What do you keep in your car? by SIGNYM

Goodbye, kind world (George Monbiot) - In common with all those generations which have contemplated catastrophe, we appear to be incapable of understanding what confronts us.

Not nearly as well prepared, though I keep meaning to. One thing I do keep that most people don't is an honest-to-goodness REAL tire as a spare. Also, it's a small sw which I tried on for size as a place to sleep b4 I bought it. My car itself is part of my emergency plan. I assume that wherever I am, it will be. One thing I do keep in it which is unusual is a crutch, since I have a knee that completely gives out at unpredictable times. With a crutch I can at least hobble instead of being completely immobilized.

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Sunday, January 19, 2014 5:48 PM

WHOZIT

Jumper cables, gloves, small tool box and an ice scraper

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Sunday, January 19, 2014 9:07 PM

MAGONSDAUGHTER

car manual, pens, hairbrush, couple of loose tampons rolling around, water bottle,

jack, spare tyre - have to have those by law I think.

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Sunday, January 19, 2014 9:19 PM

MAL4PREZ

A wooden rifle that's been painted bright blue. (Don't ask.)

Some junk mail that never made the recycling bin.

Lots of gum wrappers that gather in the cup holders.

When I'm really on top of things, my bags for the grocery store are piled in back so I'm ready to shop. This doesn't happen often.

.
.
.

If there is an apocalypse, (which seems an undercurrent of the thread, given what I know of signym) I will rely on my wits and not my car to get me through. I will likely not make it. So be it. I won't sell every moment of my present life on an off chance against the chaos.

Have you read Lucifer's Hammer? Racist, sexist BS for most of the latter half of the book, but the opening destruction is quite good. Especially how the one guy who believes the comet will really hit makes tons of super good jerky and other similar survival gear, then his van burns in the chaos of escape from LA and all his work goes for nothing.

I do also keep a spare umbrella there when I can.

*-------------------------------------------------------------*
MAL4PREZ: Clearly [The Rap]'s doing nothing but trolling now.
STORYMARK: And not even cleverly.
RAPPY: [My trolling] did its job, did it not? Easiest marks in the 'verse.
http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.aspx?bid=18&tid=57146
*-------------------------------------------------------------*

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Sunday, January 19, 2014 9:30 PM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

HAHAHA! MAL4, I'm just super-aware of earthquakes.

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Monday, January 20, 2014 12:44 AM

NEWOLDBROWNCOAT

Almost nothing for emergency/disaster preparedness.

There's A LOT of fast food trash, I don't clean it out very often. I keep spare work uniforms and my work shoes there, there's no room in my locker at work, and I haven't got around to taking them into the house. There's a couple of jugs of water, left over since my water pump was leaking, a quart of oil, an empty gas can. There's a lot of tools right now, but they're not there for repair use, (They are handy for that, tho'-- I changed my water pump over Christmas using only them, not any of my regular work tools.) they've been enroute from the house to storage for about a month.

And something I should carry but don't-- a pen or pencil and paper.

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Monday, January 20, 2014 5:20 AM

PHOENIXROSE

You think you know--what's to come, what you are. You haven't even begun.

Erm, I have a few blankets, some water, a roll of gorilla tape, a metal punch thing in case I need to break a window or something, and a little bag with pain pills, band aids, antacids, and flosser picks. Then there's the stuff like registration, ice scraper, washer fluid, tire iron, jack, and a toy spare. (Thought about buying a full-size, but that's actually pointless since having different wear on one of my tires could screw up my transmission, I learned when that very thing almost happened. If I get a really bad flat that can't be patched, I just have to replace all my tires. It's the one downside of all-wheel drive.) Oh, and all the junk that seems to accumulate. And I think there may be an umbrella in there.

What reason had proved best ceased to look absurd to the eye, which shows how idle it is to think anything ridiculous except what is wrong.

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Monday, January 20, 2014 6:18 AM

AURAPTOR

America loves a winner!

Band-aids.

Fathom the hypocrisy of a government that requires every citizen to prove they are insured... but not everyone must prove they are a citizen

I'm just a red pill guy in a room full of blue pill addicts.

" AU, that was great, LOL!! " - Chrisisall

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Monday, January 20, 2014 10:26 AM

GEEZER

Keep the Shiny side up

The car has jumper cables, a first aid kit, bottled water, A U.S. road atlas, various local maps, box of tissues, windex and a roll of paper towels, flares, couple wrenches, old bath towels, pens and paper, all the required paperwork, grocery bags, and phone charger.

The SUV has pretty much the same plus a charged jumper battery, a tow strap, a small shovel, 100 ft. of 1/2 inch nylon rope, some light nylon cord, duct tape, a fire starter kit, a folding chair, a wool blanket, a tire pressure gauge, and a tarp.

Depending on where I'm going I'll throw in more clothes, heavier shoes/boots, and a walking stick.

"When your heart breaks, you choose what to fill the cracks with. Love or hate. But hate won't ever heal. Only love can do that."

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Monday, January 20, 2014 3:18 PM

FREMDFIRMA

Pretty much the full armageddon kit, and not for the reasons you'd think.
As security/courtesy/emergency patrol I have to be prepared for EVERYTHING, all the damn time, just in case... some of the residents call me the Dept of "What If?".

That said, two devices I highly, HIGHLY reccommend you keep in your car are thus.

Tire sealent, compressor, repair kit.
http://www.amazon.com/Slime-70005-Safety-7-Minute-12-Volt/dp/B001DZFZP
G/

And THIS, THIS, THIS - go NOWHERE without it.
http://www.amazon.com/NFR160WXB-Microlink-Self-Powered-Weather-Flashli
ght/dp/B001QTXKB0/

-Frem

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Monday, January 20, 2014 4:04 PM

Goodbye, kind world (George Monbiot) - In common with all those generations which have contemplated catastrophe, we appear to be incapable of understanding what confronts us.

I have a question for you Frem

As a former EMT I look on commercial first-aid kits as toys. Sure, if you get a little splinter or cut or minor burn you have something to use. But those are injuries that don't NEED to be treated immediately, if ever. When you NEED a first aid kit is when you have an injury you HAVE to treat NOW, and professional help isn't available. I have a peculiar list - rolled up corrugated cardboard (splints for broken bones), crazy glue (suture), povidone-iodine (heavy duty cleanser/ antiseptic), self-fusing silicone tape (to hold splints on, make slings, make mechanical repairs), prescription antibiotic cream ... you get the idea.

Any suggestions to add to the medical kit?

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Monday, January 20, 2014 6:11 PM

WHOZIT

Quote:
Originally posted by 1kiki:
I have a question for you Frem

As a former EMT I look on commercial first-aid kits as toys. Sure, if you get a little splinter or cut or minor burn you have something to use. But those are injuries that don't NEED to be treated immediately, if ever. When you NEED a first aid kit is when you have an injury you HAVE to treat NOW, and professional help isn't available. I have a peculiar list - rolled up corrugated cardboard (splints for broken bones), crazy glue (suture), povidone-iodine (heavy duty cleanser/ antiseptic), self-fusing silicone tape (to hold splints on, make slings, make mechanical repairs), prescription antibiotic cream ... you get the idea.

Any suggestions to add to the medical kit?

My late father was an EMT, I dislike you a little less now.

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Monday, January 20, 2014 8:33 PM

MAL4PREZ

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
HAHAHA! MAL4, I'm just super-aware of earthquakes.

LOL! I totally called it.

Hey. I grew up during the late stages of the cold war, living a block from the #3 nuke target in the US. I now live near NYC, soon to live in it (hopefully!), and I figure, sadly, it's only a matter of time until some nut job hits the city again. Danger is out there. But the odds of me wasting away because I don't have granola bars in my Jeep are much smaller than the odds of just about everything else that could happen.

If I lived in earthquake land, I might be more cautious. The odds of needing provisions are higher out there. I guess the disasters I face are more of the provisions-won't-help type, so I don't bother much.

Really, if you haven't read Lucifer's Hammer, you should. Not all of it, just the comet hitting the earth part. The two writers are 1950-60's era white science men types. They're good with the technical details, less good with how women and non-white men act in the survival phase. The white engineer dork characters comfort the helpless woman and defeat the evil non-whites and bring about the return of good orderly civilization. That part is incredibly annoying.

I've seen the same themes in other books these guys (Niven and Pournelle) wrote. Funny how none of my male science dork buddies picked up on it.

Anyway... so was this thread totally random?

