One way to be careful is to use your meter leads or
a small jumper cable between the battery negative (ground) post and the ground cable — this puts the meter or jumper in parallel with the ground connection so that when you remove the cable there is still a connection.
Not exact matches
Nothing wrong with popping into Wal Mart to buy a new set of
jumper cables, when you're driving through a
small American town, after 2 days on the road etc..
Make sure your car has a dedicated place to store these items:
jumper cables, a fleece blanket, a bottle of water, a flashlight, windshield scraper, a length of sturdy rope, a bag of sand, a first aid kit and, if space permits, a
small shovel.