What to keep in the car?

[greasemonkey]

Since last winter I've kept a box in the car, packed with stuff in case I get stranded due to weather or a breakdown. I'll list below what is inside it, but is there anything I'm missing?

Folding shovel
Hat
Gloves
Fleece
Blanket
Steel pipe
Mars bars Not anymore, as I ate them when I was last fishing) :ashamed:
Lightsticks
Spare torch batteries, the torch is in the glovebox
Red warning triangle
Hi viz vest
Towrope

During the winter I also kept a sleeping bag and took a bottle of water and a flask. Would a hexy stove be of any use to take, or would it defeat the purpose by getting out of the car to heat water? I've been toying with the idea of buying a 12v heated cup, it wouldn't boil water, but it would at least provide a warm drink.

[garethw]

Hi there
I have most of those items in my 4x4, along with a set of jump leads & tow strap..plus a coleman stove, small kettle, cup and a few tea bags...
cheers
Gareth

[JEEP]

Always in the car:
Folding shovel
A few woolen blankets
First aid kit
Plenty of tussues
Wet cleaning tissues
Aluminium emergency blankets
Matches
Water
Chargers for phones, gps and head torch
Red warning triangle
Small tool kit
Sometimes two folding chairs

On longer trips we always bring:
Jetboil
More water (in a thermo box)
Spare first aid kit
Multi tool
Head torch
A few rolls of toilet paper
Food of some kind (boil in bag meals or powdered soup)
Candy of some kind (mostly chocolate or liquorice)
Tea (green or oolong)

For longer trips in the winter, additionally we bring:
More woolen blankets
Gloves, hats and woolen buffs
Warm socks
Extra sweaters
Hiking boots
Trangia 25 w. multifuel + cooking- and eating gear
Food and water for two days
A bag of tea candles
Powerful torch and spare batteries
Books and pocket games

[comanighttrain]

We had a perfect example of why you should be prepared this passed winter.

Motorways became deluged with snow and thick ice, people were trapped in cars many miles from home. Some of them had no choice but to remain in their vehicles - luckily people in nearby houses were providing hot food and blankets otherwise...well you know. But that is when your spare sleeping bag, food and brew kit would come in very handy

[greasemonkey]

We had a perfect example of why you should be prepared this passed winter.

Motorways became deluged with snow and thick ice, people were trapped in cars many miles from home. Some of them had no choice but to remain in their vehicles - luckily people in nearby houses were providing hot food and blankets otherwise...well you know. But that is when your spare sleeping bag, food and brew kit would come in very handy

Yeah, my sister was stuck overnight with her baby son, luckily a woman in a petrol station gave her a room for the night.

Thanks for the advice,everyone.

[Silverback]

We had a perfect example of why you should be prepared this passed winter.

Motorways became deluged with snow and thick ice, people were trapped in cars many miles from home. Some of them had no choice but to remain in their vehicles - luckily people in nearby houses were providing hot food and blankets otherwise...well you know. But that is when your spare sleeping bag, food and brew kit would come in very handy

I know, I was one of the helpers when the A57 closed at Anston

in my car when winterised

Folding shovel
Hat
Gloves
Fleece
Blanket
Sleeping bag
bag of grit
snow chains

Always in my car
Hat
Gloves
Fleece
Blanket
Medical response kit
VHF Radio
Water
food
cooker
Hi Vis
Warning lighting
jumpleads
oil

[Adam Savage]

Another good thing to have in your car is a poncho or a tarp. If you ditch the car, or crash etc. and break a window, the shelter the car provides itself is lost. Use it to either make a seperate shelter or patch up the hole. In extreme temperatures, cars loose a lot of heat through glass contact with the elements, so would act as an insulating layer. Also don't forget the duct tape. It can hold panels (or the tarp) to your car, strap up a broken bone, patch up a cut...the possibilities are endless lol.

Adam

[Silverback]

duct tape.........aka...The Force - it has a light side, a dark side and it holds the universe together

[Adam Savage]

duct tape.........aka...The Force - it has a light side, a dark side and it holds the universe together

I do like that saying :)

[chrisj]

Might be worth chucking a paperback book in there as well. If you get stranded for a few hours then something to keep you occupied could make life a lot less miserable.