*-------------------------------------------------------------*
MAL4PREZ: Clearly [The Rap]'s doing nothing but trolling now.
STORYMARK: And not even cleverly.
RAPPY: [My trolling] did its job, did it not? Easiest marks in the 'verse.
http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.aspx?bid=18&tid=57146
*-------------------------------------------------------------*

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Monday, January 20, 2014 10:34 PM

FREMDFIRMA

Quote:
Originally posted by 1kiki:
I have a question for you Frem

Allright.

Quote:
As a former EMT I look on commercial first-aid kits as toys.

Which they prettymuch are, as-sold, comfort treatment for minor boo-boos, sure.

Quote:
rolled up corrugated cardboard (splints for broken bones)

I use plastic folding ones from Morrison Medical, as cardboard might get drenched in a rough weather situation or bloodsoaked from a bleeding compound fracture and then fail just when most needed - also got some quick-cast rolls in there, I think.

Quote:
Any suggestions to add to the medical kit?

Well considering much of the stuff which'd be MOST useful is either prescription only, illegal to possess (real painkillers, etc), hard as hell to get or ludicrously expensive, not much I can add beyond suggesting a bottle of distilled water to clean off/out the injury, cause rarely do such things happen in a clean environment.

One REALLY good suggestion though, is to pitch the effing box it came in, seriously those things are bloody useless - and then go raid the local camping store for a heavy fishing tackle box and load that mother up good and proper, better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.

Ironic bit to that, normally that might be a problem as I have some very strict limits (religious basis) about giving medical aid, but since the only folk around here likely to actually need it are ones I have been financially compensated by contract to look after, that sidesteps the issue rather handily by categorizing them in a fashion that allows me to do so.

-F

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Monday, January 20, 2014 10:59 PM

Goodbye, kind world (George Monbiot) - In common with all those generations which have contemplated catastrophe, we appear to be incapable of understanding what confronts us.

THANKS! for the tips, with special mention re splint material. I truly appreciate it.

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Tuesday, January 21, 2014 8:39 AM

That's TRULY impressive Signy.

I've got a jack, and a flat spare tire. Oh... I do have a nice Black and Decker jump starter that also has an inflation device for the tires and has a really bright light, can play the radio and has some A/C outlets for use with small things like phone chargers (it's saved me more than once, and in different ways... I recommend it to anyone at around only $90 bucks or so). That's it though.

Fortunately, I only drive half a mile to work and walk a lot of the time when the weather is nice if I'm not waking up late with a hangover. Since I'm the single guy with the work-in-progress house, I tend to have people over much more often than driving to their place. Kinda sweet that my gas expenditure for my ride for an entire year has been less than $300 bucks the last 2 years.

I don't even have a car stereo. Got some nasty electrical issue in my car that NEVER happens when I take it in somewhere so nobody can figure it out. Occasionally during this bitter cold weather I find myself having to ride the gas and brake at the same time when hitting a stop light or sign, but when the radio was still in it happened all the time. Weird, huh?

Bottom line, it's an A-B car. If it's more than 20 miles between A and B, I just meet up at somebody's house and ride with them.

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Tuesday, January 21, 2014 11:25 AM

STORYMARK

Usually, just a tool box, ice scraper, tissue, a lighter, flashlight, and change.

Though if Ive been filming anything, Ive been known to leave stuff like tripods, lights and on occasion, swords, in the back seat for weeks on end.

"Goram it kid, let's frak this thing and go home! Engage!"

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Tuesday, January 21, 2014 11:58 AM

NIKI2

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...

Quote:
If I lived in earthquake land, I might be more cautious. The odds of needing provisions are higher out there.

Not really, Mal4. 'Quake hits and you're in your car, unless you're on an overpass that pancakes or something, it doesn't mean much. Weather here isn't such that you'd necessarily need blankets, and the odds of being far from food or water are only if you're out in the boonies and the roads are destroyed. I should think there'd be much more need for survival gear if you lived in a cold state in Winter or something...or maybe tornado country or hurricane land? Dunno, but 'quakes and survival gear in a car wouldn't mean much to us.

Now as a general RULE, like running out of gas in the desert or being stuck in snow, yes, that stuff would be meaningful.

