VSK Vehicle Survival Kit

S

SkunkWerX

Joined
Jul 27, 2006
Messages
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The Kim's situation brought to light it can happen.
Hopefully, it doesn't happen often, nor in such a remote area.
9 days is a long time!!

But what about 1 day? or just getting thru the night?
Right now we are mostly thinking about winter, and cold weather, which is pretty challenging.

Quick Story: Back in about 1996 some of my employees got stuck in a snow storm/traffic tie up on the Washington DC beltway. Backed up for miles and miles, into the wee hours of the morning.
Now, it wasn't life or death, becuase they could have walked off the highway, into a residential community, if push came to shove.
I heard stories of people who hadn't filled their gas tanks, afraid of running low on gas. People who had to pee so badly they could taste it. People who were thirsty, hungry. Running their cars for 5 or 10 minutes, then turning them off. They weren't sure if they'd be there all night, or not.

One lady who worked for me came away with a valuable lesson.
She told me soon after, that she had gotten a wool blanket, some power bars, some bottles of water, and vowed to never let her tank get below Half full, especially during the winter and when bad weather is predicted.

Anyway, it just goes to show that you may not be stranded in snowdrifts in the wilds of Oregon, but, there are probably tools, and supplies we should keep in our VSK.

All I have at the moment are my Pac Boots, my Rain Gear, gloves, a packing blanket, and a small snow shovel and brush/scraper. I could do better.
Add my PSK to that, but I only work 7 miles from home, so, making a fire in someone front yard isn't going to be very cool with the homeowner. :eek:

I'm thinking about a little stash of food and a little water. But, what else??
In cold regions a blanket should be mandatory, maybe a couple of them if you are gonig to have kids and/or mutliple passengers.

What would constitute a good VSK? What should people carry this holiday season as they go to Grandmas, or Aunt Betsy's?

What would have helped the Kim's?
 
This topic came up on a private mailing list that I manage. A friend of mine who lives in the 'burbs in Minnesota says he has the following as a minimum in his trunk, but does more if he's actually going out of town. I had some disagreements with some of kit, but I thought I'd pass this along without editing anyway, just as a conversation piece:

Winter Emergency kit:

In a large cofee can with plastic lid:
- large pocket knife or small sheath knife
- matches or lighter
- 2 candle tapers broken in half (4 small candles)
- 1 empty tuna can to put lit cndles in to prevent tipping
- 2 bread wrapper bags for feet in case you don't have boots.
- 1 garbage bag for rain/snow gear in case you forget your parka.
- basic first aid items (bandaids, medical tape, several gauze pads or roll of gauze, Sissors)
- signal items - Whistle and signal mirror (those pesky aol CDs work great for signal mirrors)
- small flashlight w/extra batteries

In a second can place food items
- granola bars
- nuts
- plain chocolate bars
- dried fuit or fruit leather

Other items:
- Sleeping bag
- extra clothes, coat or boots (I have an old pair of boots that the soles are getting hard on for the car)
- flares or reflective triangle
- small bag of clay kitty litter or sand (for traction) A big bag for rear wheel drive (extra weight)
- Jumper cables (standard issue in the midwest with mandatory usage lessons starting at age 8)
Click to expand...

My biggest complaint is his idea that an AOL CD is a good signaling device (I told him to invest a few bucks in a signaling mirror built for the purpose). He also doesn't have some kind of a multi-tool in his kit. In addition, I'd add a small AM/FM radio so he can get weather updates without running down his car battery. Other than that, I think this is a pretty complete "midwesterner commuter's winter survival kit."
 
Bulgron, Great List!!

I agree about your comment on the CD.
I wasn't a real big believer in Signal Mirrors until recently, I did some reading and research and came away with a very heathly support of them. While reading they stated that a CD is reflective, but, only has about 20% of the performance of a true signal mirror. So it's not a replacement, but it could be "better than nothing".

