Vehicle Emergency Kit - My 1st Attempt

I decided my first step in preparedness is to build a basic vehicle kit, which should be an easy first project to get the "prepper" ball rolling. If anyone wants to look my list over and offer up any additional ideas/things I may have forgotten, have at it!

This is with winter in Michigan in mind. During summer months I would drop the hat/gloves/boots and slightly change the extra clothing.

My Truck Kit (Winter)
-Basic First Aid Kit
-Flashlight
-Blanket
-Flares
-Whistle
-knife/glass breaker
-550 rope (always potentially good for something, right?)
-Firemaking (debated on this for a vehicle kit, but figured I might as well have it since it won't take up much space)
-Extra pair of warm clothes
-Gloves, hat & boots (usually have at least gloves on in the winter, but in case I don't have all 3 on me at the time of an incident ie: on my way to work I'm not wearing boots)
-Food/water - Granola bars/basic food and enough bottled water for 2 days.

My theory behind the kit (which might not be sound ): this is a very basic kit that should cover me for incidents that would happen on my normal day-to-day commutes/driving. Obviously if I'm heading somewhere remote or out of the ordinary I would supplement this kit with additional stuff anyways.

 

I would add a good multi-tool, a knife, a good blanket since you are in Michigan, and a way to defend yourself. It wouldn't be a bad idea to throw in a tarp in the event you had a window break, or if you had to walk you could use it for shelter purposes. I'll let the rest of the crew add other things.

 

A roll of duct tape or gorilla tape and some roll plastic....comes in handy too!

 

Battery charger/ jumper. No need for another car to jump. I can charge the cell phones and plug in small electrical in mine. Also has an air pump. This is always in my trunk charged and ready to go. used it countless times. Usually helping others out.

 

I dont know if you have additional stuff you just hadnt considered parts of the emergency kit but heres a few additional items that wouldnt have to be in a pack but would be good to have in the vehicle. As mentioned the rolled plastic and duct tape for shelter, poncho, water catching, cover broken window, etc. Battery jumper and (built in or not) 12 volt air compressor, can be a life saver if the battery dies and add a tire plug kit for under $5 and you can repair and reinflate half a dozen tires that picked up nails, particularly a life saver if a box of nails or other debris on the road punctures 2 or 3 tires at the same time and only takes a few minutes to fix. A tool kit to match your skills for road side repairs but at least an adjustable wrench and a couple screw drivers. A fire extinguisher can keep damage to a minimum if your car catches fire and save lives if you happen on an accident with a burning car thats occupied. Particularly in cold climats a set of cramp ons or the chains on a rubber ring that go on your feet can save a lot of falls. I also like the idea if possible of a handgun and some ammo for protection particularly if you have to walk. Dont know what you drive but since I drive a truck and have the extra room I also keep a 5 gallon can of gas in the back in case I run out or had to BO unexpectedly and gas stations were closed, it gives an extra 75-100 miles or so.

Like I say, you my already have some of this stuff and just not think of it as emergency kit stuff but to my mind its even more basic than the get home kit.

 

In Colorado I always had a spare set of snow tires that were studded, plus 2 sets of chains....I had a lot of ice up there in Golden Colorado, and lived halfway up a mountain! ( kept them covered in the back of the pickup!) Extra links and chain pliers x2.
Many people carried cans of ether, (starting fluid) but it caused more damages than it did good!

 

Yeah studded tire chains are awesome when things get nasty with ice. Make stuff thats otherwise totaly impassable no problem at all.

 

Thanks for the responses thus far everyone. The tarp/plastic is a must for me that I completely missed. I also really need to get the battery jumper/compressor. Secured space is fairly limited for me (2000 Ford Ranger non-extended cab). I should get some sort of lockable storage for the truckbed (considering it is empty 70% of the time anyways).

I'm currently in the process of getting my CPL

My main concern is the first aid portion of the kit. This is the area that I am the least familiar with. I'm trying to make a basic DIY kit vs. buying a pre-made 1st aid kit, which seems over-priced. I might as well list the contents of my first aid for review too......

First Aid
-2-3 5"x9" surgical pads/absorbent compress dressings
-2-3 3"x4" non-adhering dressing
-Variety of basic band-aids
-5 4"x4" and 3"x3" gauze pads
-1 3" & 4" roller bandage
-2 triangular bandages
-medical tape
-5 alcohol swabs & batadine packs
-5 antiseptic wipes packets
-2 hydrocortisone ointment packs
-eye wash
-1 instant cold compress
-2 pair non-latex gloves
-scissors
-breathing barrier
-tweezers

Seems like a lot, but I think it is mostly focused on controlling bleeding.

 

Your smart to build your own 1st aid kit. Nothing but bandaids in em. I say if you need a FAK, you don't really need a FAK. You want a trauma kit, throw some celox in there.

 

Thanks for the heads up on celox, Sherman.

Also, the 1st aid kit would be more effective if I knew what I was doing so I'm going to look into a class or two.

 

Mechanical/mobility
repair parts, air pump,jacks, shovel,fluids,beltschains,sand/kittylitter...

Medical
first aid kit,....

Energy
batteries, solar, inverter, ...

Food/Water
tin pot, MRE, bars, jugofwater, water filter,...

Heat
blankets, catalytic heater, warm pads, coats gloves, fire making,...

Signals
flash light, radio, flares, signs, CB,...

Misc.
reading material, protection, maps, compass, portable safe, money/pm, tin pot,...

