Truck Winter Kit

I have an extended cab long box four wheel drive diesel truck with a replacement sixty gallon fuel tank. There is a locked storage box under the rear seat. A seventeen hundred pound capacity cargo rack is mounted to the box outboard of a tall canopy. Inside under the canopy roof out of sight is a three hundred pound capacity Cargobat storage deck. On the floor of the box is a standard height Truck Vault with two five foot long drawers. The weight of the loaded truck with two people and two dogs is nine thousand pounds. When you look inside the cab, all you see is a couple of coats hanging from a clothes rod and a travel blanket on the back seat. When looking in the canopy, you see two dog kennels and possibly two large German Shepherds looking back at you.

However, the truck if full of essential equipment. In addition to the normal spare oil, filters, serpentine belt, and bulbs, there is a complete tool set with emergency repair equipment, i.e. fire extinguisher, various type tapes, electrical wire and connectors, bailing wire, heavy tow strap, jacks, two set of tire chains, etc. There are comprehensive first aid kits for humans and dogs complete with airways and Ambu Bag. I used to in the medical field during the fun times in the late 1960's in Chicago. There are three types of stoves and fuels for heating food and water, a complete cooking set, three types of water storage devices, thermos, collapsible containers, and canteens, four types of water purification and filter systems, dog food and collapsible food and water dishes, dog beds, harnesses and leashes. There are also various sizes and types of tarps two chairs, and packs for two people and two dogs. Oh, and lights, lot of lights, from small leds to a 1,000,000 candle power portable search light as well as a couple of seven day candles. All this and more is in the Truck Vault.

There are also three shovels, axe, four foot cross cut saw, collapsible bucket, rake, broom, long reach combination snow blade and brush, and a seventeen foot Big Boy ladder, two Wiggy’s Ultimate Thule FTRSS Sleeping Bag Systems, two heavy wool blankets, two Thermal Rest Pads, heavy Swedish wool pants with suspenders, wool sweaters, a complete change of clothes, two pair of down booties, two pair of rain gear, two pair of pack boots with extra felt liners, two pair of snow shoes, two pair of ski poles, wool and leather gloves, wool scarfs, wool hats, beaver hats, and finally a two man four season tent, a collapsible toilet, and books. This equipment fits in the Cargobat.

In the under seat storage compartment, is a weeks worth of food. This include MREs, dried fruits, meats, and fish, oat meal, dried milk, unsalted mixed nuts, crackers, energy bars, sugar, salt, tea, coffee, hot cocoa mix, powered wasabi, dried beans, too bad its not butter, pasta, candy, survival rations, etc

All this equipment is in addition to the my normal PSK and FAK.. For communications there is On Star, two separate cell phones systems, CB, and four two way radios, two portable short wave radios, XM radio, lots of batteries, mirrors, whistles, and three types of emergency beacons. Normally the roof rack is empty. If I need more room inside, I just move the ladder to the rack.

We live on the eastern edge of the Columbia River Gorge and travel extensively to Eastern Oregon, Mt Hood, Mt Adams, and Portland on a regular basis. If we get caught in one of our snow or ice storms, my wife and I want to thrive not just survive! For a total of forty five dollars per year, we both belong to Life Flight which is good from Wyoming to the West Coast and from the Canadian Border to Northern half of California. I transport people to medical facilities on a regular basis and one uninsured flight can break the bank.