What's in you car?

J_mcrane

J_mcrane

Joined
Dec 7, 2013
Messages
580
I recently moved to Alberta Canada from Texas. I kept odds and ends in my truck (coat, knife, hatchet, lighter, .357, medicine kit...)

I'm building my new car kit. I'm figuring:

Coat, Kabar, hatchet, bic, Ferro, emergency blanket, poncho, water, gloves, hat, medicine kit, food scraps, hand warmers, candles.

What lives in your car?
 
PM2, lighter, gloves, jumper cables, 6 pack of water, some spare money and I found a couple fries under my seat.
 
1.75 liter vodka, cash, ball bat, dagger, and a few other things. All hidden.
 
First aid kit, emergency blanket, 2 gallons water, road flares, leatherman, plastic handled mora, marbles bolo cleaver (chops through wood like butter), often a saw, rope/cam straps/bungees, full size jack, small gel fuel/wood camp stove, flashlight, hand warmers, spare jacket, poncho, rubber boots, matches and backup matches, bag of wood chips, jumper cables, pens, shovel, and nuts or energy bars.

And that is just what I keep in there permanently, between hiking, projects at my parents house and organizing/running weekend long events for a non-profit, I usually have a lot more in my car.

I like to be prepared, I've put a suprising amount of that to use, it's become a running joke among my friends that if we need something, I probably have it in my car.
 
Java70 said:
Welcome!

Suggest you leave out the .357. Laws here don't look kindly to that. For winter, add boots, gloves, a toque (knitted cap), mitts, and a candle.
Click to expand...

Haha, ya. I left it off the second list on purpose.
 
Add a sleeping bag. I have 2 sleeping bags in my car as well as a wool blanket, tarp, towels, bungee cords, paracord, first aid kit, tool kit, mora companion, buck110, fiskars hatchet, baseball bat, hat, gloves, jacket, change of clothes, jumper cables, glow sticks, stainless steel bottle, flashlights, deck of cards, whistle, batteries, assorted cross word/word search/sudoku puzzle books, and about $50 in small bills and change.
 
Waterproof picnic rug and a few blankets, for if it's wet / windy / cold out. Also some spare warm clothes, a raincoat and water.

A few tools, e.g. a shovel for if the car gets stuck or there's a grass fire / bushfire (I put this in after seeing a car burst into flames on the side of a highway in summer with dry grass all around it); a bow saw in case a tree falls across the road in the forest areas where I sometimes drive (happens occasionally); an axe to dispatch injured animals that have been hit by a car (I've had to do this a few times).

Also a 'crash bag' - in case I'm first on scene to a car crash. Trauma first aid (mainly to control bleeding), a knife to cut seat belts, a tool to break windows, two fire blankets, a fire extinguisher, all in a small backpack. Luckily never had to use it.
 
I don't drive alone in the middle of the night to remote locations in the winter for work any longer... so I've kind of slacked off with cold weather gear.
But the truck always has drinking water, basic toolbox, tow strap, extra jack, and a first aid kit.

One thing I am always on the ball with, something that no one's mentioned yet, in the winter I never leave town without a full tank of gas.
 
Good start on your kit. Winter can be, er, fun up here. I'd add a small collapsible shovel in case you get stuck. A small bag or pail of kitty litter works great for traction, or get some sandbags for your trunk. You've got gloves and a hat (toque up here [emoji6]) maybe add a pair of wool socks. Changing a tire in a snowdrift sucks, especially with frozen toes. Add a set of jumper cables, or, if you can spare the room, one of those battery jumper packs. Could save your butt in a deserted parking lot late at night. Add some safety triangles or road flares or roadside emergencies. Maybe trade the emergency blanket for a wool or fleece one (or two).
 
Swamp Rat Kill Devil Sniper Hawk.
Busse Magnum Bear Cub.
Maratac AA Extreme.
Polarized Oakley Holbrooks
Glock 19.
3x 33rd Glock Mags 9mm.
2x 17rd Glock Mags 9mm.
2x liters purified water.
4 gal. Foldable water storage.
Various batteries.
Paracord.
My EDC bag with more stuff than I can list in one concise post.
Ski jacket.
One pair of pants.
Jumper cableS.

