Vehicle Emergency Kit: What to Keep in Your Truck

One thing I do every summer is drive to some mountain range to spend a week camping and fishing. To avoid disaster on the road, I always bring a well-stocked emergency kit. This year, I’m off to New Mexico and these are some of the key things I’ve packed:

• I put everything in a latchable plastic chest that fits in the back of the car behind the third seat. I strap it in with netting or bungee cords, stock it, and forget it.
• Most people forget crucial survival items. Besides a good first-aid kit, you need to stock at least a gallon of potable water. You can drink it if you have to spend the night, or use it to nurse an overheated engine, or clean up after an extraction or repair. Make sure you leave room in the container for the water to expand if it freezes in colder conditions. Buy square bottles like the ones in the photo to store your water because they are easier to pack.
• Don’t forget a blanket, a knife, a small fire-starting kit, and high-energy food sources such as Power Bars. Road flares, in addition to attracting attention, will light the wettest wood in the forest (see my blog from July 19). Just pile the soaked timber over the flare, light it and you’ll have a roaring fire in minutes.

Tomorrow we’ll address the basic tools you should carry.
      

Comments

[tom]

What about the Toilet Paper!!! That is very important. If you have a lady friend you might want to consider "other" products also........