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-   -   What's in your vehicle(s) ??? (http://www.professionalsoldiers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=46982)

Sdiver 09-15-2014 22:15

What's in your vehicle(s) ???
 
Taking a page from TR's "EDC Update" thread, let's see what's in your vehicle(s). ... without the pictures. :D (You can take one if you want to, but it's not necessary.)

Aside from the standard emergency kits (spare tire, jack, lug wrench, fix a flat, etc.) what "extra's" do you have?

Are they readily accessible or can you reach them in an emergency situation? Such as being stuck in a snow drift, a roll over on a rural road, running off the road and being hidden by under/over brush, etc.

The last situation happened to a woman recently here in Colorado. She was driving on a mountain road late one night and ran off the road avoiding a deer. She ended up some 100 yards from the road and was covered up by the under/over brush and trees. She was trapped in her vehicle for seven days until someone found her. She had to have both her feet amputated due to her injuries, but survived.

Do you have you extra items secure or would they turn into "missiles" if in fact you had a roll over?

Food?
Water?
Clothing?
Blanket(s)?
First Aid?
Flashlight(s)?
Flares?
Signaling device?

Let's see what you have ....

Sapper124 09-16-2014 00:25

Work in progress
 
While in the course I stumbled across an '88 K5 and decided I needed a small project to keep my limited spare time occupied. It has been a work in progress over the last 3 years and considering I have been stateside for only half that time, it is moving along a lot slower than expected.

As for the truck: 1988 K5 with removable top (great for the summer since I am too cheap to fix the A/C and don't want to deal with maintaining it.
-Chevy 350 V8 bored .30 over
-Currently run 16.5 wheels with Wrangler MT/R mil surplus tires (great all around performance especially on the street and for how cheap I procure them for)
-Mud tires are 15inch wheels with 39 inch super swampers (swap these on when taking it out to the Lee County mud races, or when in uwharrie)
-Dana 44HD's recently rebuilt with 4.56 gears
-Rough Country 8inch true suspension lift with modified drag link and drive shaft / axle.
-Dixie horn, no clear advantage other than the hilarity that ensues
-Tuffy center console to store valuables / pistols / broken down AR if necessary.
-stripped the interior of the vehicle (it looked like a CSI crime scene when purchased because previous owner left all windows down for a year) and used herculiner bed liner to line it myself.
-multiple ammo cans bolted / mounted on the tire wells and in the bed of the K5

Recovery Equipment / tools:
-Hi lift jack
-exhaust jack
-tow strap and a snatch strap with front and rear mounts to hook up to
-expedient runway sheet metal that can be laid down in loose terrain to offer traction when tires are spinning
-on-board air compressor for inflating tires / tire plug repair kits
- wrench and socket set for every type bolt I have on the truck (was able to salvage from my larger mechanic set) and a few of the other more common sizes just in case i need to do salvage ops on other equipment, or to help a stranded motorist if we aren't in a post apocalyptic setting.
- spare fuses, gorilla tough tape, JB weld, exhaust mesh, metal bond, slime, wiring, tubes, hoses, belts, 5 quarts of oil, 5 quarts of trans fluid, WD 50, gorilla glue, 550 cord, 80 / 200 lb test, more duct tape (redneck engineering's finest tool), lighters, spare bolts / nuts (mainly for radiator housing, headers, exhaust mounts and other essential components) mechanix / heavy leather gloves.

Signaling:
-pen flares and road flares
-VS 17 panel / signal mirror
- a couple dozen chemlights in various colors
- inverter for USB charging of iPOD and plenty of Sammy Hagard, Van Halen, Iron Maiden etc. (far side recognition method, if you aren't a fan then we probably wont be linking up :D)

Food / water (stored in a tough box that is ratchet strapped down and water cans)
- case of field stripped MREs
- one week supply of freeze dried meals
- Whisperlite international for boiling water etc.
- 5 gallon water can for misc water
- 3- 1 gallon water jugs (sealed and rotate every 6 months)
- MSR Sweetwater purifier

AID:
- stocked aid kit with all the essentials and plenty of extra

Shelter:
- the truck plus a large tarp
- spare civilian wet weather gear
- spare set of pants / shirt / jackets / boots

Way ahead:
-multi mount warn winch for front or rear vehicle recovery
-KC light bar for the retro look
-dual battery setup with a much larger alternator (thinking 130+ amps but need to consult someone who can give me a no BS answer on what I will need to run the electronics)
-CB Radio
- Tuffy sliding drawers in the bed to securely store rifle / shotgun and additional ammunition.
- Would love to build an overland trailer based off of a mil-surplus trailer that could store a pop up tent plus plenty more essentials.