So, if your stranded, and you have a dozen CDs handy, put then on the roof or hood of your car, or, hang them so that they refelct sunlight, can't hurt in a true survival situation, but, the signal mirror is Far more superior, from what I read recently.
 
My winter kit that stays in the trunk of my rusted 180K miles ford taurus daily driver.

I carry a small folding shovel, the metal tri fold kind. I find that it works better than a snow shovel because if you can get down to the ground, you can continue to dig a bit for something to throw under the tires for traction and the small head fits under the undercarriage of my car better in case i get high-centered on the snow. (about $12)

A gallon jug of potable water filles 3/4 full because it will freeze. Can be used for your radiator if you overheat in a non-emergency situation.
Grandpas military heavy wool pants and jacket
heavy hat and gloves
1 pair of down booties (REI blows these out in the spring every year it seems)
2 - 40 degree wal-mart sleeping bags (about $15 each)
2 - space blankets
3 - 8 hour candles (can raise the temp inside a car considerably)
1 - Esbit stove and tabs
2 - plastic ponchos
1 - box waterproof matches
1 - bic lighter
asst powerbars and hard candy (hard candy lasts forever, its the amber of future civilizations)
1 one gallon plastic gas can (empty)
1 roll of mechanics wire
1 roll of duct tape
1 multi tool
1 Dynamo LED flashlight with builtin radio ($18.00)
1 pr of jersey gloves
1 set of jumper cables
1 bicycle foot pump ( yes it works, I have done it because my spare was flat)
1 estwing hatchet
1 nylon tow strap
1 hand crank cell phone charger ($10 at walgreens)
assorted basic tools and haynes repair guide.
X-tra engine oil and transmission fluid (if automatic)
Spare fuses
1 can of fix-a flat
1 empty paint can purchased from home depot. (I put all of the moisture sensitive items in here and pound the lid on, can be used to melt snow with esbit stove) oh, and the food goes in there too to make me think twice if i get a hankerin for some snacks ;)

The rest of the items are placed in a plastic action packer tub and bungee corded to the inside of the trunk to keep it from sliding around.

I grew up in rural North Dakota and it wasn't uncommon for ppl to get stranded on sections of highway during heavy snow storms. So this list may be excessive for some.

Thats all i've got for now
 
I've been thinking of adding a survival manual, but can't decide which is the most comprehensive for a vehicle based kit.

A regular book might not be a bad idea either, I mean once your socked in and waiting for help or the weather to subside it would keep your mind occupied after you have read the survival manual cover to cover. I've spent my fair share of being tentbound on and I have to say, having something to read when your confined like that can be a real lifesaver, or mindsaver rather.
 
Does anyone know how well one of those 5 gallon jugs of water (that are normally used for water coolers) would hold up in the trunk over time?
 
Here is mine, since I went through it after the Kim's got stranded to make sure I wasn't getting complacent. Except for the water and cat litter, it all fits in a standard plastic stowage bin you can find at any home improvement shop or its under the second seat as described below. I bungie cord the stow box and the water to my full size spare in the cargo area, so I only have about half of my cargo area left. On planned trips, much of this stuff winds up on my aftermarket rack on the roof.

