Driving in Mexico?

I drive around Mexico enough to know one thing:

The stuff you need is usually the stuff you wish you had packed before you needed it.

Not when you’re already pulled over.

Not when your phone is at 4 percent.

Not when you’re trying to explain where you are.

And definitely not when you’re standing on the side of a highway thinking, “Well… now what?”

So this is my own little Mexico road-trip kit.

Nothing dramatic.

Just the things I like having in the car because they make life a lot easier if the day decides not to go according to plan.

A LITTLE EMERGENCY FOLDER

Yes, I still believe in paper.

I keep a simple folder in the car with the important stuff together.

Insurance information.

Vehicle registration.

VIN.

Plate number.

Emergency contacts.

Roadside assistance information.

If I’m renting a car, I’d put the rental company’s emergency information in there too.

I also like having photos of everything saved on my phone.

Two copies.

Two different places.

Because somehow the one thing you need always seems to be on the phone that just died.

A CHARGER THAT ACTUALLY STAYS IN THE CAR

This sounds ridiculously basic, but I don’t mean the charger you keep moving from your bedroom to your suitcase to your car.

I mean one that lives in the car.

Permanently.

And I like a portable battery pack too.

When you’re traveling, your phone is doing everything.

GPS.

Translation.

Calling for help.

Looking up your insurance.

Sending your location.

Taking photos if there’s an accident.

That is not the moment you want the little red battery icon showing up.

WATER

Always.

Puerto Vallarta is hot.

Much of Mexico is hot.

Traffic happens.

Construction happens.

Road closures happen.

Sometimes a 20-minute drive becomes much longer than expected.

A couple bottles of water in the car can suddenly feel like the smartest thing you packed.

SOME PESOS

I use cards constantly in Mexico, but I still keep cash in the car.

Not a fortune.

Just enough for tolls, parking, a small roadside purchase or those random moments when a card machine is suddenly “not working.”

Mexico has taught me not to be 100 percent dependent on plastic.

A REAL FLASHLIGHT

Yes, your phone has a flashlight.

No, I don’t want to burn through my phone battery using it.

A little flashlight barely takes up any room.

Throw one in the glove box and forget about it.

Hopefully forever.

THE BORING CAR STUFF

This is the stuff nobody wants to think about until they actually need it.

Make sure you have a spare tire.

Make sure the spare actually has air.

Make sure you have the jack.

And make sure you know where the jack is.

That last one sounds stupid until you realize some cars hide everything like you’re participating in a scavenger hunt.

I’d also have:

Jumper cables.

A portable jump starter if you have one.

A warning triangle or reflector.

A small first-aid kit.

Again, none of this is glamorous.

But roadside glamorous is not really a thing.

MY INSURANCE COMPANY’S NUMBER

This one is big.

If you’re driving your own car in Mexico, save your Mexican auto insurance claims number before you leave home.

Not just the company name.

The actual number.

I would also save your policy number right beside it in your contacts or notes.

Something like:

MEXICO CAR INSURANCE

Policy:

Claims:

Agent:

Simple.

If something happens, I don’t want to be digging through emails from six months ago trying to figure out who I’m supposed to call.

AND YES, I SAVE THESE NUMBERS TOO

These are the Mexico numbers I keep handy:

911

For an actual emergency.

078

Ángeles Verdes, Mexico’s highway assistance service.

074

CAPUFE assistance on the toll roads they operate.

088

Guardia Nacional.

089

I don’t obsess over memorizing them.

I just save them.

That’s the point.

I ALSO DROP A PIN

This is one of those simple things people forget.

If you have a problem on the road, knowing exactly where you are can be harder than you think.

Especially when someone asks:

“What kilometer are you at?”

And your answer is:

“I’m near a mountain and there’s a taco stand.”

Helpful.

So if I’m stuck somewhere unfamiliar, one of the first things I do is drop a pin or screenshot my location.

That makes it much easier to send your exact location to insurance, roadside assistance, friends or emergency services.

ONE MORE THING I LIKE TO HAVE

A trusted local contact.

Not necessarily for an emergency.

Just someone who knows Mexico and can help you figure things out if something weird happens.

Maybe it’s your realtor.

Your property manager.

A friend.

Your hotel.

Someone local.

Because sometimes what you need isn’t 911.

You just need somebody to say:

“Yes, that’s normal.”

or

“Nope. Don’t do that.”

And that can be just as valuable.

THE POINT ISN’T TO DRIVE AROUND PARANOID

Quite the opposite.

I like being prepared because then I don’t have to think about it.

Everything’s already there.

The documents.

The charger.

The cash.

The water.

The phone numbers.

Hopefully all of it sits untouched in your car for years.

That is actually the best-case scenario.

But if your car decides to have a little Mexican adventure of its own somewhere between Puerto Vallarta and wherever you’re headed next, at least you’re not starting from zero.

And that, to me, is Mexico Made Easy.

Will Hutt

@BeachPleasePVR