And my daughters car seat.
We live in West Texas.
 
+ Spare cell phone, with battery removed and sim card inserted- include a car charger too.
Amazing how often a disaster can be averted with a phone call.
 
Welcome to Alberta!

I would also suggest you add:
- a full set of warm clothes with extra socks, warm boots, gloves and hat.
- a real shovel, those folding ones break in hard packed snow.
- a flashlight with lithium ion batteries. Alkaline cells die fast when frozen. A small traffic wand is a good idea too.
- sunglasses are a must when driving when there is snow on the ground and the sun is out.
 
All sorts of random odds and ends in my car (SoCal resident):

Spare tire and jack
Fix a flat
Small toolkit with assorted bits, ratcheting driver, adjustable wrench, a branch saw, a ST300, socket wrench with metric and SAE sockets, twine, and jumper cables
Boony hat
Basic FAK
Needle and thread
Mints
Tape measure
Gloves
Map of the area, from SD up to Bakersfield
Electrical tape
A length of paracord (I think)
A couple zip ties
A couple disposable ponchos
A book
Nail clippers
A key chain based EDC kit, with a Classic, E01 light, CRKT KERT, and some other assorted crap. I kinda threw it in there as a back up.
One of those ResQMe belt cutter/window smasher things is in the ash tray
A pad of paper and some pencils (because the won't dry out).
I think there's a pack of pencil erasers in the pouch behind the driver's seat.

Most of this stuff isn't emergency stuff. Frankly, I'm handier around the house than I am around the car. The toolkit is really there for when I need a few basic things when I'm out and about, and not car related. Most everything else lives in some zipper pouch in the center console that I've had since high school. The hat, ponchos, book, and gloves are either in holders in the front doors, or in pouches behind the seats. Also, being in SoCal, I don't worry about the weather like the rest of the country does.

Thinking I need some road flares or reflectors, just in case.
 
On a normal day the stuff in the car is geared towards keeping me and my vehicle running for a few days. If my car breaks down my plan is to shelter in place with my vehicle and gear until the cavalry shows up. I am also equipped to hoof it if the situation dictates but I'd rather not. There is an empty gas canister there in case I need to go get more (I always try to keep the tank over half full anyway so there isn't much chance of that), and basic auto service gear.

Always
- A year round clothing layer system (heavy thermal underwear + light thermal underwear + gloves + hats).
- First aid kit/trauma kit.
- Booster cables, Car battery charger (mains power)
- Spare tire + accessories for changing a tire
- Spare phone, fully charged
- Phone charger + 12v to USB charger
- 2 x Ice scrapers + brush
- Windshield wiper fluid
- Motor-oil
- Empty gas canister
- Food and water + trangia 27 stove
- Heavy duty straps
- Matches, lighter + tinder, knife, 2 x flashlight (headlamp + thrower)
- Battery powered emergency car booster that doubles as a very large battery for charging electronics in a pinch. 12V output
- Work gloves
- Sun hats
- Safety glasses
- Warning triangle (set it up a way back behind your car if you have to change a tire. Gives other cars time to see you and react.)
- High visibility vest
- Toilet paper
- Road atlas

Winter
- Heavy boots, windproof insulated pants, balaclava, layered of gloves + mittens, and a heavy parka.
- Sleeping bag + mat
- Snowshovel
- Fluid for de-icing a lock

In the boonies
- Axe/saw/extra long prybar (1.5 meters or so)'
- Hiking kit
- More food and water
- Sled

The stuff is stored in
A large waterproof duffel bag with an assortment of clothing, and warm stuff
A large rubbermaid bin for dirty car stuff, and
A large cooler for food, drinks and bringing home the food shopping.

The duffelbag has an empty backpack in the bottom and a few reusable folding shopping bags in case I need to haul anything or just need more bags in general.

