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Caladium, kudos on the marathon! I like your ideas of the 20 greatest movies and wine!
LOL emergency car stuff. The only thing I don't have in my truck is food. do Tic Tacs count?
Tic Tacs count! lol
List of items in my car: downfilled blanket, set of jumper cables, set of tire chains, carpet brush, de-icing brush/scraper, doggie seat cover (waterproof), flashlight (heavy duty), basket with wheels, plastic rain poncho, Altoids, iPhone charger.
In the next two weeks, I will be looking for sandbags (to place over back tire wells) as my Audi is a "crossover" and I like to have the extra weight in the cargo section for weight/traction on slick roads.
I have been in situations where I needed all of those items.
I have used the sandbags when my car has slid off the road . . . slit them to add friction to the ice surface.
List of items in my car: downfilled blanket, set of jumper cables, set of tire chains, carpet brush, de-icing brush/scraper, doggie seat cover (waterproof), flashlight (heavy duty), basket with wheels, plastic rain poncho, Altoids, iPhone charger.
In the next two weeks, I will be looking for sandbags (to place over back tire wells) as my Audi is a "crossover" and I like to have the extra weight in the cargo section for weight/traction on slick roads.
I have been in situations where I needed all of those items.
Reading all these post makes me extra glad I live in Arizona! lol I HAVE lived in places where I needed to "be prepared" though so I understand. Around here I can CHOOSE whether or not to drive in snow etc.. From tomorrow through the weekend our higher elevations are expecting some good snow and we 'might' get a little 'fallout' from the mountains but I'll be staying in the Valley and just enjoy seeing it. I DO love how the mountains and surrounding scenery looks with snow but don't want to mess with it myself.
Thanks. In addition to the trauma of shelling out for a new car, I'm also traumatized by having to dissemble my disaster-preparedness car trunk. My Corolla's trunk had every possible piece of emergency equipment, including collapsible water jugs, sleeping bag and quilts, changes of clothing, cooking utensils, tarps, axe, paper goods, boots and raingear and flashlights of all kinds, carrying bags, and so on. When I emptied out the Corolla this morning I had six boxes of stuff to bring in to the house, it's all sitting in my l.r. I keep staring at it wondering how I can possibly drive around without this stuff. I'm being told to get therapy if I can't deal with driving in a car with no emergency trunk. The Subaru way-back will have the dog cage and the back seats the grandkid car seats. I guess I could get a Thule carrier at some point but I think it would be far healthier to deal with my car hoarding (I am not a hoarder within the house.)
Having an emergency kit in your vehicles is no more hoarding than keeping fire extinguishers, smoke and gas alarms, security systems, basic tools, spare keys, first aid supplies, extra blankets, and all the other emergency supplies you might need in your house. Find a way to safely stow that stuff in your new chariot; just make sure it's secure. Tom Mix died in a minor traffic accident while sitting in the back seat of a car. A sudden stop caused a suitcase on the rear ledge behind him to zoom forward breaking his neck.
Don't worry if they tell you you're a goofy old lady who should know that nothing ever goes wrong. They probably wouldn't use their seatbelts if they weren't afraid of a ticket.
When a man in Washington reported his wife missing on a winter night after she didn't return from a short trip police investigated and soon came to the conclusion that her husband had murdered her and hidden the car and her body. They dropped the search. Several days later she was found in her car next to the highway. She'd gone off the road but had not been visible in any way to passing motorists. Miraculously, she was alive. When I read of this I bought two emergency beacons for each vehicle, one that plugs into the cigarette socket that's visible for over a mile and a second one powered by a D-cell with a clip to attach it to clothing or a pack. Even if the beacons weren't directly visible people would see the refections and light scatter.
Safety is like love and money. You can never have too much of any of them.
List of items in my car: downfilled blanket, set of jumper cables, set of tire chains, carpet brush, de-icing brush/scraper, doggie seat cover (waterproof), flashlight (heavy duty), basket with wheels, plastic rain poncho, Altoids, iPhone charger.
In the next two weeks, I will be looking for sandbags (to place over back tire wells) as my Audi is a "crossover" and I like to have the extra weight in the cargo section for weight/traction on slick roads.
I have been in situations where I needed all of those items.
I have used the sandbags when my car has slid off the road . . . slit them to add friction to the ice surface.
