Just wanted to add my thoughts to this situation:

I drive close to 9 hours just about every weekend. My drive starts off in a rural area, goes on highway, then brings me to a suburban/city area, then back again. Even when traveling on the main roads I have used the stuff in my kit so many times it's amazing. People are generally very unprepared. From what I've heard the common thought is, "I carry a cell phone and if that doesn't work I'll just flag down another car." I can tell you that this doesn't always work. One guy I dragged out of the ditch in the side of the road with my tow strap was stuck there for three hours. His car wouldn't run and he had little more then the clothes on his back. Other people have the tools, yet don't know how to use them. The most common one being, "how do you change a tire?"

I guess the point I'm trying to make is: Carry the most amount of equipment and gear you can (factoring in space and financial restrictions) and learn how to use it. It only has to save your or someone elses life once to pay for itself.

I know I'm preaching to the choir, but I wish more people would learn. The thing that kills me is; I've made threads in other internet forums talking about carrying some extra gear and such in winter and more then half of the people just shot me down. The worst of the bunch being the younger teenagers who just started driving. They again ask, "I carry a cell phone, what do I need all that other crap for, why waste money on it?" <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />