yikes!!!!

[Big Frank]

I've been stuck on I-75 unable to get to an exit when it was shut down because of a serious accident. For a few hours maybe, until the casualties and wrecked vehicles were all hauled away. But nothing long term. I saved the PDF as Alf's Car Kit so I can look it over more later.

 I put half of my Storacell battery caddies (no 9 volt) in the Mechanix Wear Small Black Roadside Bag I keep between the second row bucket seats of my Yukon. The third row seats are in my living room, so I have someplace place to sit and some room in the back of the ute. Now I have 6 AAA, 4 AA, 4 123A, and 4 18650 batteries in the vehicle at all times. The 4 C caddy has 3 lithium 3.6 volt 26500  batteries, 1 for my Tractor Supply Co. flashlight, and 2 for my 2 C cell Maglite that I took the krypton bulb out of and replaced with a Nite Ize High Power LED Upgrade. The remaining spot in the caddy holds the 4 AAA battery holder that's supposed to go in the TSC Flashlight. It's too long to stay in place so I put a couple of pieces of electrical tape over the top. I need to get some 2032 batteries and toss a couple of them in too. I'm going to throw a pack of 3,600 calorie S.O.S emergency food rations in there too. They're made of stuff that doesn't make you thirsty, so they're good to take as life boat rations on the ocean. There are 9 410 calorie bars per package, 3 a day for 3 days, and I bought 4 packages. I think I can fit a whole package in there with te stuff I already have, and if not, I have 6 left in the package I opened. I have some free Harbor freight flashlights in the car too, in the glovebox, first aid kit, and front door pockets.

https://www.mechanix.com/us-en/equipment-accessories/

https://www.sosproducts.com/SOS-Food-Bar-3600-Calorie-Each-p/350237.htm

I also have a Tactical MOLLE EMT Medical First Aid Pouch that I bought empty. I threw away the expired pills from a few individual/car/home first aid kits, and put the remaining contents in the bag, along with a pair of EMT shears and a roll of medical tape. My NOCO Genius battery charger sets on its side in the bottom of the console between the front bucket seats, and the first aid kit lies flat right next to it. There's just enough room for them and a pair of lightweight fleece gloves, and the console organizer tray sets right over top of them, with room for CDs or whatever on one side and a small cardboard box I fit to the other side. That has a plastic grocery bag in it I use as a litter bag that's completely out of sight.

In the back I have a 24 gallon Rubbermaid Action-Packer Storage Container the same size as a 48 quart cooler. I have a lug wrench, jumper cables, tow strap with a big clevis to hook it onto things, tire plugs and a small 12 volt compressor in the tote. Along with various camping gear, like a small bow saw, 2  machetes (the 12" sucks and 18" rocks), tomahawk, paracord and rope, etc. What I don't have is food and water, or any clothes other than the fleece gloves and a pair of Mechanix Wear Leather Cow Driver gloves. These things are so soft and supple they feel like elk or deer. They're water resistant yet breathable, and on sale right now. When mine got dirty, I washed my hands with the gloves on and after I rinsed them off, I stood them up on sticks to let the air circulate in and around them. They're still just as soft and comfy as they were new. I have a big bow saw, ax, and a shovel next to the Rubbermaid box since they're too long to fit inside. The shovel is an entrenching tool blade with a T shaped handle I made of 3/4" pipe and welded on. It's about 3 feet long and lops of green tree branches better than either machete or my ax does does.

https://www.mechanix.com/us-en/leather-work-gloves/LDCW-75.html?dwvar_LDCW-75_color=brown&cgid=leather-gloves

[Big Frank]

Along with electrical tape and spare fuses, Rebar Tie Wire is an essential item for me. You can get 400 ft. of 16.5-Gauge Rebar Tie Wire for less than 12 bucks at Home Depot. It's annealed and looks like black iron. You can twist it tighter than any other wire I know of before it breaks. I carry some in the car and some in my ATV, plus gave some to my friends to carry on their ATVs. One time my friend was riding with his brother in law, and B-I-L broke a tie-rod on his ATV. If a front tire hits too many trees too hard, something's got to give. They tied up the tie-rod with all the wire they had, and I think they put some zip ties on it. Maybe bubblegum and duct tape too.   It held together long enough to get them back to the cabin, or to the parking lot. That may have been before we could ride the shoulder of the roads, or ride dirt roads. We used to have to load everything up and trailer to the parking lots all the time, instead of just hopping on and leaving. I keep zip ties in the glove box too, along with a spare pair of eyeglasses. I can't read fine print without glasses and 99% of the time I go anywhere, I don't take any with me.

[alfsauve]

A final point, or two, about this bag.

It is a bag so that I can carry it with me if I abandon the vehicle.