I am sure I am missing a few things as it has been a while since I was home. She's a work in progress and will surely never be finished.

TOMAHAWK9521 09-16-2014 07:59

If you mean to ask "What's in your vehicle right now. Not what you plan to have." Then here's what is in my Tundra at this time:
In the cab:
GPS
Strobe
Binos
Very bright LED flashlight
2 Israeli tourniquets
Benchmade hook webbing cutter
Air Force crash axe
water
med kit
8 30 min flares
6 large, 30 min chemlights
vehicle fire extinguisher
Hand crank/Solar powered Eton radio
200 ft 550 cord
VS-17 panel

In the Contico strapped into the bed:
Heavy duty maritime/rafting duffle
120 ft rope
12 ft tow rope
2 D rings
30 tow strap
2 heavy duty clevis rings
Feathered Friends -40 sleeping bag.

FlagDayNCO 09-16-2014 10:47

Not too special truck
 
I don't have a super off road adventure vehicle, but a standard GMC that I've added to. One of the things I considered is the ability to obtain spare parts or even tires/ wheels in a SHTF scenario, so I kept as much stock as possible. Some of the rock crawler wheels look great, but after you run through your spares, you're back to running regular wheels/ tires.

I ran the same format as the first reply, with my changes...

Recovery Equipment / tools:
- Hi lift jack
- tow strap and several sets of shackles
- vehicle plug-in air compressor for inflating tires / tire plug repair kits
- wrenches, sockets and a BFH
- spare fuses, duct tape, marine grade epoxies and JB Weld, some spare wiring, tubes, hoses, hose clamps, belts, oil, trans fluid, 550 cord, mechanix and heavy Army work gloves.
- boy axe, bow saw, D handle shovel, pick axe, kukri
- Two spare tires mounted (1 under, 1 over)

Signaling:
- hand crank portable radio
- road flares
- VS 17 panel
- rechargeable spot light
- several chemlites
- inverter for USB charging (used regularly for kids' electronics)
- portable solar recharging kit and rechargable AA batts

Food / water
- several MREs and Heater Meals
- several instant cup of soups and freeze dried fruits
- portable stove with gas
- 5 gallon water
- several 1 gallon water jugs
- several Camelback variations
- water purifier and window screen material and some old ladies panty hoses to filter out debries

AID:
- orange mini duffel with most first aid supplies
- a few smaller aid kits for the members of the family
- two vehicle fire extinguishers

Shelter:
- large tarp that is brown
- two sleeping bags plus Goretex bivy shelters
- several camping and airline blankets, poncho liner, plus two of the old Army OD wool blankets
- spare civilian wet weather gear
- spare set of pants / shirt / jackets / boots
- several spare socks and tshirts

- mulitband programmable ICON Radio
- Not so large Tuff boxes to store everything, so that they can be removed/ reloaded as needed
- couple of older day packs that contain some of the listed gear.

A lot of the stuff I picked up from work, as they were removing outdated or damaged equipment from vehicles. Plus, all that stuff we tend to collect when serving in the Army.

PSM 09-16-2014 12:18

Since mine is similar to Tomahawk's, I used his as a template.

In the 4x4 Tahoe:

GPS (in-dash)
Strobe/flashlight
Binos
Very bright LED flashlight
1 Israeli tourniquet
Benchmade 30100 Auto Escape Tool
Gerber camp axe
1 case bottled water
Sawyer water filter system
FAK
5 30 min flares
vehicle fire extinguisher
Hand crank/Solar powered radio
200 ft 550 cord
2 ton floor jack
1 jack stand
Tire plug gun
AC/DC tire pump
400w inverter
2 Cans Flat Fix
2 3/4” D rings (shackles)
25' tow strap
Fire starting kit (4 Bic lighters, char cloth, mag fire starter, jute cord)
Wool blanket
2 Heatsheet blankets
2 Multi-band handie-talkies

All, except the floor jack, jack stand, and radios are stored in a Rubbermaid container.

The Wrangler has all the above except:

GPS
Crank/solar radio
Floor jack
Jack stand
Tire plug gun
Canteens in place of bottled water

(My wife's birthday is this weekend, so the Wrangler might get a Hi-Lift jack soon. :D)

Of course, if needed, the 2 vehicle boxes can be swapped or combined.