Winterizing a car is a topic in and of itself.
- A winter weight battery (the small ones they install down south don't hold a charge when it gets to -40)
- Studded ice tires / snow chains depending on your conditions
- Installing one of those winter covers to your engine air intake to reduce the cold air flowing in your motor
- Engine block heaters to reduce wear and tear on on your engine from cold starts
- Replacing vehicle floor mats with traction mats
- Using winter grade fuel!!!
- Extra windshield wiper fluid
- Canadian automobile association membership

Oh and you'll probably want a second vehicle. Welcome to the frozen north. :) :thumbup:
 
My driving conditions don't warrant much, but I do have First Aid, water, some basic tool, occasionally a shovel, gun, duct tape, rope, etc., but this post made me think of this:

[video=youtube;7hoplofZ4tU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hoplofZ4tU[/video]
 
PANTS! get a pair of carhart insulated bib-overalls or similar. something you can put on without taking your boots off. everyone adds a parka, but insulated pants are a treat when changing a tire or digging snow. Also a couple broken down corrugated cardboard boxes for kneeling on or laying on. Good mittens, rather than gloves for shoveling, and a decent shovel. (square blade garden spade will do) And a good area light. a 12v option is probably better than a self contained battery.

The big thing to remember with alberta, especially southern alberta is that your weather changes are going to be fast. Good to miserable within minutes, so really keep track of forecasts and warnings, and have a no-go option. When they say travel not advised its not like, 4x4 only. its serious, stay put time. Depending on which part of the city you are in, bad conditions can cut you off from rest of the city pretty easily, So stuff for the kid, and pup will be handy. sleeping bags, even cheap ones that you can wrap them both up in will be great. when its cold a modern car is only warm for 10-15 minutes, so you have that much time to think and enact a plan. A battery powered CO monitor (lithium battery)will be good too, since the little one will go to sleep far before you notice the headache, if you are using the engine for heat.

Good tires are your friend, true winter radials are great, but half the time in Calgary you are on dry pavement which burns them off faster. Depending on your vehicle, all-seasons are generally okay, avoid performance or mud tires. A/Ts or 4 season, talk to the tire shop guys. you will want a tire you can run a bit soft, depending on your vehicle that might be a challenge.
Check when and where you can run studs, I think its only north of edmonton, but worth keeping in mind if you move farther north. Also some sections of road through the mountains are seasonal, or recommend the use of tire chains for parts of the year, generally worth avoiding unless you are confident, there are some not nice places up there to get stuck. But there are some very fantastic places only findable with a road atlas.

Summer stuff you should be used to, given where you are from, it will be very similar. Water, water, and more water, stuff for the mutt and munchkin, and while I'm sure you would never leave either in the car, Calgary police have stated that breaking a window is acceptable when you find that sort of thing, so even if its not warm, its a big deal there. (also lots of idiots who think cars stay warm... not so much)
 
Looks like you got it figured out. Warm cloths and a candle goes along way. My grandfather was a Alberta farmer and his land was a long way from anywhere , he always said that winter cloths and a candle will get you through a night. You aint going to be compy but you will make it. When I was in AB -40c or lower can be the norm so water in your vehicle is going to go hard on you. A way of changing its state to liquid might be good. It all depends on where you are traveling of course. If you break down on the 2A between Edmonton and Calgary......your gonna make it.

Im in the interior of B.C and temps arnt as bad. Water still goes hard but i keep some winter cloths and boots. A flashlight, rope, road flares, minor first aid and a few granola bars plus some tools. If I head out into the unknown i grab my Go bag/hunting bag with much more in it for an extended stay.

Welcome to Canada. Our gun laws are ridiculous our government is run by a spoiled brat but our air is clear and the spaces are wide open. Welcome and Enjoy your stay.
 
Wool blanket , binoculars, Kimber micro .380 w/2 mags. Buck 105 fixed blade, Leatherman super tool, camera, first aid kit , Surefire p-6 Flashlight w/ extra batteries, water.
 
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