As to mine: A sulky, with all the flat-tire gear that entails, two big gallon jugs of water (to fill the sulky bottles for the dogs), usual car-tire-changing stuff, grocery bags, cold-weather gear (for the sulky, it "lives" in the car), flashlight (for night runs) spare leashes, extra doggie bags, dog water bowl...you can kinda tell where we're at. Car breaks down, I'd hook up the sulky and go on my way. ;o)

As to 'quakes, it's the media that makes them seem so bad; not nearly as many people (in America) have been injured/killed from 'quakes as from hurricanes, tornadoes, or I'd venture floods. We had friends from around the country calling to see if we were okay after the Loma Prieta, when actually it was only a couple of places in the City and Oakland that were seriously affected. You know the news: If it's dramatic, those are the pictures you'll see.

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Tuesday, January 21, 2014 1:27 PM

Goodbye, kind world (George Monbiot) - In common with all those generations which have contemplated catastrophe, we appear to be incapable of understanding what confronts us.

I don't think So Cal is capable of generating a 9.0, but if you look at even modest-sized quakes like Northridge (6.7) and the Hector Mine quake (7.1 what used to be called Landers Big Bear), it put power gas and water out to large chunks of the population for up to 5 days (water). http://books.google.com/books?id=WNG3kZhu30sC&pg=PA40&lpg=PA40
&dq=northridge+earthquake+power+water+gas+%2Brestored&source=bl&ots=aOUFQA-_mP&sig=EgeSb3Ykcrfn8cuwVKecSNo4LKs&hl=en&sa=X&ei=SrreUrCBAdXdoASOr4LwBA&ved=0CDoQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=northridge%20earthquake%20power%20water%20gas%20%2Brestored&f=false

I don't know if you've experienced a similar-sized quake within 50 miles of your home, if not - lucky you!

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Tuesday, January 21, 2014 1:44 PM

NIKI2

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...

(Had to quote your post to read it all, it didn't wrap)

Uhhh, the Loma Prieta was a 6.9, just over 50 miles from us. Like I said, the serious damage was limited to two freeways collapsing and the "land fill" of the Marina doing it's jello bit.

Quote:
The most notable damage included the collapse of the elevated Cypress Structure section of Interstate 880 in Oakland, the collapse of a section of roadbed on the Bay Bridge, and extensive damage to downtown Santa Cruz and San Francisco's Marina District. http://www.consrv.ca.gov/cgs/News/Pages/loma_prieta.aspx

Beyond that, not much happened, and here in Marin, absolutely NOTHING. I have no doubt the Northridge was much worse, given all the buildings and freeways in L.A., but that's one place, one 'quake.

As to "power gas and water", what do they have to do with "in your car"? We're talking about "in your car", yes? If the question was "what do you have in your home in case of emergency?", it would be a whole different matter. But people IN THEIR CARS who were seriously affected by the Loma Prieta were only those on the Bay Bridge and the Cypress freeway--and whatever they had in their cars wouldn't have helped them anyway. Do you see what I'm saying?

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Tuesday, January 21, 2014 3:21 PM

Goodbye, kind world (George Monbiot) - In common with all those generations which have contemplated catastrophe, we appear to be incapable of understanding what confronts us.

It has to do with what I said above - chances are, where you'll be is where your car also is. It does not a lot of good for YOU to prepare a fantastic earthquake (or survival or first aid) kit for your home if you're not there when an emergency event strikes. OTOH if you have such a kit in your car it covers YOU wherever you are - at home, at work, on a trip ...

So I personally think it's a good idea to keep your personal supplies in your vehicle, which is generally nearby. And as I also pointed out, I also personally count my vehicle as emergency shelter, so it's part of my preparedness plan as well.

Now, even if your vehicle is kitted out and you're away from home - but if you have dependent children at home as SignyM has - then it's also a good idea to prepare a home kit for those who are at home. And a good idea to have walking equipment in your vehicle - sneakers, backpack, jacket - in order to try to get back home even if roads are down.

BTW, one important thing I forgot to mention is cash. After the Northridge quake, internet connections were down. My bank - BofA - was offline for over a week. No ATM and no teller service was available, since they communicate over the same lines with a central computer. Another is a full gas tank. The connections between the gas station and the internet - as well as the automatic storage tank transponders - were down for a week as well.

I understand SignyM's caution. Signy is at work much of the day while her disabled daughter is at home. Signy can't afford to let anything happen to herself, and can't afford to put herself in a position where she'll be unable to return home. I think that's why she makes such an effort to be prepared.

