Most of us all carry a spare tire in the vehicle and maybe even jumper cables and more, but a many folks dont have any kind of emergency kit for themselves in the vehicle. Even FEMA and the Red Cross along with the government in some adds now advise this. There are a lot of terms for these kits, bug out bags (BOBs), 72 hour kits, emergency kits, and many more but it all boils down to being sure you have at least the minimum of what you need to get through at least 2 or 3 days if you have an emergency, from a vehicle breaking down or running off the road in bad weather, to a terrorist attack, to getting lost in the woods. I was looking at a thread on another page on BOBs and decided to start a similar thread here. I decided to also post my response to that thread here so here it is. I will try to post a complete list of my kits laterb ut yes I keep 2 in my truck plus add ons loose in the truck, most notably a NEF 20 ga behind the seat and a couple boxes of shells. I have a small pack as the primary but also have a fishing type vest that I keep in there and grab when I go off in the woods or whatever with a more basic version of the pack in case of getting lost or hurt. For now I will list what I would consider the most basics needed, all of which should be able to fit in a medium to large fanny pack. minimum 2 means of makeing fire; bic liter(s), water proof matches, magnesium striker, whatever spool of heavy twine; useful for building shelter, makeing traps for food/security, replace shoe laces, etc 10x 12 sheet heavy mil plastic; makes shelter, rain fly, water gatherer, helpful as blanket, can become rain suit, etc. 1-2 days food; can be as simple as a small bag of rice or a couple packs of ramen noodles cooking pot of some type; can be as simple as an empty vegie can and things can be stored in it to carry water purification tabs; theres not likely to be a faucet with pure water around when you need it water container; a small canteen or even a 2 liter or a couple of 1 liter bottles that can be tied to the belt first aid kit; can be as simple as a small tube of antibiotic cream, a couple bandaids, 10' of duct tape wraped on a business card and a couple feminine pads for major wounds, 3 day supply of perscription meds, small bottle of ibuprophen for fever and swelling controll, anti diareal meds since in emergency situation food/water may not be the best and dehydration from diarea could be fatal T.P.; put at least some kind of napkins or paper towels or TP in a ziplock so it stays dry and good, you dont want to be stuck somewhere in trouble and find the only thing to wipe with is a pine cone good and shard knife; a lock back knife or sheath knife with at least a 3"-4" blade though a bit larger would be good, dont cheap out it dosnt have to cost a fortune but dont go with the $5 cheapy, it can cut small sticks, dress/butcher game, be esed for TONS of important tasks decent whet stone; whith heavy use all but the best knives will get dull by the end of a single day and a small whet stone isnt much bigger than your thumb and can be had under $10 fish hooks; toss a couple dozen large eyed/trot line hooks and a few small 9#6 or smaller) hooks and 25 to 30 foot of fish cord in a film can along with a few small split shot sinkers, you can use the large eye hooks with your twine to set limb/trot lines to catch larger fish while you sleep or do other things and the small hooks and line to go after blue gill/perch/bait fish as they are easiest to catch and hit when nothing else will and 20 of these can often be caught in an hour or 2 and make a decent meal emergency whistle; you may not be able to yell if stranded for a day or 2 and may need to signal rescuers, even if you put this together with the thoughts of avoiding others you may have to trade with others and if it is a SHTF situation you dont want to walk up on others without anounceing yourself from a distance This sounds like a lot of stuff but it is probably half of what I have in my vests pockets and packed well will fit in any med to large fanny pack or a normal sized womans purse and provides food, shelter, fire, medical, and basics to create more if you have the knowledge. Like I say I will post a list of whats in mine later as I get the chance but these are the escentials IMHO. I hope this may get folks that havent done this thinking about it as it just could save your life, or at least be the difference between being one of the miricals of survival that '...lived 4 days on nothing but puddle water and tooth paste after running off the road in a storm and breaking both legs, more at 5' and the person found getting along like they were on a camping trip at the lake.
Like I mentioned I will put up a full list of what all I keep in my kits later but for now I will list a few other things that you may want to seriously consider for a kit. fire starters; I like the ones that you strike like a match and they burn for about 15 min, murpheys law if you need a fire it will be windy and wet a small stove and fuel; you can get the colapsable sterno stoves and sterno for a few bucks or go like to cheaperthandirt.com and get the german folding trioxine stoves, can be a lot easier than gathering fire wood and not bulky or heavy blanket; if nothing else an emergency blanket for $1-$2 at Walmart the shiny kind, or better yet if you have the room one of those down filled throws or one of those woven indian type bl;ankets, if you break down in the winter that can be REAL nice even just waiting on a tow truck or help spare socks; if you wind up on foot you will be glad you have these walking shoes; if you wear dress shoes/cloths for work or just often its a good idea to have a set of walking shoes and sensable clothes in with the kit in case of being stranded or worse hatchet or camp ax; could be very useful if stranded for a couple days to cut wood and tent spikes as well as to drive them and much more good book; one for entertainment can be good for the comfort factor but I also keep a copy of 'naked into the wilderness' by John McPhearson in mine which will tell you all you need to know to get by with literaly nothing out in the woods includeing how to make tools from stone and more though the learning curve would not be favorable if you hadnt practiced the skills before it is a good reference/reminder this is also writen by the guy who dose classes twice a year to train the special forces survival instructors for the military seasonings; most wild meat dosnt taste that great cooked on an open fire with NO seasoning, same with wild plants like cat tails and such, I have 3 match cases about the size of film canisters (also have spare flint strikers on them) with seasoning salt, black pepper and garlic salt in the respectively , can make things a LOT less uncomfortable and keep moral up drink mix; a few tea bags or instant coffee or coco can be a great comfort if stranded flash light; you CAN get by without one especialy with a lighter but a light can be very helpful, I would recomend a LED light as they are not that high and many put out a good light while haveing several times the battery life, also add an extra set or 2 of batteries for it radio; a small transistor radio can be good (try to have it use the same batteries as the light) both for comfort as well as news in case there is some kind of weather conditions that you need to know about or if the reason you need the kit is due to some kind of attack then being able to get news can be escential, a NOAA radio in hand held size with AM/FM also on it would be ideal cash;if you can it is good to put maybe $50-$100 in small bills and a roll of quarters in the kit, if you are stranded a little cash may help you get a ride a tow or pulled out of a ditch, also if there has been a wide spread insident checks and credit cards may well be useless so this could be able to buy you food, stuff from vending machines, make calls if needed, buy other supplies if possible while with out it you may have thousands in the bank and not have acess to it to be able to so much as make a call or buy a soda firearm and ammo; depending on your situation you may want to consider a firearm of some type, this dosnt have to be a high dollar 'black gun', I live in a rural area and keep a New England Arms single shot 20 ga shotgun behind the seat with some slugs and some field loads, sooner or later in our area you WILL hit a deer and this could put them out of thier missory, also if stranded especialy if hurt it would dispatch coyotes and could be used to get meat or should it be nessacery it could also be used for self defence cell phone; even if you dont use a cell phone and cant aford to keep up a plan used cell phones can be had CHEAP to free and if you are in an area with service then under federal law EVEN A CELL PHONE THAT IS NOT ACTIVATED MUST BE ALLOWED TO CALL 911, if you happen on an accident or have one yourself this could be the most important thing in the whole kit, under federal law any cell tower that picks up a cell phone signal law trying to call 911 must put it through even if the phone is not activated has no time and is through a different company at no charge, I have used a phone in this manner more than once with no service on the phone, if it has a signal it WILL call 911 pen and paper;it may be useful to be able to leave a not in case you have to leave the vehicle and could use help to let folks know where you headed, also if you come on an accident it will help the paramedics if you can let them know any info you have and being able to wright it down will help when they get there like how long since the accident as far as you know, any info on patients you have gathered includeing anything you did to try to help or lisence numbers if you see a hit and run, etc. first aid kit; I mentioned some minimum things above but a more full first aid kit is advisable, add some acidophilous to help with food poisoning, more bandages, tums, burn ointment, tweesers & needle for splinters, more feminen pads, more duct tape, first aid guide, etc. There are several other things that can be good as well and I will post more later. Most of the things on this list can be done with out but the top list I would say are the escentials to have or some variation of them, beyond that list you have to consider what are situations you could run into and where you are , then decide what you would need in order to deal with those situations keeping in mind that you want to be able to carry your main kit if needed for long distances and dont want it to take up to much space or it will get pulled out to make room, then it is useless since the one time you dont have it will be the one time you need it. I drove my girl friend to work in her car a couple years ago one snowy morning and had not put a kit in her car, that was the day I came across an SUV upside down in the ditch and no first aid kit, blankets or anything, fortinatly they had been fine gotten a ride already but her car got a kit that afternoon. These kits arent just for some kind of 'the end of the world as we know it' situations, they are for everyday things that sooner or later most all of us will encounter and things will go much smoother if you are prepared. One thing to remember is it is fine to use the things in your kit on a daily basis, even a good thing since you will remember it is there then if needed and know whats in it, just remember to REPLACE WHAT YOU USE so you still have it when needed.
