A potentially tragic story made me think about this,... I have always carried a basic tool bag and a small jack in any hot rod,.. and in my pick up truck. If there will be a lot of traveling, A blanket and provisions to start a fire,... sometimes a "John Wayne" (P-38) and some canned goods,.... And I have always carried a edged device of some sort. I was never a Boy Scout, but I liked there motto, "always be prepared" and another motto later in life,... "I would rather have it and not need it,.. than need it and not have it" I still like having the basic items with me in any vehicle. I have also planted this seed in both my son's heads and went so far as to put together a "tool" bag for both of them,.... (there is even one in my wifes car). Well, something happened the night of the snow storm up here that has strengthened my resolve in this reasoning,.... somewhere between 2 and 3 A.M., A young man was on his way to his girlfriends house, when he hit a patch of ice and rolled his car over a guard rail and into a ditch,... He was drunk, and was wearing jeans and a T shirt,... A motorist stopped to help, but he insisted he was fine and was going to walk,.... That was the last time he was seen,... It happened less than a eighth mile from my driveway,... there has been a big search up here,.. I can hear the rescue snowmobiles and circling helicopter outside as I type this,.. as I have for the last 48 hours,..... and there are some bloodhound teams out there as well,.... seems it's being viewed as a recovery effort instead of a rescue effort now,... although nobody wants to say it. Yeah,... this guy did everything wrong,. BUT, Any number of cir***stances could leave any of us in the same or similar situation,.... So,... How about it? Do any of you guys carry emergency provisions in your Hot Rod or daily driver?,.. I have a tool bag with a small but complete complement of tools,... A small aluminum Harbor Freight jack,.. gloves, blanket, flashlight, etc. And always, a sharp knife and a good lighter. The best thing that could ever happen to you, is that when your an old man,.. you look at this kit and say,... What a waist of time and money !.. The worst thing,... is being caught without it when you really needed it. Just something to think about,..... I carry a emergency kit,.... do you ?
On trips, I have a full set of tools, breaker bar, fuel filter, spare line, wire, jb quik, water, oil, jack and mini fire extinguisher under my seat. I've broke down alot, so I kinda know what I may need. Never had a flat while driving.
Ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure! Sad story with this guy, sounds like some poor choices. I do carry a small first aid kit, a blanket or extra jacket in the trunk and a few tools.
I don't venture much outside of California so a charged cellphone and a AAA card is your best friend. However, on a maiden voyage in a new rod, I took a tool kit, jack, duct tape, wire and a spare fuel pump. Longer trips in desolate areas and would pack the same and a gun.
This guy had a charged cell phone,... but it was thrown out of the car only by about 10 feet,... but when it landed in the snow it was covered up ,.... it would have been impossible to find unless somebody called it. That's how the searches found it.
Yep all the basic fix it on the side of the road ,and cell phone and credit card and last but not least a charged fire extinguisher,seen several cars burn to the ground because they didnt have one .
One always should pack along a full serving of co**on sense. I usually carry a jacket or old coat behind the seat of the truck just in case I need it along with a few tools that I could need to get back to the house with. The van has one of those survival kits fro* Costco with the nor*al stuff and a space blanket that doesn't take any roo* at all. It was an award gift at the wife's work and doesn't take up any real space.
I've always got the basics, and living in the land of shaking ground, we should all be prepared to be able to stay where ever we happen to be for several days, and I am...I have "emergency kits", with all that I would need, and not just tools, either...One at home, one at the shop, and one in my DD. After the last "Big One", I don't see how ANYBODY in the Bay Area could be with out one...Just like my insurance, I got it & hope I never need it. But if I do, I can not just survive, but be comfortable and safe for several days until the situation changes. I urge everyone in this area to think about doing the same...and no, you can't have some of mine, get your own... EW
Yea, and I have a handful of stuff in the wifes "fancy" car......and she has the 8 D battery MAG lite behind her seat under the floor and a handful of thick blankets and a "cheap leatherman" in the console between the seats and as she calls it a "Shank" to cut the seat belt for a situation (rollover or hood-rat carjack).
