I know that this can be a point of contention between many people, that is, what to carry in case of emergency. Even my wife and I heatedly disagree over the need to have things in the vehicle (I tend to bring it along, she's confident that we can buy it along the way). So, in that sense, what do people have in their cars and your rationales behind it? Also if anyone has ever had an actual road event that required dipping into the emergency kit, what happened; please share your experiences? On my wish list: American Red Cross SOLARLINK FR600 Emergency Radio by Etón [video=youtube;w-ULoVh9WmM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-ULoVh9WmM"[/video] But it's only drawback is, that it isn't a 2 way walkie talkie, like one of the other models, the Eton Voicelink FR1000. However, the Voicelink's drawback is, that it does not come with a solar power feature.
LOL... -sweat That's great if you can get the authorities or some other agency there in a flash when needed. I'm talking about what to do if... [video=youtube;PlprXrEa1bE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlprXrEa1bE"[/video] [video=youtube;5JbTqhOFBVY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JbTqhOFBVY"[/video] ...such that if the authorities cannot get to you even if they wanted for a least a few days. I'm especially reminded of the profoundly sad story of James Kim, the young father and husband who, lost and trapped in snow for a week, walked in subzero temperatures to try to find help for his stranded family and ultimately died in the attempt (in six parts starting here): [video=youtube;dpNwW51wSmI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpNwW51wSmI"[/video]
I think it depends... I mean... for everyday driving just a health kit, flash light, flares, water... But if you know ur goin on a road trip and possibly poor terrain involved... probably will need to plan better... maybe extra gas, radio, chains, extra prepaid cellphone, some snacks, etc...
Indeed, advanced planning is often the key to survival. Of course, driving in the city, it would seem rather silly to have carry a lot of extra things that you won't ever need as help is usually right there. It's quite another story if one is out on a lonely highway or worse, out in the country during inclement weather at night too far away from a cell tower to get a useful signal. Regular country road travelers probably won't have such problems as they're much more familiar with those hazards. It's the people who live in the city making a rare trip to the country who wind up being at the greatest risk.
Normal times ... flashlight, the normal tire puncture (jacks, battery powered pump), dead battery(jumper, battery charger) car tools. Winter ... on top of normal times, thick waterproof jackets, blankets I always have water in my car.
i always have an emergency car kit with thermal blanket in the car. tire patch kit and battery motorized tire inflator. i have a safety cone with blinking flasher on top, safety vest and gloves (latex and heavy grip gloves). flashlight (not the battery kind but the winding one to generate the power so you never have to worry about batteries) i always have water in my trunk and if i'm going for a longer car ride we always bring snacks with us. i always make sure i have a full tank of gas. if we're on a road trip and hit half tank we fill up again to be on the safe side. driving around with extra gas in a "jerry" can is dangerous so i dont recommend it. generally if we're on a road trip we go with a few other cars so we have walkie talkies but they are good even if you're by yourself cause the signals are universal.
I just wish automakers would put solar panels onto the roofs of cars; out in the middle of nowhere, it may just be enough to restore a battery enough to restart a car, or to recharge a cell phone to call for help. But, that's really wishful thinking I guess. At any rate, I carry several liters of potable water, 3 days worth of self heating MRE's for one person, a small folding shovel, a survival saw, knife with fire starter, 4 space blankets, 10 chemical glow sticks, 2 flashlights, and an emergency survival book (there's even a survival for Dummies book on the market, LOL...) On my wish list is also a 12 volt plug in rechargeable compressor jump starter and I'm still putting together an emergency medical kit. Also, carrying a car rechargeable walkie talkie is a good idea even if you don't have a convoy of vehicles to talk to; if your cell phone is dead, sometimes picking up a long range civilian walkie talkie and broadcasting: "Any station monitoring, mayday mayday!! I am a stranded motorist at highway marker xyz requiring immediate assistance, if you can receive this broadcast please notify the police..." This is something that a cellphone cannot do. Truth be told, when I was a police officer in the military, while on patrol I was once stopped by a passing motorist who had heard such a broadcast on his CB radio. Using his radio, I was able talk to another motorist who had lost control of his vehicle and had crashed on some lonely road. He had several people in his car that were injured, and needed an ambulance right away. I was able to pinpoint his location and then request other civilian units to respond. Granted, this was way before the advent of cellphones, but the principle is the same; if you don't have phone services a 2 way radio can be invaluable. Also, it's good to have a map book of the area that you're going through. While GPS is great, it sucks when the screen goes blank (ie no power, broke, whatever). Having a general idea of where one is at, the lay of the land, and what obstacles there are, can help in decision making and at times, may be life saving. The best kind are the ones with the big over sized pages which are laminated. This keeps the pages viewable even if they get wet or dirty and allows you to write with wax pencils and or place post it notes all over it.
An aftermarket car jack would be a good idea. Some cars come with what most would call a widow maker.
LOL... No shit, and that's a great suggestion. Those cheap flimsy standard jacks that come with the average car (to raise your car in the event of a flat ) can suddenly fail and collapse on you. The best thing is to have a second jack, or at least use something to brace under the car should the jack fail (eg. a big rock). One should also remember to chock the wheels as well (against rolling) before doing anything.
oh yeah, that is definitely an addition. -clapclap plus the normaly stuff, air compressor, first aid kit, fold out blankets, hot warmers, dry food packstuffs, toolkit, flashlight, flares, reflector signs, radio, batteries, inflatable ice packs, extra clothes, jackets, etc.
LOL I don't where you guys stuck in. But it sounds like surviving is Siberia. AllI need is a damn cellphone and call breakdown service. Lifehammer, I case drive in a river
