I too, have carried quarters, dimes, & nickels in my BoB for years & years. I have found myself marooned more than once in BFE but in the vicinity of pay phones and vending machines, which made the waiting for retrival much easier on me.

I will continue this habit!!

I like the old cell phone idea,,Thanks!!

Years ago when I first signed up for long distance they gave me one of those personal 800 numbers. I used it once and it cost me something like $14 but its there if I would ever need it. have a calling card still too. Last few times I've stopped at pay phones the keypad disconnects once the call has been made so you can't enter the calling card number or voicemail password, and thats with the few phones I could find that actually worked.
Something I used to have in my truck that was stolen was a butt set , or telephone test set. Its like a telephone that has alligator clips on the end so you can open the telco distribution box and clip on a pair and make a call. Its called a butt set because it hangs from the service person's belt at their behind. I see them go on ebay cheap every now and then. Could also pick up a POT (plain old telephone) and clip the cord and add clips on it and put a switch for the button on it.

*laughs*

You should see where I go. Cell towers? Some of the houses (mostly camps) in these places don't even have electricity.

I'm noticing too that as the analog cells are being taken offline that there are more places I don't get a signal. My cousin down by my parents farm and I have already mounted CB radios in our trucks bacsue we could no longer call each other.

With all the stuff you put in your ditch kit and with whatever you put in your BOB, we must be related. Some people think I'm nuts for packing all this stuff, but you know who they run to when they're in trouble with no food, no water, no fire, no medical supplies.........

Hi newguy.

Missouri... no known relatives out that way.

My "Ditch Kit" is a "tool roll" that serves as a carrier. The kit itself is below with a few items not shown...

Resublimated Iodine Crystals...
My knifes and Toolman which are on my belt...
Another Striker on my keychain...
A compass in my shirt/coat vest pocket...
A photon light and a small "Farraday shaker light"
2 more garbage bags and another bandana that roll into the kit...
Work gloves that I wear....
A coffee can for a shovel, cookpot, water canteen, etc ec etc..
And a 10X10 tarp for shelter that envelops the entire kit to waterproof it.



JHayes.. where in Missouri? I am in the South Central part of the state...

- Soarn

"...A coffee can for a shovel, cookpot, water canteen, etc ec etc..."

I've gotta say, that is one tough coffee can!!!

OBG...

I'm not sure by your post if you are serious or mocking me. Most of my friends also use a coffee quite exclusively. Many of them are some of the foremost teachers in the US. I am surprised that you have never used a coffee can.. It is quite expedient.

BTW.. I probably should have said that I use a metal coffee can.. not the new plastic ones.. LOL!

- Soarn

Not mocking, or as least not intended to. But I have used a (metal) coffee can for all kinds of things over the years, in fact I still do. But in my experience, using one as a shovel can really ruin it for much of anything else...