If I am going over the hills I take a small box of canned food and a blankit. ( ever set on a hill for hours ) learned the hard way back in 1974 winter storm in a car for 37 hours.
I make sure the wife carries an 'emergency' kit during the winter, we have very limited snow removal equipment here, so an inch of the white stuff wreaks havoc. Water, gatorade, energy bars, a wool blanket, snow boots, etc. I also make sure she's always got at least half a tank of gas and a battery charger for her phone.
Not really along the lines of this topic, but I'll share anyway. I drive a truck. Last winter, I got a run going to Cleveland. I was a "quick" there and back kinda deal and the freight was "no touch"... So I head out the door wearing just a t-shirt. Somewhere just outside of Cincinnatti, the weather deteriorated, and the roads started icing over pretty bad. About 100 yards in front of me, an SUV lost control and caused a chain reaction that involved 4 cars total. I stoped and jumped out to see if anybody needed help. One guy climbs out of his car and he's got blood shooting out of his neck. I jumped on top of him and applied pressure. The blood was still comming very fast. The only thing I could think of was to pull my shirt off and hold it over the gash. It worked. The guy was scared and pissed off and wanted me to get off his chest. By this time, a guy who said he was a RN had come over. Every time I moved, a stream of blood would shoot out of his neck, so I had to sit there like that for about 15 minutes. When the ambulance showed up, they told me to get off, and again, blood shot out. The ambulance workers SCREAMED at me to not move! So there I was, no shirt and freezing rain. Covered in this guy's blood. They put a back-board under him with me still on top of him, and then lifted both of us into the ambulance. Once there, the EMT was going to "trade places" with me. We did it quickly [again, serious blood loss]. I jumped out, and the ambulance screamed away. There I am, ******, no shirt, frozen to the bone... Sat in the back of a cop car and gave a statement... Then drove on to Cleveland in an ice storm with no shirt and covered in stinking blood. Got a call the next day from the guy's wife. They claim I saved his life and she thanked me. So now, I never leave home without a spare shirt and a jacket!
I don't think I've had a real emergency beyond a flat tire or battery in my daily driver since I stopped driving VW bugs 20 years ago. I still have blankets and stuff, but that's cuz I sleep in my car when I'm travelling cross country or I need them to cover some dirty car part in my trunk. I keep flares and a maglight in the daily as well, but that's it. The hotrod gets tools, flares, traffic cone spare parts, everything I can cram in it. Hopefully none of which I'll need. edit: pir8daryl that's crazy!
Well I never would be driving my old truck drunk in a blizzard in jeans and a T shirt, however if I am traveling cross country in the late fall through early spring I pack extra fuel, a hunting knife, a flint striker and a dozen or two sterno containers. Trust me, if you are lost in the wild and have a sterno and can't start a signal fire or an emergency warmth fire you really have no reason to be saved. We had combat packs when we were kids in the scouts, back when being a scout ment see deer kill deer dress deer eat deer sleep in deer to stay warm. The kit had a a pot plate cup matches knife iodine a s**** bandages a needle thread wadding aspirins mercurochrome a comp*** a magnifying gl*** a road flare or two a flat peice of black plastic and some thin twine or rope and I packed sterno in mine as well. A bunch of 10 year old survivor man's eating worms and grubs. I got my Wolf badge for shooting a squirrel out of a tree and field dressing the little ******, Delicious. Oh yeah, with a sling shot.
I hope they find this kid in time..because... he is someones kid.... We all did very stupid things when we were young.
I live here in sunny California. if the overnight temps get below 40 that is big news. in my trunk I have a pair of Carhart coveralls, my old work boots, raincoat and pants, old sweatshirt and a warm fuzzy vest. I recently tossed out my old carhart jacket because it was beginnig to stink. I carry a couple tow straps as well as a good set of handtools. I have all that even though I am right in the middle of suburbia 99% of the time. probably more important than all that in this case, I never drive while intoxicated. hope they find this guy.
