Everyone who has spent some time on the equipped.org site knows that he/she should keep a BOB and what to keep in it.

Now, most posts or articles mention the (good) idea of keeping a car version of it.

To make it short...Which of the contents in the car version KEEP, ie. do not spoil in the >140F temperatures that a car interior or trunk reaches in the summer? [I live in a tropical island so summer means every month that ends in a consonant, plus June].

I'm particullarily concerned about those items that will fail you quietly.

Will that nasty cut get infected because the povidone iodine lost its effectiveness?

Will that cool 'bottled water' that you are sharing with your kids cause a medical urgency, just when theres no way to get to a medical facility? (Bacteria or mold grew in the non-sterile, heated containers.)

Will my main flashlight's lithium batteries 10 year shelf life, suddenly turn into 10 days in the extreme heat/cooling cycles in the parking lot?

Etc, etc, etc. Could any of you run through your car BOB contents and list any items you are "sure" will hold up.

I WILL sleep better after your comments. <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Food I think is the big concern for a trunk.

Some of the many SOLAS approved lifeboat rations are designed for the heat to last years.

Rotate your water every month is a good idea as well.

Flip

Canned goods, albeit heavy to tote, are generally good until the can swells or becomes damaged.

Lithium batteries? Our weather here is at both ends of the spectrum - arctic conditions in winter, subtropical at times during summer. I've had no noticeable problems with lithiums degrading in either extreme...

M

I have some 6-packs of 500 ml or 710 ml bottled water in the car. The 6-packs hold together instead of having loose bottles all over. I've found that after a while they cave in slightly, i.e. they heat up and air gets forced out of them, and then when they cool down again, the resulting internal vacuum collapses them slightly. But I found that even after a couple years, they still taste fine. I used to reserve them for emergencies and semi-emergencies but now I just drink them when I feel like it, replenishing frequently enough to always have a supply on hand in case something happens. That ongoing consumption and replenishment (a few bottles a month or so, more if I go on a trip) eliminates the need for planned rotations or pouring out water.

I've had poor luck with larger containers than those small bottles. That expansion and vacuum effect means that the bigger bottles always leak. I also figure the bottled water in the retail 6-packs is more sterile than putting tap water into some funky old bottle.

If I were really dedicated I suppose I'd get those foil pouches or aqua blox, but those things are ridiculously expensive compared to the 6-packs.

I keep three 500ml bottles of water and a 1liter larger bottle and replace them every so often. Like paul, I use one every so often if Im really thristy or I need to clean up a spill or something and I've never had any problem with them. As for food, its less of a concern in a emergancy (unless your up to some whacky stuff <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />) so I just have three granola bars in my BOB there that I swap out every so often. I keep a few chemical light sticks in there and replace them in about 4 months cycles. Not so much that the chemical expires, just in case they were triggered by a sharp bump or what have you and have wasted away in their package. Other than that, I can't think of anything I replace or spoils. This is all in the trunk of a 94 shadow (don't laugh, we got a super deal on her) mind you not a exposed flat bed or anything.

This thread got me thinking. Some of my vehicle's mainstays of temporary foodstuffs include Deviled Ham and Fish Steaks in Hot Sauce - both of which go great with crackers and hot sauce or mustard. Does anyone know of a source for tinned (canned) crackers????

M

Jeez, now I'm hungry. <img src="/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

Thanks for the feedback.

The solution you present for the water-part of the problem seems to be the best. Keep in sight, use at will, replace often.

As water is not something that will seem out of place and certainly has many uses when in a car (wash hands after wiggling dirty cables/changing tire, washing off that bug-spatter before it sets on your factory paint, etc) a six pack of bottles is convenient and CHEAP.

As for the rest, food is not specially inportant, if I decide it was, compact rations (Mainst@^ type) would be cost effective since they last a long time and most importantly can be shipped for low cost. My main concern now would be all that nice gear Doug talks about that will not be consumed during a normal year of EDcC (Every Day Car Carry). Namely First Aid supplies, water purification tablets.

Anything to add on those?

well dont foget to add to that list for water uses that even if the water isnt drinkable you can use it for your radiator if it overheats.

and while i dont have a car, some of the items i pack away are soup packets (instant noodles and cup o` soup envelopes store very easy.) and i cant see them going bad very easily unless theres a moisture problem.


and the only tin of crackers i know of are those big green tins in supermarkets.
but what about just buying a few boxes and storing them in a more solid container?

Well where I live the car also gets well over 100# for a good part of the year and here's what I can and can't carry. First off on the issue of food I highly recommend Mainstay SOS food rations. They are uneffected by such temperatures, taste great and are pretty healthy too. Now here's what I DO have a problem with and still have not found a solution. Medications..... I can not find any way to store meds (OTC or prescription) effectively. I spoke to a Pharmacist about this and she told me not to let my meds sit for more than a day or two at temps over 86#. Well that doesn't help me much. Maybe one of the doctors, pharmacists or EMTs could help with this predicament???

I for one cannot understand that if you vacumn pack meds, maybe even use nitrogen or dry ice to force out air, how do the meds lose potency?

Out in the air, I could accept it, but I find it hard to believe that 86 degree F. temperatures or higher would compromise vacumn sealed meds.

Bountyhunter <img src="/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />