Car/truck everyday supplies

Some of the comments got me thinking about this topic. I covered this years ago on another forum.

For many years I was a member of Buffalo Creek and those that have been there can tell you that it is out there. I used to go all the time in the winter and was always prepared for it. I will say that I do have different supplies in the car and truck as does the wife in her van. The car does not make back country trips on Forrest roads in the dead of winter but the truck does.

Basic supplies in every vehicle.

First aid kit
small basic tool kit with wire, duct tape, tie wraps, jumper cables.
1 MRE with heater (changed every year)
1 blanket
1 space blanket
chemical hand warmers 3 pair. (change these every year)
3 road flares
LED flashlight
Spare batteries
Pair of gloves
cheap plastic poncho
some paper towels
1/2 roll of toilet paper in a bag
2-3 bottles of water
couple of plastic trash bags
1 can fix a flat

Due to the nature of where we go in the truck in addition to the above.

another blanket and space blanket
sleeping bag
2 more MRE's
coffee can
candles
fire starter, lint/Vaseline
tire plug kit
air pump
tow strap
fold up shovel
more hand warmers and water
compass and topo map of colorado

And some more things I am forgetting right now but ya get the idea.

I'm on the same page with most of the same stuff except I've added a jump box to my truck gear in case my battery needs jumped and I'm alone somewhere. [Beer]

I was going to mention that you should have a tire plug kit in EVERY car, but it looks like you got it. If I had a truck, I'd look into one of those engine bay mounted inflation pump systems. Off road guys use them and they are a life saver.

I will say that putting a plug in a 10 ply tire is no fun. Since I do not want to carry my drill around with me I do have a 16P nail and a hammer to get it started. The one smaller hole I had in the tire once I found that a 1" X#12 sheet metal screw works great. Just cover with a little cement and screw it in the tire. :)

And for those that may not know those "truck tire" cans of fix a flat do not work on a 80 PSI 10 ply. ;)

I do carry one of those 12V small pumps. It does take awhile but they do work.

example of my wife's jeep, similar items in my car and the truck. If I know its a trip outside a metro area, I'll throw in my BOB backpack too. Each car has a couple of bottles of water, and a few granola bars hidden within somewhere.

Rubber tub, with misc items in it. I recently cleaned it all out and updated since this photo was taken. I was packing for babies still and replaced some items with more adult items since the kids are Tweens now.

You can pack a lot of items around those spare tires!

http://i1103.photobucket.com/albums/...es/carkit1.jpg

http://i1103.photobucket.com/albums/...es/carkit2.jpg

http://i1103.photobucket.com/albums/...es/carkit3.jpg

My kit varies very slightly depending on the time of year. *denotes items carried in the cold months only.

-2 gallons of water
-Cold weather sleeping bag*
-several 30g protein bars
-Mr. Heater portable buddy w/2 bottles of propane*
-2 tarps (1) large (1) small
-multiple methods of fire starting
-spare Glock 9mm mags
-Shovel
-Snow shovel*
-(2) first aid kits
-ESBIT stove with several Hexamine tabs
-lots of para cord
-a couple extra flash lights w/spare batteries
-tire patch kit
-fire extinguisher
-small tool kit
-CB Radio
-FULLY stocked tool box (depending on how far or where I travel)
-on board air (mounted under the hood)
-4 d-ring shackles
-snatch block
-30ft 30,000 lbs tow strap
-8,000lbs winch
- a couple different pairs of gloves

Several of the items are stored in a tupperware container similar to the one gnihcraes has in his pic. I may be forgetting a few items, but that is what came to mind. I try to get to the mountains as much as possible, so that list obviously grows when I head to the back country.

don't forget a hammer
I've used a hammer way more (except band aids I suppose) than most anything. (hit a fender and jam it into a tire, a little manual adjustment and away you go)

best tools to add to your vehicle

first a rear locker in the differential, the lock right is cheap, simple to install, nearly invisible in everyday driving and will turn any vehicle into a much more capable back country, survival vehicle.

driving in off road situations with one locked axle will be a game changer in any driving situation. there are more expensive options, but this one can be installed in your garage, i have had one in nearly everyone of my off road and daily driven vehicle for the last ten years. you will be able to drive out of situations that would normally strand most people.

second a winch, front or rear, hard mounted or multi mount. all the survival gear in the world is useless if you cannot recover your own vehicle, or those with you. and recovery gear

add ground clearance, and good tires. a mechanically sound and capable vehicle can keep you from needing the survival gear.

one pet peeve is those that drive around with an unprepared rig. i dont care if it is a subaru, a jeep, pickup or a honda, a decent set of tires should be part of your annual budget. have an extra $150 this month, put it in savings toward a decent set of rubber.

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Originally Posted by rockhound

best tools to add to your vehicle

first a rear locker in the differential, the lock right is cheap, simple to install, nearly invisible in everyday driving and will turn any vehicle into a much more capable back country, survival vehicle.

