Monkeyman, thank you very much for the details. Up til this point, I had considered a whistle to be a waste of time - I don't plan on wanting to be spotted in a SHTF kinda world. I am so small, I have little chance of defending myself especially outnumbered.. So my starting focus has been stealth-survival.. But, after learning morse code and how to make an alphabet system, I can see where a whistle could be very useful over a distance.. I also hadn't thought of using cotton balls like that. Thankyou!
"Forty-two," said Deep Thought, with infinite majesty and calm. "The Answer to the Great Question, of Life, the Universe and Everything" That quite definitely is the answer. I think the problem, to be quite honest with you, is that you've never actually known what the question is. "I checked it very thoroughly," said the computer, "and that quite definitely is the answer. I think the problem, to be quite honest with you, is that you've never actually known what the question is." and would that not be Douglas Adams? " The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy has a few things to say on the subject of towels. A towel, it says, is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitch hiker can have. Partly it has great practical value — you can wrap it around you for warmth as you bound across the cold moons of Jaglan Beta; you can lie on it on the brilliant marble‐sanded beaches of Santraginus V, inhaling the heady sea vapours; you can sleep under it beneath the stars which shine so redly on the desert world of Kakrafoon; use it to sail a mini raft down the slow heavy river Moth; wet it for use in hand‐to‐hand‐combat; wrap it round your head to ward off noxious fumes or to avoid the gaze of the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal (a mindbogglingly stupid animal, it assumes that if you can't see it, it can't see you — daft as a bush, but very ravenous); you can wave your towel in emergencies as a distress signal, and of course dry yourself off with it if it still seems to be clean enough. More importantly, a towel has immense psychological value. For some reason, if a strag (strag: nonhitchhiker) discovers that a hitchhiker has his towel with him, he will automatically assume that he is also in possession of a toothbrush, washcloth, soap, tin of biscuits, flask, compass, map, ball of string, gnat spray, wet-weather gear, space suit etc., etc. Furthermore, the strag will then happily lend the hitchhiker any of these or a dozen other items that the hitchhiker might have accidentally "lost.". What the strag will think is that any man that can hitch the length and breadth of the Galaxy, rough it, slum it, struggle against terrible odds, win through and still know where his towel is, is clearly a man to be reckoned with."
I have done this for all of the BOB's in our family. However, I just saw a YouTube demo of a guy that went one up on me. He puts the vaseline petroleum jelly into a saucepan, melts it and then dips each cotton ball in until the bottom half is saturated. Then he turns it over to get saturated on the other side. I have not duplicated that demo but it does make me wonder since my own process of manually kneading vaseline into each cotton ball does provide enough fuel (along with the cotton ball itself, of course) to easily burn for 5-minutes--just how much longer does a totally saturated cotton ball burn?? Also, I wonder if there may be such a thing as "too much" vaseline on the cotton balls since I store them in old plastic prescription containers. My version seems to work well but I wonder if totally saturated cotton balls might--over time--degrade into amorphous globs of goo. Oh well, what ever floats your boat!
We tended to only have an 'emergency kit' in our vehicles during winter. Shovels, blankets, and of course food/water. Don't drive anymore so a non-issue on that score, but I always have a multi-tool(preferably the one with the compass), first aid kit supplies(bandaids, peroxide, zephiran wipes, ibuprofen, maxipads, and garlic pills), and a couple granola bars in my purse at all times. Oh and matches. And a knife or two.
My question always is, what's a good, safe, long-term water container to use in a vehicle? The reason I ask, is that, living here in Texas, we get both 100+ degree summertime highs, and wintertime lows below freezing.....so whatever I put water into will have to handle both extremes. Many plastic containers (especially store-bought bottle water) still have BPA concerns, especially if the container gets too hot. Driving a soft-top Jeep, there's not much insulation to prevent things from freezing, so the container would have to withstand (and possibly insulate) temps that would cause the contents to freeze. Adding to this wonderful combination of weather extremes, Texas is in the 5th (6th?) year of a drought, so free standing water is at a minimum. Meaning, I can't just depend on finding water, it will have to be something I keep with me. Any ideas? I could probably make Thermos insulated containers work, but shudder at the cost of keeping a few gallons of water available in those expensive items (not to mention they're usually glass innards, which are far too easy to break). **SIGH**
Just make sure, if your using Jerry Cans, that you Mark Them, VERY Well, as "Water Only"..... Otherwise one of your 'Not so smart" friends will use them for fuel, or pour the water into your Gas Tank...... There ARE folks, just that dumb..... .......