I tell you what, that cell phone sure makes any breakdown situation a lot less stressful. Back in the old days, you were a lot more on your own. I didn't even have AAA LOL I check on people when they're broke down or whatever to see if I can help. lots of people helped me when I drove clunkers so I try to p*** it on. for you LA guys some douche ricer wrecked his Honda speeding down the valley side of laurel canyon and left his POS in the middle of the road at 2 am. It was just around a curve and you couldn't really see it easily. Luckily I had a flashlight to warn people. Shoulda had flares though!!! Now I do
The '34 trunk may be small, but I carry a spare tire, jack, wheel chock, tools, tow strap, first aid kit, fuel filter, fan belt, oil, antifreeze, rain-ex, small blanket, jacket and rain poncho. Up front, I carry a fire extinguisher, cell phone and loaded handgun (licensed, concealed carry permit). Better safe than sorry! Jim
I'm paranoid...in my daily (F150) I carry a flare gun, tow strap, jumper cables, bayonet, small breaker bar, a real seat belt cutter, 10lb fire extinguisher, blanket, first aid kit, crossword puzzle book, 3cell headcruncher flashlight, box of .357 and a S&W 360PD 5-shot revolver. dj
The crews have been out again today at first light,... I know we rely on cell phones, credit cards & AAA,... But cell phones aren't always reliable,.. in a number of areas up here we get spotty service,... At events, just about everybody that comes to the MHRA "rod repair shop",.. had no idea they would have trouble with there hot rod,... And you would be surprised how many of them have no tools at all with them,... let alone a jack or a spare.
Come think of it, I drove a $1100 O/T late model truck from LA through mexico thru guatamala and honduras and back. I had a blanket, some water, duct tape, flares, couple of maglights, gascan, poncho, and those triangles you're required by law to have(the locals break down a lot and just set something on fire to warn other cars). I can't remember if I brought a wrench and socket set, but I probably did and a few screwdrivers. I had a breakdown and got it fixed in a small village outside guatemala city, took over night and cost $50. It's good to have stuff to tide you over until help arrives, but really, how long does that take in the US? an hour or two? Maybe half a day or overnight? If I went over the side of a mountain, and there were plenty of chances, then a space blanket wouldn't have made any difference. Well, maybe. Most roads are there for a reason, because people use them. Even in the backwoods of the US. Unless you think you're going to fly off a deserted road into a forrest or a snowbank or something. Ive seen that on TV and its in the back of my head, but I know it's probably never gonna happen to me, unless of course I forget to have some food in the car! heh I keep flares and tools, a blanket, a gascan, fluids, maybe some water, in the hotrod. When I drive it cross country I'll bring a jack and stuff, maybe some rope and tape, but that's about it. And sodas in a cooler. Everybody appreciates a cool drink. Especially at military checkpoints south of the border
We live high in the Colorado mountains, the valley floor here is about 8000' elevation and highway p***es are around 11000' elevation. A couple peaks go 14000'. In the winter, in additon to the the tool box, there is an avalanche shovel, wool blanket, and a sleeping bag rated to -20 degrees F. I don't worry about food, as somebody will be by within 12 hours. But, there are times it's best to not take off on foot, too cold, too remote. Just crawl under the blanket, or into the sleeping bag and wait it out.
Since the video of the 32 vicky burning to the ground in Sherman Oaks, I always carry a fire extinguisher ... If you remember that video the good samaritan with the fire extinguisher suppressed the flames long enough for the folks to get the unconscious driver out.
I carry lots of stuff in my daily vehicle as you never know when you might need it or be able to help a fellow rodder on the side of the road. So besides the usual tools, extinguisher, fuses, bottle jack, tow chain, jumper cables. I also keep fluids, a small jumper box, hose repair kit, universal fan belt, mini tire inflater, and a small winch that hooks over the tow ball. Also some wire for electrical repairs and bailing wire to tie up any parts falling off. Haven't been stranded yet and helped several others.
I always have a flashlight,cell phone, and a few tools with me. I have a jump starter for just about every vehicle,but I very seldom check to see if they're charged up. I'm going to get bit in the **** someday. I got stranded in the next town over last year. I had jumper cables,but they were bad. Luckily someone at the drive-in had jumper cables,and I was where I could get help easily.
Jeez the more you guys post the more I realize how much **** I have in the trunk. I keep the jumper cables and battery powered jumper thing too LOL god knows what else but more than I've admitted to LOL
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