Pat

The Reaper 09-16-2014 12:27

You guys with the GPSs might want to consider the fragility of that system and get a compass and some maps, at least your state Gazetteer.

TR

PSM 09-16-2014 12:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Reaper (Post 562894)
You guys with the GPSs might want to consider the fragility of that system and get a compass and some maps, at least your state Gazetteer.

TR

Got that covered, too. My Silva (Brunton) Type 27 is usually in my pocket plus I wear an ABC Casio watch. I also have maps and DeLorme Gazetteers for most of the western states (Don't have WA or OR).

I forgot to include the Honda EU2000i gennie and dog crate.

Pat

Sdiver 09-16-2014 21:51

Some great things so far. As TR pointed out, getting a paper road map(s) would be essential. I keep an atlas handy at all times. I don't trust that electronic crap. Just give my a map, a compass and my nose and I'll get ya where ya need to go.

One thing I'm surprised I haven't seen listed, is a set of jumper cables. Always useful to have handy, even if you don't live in a part of the country that gets exceedingly cold.

Now, here's the BIG question .... what can you reach while sitting in the front seat?

You and your vehicle are off the road and buried by the brush.
You are trapped inside. The dash has trapped one or both of your legs, making movement limited to just reaching, and slight twisting.
You can't be seen from the road, and only from the air if someone is directly over you.
Can you reach water, food, first aid?
How about a blanket or clothing to keep you warm?

It's great having things in your truck bed, I know I do, but I also have at least a gallon of water stashed behind the passenger seat, next to my first aid bag, that has a wool blanket attached to it.
I have several power bars and bags of pistachios stashed in the door pockets of both the drivers and passenger doors, which I can easily reach.

I also have a bag of jolly rancher candies in the glove box, and another smaller bag and gum in the center arm rest/storage area. I also have a lighter, knife, flashlights, leathermen, binos, penlight flares, signaling mirror, pens/paper, extra batteries and various other tools located in there.

Like with having your weapon easily accessible, what ever is in reach to keep you going if you were to find yourself in the above situation, will be the difference between reading about a great survival story or your obituary.

PSM 09-16-2014 22:14

Quote:

One thing I'm surprised I haven't seen listed, is a set of jumper cables.
So you think that any member here would not have jumper cables? It would be like not having at least the vehicle issue jack and spare.

As to what I could reach in a wreck, most of the stuff, including the dog crate, would be on my head. And the dog has human consumable dogfood. Yes I have tried it and it sucks...without Tabasco. :D

ETA: TOMAHAWK9521 didn't mention tire chains, but I reckon he's got them.

Pat

Sapper124 09-17-2014 00:26

Knew i forgot something!
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Sdiver (Post 562958)
Some great things so far. As TR pointed out, getting a paper road map(s) would be essential. I keep an atlas handy at all times. I don't trust that electronic crap. Just give my a map, a compass and my nose and I'll get ya where ya need to go.

One thing I'm surprised I haven't seen listed, is a set of jumper cables. Always useful to have handy, even if you don't live in a part of the country that gets exceedingly cold.

Jumper cables are in the recovery ammo can :D

As far as maps of the local are: I am a no go at that station. Now i have something added to my truck wish list. I will be investing into some Thomas Guides (if they still make them). I remember the days of pre GPS and using these. Anytime that my friends wanted me to come over my dad would make me pull out the thomas guide and figure out how we would be driving to their home. I still remember the pain of matching up the different map tabs and flipping through the guide to figure out a route, I guess all that work paid off.

As far as what is in arms reach (good scenario and got me thinking about re arranging some items.

I would be able to reach: headlamp and small flashlight, lighter, burner cell phone, pistol and additional ammo, a couple snickers / clif bars, beanie, pt belt (someone inevitably forgot theirs at PT and left it in after the course because its a good signaling device), IFAK, multi tool, contractor trash bags, mechanix gloves, a few chem lights, window punch and belt cutter.

My hi-lift jack is mounted at the base of the rear seat lip and if I am able to reach it I can undo the butterfly nut and pull the jack off and potentially use it as a pry bar to lift the dash.

I will probably re arrange the set up and include a gallon of water under the driver seat, pen flares easily accessible and a jacket in the seat back of passenger or driver seat for easy access.

Sapper124 09-17-2014 00:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by FlagDayNCO (Post 562876)
One of the things I considered is the ability to obtain spare parts or even tires/ wheels in a SHTF scenario, so I kept as much stock as possible. Some of the rock crawler wheels look great, but after you run through your spares, you're back to running regular wheels/ tires.