1 bag of clay based kitty litter, reloaded into flat Tupperware containers to fit the box. Any other kind is more expensive and less useful.
1 three gallon container of water holding 2.5 gallons. This container came from Lowe's.
1 pair of Sorels with some Gore-Tex winter gloves and a pair of wool socks/hanwarmers/a neckwarmer/watch cap trapped inside them.
About a dozen assorted peanut based snack bars.
1 small jar of unopened peanut butter
1 bag of beef teriyaki jerky
2 bags of dehydrated soup.
6 packs of instant cocoa.
1 pill organizer containing some ibuprofen, salt tablets, polar pure, tylenol, immodium, a tube of super glue, and a small tube of neosporin.
1 Swedish Army surplus alcohol stove. Inside I have two film cannisters with vasline balls, a ferro rod and hacksaw bit, a mini bic lighter, and a magnesium block.
1 32 oz lexan Nalgene screw top covered with three strips of red tape. It holds 90/10 alcohol/water as fuel for the stove.
3 feet of surgical tubing.
Jumper cables.
Tire Chains.
A cheap rubberized poncho/tarp.
1 folding shovel.
Three roadside flares.
A package of Pampers diaper wipes in the refill bag.
About a pound of cedar mulch mixed with fatwood chips.
1 Large crescent wrench.
A rainfly with its collapsible pole from a retired tent.
Eight "push-in" tent stakes.
2 10k lb rated tow straps.
1 roll of Gorilla Tape.
4 Fix a Flats.
100 feet of paracord.
6 large chemical handwarmers.
6 chemlights in assorted colors.
One older halogen headlamp I have retired.
One small Inova LED flashlight.
One package each of unopened AAA and AA batteries
One emergency radio with hand crank charger and cell phone adaptor.

That is just the box, and I love that a lot of stuff can be shoved into the boots. I also have in my Jeep a small fire extinguisher, a million candlepower rechargeable light that plugs into the lighter socket, a Leatherman Wave, a retired Benchmade 806D2, a Bark River Gameskeeper, and a Suunto lensatic compass that I hang off of the rearview mirror.

When I travel, I also take my Garmin, a road atlas, and topos of any likely sidetrips to see a potential campsite, a remote lake, etc., since the map case easily fits between the center console and one of the seats.

If you own one, one of the best overlooked stash spots for emergency gear in a Jeep Cherokee is under the second row seat. I cut away any carpet under that seat and gorilla taped to the floor metal a bunch of clear ziploc bags, and dessicants where required, containing the spare knives, the wrench, handwarmers, some bandages, and the mulch/fatwood. Basically anything that fits or can withstand getting smashed is under there. Fragile stuff, foods, and flatter items are in the box.
 
I've recently stocked quite an array of survival stuff into the minivan my wife drives with our several kids. One thing I've made sure to keep there is a pump for the tires if they get low. These can be had for $15 or less at Ace Hardware or Harbor Freight Tools.

One thing I've kept in mind, incidentally, is the fact that any vehicle is likely to get looked-into by potential thieves, and that anything that would attract their attention--either something obviously valuable, or an interesting-looking bag or package or case--might motivate someone to break in. Even if they don't take anything valuable, you've still got the broken window to deal with. Therefore, one of my considerations has been how to make any survival gear unattractive to thieves--for example, by keeping it hidden, or by making it obvious that low-value items are low-value (e.g., a diaper bag can look like a valuable purse--so if we're leaving a diaper bag in the van, I'll usually open it wide so that any viewer from outside can see that if he breaks our window, he's only going to get half a dozen Huggies #2s.) I've also avoided putting high-value items there, just because of the theft possibility.

Oh, another thing on top of that: in the desert, a car can and will see extremes of temperature that you won't get anywhere else. The insides of our cars will predictably reach both freezing and 150 degrees Fahrenheit over the course of a single year. This means packing gear with an eye toward those temperature extremes. Examples: I make sure anything leather is heavily-treated with preserving oil such as neatsfoot, mink oil, etc.--I've found leather gets dried out and cracks terribly after less than a year, if not treated properly--but have so far had some success with treated leather. I find that even sealed food rations (jerky, granola bars) tend to dry out to tough brittleness during a long time in the car. Wax-containing items (candles, chapstick) need special attention, and it's usually better to find something else instead.

Finally, make sure you secure any heavy items against the possibility of rollover. My brother and several of his friends survived having an old Land Cruiser they were in go completely airborne and flip multiple times after sliding off the road on a patch of black ice. The vehicle was totaled, but they were all belted in,and no heavy items were free to fly around the passenger compartment. One of my brother's skis was lashed to the roof, and was crushed--but the other was not, and he ended up just going skiing on one ski that day. Ever since, though, I've made a point of keeping things like large water jugs, "club" anti-theft devices, ammo cans full of gear, etc. tied up with cords and carabiners or otherwise secured so as to reduce their projectile potential in case of crash, rollover, airbag deployment, and the like.
 
