Here's the contents. It's not perfect, and wouldn't make a very good bug out kit for longer than a day or two, but it's got most everything I need in it for the emergencies I am most likely to face.
Water
Emergency Food brick (the other one is still in the suburban)
Hard candy
Basic first aid--bandaids, tylenol, excedrin, kid tylenol, etc.
Hand crank flashlight with charger I can plug my phone into
Hand crank radio
Hand sanitizer
Toilet paper
Baby wipes (they're actually in the front of the car where they're more accessible)
Assortment of feminine hygeine
Pullups--we still have a bed wetter and an emergency stay overnight somewhere will be so much less stressful with these already on hand
Emergency blanket
A couple of cheapo rain ponchos
Fire starting kit (in the cookie tin)
Light sticks
Bug spray
Long sleeves for everyone
Jumper cables I've already used twice.
Seriously, there isn't much in here you can't just gather from around your house. I had to go buy the ponchos, emergency blanket, hard candy, and the box it's stored in. You might need to buy a flashlight or jumper cables or something, but in the meantime, get what you can together and get it in your car. Half a kit is better than no kit. You can put it in a cardboard box. I've had a car kit challenge going on the facebook page and today I'm upping the ante. Get a picture of your kit in your trunk and post it on the facebook page by this Saturday night, May 8th, and I'll enter you in a drawing for a SOL Survival Pak by Adventure Medical Kits. This little kit takes the critical survival items and packages them in an ultralight, waterproof dry bag. Includes compass, mini rescue flash signal mirror, slim rescue howler whistle, waterproof and windproof survival matches, waterproof tinder quik, heatsheets survival blanket, survival fishing kit and duct tape. Add that to your kit. Nobody's sponsoring this, it's just me. I want you to get some preparedness gear in your trunk!
As a side note, if you drive a van or SUV where your kit will be visible to the passengers (ie. NOT locked in the trunk), you probably want an opaque container. This will help keep your food/water from exposure to light and small children. ;) It will also make it so everybody and their brother dosn't see the gear in the back of your vehicle. Might save your gear from theft as well depending on where you live. Really, the most theft I worry about is the kids sneaking the candy when I'm not looking!
Now, for at least the third time, get some gear together and outfit your vehicle! You'll be glad you did.
8 comments:
Seems like a well thought out kit. I would suggest keeping 50 rounds of ammo and a mag/ speed loader for whatever pistol you carry.
Just found your blog and I love it.
I have published a book and wonder if you'd like to review it.
You can read a bit about it and see the cover here: http://vikingpreparedness.blogspot.com/2010/04/coming-soon.html
You can find me at Joe@vikingpreparedness.com
thanks.
Great ideal.
Pull-ups! Genius! We have a bed wetter, too, but I had never thought to put some in the car.
Thanks! Your blog is great. I really appreciate your posts.
Just found your blog and like it a lot. I'd like to cross post w/ links back to your site on my 'EmergencyHomePreparation.org' site.
If you don't mind, I'd also like to use your Car Kit photo and post for my own facebook page. I was just toying around with starting to post tips for prepping, and getting my friends vehicles ready for summer would be a great start! -thanks!
My husband is a car purist. NOTHING gets left in the car! The glove box has an envelope with the insurance and registration and a pen. That's it. Anything else gets put in when it may be needed, then removed as soon as you get home, including the ice scraper.
I have made an emergency kit (smaller than yours) and have to keep constant vigilance to make sure it stays there. I have had to threaten him that if it disappears HE will be the next thing carried around in the trunk.
Thanks all for the comments.
TOR--Great idea, although that might make it too easy to declare an "emergency" trip to the range . . . ;)
ReadyMom--You are welcome to use any information as long as you refer back here as the source. :) Glad to share if it will help others.
Not to worry, Angela. I am posting a bit of the first paragraph/s as a tease and a link so they come here to find out the rest.
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