With the recent acquisition of a new-to-me elderly Jeepish looking thing, comes the 'Move all your crap from one vehicle to another' drill. This usually results in my having an extra box of stuff in the house again, all too useful to let go, but not useful enough to shove in the new vehicle.
Anywho..... with this jeep's configuration, I don't have an enclosed trunk anymore. I have a cargo space behind the back seat. Into this area I'll be putting a locking bin... or two. Plastic thingses with latched lids, big enough to hold stuff but not so big I can't wing them up on the roof rack myself if I need the cargo space.
Now.... what should I be carrying in these bins?
The first aid kit I built goes without saying. Also included will be spare clothes appropriate to the season, including a work uniform. What else? So far, looking at my standard vehicle load out and some other thoughts, here is what I have in mind:
- Med kit
- Spare clothes (usual set, plus gloves and warm hat)
- Blanket (s)
- LED lantern, LED flashlight
- Road flares, reflectors, reflective vest
- Snack food (meal bars, etc)
- Bottled water.... usually a case riding with me anyway.
- Extra knives, and a compact saw.
- Fire extinguisher (I have used one on the road far too many times)
- A tool kit (After all, I am a mechanic-ish person)
- Spare ammo for the usual suspects.
- A shoulder bag in case hoofing it becomes necessary.
- Disposable ponchos (one orange, one can't-see-me camo).
- Small hydraulic jack
- Tie downs and ratchet straps.
- Tow strap.
Add to the above all the useful 'stuff' that ends up in the glove box, console, etc. Knives, lighters, spare cell batteries, cell charger, magazines, yada yada blah blah.
What am I forgetting?
4 comments:
Pair of bunny boots or similar?
Extra pair of clodhoppers would not be amiss.
Throw away cell phone??? I actually have had to remove all ammo, since I occasionally have to transit through DC proper, and I don't feel like going to jail... sigh
I opted for a heavy duty scissors jack; greater lift than a hydraulic, greater range of lift.
Under my pasenger seat is 3X of 3/4 plywood, two pieces glued together, one single, cut to the maximum size that will fit under the seat for use as a jacking platform.
I also carry, strapped to the frame, a 2X piece of 4X4 12 inches long, two pieces bolted together. More jacking platform, strong enough to use as an emergency jack stand, can be unbolted to separate the pieces (2X 3/4" dia threaded rod, nuts & washers).
Some device that can perform as a hatchet.
Inexpensive (as opposed to "cheap") binoculars. A monocular will work.
A hard tailcap on the Maglite in the brackets on the trans hump (what-you don't have an LED 3D Maglite right at your fingertips?)
A second, smaller LED flashlight (AA Maglite?) And a third, if you can. (AA Maglites can be stood vertically on the removed reflector head to provide area light).
A good headlamp (I use the Petzls, spendy but excellent). Plus spare batteries.
Some sort of area light, your Rayovac lanterns do that well.
Red "cel" for the Rayovac and/or Maglite (theatrical supply houses have them - they go over stage lighting and are heat resistant).
Spare headlamp, tail and brake bulbs.
Seat belt cutter/window breaker. I use S&W's Rescue knife, in a nylon sheath wire-tied to the transfer case shifter. It's centrally located, and will always be in the same place even if the vehicle's upside down.
Really good, large gauge, long jumper cables. Look at tow truck supply companies. Much spendy but worth it.
Spare fuses, at least a 5-pack of each fuse the vehicle uses.
A piece of 14-16 gauge stranded automotive wire 10 feet longer than the vehicle, with a few alligator clips (separate, not on the wire) and a separate inline fuse holder, with plier-crimping conenctors. Sometimes you have to wire around a short or bad wire.
Duct tape, small roll.
Wire ties, short to long.
Multi-outlet adapter for power ports in case you need to power more than one thing at a time.
Tire patching kit; I carry a Stop And Go plugger kit.
A way of re-inflating a tire. A bicycle pump - the kind that attaches to the bike - will work if you have enough time. A small 12V works faster.
Tight coils of rope, 25-50 feet each, one nylon, one natural hemp (nylon stretches, which is sometimes good, sometimes bad).
A second tow strap; mine's 12K lbs rated, 30 ft long.
Frame-munted, pre-attached towing/pull out points on the vehicle. A tow strap is less useful if there's no place to attach it.
Travel size toiletries.
Spare sunglasses and prescription glasses. And a small magnifying glass.
Maps of the area. And a compass.
Boonie hat. Camo works.
Bug repellant (summer).
Spare gloves and socks (winter).
Couple lawn and leaf bags (something to lie on if the ground's wet, spare rain protection with cuts for arms and neck).
Communications. Small CB walkie-talkie works.
Inexpensive flare pistol.
Fire starter and tinder.
More water (I use 2 qt Nalgene Labware (filled to 90% it seems to withstand freezing) and wide-mouth Nalgene bottles with stainless cups that they nest into. Small emergency stuff (boullion, tea bags, instant coffee "tubes" can be kept in one of the bottles, the cups can be used to heat water.
There's more, but the big challenge will be orgaizing everything. If you can't find it when you need it it's just like not having it.
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