How To Create The Best RV Emergency Kit To Handle Any Disastrous Situation

When we first started RVing, I was paranoid about all types of disasters. Now, after three years on the road, I can say what has significantly reduced those fears is knowing I have built a great RV emergency kit for us. Additionally, after having experienced some scary things and knowing we got through it has helped ease fears as well.

Admittedly, I wasn’t too quick to build our emergency kit. Looking back, I didn’t know what we needed so we had a first aid kit and that was about it. It took us going through some scary situations for me to finally build our perfect RV emergency kit. A few of those situations were terrifying storms, hitting a deer, getting stuck in the mud, and getting trapped in the Black Hills of South Dakota.

I don’t want you to wait for disaster to strike before building your ideal RV emergency kit. I’ve broken down what’s in ours and a few additional items you need to think about. Let’s get into it!

The Perfect RV Emergency Kit

You never know what type of emergency or natural disaster you will find yourself in, so I like to prepare for it all. The below items are what we recommend you get started with to build out your perfect RV emergency kit.

My Medic First Aid Kit

The very first item on your list should be a really good first aid kit. We have the one below and love how thorough it is! It has a velcro strap and is water-resistant. It’s a good idea to bring it along on hikes or other adventures you participate in!

Budget First Aid Kit

While we own and love the My Medic First Aid Kit, we still wanted to provide a more budget-friendly option. It has almost everything you would need in case of an injury.

Safety Vests For Your RV Emergency Kit

The next thing you’ll want on the top of your kit is a safety vest. Be sure to put one in for each member of your family. They could be vital in being seen at night on the side of the road.

Multi Tool For Your RV Emergency Kit

You never know when a multitool will come in handy! We like this one because it comes with a knife and can be operated with one hand.

Emergency Drinking Water

We have some drinking water pouches in our kit because we boondock a lot. If by some chance we ran out of water, we at least would have a few more days worth of it on us. It’s also good to have in case a storm or natural disaster makes the campground lose water. As a side note, it’s always good to have a little extra water in your freshwater tank, even if you exclusively use campgrounds.

Life Straw

This gadget is awesome. You can use it to drink out of any body of water and it filters it for you! We have two in our emergency kit. Feel free to bring it hiking as well.

Three Day Food Supply

We have three days of emergency food in our kit but it wouldn’t hurt to have more. While we hope we never have to use them, it’s key to have this one in your kit.

Foil Blankets for Your RV Emergency Kit

I’m always sure to tell folks to throw a pack of foil blankets in their kit. They are super lightweight and can retain up to 90% of your body heat! You’ll be sure to want to have at least one for each person in your party. A few extra never hurt either.

LED Road Flares

We love this LED road flares because their compact put pack a big punch. They have multiple different modes and can even flash SOS.

Pop Up Traffic Cone

In addition to road flares, you’ll want to have some type of cone. These are good to have around to put at the bottom of your slide to bring awareness that it’s open. You can also use them if you’re pulled over on the side of the road. Feel free to practice your driving and backing skills in a parking lot with them as well!

Safety Whistles For Your RV Emergency Kit

It’s a good idea to toss a safety whistle into your RV emergency kit. We like these because they go up to 120 decibel, which can be heard from a mile away!

Variety Battery Pack

You’ll want to have a variety battery pack in your kit. You never know what you might need to power in case of an emergency.

Battery Organizer

We like this organizer because it will ensure your batteries don’t roll around in your kit. It keeps them dry, safe, and easily accessible.

Flashlight For Your RV Emergency Kit

We have two of these flashlights and love them. They are super bright, have many different modes (again, including SOS) and are rechargeable. They are super tough and water resistant as well.

Spare iPhone Charger

You’ll want to have a spare phone charger in your RV emergency kit. If you happen to be in an emergency where you lose your RV or have to get out in a rush, you’ll be leaving a lot of items behind. It will be important to have a phone charger over the next few days so you can still make calls and handle anything you need to with your over the phone.

Spare Android Charger

You’ll want to have a spare phone charger in your RV emergency kit. If you happen to be in an emergency where you lose your RV or have to get out in a rush, you’ll be leaving a lot of items behind. It will be important to have a phone charger over the next few days so you can still make calls and handle anything you need to with your over the phone.

Cordless Chainsaw

We didn’t add this product to our RV emergency kit until late 2019. We were boondocking in the Black Hills of South Dakota when a sudden lightning storm came in at 1 am. The next morning we went outside to discover that trees had fallen on both directions of the road, and we were essentially trapped! We picked up a chainsaw later that day (when the Forest Department saved us) so we never feel trapped again.

Tow Straps in Your RV Emergency Kit

Similar to the chainsaw, we didn’t add tow straps to our arsenal until 2019. This is when we got stuck in the mud attempting to boondock outside of Badlands National Park. After a few hours of trying to get out, a good samaritan came by with his tow straps and offered to pull us out. We now have our own set of tow straps to help others or help ourselves if we get stuck.