It isn't used for everyday situations.  There are separate medical kits in the vehicle for the day-in/day-out bumps, scrapes and stings.  There are flashlights in the vehicle as well.  I want the bag in-tact so I don't "borrow" things from it.  When I need it, I want it to be complete per the list, which is on the inside.

It doesn't contain overly heavy or large things.  Some of those (like full size tools) are in the vehicle and I can chose to take them or not if I leave the vehicle.

Rechargeables aren't in the bag because, duh, they require frequent recharging.  I do have USB batteries in the vehicle constantly on charge.

[PegLeg45]

A final point, or two, about this bag.

It is a bag so that I can carry it with me if I abandon the vehicle.

It isn't used for everyday situations.  There are separate medical kits in the vehicle for the day-in/day-out bumps, scrapes and stings.  There are flashlights in the vehicle as well.  I want the bag in-tact so I don't "borrow" things from it.  When I need it, I want it to be complete per the list, which is on the inside.

It doesn't contain overly heavy or large things.  Some of those (like full size tools) are in the vehicle and I can chose to take them or not if I leave the vehicle.

Rechargeables aren't in the bag because, duh, they require frequent recharging.  I do have USB batteries in the vehicle constantly on charge.

Understood from the start.

We all should have stuff in a bag that stays in the bag and can go. Mine is a back-pack which also has a carry handle on top if I don't want to pack it on my back. One compartment has soft gear, one has lights, knives, batteries, mags and ammo to supplement my EDC and truck gun. The third compartment is first-aid gear (Which reminds me it is time to rotate supplies).
There are duplicates and supplemental stuff that overlaps and stays with the vehicle for vehicle support and would get left behind if worse came to worst.

I might add that my situation is geared differently due to physical complications. I can't walk long distances or extended time periods, so my set-up is geared toward staying with the vehicle as long as viable (most probable circumstances that we'll face are more in that arena anyway, i.e. extended traffic jams).
A few years ago we were in another town and found ourselves one block away from a sudden, street-blocking pop-up mob protest combined with a bomb threat on a college campus that grew rapidly to national news status. One wrong turn and it could've got ugly. That was the main spur that moved me to be more serious about outfitting the truck with both stay and go gear.

[Jim Kennedy-ar154me]

A final point, or two, about this bag.

It is a bag so that I can carry it with me if I abandon the vehicle.

I have to ask if you have read any of the "Going Home" series by A. American? The first 4 or so books in that series have to do with the main character getting home to middle Florida after an EMP strands him in his car near Atlanta. He gets home with the use of his GHB. (Get Home Bag).

[Sponsor]

[alfsauve]

I have read other novels about the same situation.  One about a major earthquake that destroyed all bridges, overpasses and runways, as well as leaving most roads unnavigable.   That one stuck with me. 

When the trip is  in-state, which I know fairly well, I don't pack much else.  However, crossing state lines I carry a much larger bag that contains among other things a road atlas.  In a major disaster, natural or otherwise, communication, internet, may not be available, and finding alternate routes might be life saving.

[Jim Kennedy-ar154me]

and finding alternate routes might be life saving.

And staying OFF of major roadways. That is where trouble will start (IMHO)

[Big Frank]

I took my gloves out of the small compartment of my Mechanix Wear bag and put them in the big compartment. I didn't have anything else in their except in the zipped mesh pocket on the lid. I took everything out of that pocket except an ink pen, pencil, and pad of paper. Then I was able to cram 2 of those packages of SOS survival food in the small pocket, with a Life Straw personal water filter next to it. The Mechanix Wear bag has a handle on the top and bottom and straps on the back, with all the excess rolled up and held tight by Velcro fasteners that are sewn onto them. Plus there are 3 loops on the left and right edges on the back. If I needed to haul this and my first aid kit anywhere, first I would ditch the 1/2" ratchet wrench and 3/4" deep well socket for my trailer's spare tire, and a few other things. Then I would use the first aid kit's MOLLE straps to fasten it to the front of this bag and unroll the shoulder straps. The straps have quick release clips on both ends so they can be removed entirely or relocated to carry the bag horizontally by the side loops. It also has 4 more rows MOLLE loops on the back of it, less than the 5 rows on the front, but you han attach stuff front and back if you want to. The main compartment opens clamshell stye, hinged on the left, while the smaller compartment on top is hinged at the bottom.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LifeStraw#

https://lifestraw.com/

[Big Frank]

And staying OFF of major roadways. That is where trouble will start (IMHO)

Just don't make a WRONG TURN. That's where HORROR MOVIES start. 


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naUUyD-_oPc


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VanCRj8eI9o


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5u7iDowGiUg


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fulKeIZM2-s


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9sJBEklEIA


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2jV-JSU8Yo


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDdGpjjtq-o


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YngNdakEa2U