How do you keep your car kit secure?

Neither of my vehicles has a trunk, though many of the security considerations might be similar if they did.

I am going with the: (1) out-of-sight and difficult-to-find-quickly plan for expensive or possibly alarming to the public gear, and (2) out-of-sight under a blanket for bulky and less expenisve stuff, like water.

I am thinking of going to a more secure plan that would let me store a more complete kit, probably in one or more backpacks for potential mobility / bugout. Maybe a metal footlocker secured to the seat mounts?

Your thoughts?

Thanks.

What make of vehicle do you drive, it would help in offering advice

-Bill Liptak

I think one of those Rubbermaid tough totes with a lid might work. They make a small one that is about a foot high. Only problem is that it tends to move around if not secured. It does seem to have a non interesting look to it. Open stuff may just invite temptation to see what that is, depending on where you live/park.

we visited costa rica, driving a small, rented suv.

we left our backpack-sized luggage in the back, uncovered, for all to see, with one of these secured to the car seat frame.

? pricey, but secure.

go here

no problems. figured that if someone wanted it bad enough they were going to have to really fight for it - and that there were other, more convenient targets.

they come in numerous styles and sizes.

good luck.

What ever system you use, be sure the container and its cover are securely bolted down if your gear is in the passenger compartment You can believe the havoc created by articles flying around in the event of an accident. The deceleration created in even a 55 mph crash can turn an innocent object like a portable radio into a lethal missle.

When I had a car that didn't have a trunk, I used a couple of simple dodges to hide stuff in plain sight.

I've used Rubbermaid tubs that have some obvious wear-and-tear, with big labels on the lids that say "Recycling - Tin Cans" etc.

I've also put stuff in big black trash bags and secured the top with the twist ties provided. This is especially handy when travelling in a rental car.

Nobody has broken into my vehicle to steal "recycling" or "garbage." Yet.

I cram stuff under the rear seats in my SUV. Lots of cars, the seats are on supports, with a significant gap, that's fairly deep. Also, try the area where your spare tire is stored, or your tools if they're in a compartment.

A lot of newer SUVs have comparments all over the place for stuff. My Envoy has a huge compartment in the back that I store all my survival stuff in. The only thing that doesn't fit is my toolbox, which I keep behind the rear seats, locked, and secured to the metal tie-down loops that GM puts in their SUVs.

Someone on the forum pointed out the pacsafe products a long while ago. They caught my interest, and may serve your purpose pretty well.

Pack your stuff in ammo cans. The 20mm ones are pretty roomy. You might bolt them to the floor in high crime areas but sometimes just covering with trash provides cover. Old fast food bags and cup, all carefully cleared of anything that might rot or smell, pilled up for artistic effect can make gear so theft-proof that you could leave the windows down. Also helps if the vehicle is a bit of a beater. Keep the operating parts in good condition but let the outside and interior go a bit. Let mud and dust and dings ride.

Target vehicle is a small SUV.

Art, I agree on," helps if the vehicle is a bit of a beater. Keep the operating parts in good condition but let the outside and interior go a bit. Let mud and dust and dings ride."

Rear and side windows are tinted and my old navy blanket turns everything under it "invisible" from the outside. Had not thought to further "cammo" is with artistic trash on top; problem is, can I live with it - sometimes clutter grates on me!

Pacsafe idea interesting: best idea so far but pricey and identifies what's inside as high value target.

Ammo boxes too small and military (catches atttention), but repainted for some smaller stuff??? A bit harder to secure several of these than one larger container.

Have used Rubermaid and similar boxes, but offer no real security and hard to lock in place (I use a small cargo net kind of thing).

Keep thinking guys!

Thanks.

Have you thought about the smaller truck boxes? If you're willing to bolt them to the floor, those are pretty secure. You can get actual treadplate boxes from the truck store, or Walmart has decent enough plastic ones that you can padlock.

Back when our toad was a Chevy Tracker, we put two Action Packer boxes behind the rear seat, one with vehicle related stuff, the other with a single burner stove, food, utensils, etc. I just threw a shelter half over them to "conceal" them. The shelter half could of course be used for all kinds of stuff. Now that we are tooling around in a P/U, in addition to a crossbed tool box, I just secure those Action Packers to a welded in tiedown with a chain and padlock. A second padlock secures the other latch. Won't stop a determined thief of course, but will prevent a grab and run...

ok, so use the pacsafe and then camo with blanket, trash or other suggestions according to taste.

remember - the best place to hide something is in plain sight.

I like these:

http://www.truckaccessories4less.net/storage-drawers.html

and the Rubbermaid Action Packers (8, 24, and 48 gallon) might work. Off to WalMart, California Tuck Store, etc. to try to get a real world gander at such things.

While reviewing an old thread this was mentioned;

Action Packer

I have no experience with it myself, but I'm going to check it out.

Blitz

That is what we used/use, altho a smaller sized version, with a handle/latch on each end. Not completely waterproof, but close enough for me...

Not that this is an option any more with a lot of modern cars. But I have a friend that has an International Harvester, Travel All (sp?) it’s big and has lots of room. He had a few tool boxes mounted under the hood on angle iron frames with straps to hold them down, he stored all kinds of things in them. He also cut a square hole in the floor in the back; he made it just a bit smaller then the frame and very long front to back. He made a metal box that extended down below the floor to store things. He put 2 doors on hinge’s, and then cut a carpet to fit the back area. This was a big box, lots of room! The back storage box and the ones under the hood were 100% invisible to anyone that looked at the truck. I’m sure it could be done with modern trucks (you may need to relocate some wiring) maybe do it with some cars. But mostly with larger trucks.

If you are willing to work at it you should be able to come up with something secure, and maybe even hidden. .

In the UK, if you leave a blanket or towel on the back seat of a car, people will break in to find out what's underneath it.

Or so the police say. I've not experienced that personally. The only car break-in I've had they were apparently aiming for the glove box and radio. Nowadays I try to keep a clean, uncluttered cabin anyway.

I keep my gear in the boot, which is secure and out of sight. It's a couple of big boxes which are anchored to the back seat with chord. I don't want that stuff loose because it would turn into missiles if there was an accident at speed.

Maybe OBG can enlighten us with some of the more successful habits of highly-addicted people.

Drug runners have to have some great tricks, right....?

One thing we once did at an ambulance company: converted a Chevy Astro into a multi-casualty-incident responce vehicle. Among the additions was 4 backboards, stacked 2 high, on the floor. Someone had made a wood frame to enclose them, but still flat so that it was the "new" floor. Perhaps something like that? You buy a few 2" or 4" beams, and a piece of 1/2" plywood. Elevate the plywood off the floor, throw the carpets on top of it, and suddenly the "floor" is back to normal. But you've got a ton of space beneath it, where the vehicle's true floor is.

http://www.ronshirl.net/images/Patrol/False%20Floor.gif

Kind of shows what I'm talking about. Yours wouldn't be quite so official, but shows the idea. with the trunk hatch closed, you wouldn't be able to see it was raised.

The other option is something in plain sight, that's not worth the consequences:
http://www.botachtactical.com/unmikpoldufb.html

"...Drug runners have to have some great tricks, right..."

Indeed they do. But most of them are wanting to transport fairly small packages ('cept for MJ), and they don't worry about ready access, or access without tools. Many hidden compartments behind the dash, requiring the entire dash to be removed to get at the stash. Or the frame/gas tank cut open, the load put inside, then welded shut. Not much help here...

Valuables out of sight, stuff like water in plain view (so no one breaks into to see what is in the big box)