even used it to jump-start my car at the side of the road after an accident in order to reposition my car under its own power at the order of the state trooper taking the accident report.
In fact, I got this jump pack some time after an incident in 2017 where I experienced the shock of starting my vehicle at 04:30 only for all the lights to go dark upon turning the key, needing to get to work by 05:00 and having nobody to help me and no jump pack at my disposal.
Who needs this? Those who work a job where calling out will negatively impact their colleagues (such as airport ramp, law enforcement, EMS, hospital, etc.) and when you need a quick way to jump start your car when you find it won't start especially late at night or early in the morning or without having to call AAA, bug a neighbour, or use another vehicle to help jump start your car.
A phone mount is strongly recommended in this digital age that we live in especially if you use it for GPS navigation or want to mount your phone within your peripheral vision. I like that this phone mount can be used with most vehicle A/C vents including providing a means to keep your phone cool during the hot season using your vehicle's A/C. I found that a magnetic phone mount is more convenient than fooling with a clamp-style mount (which I found slows me down when I'm in a hurry to get somewhere).
NOTE: Please make sure that the car vent mount is compatible with your vehicle before purchasing. If this product will not work for your car, please check out the Scosche Magnetic Phone Holder for Car Dashboard linked on this page.
A phone mount is strongly recommended in this digital age that we live in especially if you use it for GPS navigation or want to mount your phone within your peripheral vision. I like that this phone mount attaches to your vehicle dashboard, as well as the convenience of a magnetic phone mount compared to a clamp-style mount (which I found slows me down when I'm in a hurry to get somewhere). If you would rather not have to attach something to your car dash using strong adhesive tape, please check out the APPS2Car 2 Pack Magnetic Phone Car Vent Mount linked on this page.
NOTE: Please make sure that this dashboard magnetic phone mount is compatible with your vehicle before purchasing.
A must-have on the back of your phone if you wish to use your phone with the APPS2Car 2 Pack Magnetic Phone Car Vent Mount or Scosche Magnetic Phone Holder for Car Dashboard linked on this page. You don't have to stick these plates to the outer rubber of a protective phone case (such as the OtterBox Defender rubber) to be effective but may stick these plates to the back side of the protective case instead. Paired with either magnetic phone holder, I've had an easier way to comply with legal requirements.
While I do not personally have this exact windscreen (windshield) and side-mirror cover, I do have a similar one that I would place over my windscreen (windshield) and side mirrors at night during the cold season. Having one of these covers allows me to get on the road more quickly without having to waste time defrosting or even scraping the front windscreen (windshield). I highly recommend this for general convenience and especially in case of an emergency where you need to head somewhere straightaway.
While I do not have this exact roadside emergency kit, I have a similar emergency roadside assistance kit containing some of the components in this kit along with a separately-gifted tool set, reflective vest, emergency blanket, rain gear, and flashlight/torch along with a miniature first aid kit I carry in my shoulder bag and a separately-purchased combined seatbelt cutter & glass breaker tool.
While this kit may be on the more-expensive side price-wise, I believe this kit is comprehensive and complete enough especially as a first-time investment for whatever situation you may face on the road.
If you already have an existing emergency kit that you wish to equip with additional items and need recommendations,
please email info@kmlaffiliatemarketing.com with the subject line "Auto Emergency Kit" to help us more easily find your email.
While I do not have this exact roadside emergency kit, I have a similar emergency roadside assistance kit containing most of the components in this kit. I believe this is a decent kit to add to your vehicle if you already have other components such as an emergency reflective triangle, portable air compressor, multi-function shovel/spade, tools you already carry in your car, headlamp or flashlight/torch, and some first aid components.
If you already have an existing emergency kit that you wish to equip with additional items and need recommendations,
please email info@kmlaffiliatemarketing.com with the subject line "Auto Emergency Kit" to help us more easily find your email.
