Regarding the gear discussion: in a car, the challenge is a human calculation. You can add good gear like a sleeping bag, but will it be in the car when someone needs it? It takes up space, it's in the way, and aside from a few ETS diehards it probably won't be in the car on the extremely rare occasion when it's needed.
I was too young to remember, but a long time ago, the engine caught fire as Mom was driving, and, as it so happens, a sleeping bag was in the trunk. Thinking quickly, Mom used the sleeping bag to extinguish the fire, and the fire did not do much damage due to her quick thinking.
The moral of the story is a sleeping bag can come in handy in more ways than one.
Jeanette Isabelle