Thanks Monkeyman. I'm feeling pretty good. I have everything except the seasonings and the firearms/ammo. I used to drive 150 mi a day round trip to work so I also carry a box with antifreeze, gal of water, oil, transmission fluid, flat quick fix, kitty litter in 1n old coffee can, WD9, windshield washer, a roll of paper towels, flares, empty coffee can for an emergency urinal, a couple pair of old panty-hose (make great tie-ups) full change of warm cloths, gloves, & wool socks. Sounds like a lot but it doesn't take up a lot of space when well packed. Of course, every vehicle has a good toolkit.
Rotate the items in your medical kit. Especially things like aspirin and such. Even though they have a shelf life actually longer than is on the label they will go bad. If kept in your vehicle through all types of weather they will go bad faster than if kept in a refrigerator. That's a fact. It will do you no good if you are stranded and hurt and the stuff doesn't work because it's way too outdated and has lost it's potency.
I spent part of today buying stuff for my BO bag. It is looking good, and not costing much when you find good deals. When I am through, I will post exactly what it cost me. I think you will all be surprised.
You asked if we carry a spare tire, I have been carrying one for 10 years now, no amount of dieting will get rid of it either!
Sniper; lol I have one of those too, but I dont think that one would do much good on the car. E.L.; I wouldnt realy be all that surprised, when I did up a basic one for my girlfriwnds car the whole thing was only around $35. I did go out today though and splurg for my kit, though it will be used often. I spent about $50 at Radio Shack on a 'Dynamo' radio for the truck/kit. It has AM, FM, TV1, TV2, and NOAA (weather)bands as well as an LED light, a flashing light, a siren, and the attachments to charge a cell phone from it. It uses AA batteries, a wall plug, or a hand crank that charges a batterie like is in wireless phones and can also run it with no batteries at all. The whole thing has a little carry pouch andis about the size of a paperback novel. I figure that will be helpful for decideing wether to go home when it starts raining at work or fishing if it starts raining or if it will be likely to pass or pour. Aside from the shotgun, this is the most expensive thing by far in my kit. Its well worth mentioning also that kits should be adjusted with the seasons. Durring the winter you need more in the way of things to stay warm (sleeping bag, hot coco mix or instant coffee can be good, etc.) while in the summer these things arent needed as much as more water and gatorade mix to avoid dehydration.
