Hello - I'm new to the ETS Forums, and wanted to start off by sharing my Car Kit, and things I am considering adding.

Vehicle is a 2010 Ford Escape AWD - And yes, all this stuff fits in the trunk in a storage organizer and in the "wet trunk" under-floor storage.

I could probably organize this list a little better.. but here it goes! Any comments appreciated!

Environment - Primarily Urban, but I do go on road-trips from time to time. Iowa has cold winters and hot summers. I am also a camping enthusiast.

Food:

Emergency Bars (Datrex) (two packs)
Emergency Water (six 1 pint packs)

Hardware:

12v Air Pump
Folding Shovel/Entrenching Tool
Hand Axe / W small Saw in Handle
LED Emergency Strobes (Super Bright - Road Emergency)
Jumper Cables
Tow Rope
Fire Extinguisher
Ice scraper
Full Windshield Sun visor
Four Ratcheting Tie Downs
MultiTool
Gorilla Tape
10 (12 hr) Chemical Light Sticks
Paper Towels
OTG Goggles

Emergency Supplies:

Water Proof Matches
Fire Starters
Emergency Blanket (Soft)
Emergency Blanket (Silver/WaterProof)
Gel Burners
Battery Light Sticks (Led Flashlight/Red Strobe)
Dyno Flashlight - (Emergency Cell phone charger)
Chemical Warmers (20 count) + 2 in Plastic tote under seat
Fix a flat
40 Channel Portable CB Radio / Extra Batteries


AAA Emergency Bag (1st Aid Kit + Home of Jumper Cables and Tow Rope above)
Some items in this kit:
1 Flashlight, Batteries
Emergency Poncho
Bandaids, Alcohol Wipes, etc.
Heat Resistant Gloves
Some other misc stuff

On Person:

Zippo Lighter (Upgrading to Coleman Lighter soon)
Leatherman MultiTool
Folding PocketKnife
Smart Phone with GPS/Weather/Police Scanner/Mini LED Flashlight

Future Additions:

More Water/Dynex bars (wanted to test these first)
Tampons (Help stop bleeding)
Sealed pack of wet wipes/Wet Naps
Heavy duty garbage bags/ties
Dust masks
Full Tine Knife
Radiation Exposure Badges
Hitch Mounted Winch (12v)
Water Purification Tablets
iOSTAT Iodine Tabs

Welcome to ETS RNewcomb!

Nice list. Mine is similar but I also include a tarp/tent, a change of clothes, sleeping bag and a couple of wool blankets, along with a couple of sleeping pads. I keeps lots of water under the seats and a can to start a fire or melt snow/boil water in. Thanks to Dagny's sage advice, I now keep a small battery powered AM/FM radio in my Jeep too. A backpack to carry it all in is nice too if there's a change you'll have to abandon your vehicle.

Some mechanics gloves are nice too, if you have to do any roadside repairs.

Welcome aboard! You've got a great list. Here are my suggestions:



I started by defining a reasonable emergency for which I had to prepare, and my definition was "spending three days stranded in a snow bank." Based on that, I carry more food and more water than you do.

If you haven't tried them, I found that Mainstay bars taste better to me and my family than the Datrex bars, but whichever one works for you is good. You can save money on the mylar pouches of water -- what I do is put a case of bottled water in my trunk and replace it with a full case when it gets down to about half-full.



Consider replacing this with a Heatsheet. The straight mylar ones are very delicate and can easily tear in use.



There are crummy versions of this that don't use a capacitor. Instead they have a coin cell or two. After a year or two, the coin cell dies and the light no longer takes a charge. Many of them will stop working permanently at that point.

If you have a good one that's capacitor-based, awesome.



My personal experience with this is that I've used it four times and never had it actually work to seal the flat enough to let me get back on the road.



Your flashlight should be an LED. Compared to incandescent bulbs, LEDs are far less susceptible to shock, have better battery life at any given light output, and the emitter never needs replacing. You should supplement your flashlight with a headlamp.