Traction Pads

We could have avoided the whole situation of getting stuck in the mud in South Dakota if we had traction pads. These bad boys go under your tires and give you the traction you need to pull yourself out.

NOAA Weather Emergency Radio

It’s so important to have a NOAA weather radio in your RV emergency kit! We used to rely on the Storm App on our phones for weather alerts, however that same storm that trapped us in the Black Hills also knocked out the local cell tower. So not only were wer trapped but we had no idea what type of storm was coming. We invested in a good weather radio the next day.

Additional Important Items For Your RV Emergency Kit

In addition to the above listed products, there are a few personal items you will need to ensure are in your RV emergency kit. The below items will ensure your health doesn’t falter during an emergency, you have copies of important documents, and you stay clean(ish) in case you can’t get to a store right away.

Extra Set of Clothes For Your RV Emergency Kit

Be sure to put an extra set of clothes in your RV emergency kit for each person in your party. This way if you are stranded or lost your RV you can still have a clean set of clothes to take on the next few days with.

Mini Travel Kit

You will also want to pack a small travel kit with necessary toiletries. This includes an extra toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and any other bathroom items you use everyday.

Don’t Forget Extra Medication in Your RV Emergency Kit

If you are on any medications, this is a very important one! There is a fellow Grand Design owner we know, whose engine caught fire while towing. Him and his wife were able to get out safely, but unfortunately the fire jumped to his RV and he lost everything. He said the hardest part of dealing with the aftermath was not having his heart medication. Since they were in a different state than their doctor, it was extremely difficult for him to get another prescription in a hurry. So be sure to have a few days of your medication in your RV emergency kit so you have one less thing to worry about in a severe emergency.

Copies of Important Documents For Your RV Emergency Kit

You’ll want to have copies of any legal and important documents. This includes copies of your passport, car/truck/RV insurance, your will, bank information, health records, power of attorney, and any other important documentation.

Personally, we have copies of our documents digitally on our phones. We do have the hard copies tucked away in a fireproof safe. We have a few other important items in there as well, so a small safe does the trick for us.

However, if you only want to protect documents then a document bag should do the trick. This one has over 1,400 reviews and it rated 4.8 stars, so it’s a great option.

Don’t Forget About Your Pets

If you have any pets, it’s important to include them in your RV emergency kit. They will also need to be taken care of in the case of an emergency! The below items are what we have included for our dog, Carmen in our kit.

Extra Pet Food

Just like you’ve included dry food for yourself, your pet will need theirs as well. You will want to be sure to include at least three days worth of dry or canned pet food.

Copy of Vet Records

Be sure to pack a copy of your pets vet records. It’s just important documentation to have any you never know when you might need it in an emergency.

MarCELL Device

While high temperatures in your RV might not fall under an emergency, it definitely could for your pet. We used a MarCELL Device our first two years on the road and loved it. It notifies you if temperature or humidity go out of your preset ranges. It will also send you an alert if the power goes off in your RV, so you can start heading back.

Pet Hammock for Car

A pet hammock can prevent accidents while driving and gives your pet a safe space in the car or truck. It keeps them from coming up while you’re driving and getting in your way or potentially causing an accident.

Portable Water Bottle

You will want to include a portable water bottle for your pet in your kit as well. Obviously, they will need water eventually and if you didn’t grab their regular bowl, they will have nothing to drink out of.

Pet First Aid Kit

Just like you need a first aid kit, so does your pet!

Putting Your RV Emergency Kit Together

Now, I know this was a lot of information and products! But they all serve a very important purpose in the case of an emergency. You will want to pack all of these items into a solid, durable container.

Durable Storage Containers

We love these containers because they come in many different sizes, they’re heavy duty, and are stackable. Not only do we use one for our RV emergency kit but we have multiple around to store our water, electric, and sewer accessories in.

Where to Keep Your RV Emergency Kit

Obviously, only you know the best place to store your RV emergency kit. If you’re not sure just imagine yourself in a few different scenarios and think about where it would be easiest to grab or leave with. Where would it be most convenient to have in the case of a fire? A flood? Evacuating your RV?

We store our RV emergency kit in the cab of our truck. We decided that was the best place for it because if we’re out exploring and something happens, it will be with us. And if something happens while we’re at the RV, the truck will always be with us and closeby.

Additionally, we like it in the truck because if we need to make a quick getaway from the RV or find ourselves needing to evacuate, we can run to the truck without worrying about grabbing our emergency kit from the RV.

Conclusion

I know natural disasters and emergency situations aren’t fun to think about. But you will be much more prepared to handle one if you have a great RV emergency kit put together. I feel a lot better about handling emergencies on the road knowing I have our emergency kit in our truck. I know you will too!

If you think you’ve built the perfect RV emergency kit and are ready for more RV gadgets and tools, check out our Ultimate List of RV Accessories!

Last update on 2024-04-18 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API