Good point about the toilet roll Jeep. I always have some in my walking kit but haven't thought about leaving it in the boot of the car. Mind you I do have a roll in my work van left over from when I had a stinking cold and had to keep blowing my nose. That said both my kids get car sick so we do usually have baby wipes in the car.

[bigzee]

duct tape.........aka...The Force - it has a light side, a dark side and it holds the universe together
Ahaaah!......dark matter/antimatter or the blackness between known particles...of course...it's black duct tape. Tshkk - all those millions on the hadron collider and the answer was so simple and so obvious!

[Adam Savage]

Ahaaah!......dark matter/antimatter or the blackness between known particles...of course...it's black duct tape. Tshkk - all those millions on the hadron collider and the answer was so simple and so obvious!

I heard the government tried to cover up the "origins of duct tape" scandal, by claiming it was invented by some guy from the Johnson and Johnson Permacel Division of Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing, Co. (3M). This was primarily to create revenue, to release the country (USA) from the grips of the great depression. Fearing the consequences of their secret ever getting out, they terminated all who knew about it...or was that something Jack told me? :p

[jus_young]

I heard the government tried to cover up the "origins of duct tape" scandal, by claiming it was invented by some guy from the Johnson and Johnson Permacel Division of Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing, Co. (3M). This was primarily to create revenue, to release the country (USA) from the grips of the great depression. Fearing the consequences of their secret ever getting out, they terminated all who knew about it...or was that something Jack told me? :p

You haven't been spending too much time with Jack by any chance? His other world reality seems to be rubbing off on you. :)

[Adam Savage]

You haven't been spending too much time with Jack by any chance? His other world reality seems to be rubbing off on you. :)

The brief moment I spent in his presence at Dartmoor was enough for that I think lol.

[bigzee]

I keep the usual stuff in the boot: brew kit, water,towstrap and large steel krab,folding shove.

After a recent incident where wifey had to tow me out what I thought was verge (but turned out to be overgrown ditch!), I made a sort of mud mat traction aid that hopefully would give a bit of friction under one of the tyres on wet grass, mud, or snow. I took a couple of bits of walking stick type wood and chopped it into about 10 bits (about 1 foot x 1 inch dia.). Linked them together with two bits of webbing (separated slightly with old steel curtain rings), to form what looks a bit like one of those log-roll type garden edging thingys. It rolls up nicely to sit in the boot (now half-full of emergency aids), and may get me out of the next embarrasing parking mis-calculation without outside help.

Also I keep a crowbar, to get people out of mangled burning car doors, or lever bent wheel arch off tyre in a prang. It may also raids my odds slightly in a road rage incident (only joking).

[Adam Savage]

I keep the usual stuff in the boot: brew kit, water,towstrap and large steel krab,folding shove.

After a recent incident where wifey had to tow me out what I thought was verge (but turned out to be overgrown ditch!), I made a sort of mud mat traction aid that hopefully would give a bit of friction under one of the tyres on wet grass, mud, or snow. I took a couple of bits of walking stick type wood and chopped it into about 10 bits (about 1 foot x 1 inch dia.). Linked them together with two bits of webbing (separated slightly with old steel curtain rings), to form what looks a bit like one of those log-roll type garden edging thingys. It rolls up nicely to sit in the boot (now half-full of emergency aids), and may get me out of the next embarrasing parking mis-calculation without outside help.

Also I keep a crowbar, to get people out of mangled burning car doors, or lever bent wheel arch off tyre in a prang. It may also raids my odds slightly in a road rage incident (only joking).

The old favourite of carpet, works well as a traction aid, as long as it is hessian backed.

