Car-based PSK

[ganstey]

Something I was thinking about the other day after seeing the reports of the floods in Cumbria, and following on from the thread about PSKs... what do people think should be kept in a car in case of emergencies?

To provide a context, consider these entirely possible scenarios.

1) I drive 30 miles each way to work, most of it along country lanes. One day I break down, or skid off-road. I'm not injured, but it may be a couple of hours before the RAC can get anyone out to me. It's cold/dark/raining/snowing. The car may or may not be running. Kindling etc. is likely to be available, but may be wet.

2) I'm driving long distance on the motorway. Due to weather/accident I'm stuck on the motorway, with little chance of being 'freed' for several hours. Unlikely to be any resources available other than what I have in the car.

OK, so neither of these are likely to be life-threatening, but I'm sure I could make things easier and more comfortable for me and my passengers if I had the right things on board. I currently have a large plastic tub in the boot containing the following:
- FAK - HSE approved 20 person kit (I have EFA@W training, and have had to treat at several car accidents in my time)
- Tow rope
- Jump leads
- Spare bulb set
- Wool blanket
- Cigarette-lighter powered tyre inflator
- Long T-bar & socket for wheel nuts
- Selection of bungee straps
- PVC rope in a couple of lengths

Also in the car I would also have:
- Coat/hat/gloves/scarf suitable for the time of year
- Welly boots & boot socks if weather is likely to be wet
- Ice scraper
- Cheap plastic tarpaulin (probably not waterproof, used to protect carpet in boot more than anything else)
- Wind-up torch
- Mobile phone
- Leatherman Surge or SAK


So, the question is, what else should I carry, bearing in mind that I don't want to fill the car with the contents of my garage My thoughts are as follows, but I'd be interested to know what others think.

- Water. I could easily carry a 5L bottle
- Means for boiling water - I have a large Kelly Kettle and a Volcano
- Couple of RatPacks or equivalent
- Tea/coffee/hot chocolate
- Shovel, in case I need to dig myself out of snow/mud. Would there be any point in this?
- My personal 1st aid kit that contains meds, antiseptic & antihistamine creams, immodium, hydration salts, hand gel, as well as 'normal' 1st aid items, all packed into a Web-Tex Trauma pouch
- Cheap lighter x2
- Frosts Clipper (not sure about this due to knife laws) & Ferrocium rod
- Tinder & kindling for kettles. Not sure how best to carry this.

Be interested in your thoughts...
G

 

[scanker]

Sounds quite reasonable and common sense. There are various items in my car, some on your list, some not. I have a lidl trangia copy and some canned soup (as well as the rat packs). This is mainly for family picnicking, but could be used in an emergency.

Having kids there's also wet wipes galore, extra nappies, a few chippy forks/foldings sporks from noodle packs, fruit drinks, various condiment sachets and a spare set of clothes for me and the boys.

That's all I can remember for now. I'll have to have a look to remember it all. This is mainly in three lidded plastic boxes kept permanently under the rear seats.

 

[John Fenna]

Something I was thinking about the other day after seeing the reports of the floods in Cumbria, and following on from the thread about PSKs... what do people think should be kept in a car in case of emergencies?

To provide a context, consider these entirely possible scenarios.

1) I drive 30 miles each way to work, most of it along country lanes. One day I break down, or skid off-road. I'm not injured, but it may be a couple of hours before the RAC can get anyone out to me. It's cold/dark/raining/snowing. The car may or may not be running. Kindling etc. is likely to be available, but may be wet.

2) I'm driving long distance on the motorway. Due to weather/accident I'm stuck on the motorway, with little chance of being 'freed' for several hours. Unlikely to be any resources available other than what I have in the car.