Tow rope,extra serpentine belt batt cable ends oil,tranny fluid tirepatch kit first aid kit warm clothes bon with water cook set,food knife gloved toque etc spare winterboots,snowshoes small axe folding saw tools flares those triangle things for hgwy emergency candle,i even carry a coleman catalytic heater and spare tank glow sticks flashlight extra batts matches lighter space blanket sleeping bag 12v phone charger spare car batt. I know this seems like alot but i live in the saskatchewan prairies.if u get stuck on wrong road at wrong time you are as good as dead without supplys.when i was young i almost died breaking down on a major hgwy during a blizzard...this was pre cell phone time,was amazed how many people just kept on truckin!!!!-40C temps plus windchill plus winds of 50 km + wonder if they thought i was just enjoying the weather!?!!??! Anywaus finally stood in middle of lane and prayed dude was gonna stop,thank god he did. Now i dont go anywhere wothout at least my regular pack if im not in my car or the whole load when in the jeep D
The only thing i dont keep in the jeep in winter is water i will either fill my canteens plus 1 g jug before i leave the house otherwise woulf all freeze make mess if they explode. Before i switched phones i used to carry extra cell batt too
Definitely a big difference between a BOB and a Kit. Also, when talking about keeping one or the other in your truck or car ... for my family and me it has always depended upon if we are going on a trip or going to the supermarket. Short distances, a kit should do. Long distances, you want a little more comprehensive coverage in the form of a BOB. However, there is an in-between IF, IF you have a secure place to hide it within your vehicle for every day use. Mine is an older surplus medic bag converted to be a tweener kit ... and you'd be shocked at everything I have in this kit. Plus, I usually carry a rolled poncho and poncho liner in my XCab. Key things to note: Paracord Doughnut That little green thing on the lower left - that's actually a nice sized rucksack once it expands. Swamp Rat Battle Rat knife. In that bag is just about anything and everything one might need to survive for a couple of weeks in the city or the woods including, but not limited to, one great pistol and a lot of ammo and a holster to strap it on with for the walk. In addition to all the meds and salves, all the fishing equipment, all the fire and water needs ... there are two emergency blankets and two poly ponchos. Mole skin ... because if you have to hoof it, you're gonna have blisters. Sutures and sewing kits. Signal mirror. Bullion (PS: I've been prepping for so many years that my vas cotton balls are in an old AOL flat disc tin. They've been in there for 15+ yrs.) With regard to water and food. If you are traveling any distance whatsoever, and you fail to pack a ten dollar tray of ramen noodles and a five dollar tray of 24 ct bottled water ... you're just wrong. Especially if you care about your family on the road.
My BOB can probably be considered [minimal] at best but does address some very basic survival consideration. My concept was to be able to mitigate likely life-safety threats while keeping things light and mobile during a short lived crisis ( 72hrs). Contents: Food/Water: 64 oz of canteen water which will have to be replenished by way of a Katadyn water filter. If I am able to stay with or have access to my vehicle (another 2.5 gallons). Food is limited to (1) Datrex food brick (18 bars), unsalted peanuts, vitamins and purhaps a couple of cliff bars. Shelter: French Shelter Half 2 emergency blankets plenty of 550 cordage First Aid: Israeli compression bandages 3m Wound strips (large) tourniquet self adhering gauze assorted boo-boo items Fire making: Cotton balls bic lighters mischmetal Enemy: personal firearm of choice 1 extra magazine Tools: folding pocket knife fixed blade knife leatherman squirt Cold Steel/ spetznaz shovel 2 led flashlights (extra batteries) canteen cup w/ integral stove 8 in spork p51 can opener silcock key 3 feet of speed tape USAF sewing kit dummy line (decoy line) Utility (other) eton radio $200 cash extra clothing (season specific) Well broken in 6" boot / boonie hat/ gloves 2 cotton bandanna's poncho safety glasses filter mask Hygene: Warrior wipes
what i have in my vehicle,is deffently a work in progress..a toolbox of tools,for everyday needs in tools.plus a mini bolt cutter.just in case i need to go cross country,and have to cut barbed wire.a cheater pipe for my 2 ton jack.in which it can double as a wapon if needed.i have a cheap road side emergency kit.in which i removed some items.then added some.i need to make i new list of what i have in vehicle.so i can know what have,and dont have..
Thanks for letting know about the emergency kits required to keep in the vehicle. From now on I'll definitely put together all of these survival things you mentioned in the post on my car.
Beginner driver here! Got my first car three months ago! My dad being the ultimate Boy Scout, he's always nagging me to prepare an emergency kit in my trunk. Just started prepping my very first bug out bag in case he comes over to inspect my car LOL... put in all of the essentials (first aid kit, dehydrated food items, duct tape, etc.) My sister's a nurse, so she also got me a C-A-T tourniquet and a CPR mask -- there's one that you can carry around like a keychain so you're ready to give CPR anytime anywhere, it's super accessible. I actually love the little bugger. She got it from here I think: We Bet You Forgot About These 3 Bug Out Bag Essentials | Keychain CPR Masks. She's always stressing that survival is not just about saving your own life, but being prepared to save others as well. Sound advice, too, if you ask me.
