Cold packs and other heat-sensitive items for car first aid kit?

March 6, 2022 9:47 AM

When inspecting my car emergency kit, I found all of the instant cold packs already activated... Which was not unexpected, but do any exist that will survive summer car trunk conditions? Similarly non functional but less important were the air activated heat packs, and the AAA batteries in the head lamp had exploded. Items with button type batteries were dead but not exploded... Are there better choices for all of these items?
posted by lemonade to Travel & Transportation (9 answers total)

Dunno about the medical stuff, but for headlamp/flashlight I go with models that use 123A lithium batteries (expensive) for this kind of use. they have shelf lifes of up to 10 years.
posted by Thug at 9:57 AM on March 6, 2022

Following, and would like to add I carry a backup battery jump starter that I’m concerned it’s battery will be damaged by heat in the car.
posted by artdrectr at 9:59 AM on March 6, 2022

I just don't think it's feasible for people in pretty much most climates.

This is on my mind a lot - I've been re-stocking and initially stocking go-bags and home first aid and camping supplies over the past few months. I'm in the middle of stocking out "car bags" that live in the house and get grabbed on the way out to the car and only left there unattended for the length of time it takes to run errands. Yes, it's a very flawed system, but I just don't see how else to make it work. At least we don't go anywhere very often.

I have switched to carrying a ziplock in my purse with a both a headlamp with batteries separate and a usb-rechargeable power bank that has a flashlight on it, and a mini first-aid kit with stuff I wouldn't want to ingest after baking in a hot car for several months, and my husband has a similar one in his messenger bag (not something he takes on short errands but will have if he's working or traveling).
posted by Lyn Never at 10:42 AM on March 6, 2022

Batteries don't like temperature extremes, and the interior of an automobile trunk in the summertime can be like an oven. For a reliable emergency light, suggest attaching a little white LED unit to your keychain.
posted by Rash at 10:59 AM on March 6, 2022 [2 favorites]

I have a tiny flashlight that charges in the 12v (cig lighter) outlet. I think it's genius and give these as gifts. Don't store flashlights with batteries loaded; they will corrode, leak, or explode. You could try an insulated bag and keep it in the least-hot car location, possibly under the passenger seat.
posted by theora55 at 11:43 AM on March 6, 2022

I suspect that using an insulated lunch bag as the container and putting it under the car seat or in the floor of the back seat with a piece of foam as insulation or an extra reflector window screen over the top might do it. Cars get hot, but the inside of the car out of direct sunlight is the least hot.

I have a dynamo flashlight in the car, but I don't know how well that would hold up in heat.
posted by blnkfrnk at 11:46 AM on March 6, 2022 [1 favorite]

I just use my phone's flashlight; I always keep a 12V cigarette lighter phone charger in my car just in case.
posted by Seeking Direction at 12:16 PM on March 6, 2022

Artdrectr: I had a device such as you describe. It said it needed recharging every few months, which of course I didn't do, and it became un-rechargeable. Check out the requirements of any device you buy.

In general, stuff goes out of date and/or becomes unusable quicker than anyone would like. I had a box of heat packs go bad before I used half. For things like the hot & cold packs, you need establish a program of annual replacement.

The Coast Guard changed their rules on fire extinguishers, and any more than 12 years old have to be replaced. I don't think any I own are younger than 12.
posted by SemiSalt at 4:10 PM on March 6, 2022 [2 favorites]

My CERT instructor called car flashlights "tubes for holding dead batteries." For my emergency kit, I use a wind-up flashlight. It's not as powerful as the one I keep up front in the car, but that one's batteries die if I just think about them too much.
posted by The corpse in the library at 8:23 PM on March 6, 2022 [2 favorites]