Right you are, Hikermor. It was interesting this weekend. I was out of town and he and the kids were in an MVA. Everyone was ok but the truck was totalled (as was the other vehicle) so they all walked - SD to work, Dad and son back home. I think (hope?) that it got them all thinking.

I'm glad everyone was OK!

Things to suggest for an MVA:

* At least two ways to charge your cellphone

* A tool to break windows

* A tool to cut seatbelts (a Houdini does both)

* First aid supplies and training

* Clothing/shelter items if rescue doesn't come quickly

* Water and food

* Paper and pen/pencil

There are plenty of other things that are handy for an MVA of course, but it might be easier to get a non-prepper or a closet prepper to carry these sorts of things.

I'm glad everyone walked away too, Chaos. I almost had heart failure when I found out.

To his credit, my husband always has his cel and leatherman on his belt and pen and paper in his pocket. Not sure a leatherman can cut seat belts or break windows though, which may be why he was checking out my rescue tool yesterday when I drove him to work.

He's also certified in first aid and cpr, and carries a FAK and blankets in his vehicle at all times. He was pretty shook up though, and didn't make my step-daughter wait for the paramedics before she headed to work. She bonked her head and should have been cleared first. (Thankfully her boss made sure she sat for a while to make sure she felt ok before letting her work.)

He and our son stopped at a store on the way home for water and snacks, and our son apparently said "too bad you don't keep stuff in your truck like mom does."

I don't want to highjack the thread, but the point is that you just never know. This one was close to home and help arrived very quickly. In the winter... in a bad storm... out of town... and things may have been different. Help might not arrive quickly and getting home might be much more involved. Be prepared!

Make sure everyone uses their seatbelts and carseats properly!

Yikes ! Glad everyone is OK.

Byrd, have you tested the esbit? My wife and I made some tea after a hike in Michigan a couple winters ago. A single esbit cube got water "lukewarm" which we'd thrown into the car from the house that morning. The bottle was only in the car maybe 3 hours tops. I'd seriously consider, if you plan on melting snow, you'll need a lot more cubes, or use them to start a wood fire. Oh, and likely you'll scorch the container, so hope it's something that'll be OK afterwards.

I haven't noticed any problems with summer. I've kept the same stash in through Missouri, Michigan and now Virginia. Things have seemed edible, but they're all about 5 years old. Guess replacing it should be on my 'to do' list.

I'm a fan of having a lot of small kits scattered around instead of one super kit.

Any tool with a reasonably sharp blade can cut seatbelts. Where specialized seatbelt cutting tools shine is in cutting them quickly and with less chances of cutting the person belted in.

Breaking side windows of cars is easy to do...from the outside of the vehicle with a crowbar or a brick. From the inside, it's a lot tougher. I want to have something with a carbide tip, preferably spring-loaded to reduce the room I'd need to swing it. With just a Leatherman tool, I'd probably be trying to kick the windows out instead.

From the way we discuss it, you would think that the only way an individual involved in a MVA can be freed is by cutting their seat belt. In real life, how often must the intrepid rescuer whip out his seat belt cutter and go to work? I would be interested in feedback from those who have responded to a significant number of scenes. How often is a dedicated seat belt cutter employed?

Remember that freeing the victim from the seat belt is not the first priority. Barring active flames or something similar, you should assess and give first aid to the victim right where they are. Moving the victim without proper assessment and immobilization can aggravate existing problems and cause consequences worse than the original injury.

A significant number of accident victims do not require release from their seat belts because they weren't wearing them in the first place. They all too often will never require any more first aid.

My Leatherman can definitely cut a seat belt with ease, although I agree a dedicated tool would be best in the interests of safety and speed.