OK, so neither of these are likely to be life-threatening, but I'm sure I could make things easier and more comfortable for me and my passengers if I had the right things on board. I currently have a large plastic tub in the boot containing the following:
- FAK - HSE approved 20 person kit (I have EFA@W training, and have had to treat at several car accidents in my time)
- Tow rope
- Jump leads
- Spare bulb set
- Wool blanket
- Cigarette-lighter powered tyre inflator
- Long T-bar & socket for wheel nuts
- Selection of bungee straps
- PVC rope in a couple of lengths

Also in the car I would also have:
- Coat/hat/gloves/scarf suitable for the time of year
- Welly boots & boot socks if weather is likely to be wet
- Ice scraper
- Cheap plastic tarpaulin (probably not waterproof, used to protect carpet in boot more than anything else)
- Wind-up torch
- Mobile phone
- Leatherman Surge or SAK


So, the question is, what else should I carry, bearing in mind that I don't want to fill the car with the contents of my garage My thoughts are as follows, but I'd be interested to know what others think.

- Water. I could easily carry a 5L bottle
- Means for boiling water - I have a large Kelly Kettle and a Volcano
- Couple of RatPacks or equivalent
- Tea/coffee/hot chocolate
- Shovel, in case I need to dig myself out of snow/mud. Would there be any point in this?
- My personal 1st aid kit that contains meds, antiseptic & antihistamine creams, immodium, hydration salts, hand gel, as well as 'normal' 1st aid items, all packed into a Web-Tex Trauma pouch
- Cheap lighter x2
- Frosts Clipper (not sure about this due to knife laws) & Ferrocium rod
- Tinder & kindling for kettles. Not sure how best to carry this.

Be interested in your thoughts...
G

I carry all of that (or equivalent) plus hatchet, saw, hammock, survival bags, loo roll and poly bags (!), cuddly toys, reading matter, fuel and fire extinqusher.
Sorted for unexpected nights out, firewood collection and various emergencies...mind you I drive a White Van so there is lots of room - in the box seats in the semi camperized back!
I think that over the years that I have had the van kitted out the only bit not to have been used is the big 1st Aid kit!

 

[Bushwhacker]

Seatbelt cutter, just in case you need to free yourself?

 

[Muddy Boots]

I think a couple of those snap glow sticks would be a good idea as well.

Day glow jacket maybe?

 

[Shewie]

I tried leaving a stash of food and drinks in the car for such occasions but I always used to end up scoffing them when I had nothing else. Nowadays I'm reduced down to a wool blanket, some fleece lined rigger boots, a couple of pairs of socks and a big lolipop lady hi vis overcoat. I can probably sit something out until I get rescued but I'll still be hungry and thirsty.

 

[ganstey]

I think a couple of those snap glow sticks would be a good idea as well.

Day glow jacket maybe?

Not sure what I'd use the glow sticks for. Sort of like some police use flares as nighttime road cones?

I have a Hi-Viz thermal lined coat which during autumn & winter lives in the car, so sorted there.

Thanks for the ideas, keep them coming...
G

 

[phaserrifle]

a few thoughts on some of the items you have suggested

- Water. I could easily carry a 5L bottle
...............
- Couple of RatPacks or equivalent
- Tea/coffee/hot chocolate

only thing with this is that you'll need to keep it all in date. if you use rat-packs for hikeing of bushcrafting anyway, consider using older ones for that, and trying to keep the newer packs with the further off expiery date for the car kit. then when you get more, you update.

long-term storage of water can be a pain. some kinds of water bottle can leach chemicals into the water over a time, and you've got to stop stuff growing in it too.
maybe chlorine or idodine could be added before storage, and then keep some neutralising stuff around aswell.

- Means for boiling water - I have a large Kelly Kettle and a Volcano
................
- Tinder & kindling for kettles. Not sure how best to carry this.

rather than these, would it be an idea to get one of the gas cartridge burners. the type that use the bottle as a stand (like this) as these could be more easily used inside the vehicle if neccecary (although you would still have to be very carefull) without worrying about setting the whole thing on fire, or melting the carpet.

- Frosts Clipper (not sure about this due to knife laws) & Ferrocium rod

I would say stick with just the leatherman/swiss army knife. you don't really have that much use for a fixed blade in the situations outlined, and your far safer legally with a multi-tool of some ilk.