[Silverback]

One of these ?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLowaedMobw&feature=player_embedded


:happy-clapping::happy-clapping::happy-clapping:

[JEEP]

One of these ?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLowaedMobw&feature=player_embedded


:happy-clapping::happy-clapping::happy-clapping:


Yep, together with a Bear Grylls Ultimate Survival Kit :p

[Adam Savage]

Andy McNab is a useful thing to carry in your boot/trunk, but a similar problem to carrying a knife in the boot. The police take a dim view on both possession of weapons and kidnap :p :p :p

[bigzee]

The old favourite of carpet, works well as a traction aid, as long as it is hessian backed.
Tried that before, and it rucked-up then got shredded. Probably the wrong type though as it was a piece of "whatever" offcut from the loft. Don't get a Toyota Auris (pronounced "arse") by the way - the ground clearance is non-existant and you'll spend a lot of time hacking away the plastic undertray after an encounter with anything more undulating than fresh tarmac!

[Adam Savage]

Tried that before, and it rucked-up then got shredded. Probably the wrong type though as it was a piece of "whatever" offcut from the loft. Don't get a Toyota Auris (pronounced "arse") by the way - the ground clearance is non-existant and you'll spend a lot of time hacking away the plastic undertray after an encounter with anything more undulating than fresh tarmac!

I'll keep that in mind lol. The carpet I used was just some of that thin, hard wearing stuff you get in schools and offices. The thinner the pile, the less chance of the tread biting. Hessian side down (on the slippy stuff) and tough nylon side up (on the rubbery stuff lol). The best way is to get a friend or passer by, to gently push you as you use minimum throttle, to get onto the mat. Also be prepared to lift off quick when you get traction.

[Silverback]

There are sometimes when even contract carpet cant help you out ;););)

South Anston Dec 2nd 2010

http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/50981000/jpg/_50981773_a57closed.jpg

[Adam Savage]

In these situations I would suggest keeping a Terex 82-30B in your car. If you don't know what one is, google image search it :p

[jus_young]

In these situations I would suggest keeping a Terex 82-30B in your car. If you don't know what one is, google image search it :p

How big is your car! :D

[Adam Savage]

How big is your car! :D

Pretty small on the outside, but huge on the inside, I bought it from some guy called Jon Pertwee.... said he was a doctor or something. It's blue and quite square... :p

[Silverback]

In these situations I would suggest keeping a Terex 82-30B in your car. If you don't know what one is, google image search it :p

Lol ! I found that a Landrover 110 coped with that scenario admirably

[bigzee]

There are sometimes when even contract carpet cant help you out ;););)

South Anston Dec 2nd 2010

http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/50981000/jpg/_50981773_a57closed.jpg
Road closed?...no s**t Sherlock!

[Silverback]

Road closed?...no s**t Sherlock!

Didn't stop them from trying though...all flipping night

[Metal mug]

In these situations I would suggest keeping a Terex 82-30B in your car. If you don't know what one is, google image search it :pYou could replace your folding trowel with one of those. :)

[Adam Savage]

You could replace your folding trowel with one of those. :)

That's an idea....

[Silverback]

That's an idea....

PMSL !! Bet you cant get one from poundworld

[Adam Savage]

PMSL !! Bet you cant get one from poundworld

Maybe we could convert a regular car to a tracked vehicle, add a few rolls of lead to aid traction, bolt a dozer blade to the front, and we're away...

[jus_young]

Maybe we could convert a regular car to a tracked vehicle, add a few rolls of lead to aid traction, bolt a dozer blade to the front, and we're away...

This has the makings of another episode of...

The B Team

[Adam Savage]

Someone started one on an old Lada...

http://www.myconfinedspace.com/wp-content/uploads/tdomf/168794/tc2-700x525.jpg

http://www.myconfinedspace.com/wp-content/uploads/tdomf/168794/tc3-700x525.jpg

[bigzee]

If that's the A57 then It'll be the filling station where I was the nearest witness to a woman getting her metro smashed up as she tried pulling out into traffic a few years ago. Her car rolled back to where I was stood, and they had to cut her out as mascara ran down her face, with her groceries in turmoil around her. Tskk.. women!

[Silverback]

If that's the A57 then It'll be the filling station

Certainly is. Definately 48 hours I'll not forget in a hurry

[Metal mug]

This has the makings of another episode of...

The B TeamHmmm, maybe it will. Not sure what the plot would be though.