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Well if we are including these types of items, my list has only just begun [Coffee]

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Originally Posted by hurley842002

Well if we are including these types of items, my list has only just begun [Coffee]

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And I will agree. I have turned my dodge into a snowplow once. I will say that I am always amazed the number of people that think that 4X4 sticker means four wheel drive. :)

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Originally Posted by jerrymrc

I will say that I am always amazed the number of people that think that 4X4 sticker means four wheel drive. :)

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X2 and most find out otherwise, the first time they decide they want to actually use that "4x4" for what it was meant for. I was only a week or so into my 16th birthday when I found out that 4x4 wasn't really four wheel drive. It is truly amazing what you can do in 2 wheel drive with a locker, throw it in 4 wheel drive, and it's night and day, add a front locker, and you are entering a whole new ball game. I won't own a rig that see's any amount of trail time, without throwing at least a rear locker in it.

Besides the hand warmers I also carry one more thing. The military used to have a chemical heating pad that was good for 8 uses. It does get hot (143 tested today) and it lasts for 8 hours each application.

I did a little searching and they are not available as a set but you can still buy the refill surplus here http://www.armysurpluswarehouse.com/...g-pad-3749.cfm

These are not a toy but having one could be a lifesaver in the winter. Since they are activated by water you need to store it in a waterproof bag. The ones I have are from 83-88. My cheap tip for my friends. ;)

I have had ARB air lockers in several vehicles. Had front and rears in my Wrangler TJ. That Jeep was a beast. RE long arm kit with 35" Pro Comps, 12K winch, roller bumpers, aircraft lights, and on and on. Wife hated it so it is long gone.

Richmond doesn't make a lock-rite for my truck and I have never owned one. I only know what I have seen from other owners. I have heard other wheelers we used to run with complain that the axle will sometimes bind and remain locked when it should differentiate freeley. I definitely would not want a ratcheting locker in a front axle. A selectable locker like an Ox Locker or ARB would be my preference. If a front axle locks when you don't want it, you will almost certainly lose steering control of the vehicle.

Lockers are great equipment, but I would suggest a manual locker for the front axle - and somecareful practice. Honestly, if you don't have experience with them, front lockers can be dangerous. More than a few Rubicons have been wrecked by first time 4 wheelers thinking lockers made their $25K Wranglers invincible. I also got to watch a Grand Cherokee with lockers rollover backwards down the quarry at Moody Hill because the vehicle had all the traction in the world and the driver again felt invincible. Traction is not always your friend, especially if you start rolling backwards.

Like many tools, lockers are great, but can be used incorrectly and have equally negative effects.

Not to divert the thread any more, but what do you guys think of limited slips? I was thinking Detroit True-Trac (gear drive LS) for my pickup rear end.

One thing you might think about adding to a car/truck kit is a high visibility jacket or vest in case you have to change a tire on the side of the road when visability is limited (Ask me how I know.[Roll1] )

I always overpack on trips. But I've learned a few tricks to help if things go south . . .

I once saw a tow truck driver change a flat in about 4 minutes. He used a rechargeable DeWalt 18v impact wrench. (Note, NOT an impact driver which has a hammer action) He'd used a scissors jack with a hex bolt, the wrench pushed the car up in about 10 seconds, the lug nuts didn't take more than 20 seconds. The new tire was on and tightened pretty quick.

so I bought a used DeWalt 18v impact wrench, I keep an inverter in my car and found a scissors jack that was the same size as my lugs on my truck.

A "jump start" kit. It's basically a sealed motorcycle battery. My kit, bought at Costco, has a rudimentary air compressor (works for air mattresses too) and a 12v and 110v output option.

I switched to an Optima AGM type battery too. I've shaken a battery once too often when I'm driving ON the road and had it fail due to internal shorts, the AGM (absorbed glass mat) type batteries are very very sturdy in this regard, they can also be fully discharged without risking killing the battery (deep cycle I think people call it). In our harsh weather having a battery fail after two years is just nuts (and common). Generally the AGM batteries last from 5 to 10 years, mine is at 6.

If you're going to have a chain to pull things out, have a tow strap also. A chain is great, but it has no "give" and you can damage your vehicle if you use it exclusively to pull yourself or others out.

I never, ever use the spare tires that are the space saver kind. Go down to your wrecker and buy a spare rim and tire. A full size spare is essential. The space saver spare is like putting a patch on a condom, sure it works in THEORY, but when your life is at stake!

I try to carry two spare tires on long trips, but I have a bumper mount for a spare and a front bumper mount for the second one.

Road flares are pretty cheap as well.

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Originally Posted by Irving

Road flares are pretty cheap as well.

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That is one thing I am seriously lacking. Dumb question, maybe because I have never actually looked to buy road flares, but where does one buy such things?

Army Surplus store. Leave your gun at home when you go though. I don't want you to kill yourself when you find out how cheap a 3 pack is.

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Originally Posted by Irving

Army Surplus store. Leave your gun at home when you go though. I don't want you to kill yourself when you find out how cheap a 3 pack is.

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Oh Stuart....you kill me....ZINGGGGG