 

Here is a list of the gear that lives in/on my truck all the time......

spare belts/filters
basic tool kit
spare h/light and d/light globes
fuzes
cyalume sticks (red green and blue)
disposable overalls
orange safety vest (so as not to get run down changing a tyre, we do't wear 'em shooting here)
Glock folding shovel
small axe/large Fiskars axe
folding bush saw
tread plates
various folding knives (no fixed blades due to silly laws)
cam cream
water/food for about three days
Milbag filter/water purification tablets
thermal blanketx2
large tarp
hootchie
hexi stove and fuel
small fry pan, steel canteen cup/canteen
concentrateddisinfectant
basic (to match my skill level) first aid kit plus additional wound dressings
snatch strap
3000kg drag chain, hooks and shackles
Wallaby Jack (on external rack)
Winching kit for the jack
Wallaby Jack adapter (connects wallaby jack to bullbar or rear bar)
small compressor
toilet paper, several rolls and single packets (beats the hell out of leaves and sticks)
matches (in bulk) including waterproof/windproof type
Para (550) Cord x 50m
Hootchie Cord x 100m
cheap nylon 6mm rope 50m
Couple of torches and spare batteries (Magcharger Torch in charger when on a trip)
Wet/Antiseptic wipes (for when bathing is out of the question)
Antiseptic soap
eye/ear protection
condoms (my other 1/2 looking over my shoulder noted these were out of date)
playing cards (a sign of a man who has been up "that" creek without his paddle in the past...!!!)
M65 Jacket, gloves, balaclava, socks. Belleville boots
towel
pillow
sleeping bag (US modular sleep system complete)
tubeless repair kit
100 CDs (these complement the playing cards when stranded, other 1/2 just noted music selection was crap....she has been directed back to the kitchen)
Duct tape, insulation tape and cloth tape
a second spare tyre and rim
telescopic fishing rod and reel plus associated gear
bush shower bag
lots of large plastic bags
unfilled sandbags
Arktis patrol pack (just got an Eagle Becker Patrol Pack that I am sorting out)
riggers gloves
nomex gloves
insulated beenie
gortex jacket (British DPM)
fire extinguisher (cage mounted)
canvas swag
jumper cables (stopped carrying the APU when I got the second battery).
Which extension strap
tree trunk protector
chamois (cleaning windows and also makes a useful "towel" for me if I need to pack out)
candles (both full size and "tea light" kinds)
army KFS set
lighters
zip ties (and something that looks remarkably like flexi-cuffs )
black window socks (pull over the upper door frame to create a shade effect, lest you sleep with the windows down without getting attacked by bugs/squitos)
EPIRB


Sounds like heaps I know, but it all resides in the side compartments of my "Crusier", under the back deck and in a medium size sealed top plastic tub in the cargo bay.

Due to the laws out here there are no firearms/ammunition carried except when I am going away hunting or to the range

I sometimes get asked why I carry all this “junk" around with, well I guess it is just in my nature generally but there is one situation that sticks in my mind as reinforcing it…

I got "caught" without anything in the truck back in '93. Sydney was ringed by large bushfire and I was traveling home to my place in the country (3 hours north). It was just prior to Christmas. The main north/south freeway (F3) was closed right in front of me due to fire and smoke. At this time there was NO place that you could turn around and return to the city. I and several thousand others (being a Friday afternoon everyone was taking off for the weekend) spent the night there on the freeway in the summer heat. It was an interesting social experience, water was a real issue, in hind sight I am still amazed that *I* was not carrying any. I think it was a case that having come from the bush down to the city I was trying to “tone myself down” a little. How one little bit of the world can be so different in a short period was amazing, there were some “entrepreneurs” that used an old service road to drive out some wheelie bins full of cold drinks and ice who then tried walking them down the km/s of parked cars (families and kids for the most part) wanting to sell them for ridiculous prices….they ended up giving away all their stock for free…. Then there was a guy who owned a little convenience store near the start of the freeway who (with a little help from Police) loaded all his transportable stock into a car and trailer and drove down the long lines of cars GIVING it away, especially to the kids. I and a couple of others collected up some clean containers from the group around us and walked down a few kms through the (already burnt) bush to an abandoned service station and loaded up on tap water. There were a couple of cases of heat stroke just near us that we managed to arrange (CB radio as of course mobile phones were not at all common then) ambulances for. What the whole deal left me with was a bad feeling deep down, knowing I had the gear and know how to have made the whole thing much more comfortable and safe I didn’t have it with me… so therefore it was useless. On the other hand I could tell I was in a much better state psychologically than many who found a “night out” like this was something to fear…some went to water. I was in no great peril, although the fires flared nearby once. I make sure now that summer or winter I can spend a few night in something which actually approaches comfort …

 

They have to *know* you have it to make a problem and it has been my experience that most Aussie crowds are pretty tame in this regard. I always keep my cards close to my chest though.

Andy

 

Holy Crap Andy... what kind of truck do you drive? an 18-wheeler?

I"m not sure I have that much stuff in my house/garage!!!!!


RJ

 

....just like GOD I drive a diesel Landcruiser ...

It sounds like lots but the majority lives under 1/2 my rear deck and behind the back seat (against the cargo barrier). Other than the jacks and such bolted outside most have no clue what is inside That includes my passengers).

The pic below shows the gear stowed under the deck.

Andy

 

@Andy the Aussie what is a 'hootchie'??

 

Military issued tarp, like your poncho but without the head ole and a little larger. Two or more can clip together for a larger shelter.