Since I don't have dependents at home, my concern is more about my personal safety. ETA: And probably less than SignyM's. B/c while there are people who would miss me, there is no one who NEEDS me. So I can see how different people would feel the need for different levels of preparedness.

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Tuesday, January 21, 2014 6:46 PM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

I have emergency supplies at home but no idea whether DD would know how to use them: she freezes up in emergency situations. No dependable neighbors. The 23 miles from work to home is walkable in two days, so my plan is to take my car as far as I can... I'll drive the tires right off the rims if I have to... and walk the rest of the way.

Oh yeah- pens, and a squeegee to clean off my rear window.

'S funny, in looking over "my stuff" I see that I'm intermittently organized. A lot of the stuff that I put in place I did so years ago. Haven't touched it since (I better replace those water bottles before they fail and wet everything!) Same with my desk and paperwork. When it gets organized, it's part of a big effort. Then I don't touch it for months. I guess I'm not very meticulous.

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Thursday, January 23, 2014 8:13 PM

You're not flying off the sanity rails Sigs, are ya?

You sound pretty much like I did when GWB was on his way out the door, and I phucking hated that guy.

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Thursday, January 23, 2014 10:24 PM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

Quote:
You're not flying off the sanity rails Sigs, are ya?
You sound pretty much like I did when GWB was on his way out the door, and I phucking hated that guy.

Huh? I'm talking earthquakes (They DO happen in SoCal, yanno) and you're talking GWB. What's the connection, if any?

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Friday, January 24, 2014 5:28 AM

FREMDFIRMA

Well, come full armageddon, I'd have 1200watts of power off wind or muscle in a couple of hours, and in a week I'd have enough for lights and heat, AND I have a reserve vehicle with a points based ignition (immune to EMP) secreted nearby, which is capable of running off any mix from crummy gasoline to grain alcohol...

Hell, even some of the residents like to joke "When the Zombie apocalypse comes, I'm staying at YOUR place!" - really though, being prepared for damn near everything is what they pay me for, and there's an extra stipend in my wages for experimentation and equipment testing.

FYI, Hyundai makes a DAMN good generator unit, the HY2200si, which is remarkably quiet, efficient, and inexpensive, as such things go, which'll be handy as a supplemental till I can wrench a couple truck alternators should we ever lose the power grid.

-Frem

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Sunday, January 26, 2014 1:07 AM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

Hey, can I stay at your place????

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Sunday, January 26, 2014 8:56 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
Quote:
You're not flying off the sanity rails Sigs, are ya?
You sound pretty much like I did when GWB was on his way out the door, and I phucking hated that guy.

Huh? I'm talking earthquakes (They DO happen in SoCal, yanno) and you're talking GWB. What's the connection, if any?

You say tomato, I say tomato..... ;)

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Sunday, January 26, 2014 9:06 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
Hey, can I stay at your place????

No kidding, right?

Sounds like Frem's doing everything I want to do "someday" when I can afford it. Right now, I'd just like to have some gutters and A/C and a furnace that is younger than my dad.

I'm supposed to work tomorrow night. It's not a far drive, but I'm afraid if the car isn't kept inside all night that it won't start for me on Tuesday when I get out. Not only that, but when it was only -13 outside a few weeks back I had frozen pipe issues (and I was home!). I'm really afraid what might happen to my house when I'm not around when it's another 7 degrees colder at -20.

Haha! I kinda thought it might be another 20 years before we saw temperatures that cold here. Little did I know we barely made it two weeks before getting slammed with even worse weather.

My advice to ANYBODY being hit by this second round of BS weather, no matter how pimped your ride is for the apocolypse, DON'T DRIVE ANYWHERE!!!! Stock up on stuff you'll need for the next few days today when it's 30 degrees and by nightfall STAY AT HOME for the next 48 hours.

If you've got a grandma or grandpa that's on their own, you might also consider extending an invitation to them for those days as well. I'm glad my dad lives only a few miles from my Grandma, but I'd hate for her to feel that cold for even a few minutes if her furnace chooses that day to die. She's been gambling with that thing for a few years and I hate when it gets this cold because I don't think she's safe. I'd invite her here, but even when it's 30 degrees outside it's cold enough in my house to have to wear a hoodie and a hat. :)

BE SAFE! BE WARM!

Only about 5 more weeks of this bullshit (hopefully!!!!!)

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Wednesday, January 29, 2014 12:57 PM