In my truck-three fleece throws, one large heavy wool blanket that I crocheted myself, flashlight, raincoat, snow brush/ice scraper, extra wiper blade, jacknife, phone charger, earbud charger, bottled water, winter hat, gloves, tic tacs.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Happy in Wyoming
Having an emergency kit in your vehicles is no more hoarding than keeping fire extinguishers, smoke and gas alarms, security systems, basic tools, spare keys, first aid supplies, extra blankets, and all the other emergency supplies you might need in your house. Find a way to safely stow that stuff in your new chariot; just make sure it's secure. Tom Mix died in a minor traffic accident while sitting in the back seat of a car. A sudden stop caused a suitcase on the rear ledge behind him to zoom forward breaking his neck.
Don't worry if they tell you you're a goofy old lady who should know that nothing ever goes wrong. They probably wouldn't use their seatbelts if they weren't afraid of a ticket.
When a man in Washington reported his wife missing on a winter night after she didn't return from a short trip police investigated and soon came to the conclusion that her husband had murdered her and hidden the car and her body. They dropped the search. Several days later she was found in her car next to the highway. She'd gone off the road but had not been visible in any way to passing motorists. Miraculously, she was alive. When I read of this I bought two emergency beacons for each vehicle, one that plugs into the cigarette socket that's visible for over a mile and a second one powered by a D-cell with a clip to attach it to clothing or a pack. Even if the beacons weren't directly visible people would see the refections and light scatter.
Safety is like love and money. You can never have too much of any of them.
OMG HIW! They stopped the search? Can you say lawsuit? Same thing up here a few years ago, the older couple died due to no cell service. The tree huggers have kept them out of the Adirondack park. So the state lined the Northway (I-87) with portable cell towers. Dunno if there was a lawsuit, but being New York I'm sure there was.
When I lived in MN , I had a roll of toilet tissue inside a coffee can with a bottle of rubbing alcohol and matches.
Supposedly, you pour the rubbing alcohol over the roll of toilet tissue and let it soak. You then light it and the tightly wrapped toilet paper will burn slow and claen and give you some heat.
Good advice that an emergency kit should be stored in some out of the way location so it won't go flying if the car gets smacked or spins out of control.
If you feel like you have too much stuff, reconsider some of the items. You might be able to remove 1-2 that are helpful but maybe not necessary. Multiple changes of clothing seem like a bit much. They sell rain ponchos that can be folded into small envelopes (and they're usually quite inexpensive). A blanket is a good idea, but again there are blankets that are bulky and others that don't take up all that much room. If boots are taking up too much room, plastic baggies over shoes can serve the same purpose in an emergency (unless you regularly drive in areas with deep mud).
I do think a spare pair of shoes you can walk in is a good idea. I like recycling old athletic shoes instead of throwing them out. They're too worn for my daily circuit, yet aren't at the point of having holes in them. And shoes don't take up that much room if you pack them right.
Also, I like keeping $100 in cash in the car. I don't touch it but someday it might be really good to have.
Good advice that an emergency kit should be stored in some out of the way location so it won't go flying if the car gets smacked or spins out of control.
If you feel like you have too much stuff, reconsider some of the items. Multiple changes of clothing seem like a bit much. They sell rain ponchos that can be folded into small envelopes (and they're usually quite inexpensive). A blanket is a good idea, but again there are blankets that are bulky and others that don't take up all that much room. If boots are taking up too much room, plastic baggies over shoes can serve the same purpose in an emergency (unless you regularly drive in areas with deep mud).
I do think a spare pair of shoes you can walk in is a good idea. I like athletic shoes that are too worn for my daily circuit, yet aren't at the point of having holes in them. And shoes don't take up that much room if you pack them right.
Also, I like keeping $100 in cash in the car. I don't touch it but someday it might be really good to have.
If it is winter survival, what good are ---- ."plastic baggies over shoes"..........and ..........."athletic shoes that are too warn >,,,,,,,,,,,,
SURVIVALgear usually is mentioned as surviving in cold climates.
Where I live we have fairly mild winters, and the reality of my life is I don't have any reasons to be driving in wilderness areas during a heavy winter storm. And if I did, I would already be wearing boots and a heavy winter coat--no need to have extra in the car.
The winter trips that might involve snow are mostly trips to NYC--and that doesn't involve driving. I fly or take Amtrak, and once I get there I take the train everywhere. And, again, I would already be wearing boots if the weather was snowy.
The bags are mostly to keep your shoes dry. A few years ago I did have a situation where we had walk a little over a mile after a snowstorm. The snow was maybe a foot deep, and we did have to step in it a few times (although mostly we walked along the road). Bags over our shoes worked out really well. They may look dorky, but they provided the emergency protection we needed.
The extra pair of shoes in the car are more useful for situations like you've gone to a banquet, are wearing heels, the car breaks down, and you need to walk for help.
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Congrats! I've heard good things about Foresters. Enjoy.
