In the trunk of my car I keep two 2.5 gallon containers of water, a rubbermaid container full of gear, a tool bag, and a FAK. However, whenever I drive all that stuff starts sliding and slamming around. How do you guys keep all your extra gear in your car or truck organized and stationary while driving? Please provide pics.


Thanks,
Robert

With the BOB (in a day sack) and the trauma bag on one side the rubber made container fits in with very little play. I cover it all up with 2 old army blankets. Not only keeps them from shifting a little, but hides the stuff and gives me 2 wool blankets. Normal FAK is a separte container stuck behind the trauma bag. Keep the usual tools, flares, oil, fluids, work gloves etc in the rubbermaid container.
Dave

All my stuff is stuffed under the rear seat of the truck.

I have various small bags tucked into empty spaces that I found. A wrench roll and pipe for lug wrench extension fit in with the jack. My extended cab truck has fold up seats so between the hinges on each seat is a pair of small bags that have my bob and other gear. Under the seat where accessable from a driving position is a small first aid kit. Each smaller bag has an main purpose and then has a couple secondary items that are redundant with the main purpose of another bag to help in the event of damage/loss/theft of another bag/kit.
There are trunk organizer system and various cargo nets you can buy as well as bungee cords and such or you could try bolting in some tie downs like what are found in trucks/vans though I've tried all those and none worked well. I'll go against the current anti-suv trend and say that a truck/suv is the only thing I will ever own, I gave up on trying to make cars work even half as well at doing anything more that just simple people hauling.

I take advantage of nooks in my trunk to stash my gear and were possible I hold it down with bungee cords. The trunk in one of my cars (Crown Victoria) happens to be missing the lining, so that opens up access to some significant cavities in the fenders.

There are a veriety of commercial solutions available at auto parts stores and stores like "Hold Your Own" that can organize your trunk or cargo area pretty effectively. You just have to figure out what will work best with your particular vehicle. There are braces that stick to carpeting and bins, bags, etc.

One thing I have used in a variety of vehicles with great success is a standard plastic milk crate. For some reason they don't slide around or tip over very easily. Of course they will slide on steel, but if you have carpeting or a rubber mat, they stay put.

Allright now so I noticed you guys are carrying a FAk, some BOB's, water, and tools in your vehicles but are there any other goodies that you carry in your vehicles.

Lose the rubbermaid container, while the products are well made slick isn't a good thing on something you wish to stay put. As someone else mentioned an eggcrate is a good way to go or use a container that has a similar grid patternon the bottom. I use fold up containers that have a grid on the bottom in the carpeted bed of my pickup and i don't have any trouble with it moving around. Also heavy cloth like a duffel or parachute bag if placed on carpet tends not to move around. And if you put something heavy like a floor jack in the trunk be sure you tie it down.

The other option is to get a car with a smaller trunk, when i put a BOB, FAK, camera bag, and tool bag in the trunk of my Miata i don't have to worry about anything moving around because the trunk is packed.

There are plenty of threads that cover that. Check out this one and this one. Also, Doug has a nice list on his kits page here. There have been plenty of threads on what to keep in your vehicle. This one is about how to keep it in your vehicle.


Thanks,
Robert

Stuff is everywhere in my primary truck... but the locked toolbox hanging between the side rails is where I toss pretty much everything important. It seems like I hardly carry much gear around here, though - not like when I had immediate access to the backcountry. Anyway, I really like having the aluminum tool box.

I keep everything in sealed bags that are strapped down. That way it I flip or tip or something and hit a wall they don't come flying into my head.

Can you go into detail of how you have everything strapped down?


Thanks,
Robert

In my truck I have cargo hooks in the floor (little metal squares that you can pull up) I put my gear in a backpack and a duffel type bag and used two ratcheting tie-downs hooked to the cargo hooks to keep everything down. I don't have any space under the rear seats, so whatever I want to carry has to go on the seats or in the rear.

I drive a 4 dr Dodge Dakota Pickup with a bed cap. The bed is carpeted.

In the glove box is a fanny pack mini-bob.
In the center armrest compartment is a tool roll, a jar candle, 4 disposable rain ponchos, matches, and several mult-tools and SAK.
Under the front seat is a SAM splint kit and nylon windbreaker.
Behind the rear seat is are two pair of leather gloves and two ball caps.
Under the rear seat is a commerical fanny pack 72-hr kit.
Additionally under the rear seat is a folding shovel and an umbrella.
In the carpeted bed of the truck is a rubber maid tub with a small duffle with a light jacket, bungees, screwdrivers, flares, reflector triangle. In the same tub is a blanket.

I use bungees to keep the rubbermaid tub from sliding around in the bed of the truck.

I posted a couple of photos of what I have in my trunk. I tend to build a "box" to hold certain things in the trunks of my cars. When I change vehicles, it seems that the old box never fits the new trunk, so a new box is built to the specs of the current trunk. In the photo, the wooden box has places for storage of 30 and 15 minute flares on the top shelf along with a fire extinguisher. The shelf these items are on is slanted so that the things stored do not fall out when the vehicle accelerates. Also, the fire extingusher is on a rubber mat that is sold at home stores for working with wood, it acts as a non-skid surface and is sufficient to hold the extinguisher without a vehicle mount while at the same time making it easy to remove. The bottom portion is for storage of general items, the idea being building "up" to take as much advantage of the limited space as possible.
The boxes in the trunk, plastic and metal, have industrial grade velcro fastners on two of the bottom corners that help hold them in place when they contact the rug material in the turnk of the car. You can pick up the fasteners (looks kind of like heavy artifical turf) at the Home Depot. I have used the common version of the velcro fastners and found that with heat, the velcro tends to come off the box and actually melts the sticky tape into the rug. Not good!
The velcro does not stick well to unpainted wood, so for the box I built, I put a small brad in each corner and cut it off at about 1/16 of an inch. This tends to hold the box in place with the rug of the trunk.
The contact is sufficient to hold these items in place, but given enough force, I am sure they would all break loose. As of this time, I have never had any of the items shift in the trunk, so it suites my needs.

If you want to try the velcro fasteners and are unable to find them, let me know and I will be happy to send you some.

Trunk Organization

I don't have pictures, but in my Jeep, I have rubbermaid "action Packers" and a few bags of gear. I've got it all strapped down with 1" nylon webbing which passes through metal lashing loops that I've attached to the vehicle. Works well. You want to avoid havign stuff become projectiles in a crash.

Those are nice pics. Thanks.


Robert

I drive a Ford Bronco, and keep my BoB & a few misc items in a Rubbermaid container in the cargo area. I now it strapped down using folding eyes screwed into the walls and floor (you can get these at any auto parts store). Before that I just put traction tape on the bottom of the container. Kept it from sliding around, but it doesn't stop it from being launched at your noggin if you wreck