As most of you know, I'm a relative newbie to prepping. I have been interested in it for a long time, but didn't do anything about it until recently. I was always prepared for a hurricane or a short term problem, but nothing more. What pushed me to get serious about prepping was listening to Neal Boortz talk about the book One Second After. Once I read the book earlier this year, I really saw the need to start stockpiling. According to the book, modern cars will be inoperative after an EMP burst. I have since done a little more research into the technical aspects of the EMP phenomenon, and I have found that many cars will be able to withstand a burst with only minor damage. Still, since an attack of this sort is unprecedented, I feel it's a good idea to prepare your vehicles just in case it is disabled far from home. I have made emergency car kits for my family members. I know that a typical emergency kit might have granola bars and fire making supplies and portable stoves. When I made these kits I came at it from a different point of view. I thought about my mother, who is 69 years old. She has never gone on a survival campout, and probably never will. It didn't make sense to supply her with the same gear that I would carry. She needs the basic supplies that can sustain her until someone can find her, or possibly walk 10 or 15 miles to her home. The pack had to be considerably lighter for her than one I would carry. It might be two or three days before she could be rescued, so the contents would have to last at least that long. The first thing I put in her pack is a 3600 calorie energy bar. I chose this instead of store-bought granola bars because of the five year shelf life and the ability to store them at higher temperatures (the trunk of her car). 3600 calories will last a couple of days. They're only about $4.50 each. You can get them at a number of places. Try http://www.emergencyanddisastersupplies.com/emergencyfoodandwater or https://www.quakekare.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=7. The second thing I put in was water pouches. You can get these at the same place you get your energy bars. Why would I buy water pouches instead of filling up water bottles for free? Shelf life. Water does go bad after a while. The five year shelf life of these water pouches means they can sit in my mom's trunk for a long time and I don't have to worry about them. I put 12 pouches in her pack. Not a lot, but she typically has her own water bottle when she drives. 12 pouches should get her through a couple of days. The third thing is a minor first aid kit. It's just the basics. A flashlight was the fourth thing. A wind-up flashlight would be ideal. I have to admit that for now I just put a little LED flashlight in the pack. I know that batteries won't last five years, but I'll replace the light with a wind up light before they go bad. The fifth thing is a roll of campers toilet paper. Hopefully I don't have to explain what that's for! Sixth was an emergency blanket. She could get stranded in the winter. I don't have to worry about snow and ice, but it does get cold here in Florida. That's about it for my mom's kit. She doesn't need heavy duty survival equipment since she doesn't have heavy duty survival skills. She only needs to hold tight until help arrives. My kit contains a few additional items, such as: Fire making supplies A large poncho Parachute cord Multitool Box of 50 rounds of ammo for my carry weapon I also have additional water and energy bars since I often have my wife or kids with me. Remember, the purpose of this kit is to get me home kn case I have to walk 10 or 20 miles. It's not an all-inclusive survival pack or a bug out bag. I have always carried a gallon of water in case my car overheats. I used to use an old antifreeze jug, but I have since switch to an actual water jug. If I need to, I can drink that water without poisoning myself. Everyone's car kit should be customized for their own needs. When you're putting one together, remember you may be hiking back home with it. Don't overload it.
I remember a couple of years ago when a couple of Asian Americans became stranded in California during the winter. After a couple of days stuck on a old park road in the middle of no where, the husband/father left for help. He ended up dying of hypothermia, while his family was rescued a day later. This family was woefully underprepared. If memory serves me correct they had almost no food or water. It is a hard lesson, but hopefully it made a big enough impact on others who read or heard the story to be a little more prepared. I keep a case of water, and soup/stew in my vehicles besides our bug out bags. I also have a freezer coat, or two or three I keep in the vehicles during the winter, and all of the time in my work vehicle. Just a little bit of thought and prevention can save your life. I also tailor our BOB's to meet each persons needs. My mom's pack has a little bit of everything, but in case she has to leave her pickup she knows to take out what she doesn't need. It is actually a bit of overkill, and a little heavy for her, but I made it that way so that if she was somewhere and she needed this or that, she could get it out of her pack, not just for emergency situations. She knows that if she has to leave her vehicle, to take out the items that she will not need. Flashlight's are a must, and I packed her a River Rock LED light. Those are great little lights and they last forever. This light even has a strobe effect mode that can be seen a long ways off, if you so desire or need it. Her pack has everything from extra batteries, food, firestarters (mini-fire log) to H2O, and a gas mask. I need to pick up a .38 Special for her. FYI, as long as it is chlorinated water doesn't go bad, although it does lose it's freshness and will taste very stale.
You can add a luggage cart to your mom's pack. I keep one in my car with my pack. I'm not sure how far I would get before the wheels come off. But probably farther than trying to carry pack on my back.