This was a huge factor in my purchasing of 16.5 wheels and not running my swampers everyday. Well that and the fact that the drone of swampers on pavement sounds like you are doing final door check and gets annoying after a while.

I pick up 4 Wrangler MT\Rs with 95%+ tread on them for under 800$ total. That is a hell of a deal considering I wouldn't be able to pick up 2 Swampers for that price. In the SHTF case I will initially be around a military post and there are plenty of humvees / trailers that tires could be liberated from etc. Thats the beauty of them running the same tire, plentiful supply.

FlagDayNCO 09-17-2014 07:50

Cables and Charger
 
Yes, I forgot those. I have a recharge pack with enough power to jump my truck. The extra long jumper cables are actually on the floor, with an end near the door. I learned the hard way when my truck had no power, the electric door locks don't work. :eek: Same for windows. Rear doors do not even have door lock buttons in recent years.

Maps... are located in a shoulder bag, behind the rear seat. Several Gazeteers for my state, all the way down to North Carolina are there. Nice thing about these, is they have topographic information, albeit in a smaller scale. They are extremely useful when having to select a route. Except when following a State Road in Virginia, as the bridge across the river was nothing more than a suspension bridge for a walking path. I learned that back in 2000 and had to retrace my route a good ten miles to get to a better route. Man from VADOT explained to me that if it is wide enough for a man and his horse, then it is a road.

My truck doesn't have GPS and the little Garmin I have is circa 2002. The military lensatic compass is great, though the tritium has faded. There are a few of the civilian versions in various bags and the camelbaks.

One of the best lessons taught to my wife and children is the ability to navigate. Reading a map, understanding land forms, etc., have helped us navigate around flooded areas and major traffic incidents, several times.

PSM 09-17-2014 10:37

I forgot folding shovels, too. I have 2 in the Tahoe and one in the Jeep. When traveling with the travel trailer, we also carry several lengths of 1x6, 2x6, and 1/2" plywood. They are handy for leveling the trailer and bridging deep ruts in the road.

BTW, having 2 shovels keeps the nasty "how could you be so stupid to get us in the stuck way out here" comments to a minimum as the other party will be too busy, and winded, to speak. :D

Pat

TOMAHAWK9521 09-17-2014 14:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Reaper (Post 562894)
You guys with the GPSs might want to consider the fragility of that system and get a compass and some maps, at least your state Gazetteer.

TR

Come to think of it, I do have a Silva compass in the console.

I know. In the words of Wesly/Dread Pirate Roberts, "Why didn't you list that among or assets in the first place?"

Sdiver 04-25-2015 18:38

It appears that these two women were able to get out of their vehicle and move around. Unknown why they didn't try hiking/walking out, or any mention of them building a fire for warmth, signaling, etc.,

Only eight boxes of Girl Scout cookies and a bag of cheese puffs, for two people, lasting two weeks ....

Quote:

Missing sisters survived for TWO weeks on Girls Scout cookies, cheese puffs and melted snow after their SUV got stuck on remote snow-bound road


Leslie Roy, 52, and Lee Wright, 56, had been visiting relatives in Michigan when on April 11 their Ford Explorer got trapped in snow on remote road
SUV lost power and they had no cell phone service to call for help
Roy and Wright wore layers of clothes to stay warm as overnight temperatures fell to the 20s
Survived by rationing eight boxes of Girl Scout cookies, a bag of cheese puffs and melted snow
Helicopter pilot noticed a reflection off the Ford Explorer Friday and rescued the trapped women


Two sisters from Oklahoma and Nebraska missing for nearly two weeks in Michigan survived on Girl Scout cookies while stuck in their snow-trapped SUV until state police discovered them Friday near Lake Superior in a remote part of the Upper Peninsula.

A pilot noticed a reflection off the Ford Explorer and landed the police helicopter on shore, finally ending the women's unexpected wilderness adventure. Leslie Roy, 52, and Lee Marie Wright, 56, were examined at a hospital and released.

‘It was sheer joy,’ Detective Sgt. Jeff Marker told The Associated Press, describing their reaction to the rescue. ‘It was almost disbelief that it was finally happening.’

Roy, of Valley, Nebraska, and Wright of Depew, Oklahoma, got stuck about three miles from Crisp Point Lighthouse in Luce County in the Upper Peninsula. They had been visiting relatives in Ishpeming, in another part of the peninsula, and were planning to head south April 11.

They had a reservation at a hotel in Mackinaw City but never showed up. Instead, they were entombed in snow on a remote used road with eight boxes of Girl Scout cookies purchased from relatives and a bag of cheese puffs, Marker said.