 

[Dave Budd]

now this is one of those "what if in an emergency" type threads where i actually have some experience to draw from. unfortunately! :yikes:

I live in the middle of nowhere (Dartmoor) and I have to do several miles in any direction along country lanes just to get to a main road, so most of my journies are through the countryside and then along motorways. Also, every winter I have lived here I have had a flat tyre in the middle of nowhere on account of the flailed hedges. normally at night when raining)

I tend to have the kit to change a wheel, jump start and tow rope, as all cars should have anyway (first aid kit, warning triangle, FIRE EXTINGUISHER, hi viz vest). plus normal winter kit like deicer, scraper, etc. many of these are legal requirements in Europe

Also:

couple of torches (including a head torch)
small tarp (more to kneel on when changin wheel in wet)
snow chains (gets out of mud as well as ice)
bottle of water
blanket or two
bag or sweets (always good to hide them in the spare wheel)

In the winter I always have a bowsaw, billhook and shovel as well. If going a long way I have a thermos of tea as well.

Now, anybody who has heard of my many car accidents (not my fault!) that have left me stranded, will know that I have had to use many of these tools. I've cut trees out of the road on several occasions, dug myself out of snow and mud, had tows from passers by, jumpstarts from tractors, been left waiting on the A30 at 6am in december for 4 hours while the lazy buggers come and get me in a tow truck, sat pressed against the wall on the M25 in december in a car. FAK and sweets when a pick up lands on your bonnet and although nobody is hurt the other driver is rattled and needs tlc.

The list goes on and I would say that the ONE piece of survival kit that I have used most often and has saved me the fastest is my MOBILE PHONE! You can call 999 if things are bad (such as the M25 incident) or the AA/RAC if out of your league, or even teh mrs to let her know that you will be an hour or too late home on account of the hedge that you are currently buried in!

In the country, after the phone, the best tools are the blanket, snow chains and saw. on the open roads then the blanket after the phone. Them and your car itself. If it is not a dangerous place to be (in the middle of traffic, leaking fuel, upside down, in a pond, etc) then it will keep the elements off you and give whicher rescue service a large target to find. They also have radios that help to pass the time


just my opinions of course

 

[ganstey]

a few thoughts on some of the items you have suggested

only thing with this is that you'll need to keep it all in date. if you use rat-packs for hikeing of bushcrafting anyway, consider using older ones for that, and trying to keep the newer packs with the further off expiery date for the car kit. then when you get more, you update.

Good point. Given that weight isn't so much of an issue, maybe I'll substitute some tins of soup or baked beans, and perhaps a couple of Pot Noodles. These I can easily rotate when they get close to expiry without having to go bushy just to use them up

long-term storage of water can be a pain. some kinds of water bottle can leach chemicals into the water over a time, and you've got to stop stuff growing in it too.
maybe chlorine or idodine could be added before storage, and then keep some neutralising stuff around aswell.

Another good point. I'll be using an empty squash bottle, so I know its foodsafe, and I'll make a point of refreshing the water regularly.

rather than these, would it be an idea to get one of the gas cartridge burners. the type that use the bottle as a stand (like this) as these could be more easily used inside the vehicle if neccecary (although you would still have to be very carefull) without worrying about setting the whole thing on fire, or melting the carpet.

Now you mention it, I have one of those somewhere in the garage. Much better idea, and more socially acceptable than a KK.

I would say stick with just the leatherman/swiss army knife. you don't really have that much use for a fixed blade in the situations outlined, and your far safer legally with a multi-tool of some ilk.

That was what I was thinking. Glad someone agrees

G

 

[ganstey]

In the winter I always have a bowsaw, billhook and shovel as well. If going a long way I have a thermos of tea as well.

Not sure how I feel about carrying a billhook around as a matter of course. I have a Laplander saw, which I'll add to the list - I think it's also in the garage... somewhere

Will take a Thermos of hot water on my long journey at the weekend, along with some instant coffee

This is really getting the old grey matter going

Keep it coming, and cheers
G

 

[Dave Budd]

I only have it in the car durng the winter, when my jounries are all local and I HAVE to go through tree strewn roads and normally I have other forrestry gear in the car. SO it, for me, is part of my work gear. Also, I'm in hte middle of nowhere, everybody else has a shotgun in the boot!

