Originally Posted By: EMPnotImplyNuclear

Why not rely on your regular phone in your pocket to call for help?
Why is it a good idea to have an extra item that you never use but you have to keep charged?


Phones can be broken, lost, stolen or run out of charge, easily. The charging issue I consider "solved" for the cars in my family. Each vehicle has an emergency kit with (among other things!) a spare 12V to USB adapter, a spare cable, and a low-self-discharge powerbank. If I'm carrying a bag, it has a powerbank and charging cable in it.

I have occasionally found that cellphone provider diversity can be helpful.

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The strategy of duplicate items, esp electronics, just in case of, something, hasn't paid off in my land experience.


I've spent my entire career in IT, so perhaps that's colored my perceptions of spare electronics. Suffice it to say that my experiences have differed from your own laugh laugh laugh.

Of all the tools available, the one most likely to solve a problem easily and with the best outcome is a working cellphone. For about $12 (including shipping and the cost of a Lithium AA) I can put an extra one that's going to be good for years without maintenance in each car.

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Old phones wont work for long


AT&T's 3G network is good until 2022, so that's over two years from now to figure out another spare phone solution for the car kits. I'm good with that at this price.