‘They thought the road was plowed but it wasn't,’ he said.

There is no cellphone service in the area. The car eventually lost power, too. Roy and Wright wore layers of clothes to stay warm as overnight temperatures fell to the 20s, and they also turned snow into water.

‘They heard crunching in the woods at night,’ Marker said. ‘They thought it was rescuers but no one came. Then they thought it was bears.’

When the search began, police said the women had told others about possibly visiting waterfalls and casinos on their way to the Lower Peninsula.

Their Ford Explorer was spotted from a helicopter around 2.30pm, police said. About 25 minutes later, police officers who were called to the scene reached the car on foot.

'When we pulled up, they grabbed their purses and Lee Wright clutched onto her Bible and both women were very happy,' Marker told MLive.com. 'It was hugs all around.'

The women were transported to Helen Newberry Joy Hospital to be checked by doctors.

A photo of Roy and Wright showed them eating food and keeping warm in state police coats after the rescue.

‘They're walking. ... They're alive and well, just a little weak from being stuck for a couple weeks,’ said Sgt. Brent Rosten, of the Michigan State Police.

The women's relatives were ecstatic to receive the good news Friday.

'My mom and Aunt Leslie have been found, and they are alive and well, thank God!' Wright's daughter, Stacy Calvin-Lowe, wrote on Facebook Friday. 'Everyone that help us search, everyone that prayed, everyone that supported us, from the depths of my heart, thank you!

'I am so thankful, and overwhelmed with joy, I can't stop crying! I can't wait to see my momma, I can't wait to tell her I love her!! I am incredibly happy!'

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...ocial-facebook

Here's another link of the same incident, where it says that they were not trapped in their vehicle and were able to get and walk around.

Quote:

LUCE COUNTY, MI -- Two sisters who were missing for nearly two weeks in a remote area of the Upper Peninsula survived on Girl Scout Cookies and cheese puffs.

Lee Wright, 56, and Leslie Roy, 52, were weak but otherwise seemed to be in good condition when a state police helicopter rescued them Friday from a two-track road in northern Luce County, where their Ford Explorer became stuck in deep snow on April 11. The women stayed with the vehicle, which had died earlier this week.

The out-of-state residents relied on eight boxes of Girl Scout Cookies and cheese puffs for food, as well as snow for water.

"It is unbelievably remarkable," said Michigan State Police Detective Sgt. Jeff Marker, who was one of four rescuers aboard the helicopter. "They had multiple layers of clothes on and they were rationing their food."

Marker said the helicopter had been searching in the area for about two and a half hours when a sergeant spotted a glimmer in the woods about 2:20 p.m. Friday. That glimmer turned out to be the SUV's windshield.

"We circled and we could see the vehicle, and then they came out of their vehicle waving their arms," Marker said.

Wright, from Oklahoma, and Roy, from Nebraska, were traveling in the Upper Peninsula and had visited family in Ishpeming. They were last seen by relatives April 10. The sisters had planned to stay at a Mackinaw City hotel the following day but never arrived.

Their SUV got stuck in snow along Crisp Point Road, about three miles west of Crisp Point Lighthouse on Lake Superior. The road, just wide enough for one vehicle, was impassable, Marker said. Trees line the road.

The women said they tried to call 911 several times but didn't have cell phone service.

Friday's rescue came after the second day of searching by helicopter, Marker said. One of the women earlier had sent a Facebook message to a relative inquiring about Tahquamenon Falls, so police homed in on the area.

"Basically there was some mention on a possibility of one of the things they wanted to visit was the Tahquamenon Falls," Marker said.

Once they landed the helicopter on a beach, police hiked for about 25 minutes to reach Wright and Roy in the woods.

"When we pulled up, they grabbed their purses and Lee Wright clutched onto her Bible and both women were very happy," Marker said. "It was hugs all around."

After expressing their relief, the women mentioned that a bear had visited their vehicle two nights in a row.

"They knew it wasn't rescuers coming for them because rescuers would have flashlights," Marker said the women told police.

Police called for backup assistance so the women wouldn't have to hike out the woods. Prior to help arriving, a Grand Rapids family driving four wheelers gave them a ride to the helicopter.

The sisters reunited with family at Luce County Airport and were transported to Helen Newberry Joy Hospital in Newberry for precautionary medical evaluations and treatment.

"The family's very relieved," Marker said.

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapi...ve_2_week.html
Again .... What's in your vehicle? :munchin


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