Otherwise, as you say, probably not the best idea to keep in the car but a saw is if you happen to go near the great countryside

 

[John Fenna]

I have a whole lot of stuff inc fixed blade knives - but they are stowed with the camping gear...reason for carrying - I am going camping officer!

 

[bonzodog]

my car carry includes two heat packs

 

[Muddy Boots]

I own old VW Campervan so these are a few things that get carried:

Small set of tools / spanners/ WD40 / Duct Tape / Fuses/ Electrical Tape / Bike Torch that flashes /

Although in fairness of the times we have broken down we could have dispensed of all that lot and just carried a back up engine.

I thought the snap glow sticks would be a good idea as you can set them up as a warning or as an emergency torch.

Not sure if has been mentioned but something to charge a phone / small amount of money maybe?

Maybe silver foil emergency blankets.

As an aside I carry a seat belt cutter / emergency window breaking tool. It sounds pretty daft but I off road in my truck and as all the windows are electrical and there is central locking if stuck in deep water / electrical fault: the only way to get out might be to smash a window.

Couple of pairs of plastic gloves, alcohol hand gel and wet wipes.

Of the times I've thought a vehicle based PSK would be useful often involve the need to keep warm and the need to have something to sleep on.

My local village flooded trapping people on all access roads in and out of it. It happened in the middle of summer a couple of years and didn't clear till the following morning. Its really that sort of scenario that I would tend to pack for.

 

[apj1974]

Seatbelt cutter, just in case you need to free yourself?

Absolutely.

A Seatbelt cutter/hammer thing might save your life. I would also add a FAK, torch and high viz jackets for all the passengers as absolute essentials. Which should all be kept within easy reach of the driver. Say glove box or under the seat (with the possible exception of the FAK which can be anywhere. I used to kep all my bits with teh spare wheel under the boot floor, but moved the jackets and torch to under my seat after I had to unpack a boot full of camping stuff on a motorway hard shoulder!.

I carry loads more stuff in my boot, maybe I'll list them later if I can remember what they all are.

 

[ganstey]

Will look into the glow sticks and seal belt cutter. Foil blankets definitely a good idea. I always carry some money on my person anyway, so didn't think to mention it! Car has a phone charger semi-permanently plugged into the cigarette lighter socket.

Both FAKs contain pairs of vinyl gloves in small plastic bags. Trauma pack contains a bottle of alcohol hand gel. Might be worth adding some wet wipes though.

All really good suggestions. Off to a meeting soon, but will try and redo the list tomorrow incorporating the suggestions.

Cheers
G

 

[JDO330]

- Water. I could easily carry a 5L bottle

G[/QUOTE]

How about carrying some of the pre bottled cheap water from the supermarkets instead, I dont think this would go off would it?

ATB, Jon.

 

[forestwalker]

I would see it based on the tasks you might need to perform:

1. Treat injuried persons. A good trauma oriented first aid kit. Stopping bleeding (field dressings and elastic bandages), CPR (a mask), and chock (blanket). PVC or latex gloves.

2. Get going. Shovel, tow-rope, starter cables, etc. But also a saw (a smaller swede saw) and an axe to clear fallen trees. And some extra warm clothes. A Petzl zipka lives in my pocket, so light to work with I have.

3. Prevent hypothermia. In winter it is easy to get cold, so a box of disposable hand-warmers could come in handy (and could be given to others with no real regrets). A Trangia could be handy, but food is overkill for the few hours most people could expect to be stuck.

Up here in northern Sweden one need to think of sparesly trafficed roads and deep snow, as well as spotty cell phone cover, so some additional items lives in my car

 

[apj1974]

- Water. I could easily carry a 5L bottle

I've found that the best way to carry water is in a stainless steel thermos type flask in one of the bottle holders in the rear doors. The flask insulates it from the outside temperature so that it is always cold water even on a hot day. I use it regularly (or my dog does!) so its always fresh. I also carry some bottled water in the boot as a back up or if the car needs a drink!