As promised, heres the list of what all is in my kits/truck in the way of emergency kits/suplies. VEST; 4 STRIKEABLE FIRE STARTERS 4 EXTRA 36" BOOT LACES- can never have to much cord Roll of life savers bottle of water purification tabs mini multi tool small tin of bag balm- excelent for blisters, burns, scrapes, and gualding altoids can full of cotton balls covered in vasoline-excelent fire starters 5 tea bags 1 1/2 cups beef base pair of Jerrsey gloves bag of loose tobaco and 100 papers extra AAA batteries-for light roll of tared nylon cord-make traps, trot lines, tie shelter, and so much more foil type emergency blanket 4 inch lock blade knife match tube w/ flint striker full of seasoning salt match ' ' full of garlic salt match ' ' full of black pepper muscel rub cream carabeaner style light small binoculars box of water proof matches magnesium stricker w/ section of hacksaw blade for striker bic lighter fishing kit, in tobaco type can 15 large eyed hooks, catfish size 10 small perch size hooks 30' of 6# fishing line 10 small split shot sinkers second roll tarred nylon cord pill box with meds acidophilous for food poisoning tums imodium AD ibuprophen Rx pain killers left from old script hand full of napkins in ziplock-doubles as TP 4 feminine pads- for wound compression pads 15' of duct tape- wrapped on piece of plastic for easier storage second handful of napkins in ziplock-TP of fire starters if desperate full card of flints-for the zippo alwayse in my posket 4 MRE tobasco bottles filled with zipo fluid-each fills lighter once pocket size dimond whet stone second altoids can full of clean cotton balls-can be used for cleaning,bandages,firestarters with bag balm on them second set of spare AAA batteries head lamp-3 settings, red or white LED and crypton, runs on 3 AAA batteries 10'x12' sheet of 5 mil plastic 75' of 770 paracord PACK 'sport utility knife'-4" lock back blade AND utility knife with replaceable blades in other end 3 packs ramen noodles 3 MRE acessory packs 8 gatorade mix pouches, each makes 1 quart bottle of water purification tabs 3 MRE tobasco sauce bottles full of zipo fluid spare zipo card of flints for zipo 5" blade sheath knife 6 match type fire starters pocket knife LED flash light with color filters- runs on 3 AAA batteries 8 pack AAA batteries first aid kit box of 4x4 guaze pads 2 internal sutcher kits 3 surface sutcher kits sutcher tool kit-tweezers, forceps, sisors 2 pair rubber gloves pill box-pills as above broncio diolator inhaler hand sanatizer tube A&D ointment roll of TP in ziplock 2 rolls coban-from farm store sold for horses roll duct tape bandage sisors triple antibiotic foil type emergency blanket hand held mirror-worst case to sutcher where you cant see can of bag balm 12 feminine pads for compresses roll tared nylon twine 100' 770 paracord 12'x15' sheet 5 mil plastic-shelter, water gatherer, rain gear, much more note pad pen german mess kit-size of canteen has 3 cook pots german triogine folding stove-in mess kit 6 trioxine bars- in mess kit seasonings as mentioned above 2 boxes 20 guage shot gun shells-field loads hatchet boyscout manual Naked into the Wilderness, by John McPhearson 4 1 liter bottles-tied to outside bag with strap that holds 1 liter bottles pillow case-to gather into as moveing among other uses LOOSE IN TRUCK-kept in thier place but not in pack or vest due to regular use or size NEF 20 guage shotgun 2 boxes of 20 guage slugs 1 box 20 guage field loads 2 hunting knives 2 quart canteen 500' 770 paracord 75' 5/8" arborist rope lots of spare batteries indian blanket or sleeping bag dependent on season 2 gallons spring water 6 MREs 'Dynamo' radio-powered by AA batteries, crank or plug-has AM,FM,TV,NOAA,white LED,red LED, siren, charges cell phone batteries from crank various tools and vehicle related stuff as well as work stuff Sounds like a ton of stuff but the top list is all in the pockets of a fishing vest with a couple left over. The second list is all in a 3 compartment day pack like many kids carry school books in which stays in the tool box on the truck, and the third list is behind the seat and in the rest of the tool box of the truck. Along with full tool kits and most of my equiptment for tree climbing and trimming this stuff is all in the tool box or out of site in the cab of a standerd pickup, so needles to say it dosnt take a lot of space. If I had to leave the vehicle I could grab just the vest and get by but given 30 seconds or so I could grab the vest, pack, shotgun, favirot hunting knife, spare shells,blanket, and canteen along with extra empty bottles from floor or back and be WELL set for an indefinate trip through or stay in the woods or any where else and all of this (with water bottles empty) is well under 40 lbs. With me at 6'2" and a fairly solid 300 lbs thats not an excesive load and could be trimmed along the way if needed. On the very rare ocasions that I am in dress cloths or just shorts and not wearing sensable walking/work boots boots and work cloths are in there too along with a coat in winter and rain gear the rest of the time. A couple of good things to add would be a couple of votive candles as they give enouph heat in a small space (like an emergency shelter or vehicle) to keep one from freezing to death in cold weather and a bag of rice, a couple pounds will feed you or suplement your gathered food for quite a while but Im still trying to come up with a seasoning mix that makes plane white rice something I will eat. I hate plain white rice! lol
Great info monkeyman. I'm going to copy the lists for my own use. I hate to be indelicate but guys, don't forget feminine hygiene products, other than those to be used for compression, for the women and girls in your family.