This specific dash camera was recommended by Amazon as a less-expensive alternative to the WOLFBOX X3 2.5K 60FPS +1080P Dash Cam that still does the same job for a less-expensive price.
While I have never used this specific camera, it has a 4.6-star average rating on Amazon and a brand I trust having linked a 3-channel dash camera from the same company on my Rideshare Resource page. It also includes a 128 GB memory card allowing you to save money while having a decent storage option.
If you want a TERUNSOUL dash camera that includes interior recording, you can find that here.
This is a substitute for a dash camera that I previously bought and used, a HawkEvo 4K/2.5K Dash cam with Front and Rear recording. Unfortunately, the specific dash camera I have is listed as unavailable on Amazon forcing me to recommend this model from Wolfbox, a company whose dash cameras I recommend.
This camera is a must in my opinion in this day and age to protect yourself and to establish the truth should you ever find yourself in a situation where video evidence will clear you or disprove a claim from the other party (such as someone brake checking you resulting in you rear-ending them and being charged with an at-fault accident). If you want a Wolfbox dash camera that includes interior recording, you can find that here.
I personally recommend the 512 GB memory card to maximise recording time and to limit downtime on swapping memory cards or even downloading footage to an external hard drive via a card reader at the end of every driving day. I will also link to the 256 GB and 128 GB options below.
Also, given the sensitive nature of the footage, I keep the dash camera footage on an external hard drive locked in a fireproof bag or safe.
Looking for an even less-expensive option? Please email info@kmlaffiliatemarketing.com, and we will send you a few recommendations.
I am including a recommendation for a 256 GB memory card here for those who are looking for a less-expensive option. While the 256 GB has less storage capacity compared to the 512 GB card, requiring more frequent downloading of footage, you will have a more-affordable option compared to the 512 GB card.
Looking for an even less-expensive option? Please email info@kmlaffiliatemarketing.com, and we will send you a few recommendations.
I am including a recommendation for a 128 GB memory card here for those who are looking for a less-expensive option. While the 128 GB has less storage than the 256 GB or 512 GB cards, requiring more frequent downloading of footage, you will have a more-affordable option compared to the 256 GB or 512 GB cards.
Looking for an even less-expensive option? Please email info@kmlaffiliatemarketing.com, and we will send you a few recommendations.
I have a similar cordless handheld vacuum, which unfortunately seems to be a discontinued model. After browsing Amazon and looking at the reviews, customer reviews make this Cordless Handheld Vacuum by BLACK+DECKER the top choice. I believe it's a reasonably-priced vacuum that will help keep your car clean in between more detailed vacuuming and cleaning.
My only wish is that this model included a car or pet brush for carpeted floor mats or cloth seats. If you wish to invest in a vacuum with an included brush (please note that it is a PET brush), you can find that here.
Since none of the vehicles I used in my passenger-transport days had built-in rear vents, for passenger comfort and convenient back-seat cooling, especially during the summer months, I invested in a similar product which passengers used and loved.
I wanted an in-car portable keyboard setup by safely mounting my Artek Universal Backlit Bluetooth Keyboard for my original transportation & delivery business, as well as have a platform to work on my laptop while stopped and parked somewhere (like during down time or on a break I took). I ended up using this during my personal time due to the convenience of having a place to put my Bluetooth keyboard or even my tablet.
Paired with the Cuxwill Car Seat Rail Floor Tablet Mount, I wanted to mount a full-time, dedicated keyboard to use with my phone, particularly when I was texting friends and family while stopped, without the annoyance of dealing with the on-screen phone keyboard.
WARNING: Make sure to comply with applicable laws regarding texting and driving. KML Affiliate Marketing will not be responsible for any traffic or criminal citations incurred from misuse or illegal use of keyboard while behind the wheel.
Required Affiliate Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, KML Affiliate Marketing earn from qualifying purchases. This website contains affiliate tracking links that point directly to Amazon.com.
