Saturday, October 20, 2007

Some Vehicle Preps

Last weekend I picked up a Contico SUV Utility Box at Lowe's to organize the stuff I keep in the back of my Expedition. It' sturdy and just the right size for my truck.

Today I added a few items which may come in handy during an emergency:

  1. My Ontario 12" Camper Machete. It's a nice chopper yet not too large.
  2. One of the Swiss surplus ponchos I picked up a couple months ago from Cheaper Than Dirt. I already had a poncho but this is heavier and can do double duty as a tarp or groundcloth.
  3. Two 3600 calorie packs of Mainstay ration bars.
  4. A coffee can containing a box of REI stormproof matches, a Swedish Fire Steel, 35mm film canister with petrolatum soaked cotton balls for tinder, a space blanket, some paracord, some flat packed duct tape, and a whistle with a compass and thermometer. I sealed the can with duct tape and wrote the contents on the outside with a Sharpie.

The coffee can itself serves a couple different uses. First, it protects the contents. Second, it can be used as a pot.

All of the above augments the stuff in the get home bag kept in the truck.

As we get closer to winter, it's a good idea to reevalute the emergency supplies we keep in our vehicles, and restock or augment them as needed.

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