HellForged said:
Forgive my ignorance but why clay kitty litter?
Click to expand...

Some litters use chemicals, absorbants, dessicants, some is more "natural" and uses soils and clays. The idea is that either he wants to use it for traction, or, maybe so he wants to take a dump at 50 mph and never stop! :D ;) :D oh man, sorry, i just had to go there! :thumbup:

Another item I swear by is a tire plugging kit.
We keep them stored under our ATV seats, but I also carry them when we travel. If you catch a nail or screw puncture, all you need is a Plugging kit, and couple cans of fix-a-flat.
With the ATVs and off roading, I've become a pro at "shooting" plugs.
Most times, even on cars and trucks, they work the first time, and hold air, don't even leak a little.
If you get a leaker, the fix a flat will seal it, and even if that doesn't do it all the way, you go can many miles before a slow leak takes you back to "side of the road" time.
I have even shoved 2 plugs into a larger hole and gotten them to hold.

Tire Plugs get the SkunkWerX seal of approval. :thumbup:

Here isa little tutorial, just to give you an idea:
http://www.4x4abc.com/ML320/ml320_puncture1.html
 
How about automotive tools and parts? I haven’t heard mention of a basic socket set, etc. yet. In addition to a survival kit similar to others, I carry a medium sized ½”, 3/8”, and ¼” socket set (about 11 sockets per size for both metric and standard, 6 rails total) along with an 18” breaker bar, extensions, U-joints, spark plug sockets, screwdrivers, torx and hex sets, 2 vice grips, small pry bar. This all fits in a craftsman “truck seat” box, a narrow blow molded box that you can fit under your seat. I also have, in a milk crate, a spare set of distributor cap / rotor / wires / plugs, basic fluids and aerosols, duct tape, ratcheting tie down straps, tow strap, cables, etc., and whatever other tools I happen to have in the truck at the time. I know it depends on your experience and ability to use these tools, but this kit has saved myself and others from being stranded many times.

I would also highly recommend one of the better portable jump kits, like this one: http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200001727_200001727 in addition to jumping your vehicle and others, it can be hooked up to a light, emergency radio, charge your cell phone, etc. I don’t have one of these but have used them a lot.

A good tire change kit, meaning a full size spare (I have bought one for every car I’ve owned),
wheel chock(s): http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_13776_13776
A HEVY DUTY lug wrench: http://www.alltiresupply.com/p-T57.html
and a good jack: http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200318941_200318941

If you’ve ever changed a tire in the middle of nowhere, at night, in below zero temps with you’re vehicles stock jack / lug wrench, you’ll be sure you NEVER have to again. I have BROKEN several stock lug wrenches in half, I have also bent and twisted one of the less expensive X handled lug nut wrenches (from sears, looked tough). To me, at least a good jack and lug wrench are essential to have in you vehicle.

On another note, I think that keeping water in your vehicle is a great idea, but here in Minnesota it would be frozen and useless most of the year, aside from taking the water inside at night, anyone have any solutions?
 
Hi guys-

I've been thinking about this lately too. So I've been putting together a car kit for my car. It's pretty much where I want it except for a couple of things I want to add, but can do without since I am not planning any wilderness trips right now. I'm from Ohio and the weather here has been unseasonably warm this winter. I'm not complaining, it's nice for the electric bill, and for not having to deal with all the assholes who seem to be in such a hurry driving and who don't seem to know how to drive in the winter. My kit is stocked for my girlfriend and I, for short term, close to home type problems, or if we come upon someone who needs help. Anyway, what I have in my kit is:

4 gallons of water
2 wool watch caps
2 sweatshirts (will replace with wool sweaters when I have some cash)
2 pairs wool socks
2 pairs warm gloves
spare blanket (currently fleece, will replace with wool) Harbor Freight has wool blankets for 5 or 6 bucks each. Anyone ever use them? That's sprobably what I'll get.
1 plastic tarp (not sure of the dimensions, need to check the garage)
1 entrenching tool
1 of those personal survival kits from equipped.org
chapstick
duct tape
100 ft para cord
2 plastic ponchos
small metal tray for afire base if needed
multi tool (super cheap-o kind because I can't find my Gerber multi plier
fixed blade knife
mini maglite (converted to LED)

In addition to that I would have on my person my folding knife, my cell phone, a bandana and handkerchief, and a small LED flashlight on my keychain.

For a wilderness I would want to add one of those crank radios, and the kind of flashlight you shake to make work.

Oh, I also have an electric tire pump that runs from the cigarrette lighter of the car but that isd in there all the time.

Not the end all be all list, but a very good beginning I think.
 
it must be winter time with all this talk of vsk
there is my winter list, i live in the mid-alantic so its little less for snow

1 gallon of water with a waterproof pouch to carry it
1 fanny pack filled with a gerber 5inch fixed blade and muti-tool, 8 hand warmers, 2 light sticks, 2 ponchos, 25' para-cord, basic fak, some power bars,
mini- maglite with etar batteries
1 small shovel
a change of cloths
2 cans of streno
jumper cables
 
Coloring/activity books, markers and crayons, small toys or dolls, and a radio/tape/CD player.

If you're laughing at me, you must not have kids :D

Seriously, lettin' the lil' monsters cuddle up under the blankies with mama and color, while daddy makes some cocoa/soup/noodles for all, seems a worthwhile way to pass the time if you're stuck for a while. Who said it couldn't be a little fun to hunker down for a couple hours? If it turns out to be a couple days, I imagine every little bit of "home" would help.

Like others, I am 100% adamant about extra anti-freeze, engine water (doesn't have to be clean/drinkable), and a quart each of tranny fluid and motor oil. Not to mention a spare tire! Many times, I've gotten where I was going because I had one of these things... or I would have, if I'd had them :o
 
Stay on well travelled roads and be flexible in changing your route as needed to be safe.

Here's what I keep in the back of my Suburban.

win_edc_chevy.jpg
 
I live in Texas, you're not going to get stuck in the winter time unless you...I dunno...drive off the road and wreck your car.

I keep...
First Aid Kit
2 Jackets
Gloves
Steel Toed Boots
Flashlight
Knife

That stays in there all year round though. It's almost Christmas and still warm enough utside to wear a t-shirt and jeans. I can still wash my car comftorably outside and it's almost Christmas...unbelievable.
 
How about some tire chains for the drive wheels? Sure does help in the snow.

I have to admit that the only time I carry more than a first aid kit, a change of clothes, a coat, parka, boots, water, knife, jumper cables, gloves, matches, axe or hatchet, flashlight, snacks, and firearm is when I go on a trip of more than a couple hours drive.

Years ago, I got stuck in Arkansas on the interstate in the middle of nowhere during a big snow storm when a bus wrecked and a tractor trailer or two jack knifed. The roads were all snow covered maybe 6" of snow. Blocked traffic for about a half a day. Immediate reaction was to survey gas gauge for heat, and then other things. Bathroom needs are no big deal; you just do it. Everyone banded together and we checked status of vehicles in our immediate vicinity as far as health issues, gas supply etc. Then we took turns sitting in each other's cars with the heater going and visiting. Worked out well. Most people are good folks.
 
22-rimfire said:
How about some tire chains for the drive wheels? Sure does help in the snow.
Click to expand...

I dunno' if you were directing this to me, or just in general. But, if you did mean me...it doesn't snow in Texas lol. Well it does, but it hardly ever sticks. And in the rare occasion it does stick...it may be .5"-1" of snow on the road. I'm not chaining my tires for that :rolleyes: Maybe further north in the panhandle it gets bad, but I'm in the Dalas area...
 
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