Breakdown bag.

[BillyBlade]

Hate to disagree with you Rik, and I rarely do, but whats above is spot on the money.

When I lived in Spain, I had a friend whos car decided to die one night in the mountains of northern Spain in early February. Minus 16 celcius overnight, and snow 2 feet deep. This was on the main autoroute BTW, and not a backwater.

Nothing passed him for about 5 hours, and with no phone signal, hence he had 5 hours in a frozen metal box with no food and no water. He was in a pretty poor state when they got to him. He had actually taken the aftermarket seatcovers off the front seats and wrapped them around him like a makeshift sleeping bag.

We're talking about a young fit guy in his 20's here as well, not someone middle aged or older with any underlying health issues.

Also, the floods last week in Newcastle. My wife found herself trapped in a car for nearly 8 hours. Ok, she only used the food and water I stow in her car, but all the same, she still needed it.

We tend to think in Europe that the cavalry is always just around the corner. I disagree strongly with that. When it goes bad, be able to rely on yourself, not instant help from outside.

 

[santaman2000]

Before we jump on Rik too much, have a look back to Spandit's post #2 & see just what he recommended; Food, blankets, water. And then Rik reccommended adding warm clothing. Probably covers most of Northern or central Europe. Maybe adjust it some for Southern Europe and warmer climates. Not EVERYTHING I would want but it should keep most people alive and reasonably comfortable overnight.

 

[Fraxinus]

As with most things the kit needs to reflect the intended area of travel and time of year etc. The biggest truth I have found is that; if you have it you will probably never use it but, if you don't have it you will wish you did. We often hear (in the media) of unprepared people who get into difficulties but rarely of people who are prepared and for whom it was not a major drama.

Check out some of the "I Should Not Be Alive" videos on you tube, The Date From Hell is a good one to start with and has a bit of a twist to show stuff can even happen to those who are pretty well prep'd.

CBR6FS has a valid point regarding language skills too, it is one thing to talk face to face with someone with reference to a phrase book but entirely different over the phone as you have no visual clues to assist you. I have lived and worked in Crete and Germany, worked in France,Holland and Spain and on several occassions communication has become a mime act!

Rob.

 

[bushwacker bob]

CBR6FS has a valid point regarding language skills too, it is one thing to talk face to face with someone with reference to a phrase book but entirely different over the phone as you have no visual clues to assist you. I have lived and worked in Crete and Germany, worked in France,Holland and Spain and on several occassions communication has become a mime act!

Rob.

IME.You just need to talk very slowly and loudly and everyone in the world can understand English.

 

[cbr6fs]

IME.You just need to talk very slowly and loudly and everyone in the world can understand English.

I'd say you've never visited Italy and France then Bob

 

[ged]

How are they with tools and mechanical/electrical stuff? In addition to some basic (or not so basic) survival gear in/on whatever vehicle I always have a toolkit of some sort with me. Depends obviously on the vehicle what tools you might need and can take, but there are a lot of breakdowns that can be managed easily with a simple tools, materials, improvisation and ingenuity. As well as the usual spanners and stuff collected over the years, the kit in the Jeep includes abrasive paper, spare fuses, bulbs, bits of wire, cable ties, chocolate blocks, tape, other odds and ends and a digital voltmeter. About 18 months ago when a new radiator sprang a leak in a van, a can of Radweld got me and the in-laws' furniture back to England from the south of Spain.

Oh, and the location for that rescue knife? It's on my belt. Now.

 

[santaman2000]

I'd say you've never visited Italy and France then Bob

LOL. It's been my eperience that the French speak English very well; they just refuse too. However I have noticed that when there's a shortage of tourists, French waiters will resort to insulting each other.

 

[ged]

... It's been my experience that the French speak English very well ...

People around Paris do tend to speak foreign languages, but out in the sticks they more often don't. Down in Catalonia even the professionals don't seem to speak any English.

 

[cbr6fs]

LOL. It's been my eperience that the French speak English very well; they just refuse too. However I have noticed that when there's a shortage of tourists, French waiters will resort to insulting each other.

It's weird in Italy very few locals speak English once you get out the typical tourist traps BUT it's always great fun and they tend to take the time to try to communicate.
I always find it funny when they speak to me in Italian but i tell them i don't understand, so they then talk to me in Italian slower

Some of the most ignorant people i've come across has been in France.
In the cities they don't even try to communicate many times.

My Mrs's earphones broke and as she wore them on the back of the bike we went to find some replacements while we were in Cannes.
We went into 4 electrical goods shops with the intent of spending around €60 with them, yet not only could not 1 assistant or owner speak ANY English, they were ALL rude nd ignorant.

So she waited til we got to Italy and we ended up spending 1 hour in a shop chatting to the owner him asking us about our journey and where we going, without him speaking hardly any English and us very little Italian.
He even invited us to his house for dinner that evening, although i think he had an eye on my Mrs

 

[cbr6fs]

I work on explosive detection systems many of which are based in airports.

I cannot work in a French airport unless i have a French citizen next to me at all times.
It does not matter if i speak some French or not, i have to either find a French guy in the office or pay to have the airport provide one.

Ridiculous.

 

[rik_uk3]

Before we jump on Rik too much, have a look back to Spandit's post #2 & see just what he recommended; Food, blankets, water. And then Rik reccommended adding warm clothing. Probably covers most of Northern or central Europe. Maybe adjust it some for Southern Europe and warmer climates. Not EVERYTHING I would want but it should keep most people alive and reasonably comfortable overnight.

Thank you young man, the difference is you read my post and its link to Spandits post instead of going into full bushcraft/survival mode posting.

If your going off the beaten track, in high summer or winter you would adjust accordingly.

And yes, I have travelled a lot in Europe by car but not in recent years.

 

[Fraxinus]

In my experience, having travelled extensively around mainland europe and greece, if you make an earnest attempt to speak the local lingo people will help, even if their english is poor or non existent.
I have seen ex-pats (english) shout at greek waiters in Hania (winter time) and expect to be understood! We apologised for their manners and assured them not all english folk are that stupid or rude.
It is not all Brits though...had a ride out to the south coast of Crete and stopped at a taverna that became inundated with german tourists, one woman asked for Retsina then complained (in a very rude and loud manner) it was not sweet enough!!!
As the young waitress passed me by I advised her to mix some sugar into the wine with a wink, on receipt of the "new" carafe of wine the woman declared it to be very much nicer. When I asked for my bill I had to argue to pay for the meal at least. Whether my "advise" was actually headed I know not, but I'd like to think so....I'm a bad person!

 

[para106]

You can get everything you really need except for maybe a folding shovel & water (I carry a 5ltr bottle) in a 50cal ammo box - the rest is luggage.