If you're using primary (non-rechargeable) batteries, use lithium. They provide a lot more energy, especially for high-drain devices, last much longer in storage, and don't leak.



I carry one per person who might be in my car.



Make sure you have a container to disinfect (not purify!) the water in.

I tend to plan in scenarios like chaosmagnet does, and mine also involves being stuck in snow for a couple of days.

In that light, your kit looks pretty good, but you might want to think about adding things in a couple of areas:

1. Fire starting: you have a zippo and matches. Maybe add a couple of dollar store bic type lighters. I would also probably add in a few candles "just because."

2. At least in winter, a bivy bag or (if room) a sleeping bag. Even an old wool blanket.

3. A small stove and cup to boil water in, along with some tea/coffee/cocoa/soup etc. If stuck, a warm meal or cuppa can be a big moral and energy booster. Personally, I have to have that morning coffee. The stove can range from very simple esbit type on up. For winter use, I prefer propane or liquid fuel, but just about anything can work. (lots and lots of threads on stoves on this site!)

4. Meds: whatever OTC meds you might need (e.g. pain, allergy) and any prescription meds you can't do without for a few days.

These are just refinement suggestions. You are already 99% better equipped then most of the folks out there.

And welcome aboard!

Good kit.

In addition to the suggestions already made, I would throw in a medium crescent wrench, regular pliers, and a 10-12" channelocks, a cheap socket set and a couple of screwdrivers. Add a spare low beam bulb and a tail light bulb. I also carry a collapsible lawn chair per traveller.

I have used all of these things out in the boonies at one time or another.

Welcome to ETS.

I have yet to find a good replacement for a full size spair tire. (+ a Jack, tire iron, gloves, etc.) If you have different rims (alloys versus steel), beware of different nuts that might be needed.

I have had fix a flat work just fine on a couple of occasions. A helpful tip I've learned is that I seem to get much better and faster results when I get the weight off the wheel/tire being filled. I personally buy the biggest can they make and would not recommend the can the comes without the hose.

I haven't seen a detailed explanation and can only speculate as to why but Fix a Flat does not recommend their product for Z rated tires or motorcycles. I suspect it would still work but you might be ruining the tire in the process.

Having said all that, I still would not go without a spare.

I'll also second or third the recommendation on work gloves of some sort. I use mine frequently.

throw in an assortment of fuses and fuse puller... my Ford has two electrical distribution centers... relays under the hood, and fuse panel.. drivers end of the dash

I store a lot of water....16 1L bottles and typically a 1/2 case or better of .5L bottles + Gatorade... I typically consume 3 bottles water and one Gatorade per shooting match, so they get rotated pretty quickly

Thanks for all the great suggestions guys!

I actually replaced my Headlamps with two SilverStar Ultra Bulbs a while back, and actually kept the two others and have them in my truck. I forgot to list those.

I will check out the MainStay bars. Datrex's aren't (too) bad..

I also have extra fuses in the truck as well. (Also not listed..)

Yeah, fix a flat has a lot of limitations, and I've heard you can pretty much count on replacing the tire if you actually use it. Generally, I'd either change the tire or call a Tow Truck.

Having something I could melt snow in is a great idea, and something I hadn't really considered. I'll come up with something I can use and have it on hand.

Medication is something I read in another post, and will be adding that to my list as well. I have a backpack that I actually (just) purchased that I always have within reach. I'll probably store that stuff in there. God forbid I go more than 48 hours without my Prilosec.

Heatsheet - Gotta check that out.

And thanks for the info on the Dyno Charger. Honestly, I don't think it's a good one and will check into that further. I am also looking at getting one of those Solar/Battery combo chargers as well. Might even just carry that in my backpack as well.

Thanks for all the great advice! I'm really going to enjoy this forum.

I have a can of fix-a-flat and a small cig lighter powered compressor among other things.

However, it has been a long time since I have actually had a flat. Tires seem to be much better these days.