Good point, this is just a list of MY kit in my truck. The female unit has her own kit in her car and when traveling together it is usualy in her vehicle. Tampons are also good in any kit aside from thier normal use any way. We used them a lot on the sports teams in high school (small ones not the queen size or whatever) when we got bloody or broken noses to absorb that blood.
Visa is going to love me by the time I finish here..... But like I said in my introduction....Living on a barrier island...and all the devastation that just happened? Well, first of all...I'm leaving before they tell me to....duh.... But I need to know what all to have with me.....and this place is great! Thanks for the list...and be prepared for questions....lots and lots of them... Inquiring mind already at work..... 8) (couldn't y'all smell the smoke???)
Ok...I'm looking at the list...and I already have a lot of this stuff..and a great medical kit... I always have colloidal silver with me too...I swear by that stuff... But I have a Honda Accord...and it's just me....It has a pretty big trunk...I can fit a lot in it........ and everytime I have to leave for a hurricane..I have some things I don't want to have to replace that I keep together....My music...( I have a LOT of music..so I keep them in cases and throw away the jewel cases...easier to move out quickly) and my photo's are all in a box or books , again , for easy , quick getting them out of here........same with Jewelry.... How much stuff would you say I need to keep in my car at all times? The basic list you posted up top Melbo? I need to get this together and will feel better when it is all in place.....
What you have to do is figure out what emergencies you could reasonably expect to face then what the worst is that Murphy can do with it from there and make sure you have the minimum supplies to deal with it keeping in mind that you may have to carry them all if the roads (or bridge) is blocked and be sure to have duplicates of escentials. Mini first aid kit on you, main kit in bag, pocket knife and knife in bag, matches, lighter and magnesium striker, etc. In my area and for the situations I could expect to face the kit listed would cover my needs, and it should basicly work for other areas pretty well but you may not need every item and may need some extras. I will soon have to change mine for winter and add warm cloths and such, you may need extra bug spray. If you have the things listed above for in the pack then add the 2 or 3 gallons of water, a NOAA radio, and if possible a firearm and a box or 2 of ammo, along with any meds you take (and coffee so you dont go nuts) then you should be ok. If you know you will be bugging out a pup tent and sleepingbag would make life more comfee and throwing in an extra couple gallons of water wouldnt hurt. If you have any doubts there is a surefire way to find out if your BOB is right. Take about 3 days and go camping with nothing but whats in your kit. Use only the tools and shelter in it, eat and drink only what is in it or what you can gather useing what is in it. To make this even a better test, each day pack it all back up and carry it for a hike of at least a couple miles then set up camp again (even if you go in circles just to be sure you can carry it). This will show REAL quick and REAL clear what if anything is missing and whats extra weight (just dont cut out things you could need if it went different like first aid stuff just because you didnt get hurt or rain gear just because it didnt rain) and will let you know if it is carryable if you needed to. Hope this helps, sorry for running on but if you have more questions on it I will try to anwser them more clearly.
Ok...for now..Hurricanes are pretty much a given...and looking at the time the whole state had to evacuate because of Floyd? No one could find a hotel room or a place to stay...It was awful...I grabbed the cat..and had enough food for me and my daughter for 3 days...Water, longer...I grabbed a first aid kit...and clothes.... Trying to think what all needs to be in there....and I keep adding to the list... I did get it cleaned out this morning and ready to pack though..That's progress!
Also dont forget to adjust your kit as needed for the seasons. You dont want to get caught in the winter with no spare clothes other than a pair of shorts and a tank top and no blanket but a sheet or in the summer with the only spare cloths being a parka and insulated underware and a subzero mummybag. For the winter in any colder climates you also need to think about the fact that your water is likely to be frozen so you want to make it as easy as possible to melt it and be sure you have the means to do so, its also more important to have some food and drink mixes for hot food and drinks and a means to heat them as consumeing hot food and/or drinks will help a LOT in fighting off hypothermia.
multi-tiered system I finally got pics of my kits. The first one is my on body kit. This is the stuff that is in my pockets at all times and the 50' feet of 770 para cord that I use as a hatband. This is the one that's most basic and is on me any time I'm dressed.
