We will kick off this list with summer-specific list items for possible road trip emergencies – plus anything you might encounter just driving around Colorado Springs. Like its winter counterpart, the summer season in Colorado has unique challenges that every driver must face when out and about. Whether you’re taking a summer vacation in another state or just zipping around Colorado Springs on errands, it is really important to pack your car for the weather.

The Pikes Peak region’s summer weather can range from blistering three-digit heat to golf ball sized hail within hours. You could leave the house in shorts and a tank top with the car AC cranked and find yourself shivering in the snow on the top of Pikes Peak a few hours later. Yes indeed, it can snow in July in high elevations in Colorado. Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on how you feel about heat), Colorado Springs is mostly hot well into September. Here is a list of summer car emergency kit items:

Water: Water is an essential part of any DIY emergency kit for cars. Water doesn’t just hydrate your body, it can also be used in a pinch when your car is overheated. However, be cautious. Recents studies say that leaving water bottles in hot cars can cause chemicals from the plastic to leach into the water. It might be a good idea to cover the bottles while traveling and take them out of the car when you’re not using it.
Snacks: Snacks are essential even if you’re not doing a cross-country driving stint. Snacks quell the rage of cranky toddlers (and grown-ups). We consider them a road trip survival kit essential item – even if you’re just going to the grocery store to buy more snacks.
Extra clothing: In Colorado, it’s really important to keep extra clothes in the car. It’s handy to have a spare sweatshirt when the evening softball game gets too cold, or a change of dry clothes when a roadside swim beach is just too tempting to pass up.
Extra wiper blades: Remember those torrential downpours we mentioned earlier? If you have to be out in that kind of weather, you will absolutely want to have spare blades. If one falls off during a storm, you’ll be immobile till it ends. Nobody wants to sit on the side of the road during a rainstorm if they can navigate safely away from the area instead.
Windshield shade: Help beat the summer heat in your car by taking away the impact of the sun’s favorite magnifying glass – your windshield. A shade won’t eliminate the heat, but it can reduce it. It can also help you keep your steering wheel from becoming a searing hot circle of doom.
Umbrella: You may not mind a little water, but you will definitely mind a little hail. An umbrella can protect you from average hail storms. It’s a good rule of thumb that if hail is ripping through your umbrella, you should probably not be outside.
Rain boots: Colorado Springs roads can often fill with water when the rain is heavy. A pair of wellies will help your feet stay dry if you have to manage car trouble.
Poncho: We feel like a poncho is a given for a road trip emergency kit. It keeps you dry or protects your gear in the event you have to pull it from the car during a storm.
Emergency blanket: Temps can still grow quite cold at night. If you pack a real blanket instead of a foil emergency blanket, you also have the perfect impromptu picnic blanket.
First aid kit: A summer first aid kit is basically the same as the winter first aid kit for cars. You want bandages, antiseptic wipes, antibiotic ointment, basic painkillers, bug spray/bite treatment, cold medicine and other items to help with minor cuts and ailments.
Hats: A hat is the easiest way to hold back the burn of the high-elevation sunshine. It also protects your pretty face from becoming a red and peeling mess.
Sunscreen: Sunscreen shouldn’t just be a part of your road trip kit, it should be a part of your general summer safety kit. High-altitude sun is brutal on your skin. Reduce your chances of skin cancer (and weird tan lines) by wearing it. Plus, did you know you can burn while driving? If you like to roll with your arm out the window, be sure to prepare with sunscreen.
Chapstick: We can assure you that chapstick is not a frivolous addition to your summer car kit. It’s also useful for a winter emergency kit. If you exist in Colorado Springs, always have chapstick.
Pet essentials: If you’re traveling with your pets, be sure to pack well for them, too. We have a handy guide for traveling with pets here.