$25 – 10 day survival pack for your vehicle

 – 10 day survival pack for your vehicle

Yago104-2
Here’s a $25 – 10 day survival pack for your vehicle from Jeff, he writes –

It seems like every winter there are news stories of people getting stranded for weeks in bad weather while driving through the many remote areas of our country. In fact, this past winter, our nation held its breath waiting for news of James Kim and his family who got lost traveling the snowy roads of Josephine County in Oregon, not far from where this magazine is published. While his wife and daughters, who stayed with their vehicle, were eventually found alive, he succumbed to the cold as he hiked through snow looking for help for his family. And there are also many cases of people trapped for days in their vehicles after skidding over a bridge embankment, even though they were only a few hundred feet from a busy highway.

I have written many articles about how to prepare your home for a power outage or national emergency, but today I want to address how to be prepared for an emergency when traveling in your car or truck.

10 day survival pack for your vehicle for just $25 by Jeffrey Yago, P.E., CEM Issue #104 – Link.

Related:
Make 421

  • Keychain Survival Tools – Link.
  • Altoids tin survival kit… – Link.

10 thoughts on “$25 – 10 day survival pack for your vehicle

  1. GourmA4 says:

    Another great reference site is edcforums.com
    Note that edc means “every day carry”

  2. michaeljedelman says:

    Why do people who have no experience in survival love putting together survival kits? At least this one doesn’t include fishing gear and a big Rambo knife ;-)

    In practical terms, the car survival kit is missing the most important items, and includes things that are really unecessary. Food is not a factor in most survival situations- you can go for days without food and suffer no ill effects. If you are going to include food in a car survival kit, it should be something that requires no preperation. If it’s winter, do you really want to leave the car to heat up food? “Energy Bars” fit the bill and last a long time.

    Second is something for signalling. Number one would be a cell phone, which you should have on you anyways. Number two would be smoke (for daytime) and flares (for night). I don’t see those.

    Protection from weather is critical. I’d have an emergency space blanket for every passenger- one of the bag type ones. I see he lists a sleeping bag as optional.

    Things like toilet paper are nice but are not survival items. Razors? Who shaves in a survival situation?

    The single most critical item gets only a brief mention: Water. He mentions melting snow and collecting and purifying water, which is ridiculous. You’re in a car, not travelling with a backpack and paring ounces. You can carry water! Desert travellers know that you never set out without at least two gallons of water. If you think there’s any chance of getting stuck or stranded in your car, bring plenty of water.

    So: Rewritten surival kit:

    $5 worth of power bars
    Flares and smoke
    Water
    Space blankets
    Cell phone

    And dress appropriately for where you’re travelling. If you’re driving over a mountain pass, that means having a parka and proper boots. If you’re travelling through the desert, a wide brimmed hat. And so forth.

  3. rich.thomas says:

    I think your list is much more sensical. I have read that people in Alaska carry a small bag of dry dog food in the car — balanced, nutritious, and keeps for a long time. Add some water and you’re set!

    Also could be used to distract bears and wolves…

  4. lwatcdr says:

    Of course one of the best things to have in your survival kit is common sense. If you are going to drive through bad weather, desert, or mountains leave a “flight plan”. Tell someone you trust when you are leaving, your route, and when you expect to get their. That way you will not be lost for days before someone starts looking.
    And yes bring water. If it is winter some high energy food is also useful but water is number one.

  5. robertadams1 says:

    I agree wholeheartedly. The key thing to have in your ‘survival kit’ is knowledge. Even my 6-year-old daughter can relate one of the most important things you can know about survival, the “rule of threes”:

    You will live:
    3 minutes without air
    3 hours in extreme weather without shelter
    3 days without water
    3 weeks without food

    Plan your survival activities accordingly. I used to teach a survival skills course, and the priorities described by each incoming class were always hilarious.

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