Need to put together some survival/aid kits for car and person

[KennyB]

It's just something that I've been putting off for a little while, and I just got newly engaged and have been thinking about it more and more as I go camping and what not often. My fiance is also away on her own out in the woods often, so I want to basically duplicate whatever I put together for her too.

In the end I want something that I can keep in a bag in each of our vehicles, but also a small kit of items that we can keep on our person's ( you know like the altoids tins ) since it seems so often that when something goes wrong, all a person has is what is on them.


I've got a pretty good idea of what items to include in the kit for the car. I'm also considering what types of radio/satellite signaling beacons that may be available and affordable these days that would help search and rescue teams find us if it ever comes to that. I don't really know much about any of that, but there is a pretty much immeasurable amount of resources on what basic items to put in the kit. I think I might actually save myself some time and get ESEE's basic kit, and a large 1st aid kit and then fill in all the other gaps of what I think I might need myself.

The personal tin is kind of what puzzles me... If all you had to save your life was in your pocket, what type of situation would you be in? Did you suffer a fall, are you trapped underneath something? I would think that either an injury or being trapped is the basic assumption here, otherwise making it to the car and safety would be easier. So I'm thinking, the best thing to have in there would probably be some bandaging, maybe something for pain management, water treatment, signaling and fire, and navigation with the basic intent of it being to get us back to our cars/camps or found by someone if we cannot move.

I'm also considering some of the "odd" items that my fiance and I may personally need. We both have stomach problems, and from what I'm aware of vomiting in a survival situation drastically reduces your odds. I've not seen any first-aid kits or other that have any kind of way to treat nausea. Basically something to keep the person from throwing up, even if their stomach still feels lousy. We also both have pretty terrible eye-sight, so if something were to happen to our glasses, or just if we need extra help in general, I think binoculars and some type of magnification is needed.

So yeah, outside of the first aid and survival kits for "staying alive", what about getting rescued and making it back to these items if you wind up in trouble away from your camp/car?

 

[Bernoulli]

One of the things you have to consider with a car survival kit is how much stuff do you carry to help your car survive. A lot depends on what you know how to do. There is basically no limit, but you need to be able to get unstuck and carry water for coolant (dual use).

Medical issues require that you carry something to deal with them. Your GP should have no problem prescribing medicine that will help.

An EPIRB will get you found.

 

[KennyB]

One of the things you have to consider with a car survival kit is how much stuff do you carry to help your car survive. A lot depends on what you know how to do. There is basically no limit, but you need to be able to get unstuck and carry water for coolant (dual use).

Medical issues require that you carry something to deal with them. Your GP should have no problem prescribing medicine that will help.

An EPIRB will get you found.

Are those roadside emergency kits adequate for car troubles in the woods too, or are they more specialized for flats and the hazards of interstate travel? We've already got chains, spare oil, basic stuff like that. As far as anything to get a tire unstuck though, not sure about that. I've also considered a spare battery, but not sure where I could store it in the vehicle--maybe I could find an emergency recharger that doesn't require a plug in, I'd imagine there exists some kind of option like that, perhaps with a portable battery pack?

An EPIRB is exactly what I was thinking, though they are much more expensive than I realized.

 

[Catmouth]

Every pre-made first aid kit will need to be fine tuned. I prefer a certain type of band aid so I make sure I have those. My father was allergic to cloth tape so he didn't use that. You just need to tailor it to you needs. If there is medication that you must have then by all means it needs to be accessible to you. My wife has COPD and as a result has chronic asthma. I also have acute asthma so we have an inhaler in every car, bag, desk and some coats in the closet just in case we need it. You might could use a small keychain pill holder if you find you can not store your pills in your tin.

The eyeglasses are something that I think are overlooked as well. I almost never hear of anyone mentioning that they have an extra pair of glasses or contacts in a BOB or maybe even available to them. I can not make out a face from 8ft away so I am basically blind without them. It would be catastrophic if I lost/damaged my glasses and were without a backup. My wife and I recently discussed this and are in the process of getting an extra pair for our main bags at the house.

Everyone's situation and needs are different. The fact you are already thinking about these things I think is a good sign. You are off to a good start.

 

[Bo T]

I carry an extra set of glasses in my car and pack. I just use my old glasses. An inexpensive monocular could also serve a dual use purpose in this regards. I like Couglins orange whistle/match case/compass/signal mirror/ferro rod to build a pocket PSK around. I bag it in one of those 1/2 sandwich sized bags. Just add whatever you wish to it.
My car kit is one of thos fanny packs in case I need to grab and go.

 

[Myal]

I made a few kits up for some friends , they travel around a lot in rural areas here where they can easily be stuck for a day or three between towns before anyone realises they are missing and begin to track them down .

I was looking at my gear , and trying to work out a basic kit that they could add to and personalise as they see fit , but on its own wouldnt leave them short or at least short of much if they just used it alone .

I ended up with a 3 metre x 3 metre ultra light tarp shelter ( tarp with tiedowns allready built in / on ) alluminium tent stakes , a ferro rod and a couple mil surplus match containers + matches , an emberlit stove , and a mora knife .

that was in a bag that is intended to travel in their car , its small enough it wont take up space , but has enough in it that it makes it easy to set up a shelter , boil some water , whatever they need .

I put a basic first aid kit , a folding knife , whistle , compas another ferro rod and match case into a small case that I hope they stick in their brief case or handbag and have on them .


Combined , the kits are not bulky , one girl is currently using her gear as part of her regular hiking / camping gear now as well as it being her emergency gear , it living in her car when she isnt using it . I was very happy to see that , I know that at least she will be familiar with her gear if she ever has to use it in a bad situation .

I tried to cover the basics .. here I figured a tarp could be a shade in summer , a tent , even a blanket in winter , definitely it would be welcome in rainy weather . a tube tent would be not just less durable but kinda of less versatile , I think .

The stove .. its not just an efficent way to boil water .. there is a hell of a psychological boost to using a stove over having to make a open fire .. at least I have noticed the difference it has made on people anyway , so I run with it ... I dont know of any other that packs up flat and is so easy to set up and use , and doesnt rely on any special fuel to run .

I havent included anything to cook or boil water in .. that was partly due to keeping the packages small , and partly due to not finding anything that I would have used myself , in the budget I had when I was doing the project . I have a stainless steel billycan myself but I couldnt get hold of any at the time i did these kits .

 

[gadgetgeek]

A couple of thoughts,
Batteries, lead acid are not that great for storage, so a better option is simply car maintenance. get the battery you have tested once and a while, and replace it when needed. You could get a solar charger, but anything beyond a trickle charger will be several hundred bucks.
stomach meds are a great thing, but sometimes vomiting is a good thing, at least if your body is trying to get rid of something bad. the small collapsible platypus bags might be a good option, you can treat water in them, as well as use one to mix up some electrolytes if you needed.
Given the availability and brightness of small form factor LED lights, getting even a cheap waterproof one would be a huge moral boost. even if you can't make fire, knowing you've got a light for over night can make things better. I'd look for one that is has battery life over brightness, knowing you have to be careful with your light just to get through the night would suck.
You didn't say where you are, my Alberta kits are very different from my Aussie kits.