Be Prepared for Anything with a Jeep Tool Kit

1. Editor's Choice: Survivewear First Aid Kit

This one is pretty basic. If you’re not driving with a high-quality first aid kit, you’re flirting with disaster. Cuts and scrapes come with the territory, and the sooner you can dress a wound, the better. Assuming you haven’t sprung for Jeep’s cool, albeit expensive, first aid kit, we recommend keeping this Swiss Safe kit in your vehicle. It’s affordable and comes fully stocked with just about anything you could ever need to dress a minor wound in the field, including bandages, gauze, antiseptic wipes, first aid tape, sheers, tweezers, a whistle, compass, and even an emergency glow stick.

2. Best Flashlight: GearLight LED Tactical Flashlight

Another basic essential, a flashlight is an absolute must-have for your Jeep tool kit, because sometimes, mishaps strike after dark. You’ve probably already got a few spares lying around, but in case you don’t, we recommend you go and get yourself one of these GearLight LED Tactical Flashlight two-packs. LEDs are cool, long-lasting, and bright; these tiny flashlights are rated for up to 1,040 lumens, which is enough to light up an entire room, or focus on an object up to 1,000 feet away, depending on how you adjust the zoom lens. Best of all, they’re water resistant, so a little rain is no trouble at all.

3. Best Flaslight Alternative: Gearlight LED Headlamp Flashlight

While we’re on the subject of illumination, sometimes – say, if you’re trying to install your spare tire on the side of the trail – you don’t have a free hand to hold a flashlight. That’s why we might also recommend keeping these GearLight LED Headlamps in your Jeep tool kit. Rated for up to 586 lumens, these headlamps are bright enough to light up everything immediately in front of you, and then some, and like the GearLight flashlights listed above, they’re water resistant.

4. Best Tow/Recovery Rope: Miolle 7/8" 30' Kinetic Recovery & Tow Rope

When it comes to must-have items in your Jeep tool kit, a good recovery rope is one of the most essential pieces you can have. This recovery kit from Miolle comes with everything you need to be saved or become someones savior in a pinch. The 30′ recovery rope is made from 7/8″ double braided nylon that provides superior strength while stretching up to 30% to reduce shock load on vehicles during the pulling process. What makes this kit great is that it includes two soft shackles and a convenient carrying bag to keep it all together when not in use.

5. Best Alternate Recovery Strap: Rhino USA Recovery Tow Strap

If you’re piecing your Jeep tool kit together on a budget, a kinetic recovery rope may blow your budget. Don’t fret because a good recovery strap, like this one from Rhino USA, is still worth adding to your kit. It’s 30 feet long, lightweight, and bright green so you can spot it easily in the field. More importantly, its poly/silk webbing and triple-reinforced loop ends give it a stout 31,518-pound break strength, which should be more than enough for the sort of peak loads you might subject it to as you’re getting yourself unstuck. It may not soak up the hard hit you get when pulling or being pulled out, but it still gets the job done.

6. Best Multi Tool: Rhino USA Folding Survival Shovel

Why rely on a good Samaritan for help getting unstuck when you can dig yourself out? A shovel is an excellent item to keep in your Jeep tool kit, and we can hardly say enough great things about this folding shovel from Rhino USA. Made of powder-coated carbon steel, this shovel collapses to just 9” by 6” when not in use, and it even has a couple of other handy functions: a pickax, and a saw. It’s a survivalist’s dream tool.

7. Best Auxiliary Fuel Container: Midwest 5 Gallon Metal "Jerry" Gas Can

Anyone who’s been driving for a few years has run their vehicle out of gas once or twice, and out on the trail, where your engine’s working extra hard and you’re more concerned with making it up that next incline, it’s even more likely. That’s why we recommend keeping this 5-gallon gas can with you. It’s a high-quality metal gas “jerry” can that exceeds the portable fuel container requirements put forth by CARB and the EPA, and it looks great. As sturdy as it is, we wouldn’t necessarily recommend just tossing it in a bag and letting it slide around, though. There are plenty of great jerry can holder options like this one.

8. Best Multi Purpose Battery Jumper: DEWALT Digital Portable Power Station Jump Starter

Make sure you’re ready to respond to a flat battery – or a flat tire – by keeping a good jump starter/air compressor combo unit in your Jeep tool kit. This unit from DEWALT is an excellent choice, rated at 700 instant starting amps, with a peak amperage of 1,400, so you can rest assured you’ve got the grunt to get your Jeep going again. It features smart circuitry that sounds an alarm if you accidentally connect the cables in reverse, and there’s an LED-lit screen onboard for using the built-in air compressor, which can inflate up to 120 psi…not that you’ll be inflating your Jeep’s tires to 120 psi.

9. Best Portable Water Storage: Scepter 5-Gallon Military Water Container

If you encounter a mishap out on the trail and all else fails, you might have to wait around awhile for assistance. That’s why we highly recommend topping your Jeep tool kit off with a good water can, like this true military-grade jug from Scepter. It’s BPA-free, and made from rugged, durable, food-grade material, with a total capacity of 5 gallons – enough to last a good long while with sparing use. And hey, if it’s good enough for the military, it’s probably good enough for you.

There are so many other battery jump boxes that are much smaller than the one listed. Why did you go with this one?

You’re right. There are many more compact boxes on the market, but we chose this one specifically because of its additional features; manly the air compressor. Airing down the tires is something that is almost always done before going down the trail and instead of having another piece of gear rolling around in the back, this jumper gives us the ability to air up when the day is done.

Why are kinetic tow straps better than a regular tow strap?

If you’ve ever been stuck and had someone jerk you out with a conventional tow strap, the whiplash you received should be explanation enough. The advantage of using a kinetic rope is that the strap has elasticity, meaning it stretches when the pressure is applied and minimizes that violent shock you get when being pulled. Not only is that hard on the driver/passenger, but it’s also hard on the equipment.

Additional Resources

• The Essential Off-Road Tools You Need for Safe Wheeling on the Trails
• All The Parts, Gear and Accessories You Need to Go Off-Road
• Best High Lift Jacks for Your 4×4 or Jeep

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Updated 8/13/2021: Updated product descriptions, added two new products (Miolle 7/8″ 30′ Kinetic Recovery & Tow Rope and Survivewear First Aid Kit), ranked products, added FAQ and additional resources.