If you have begun considering different scenarios that you may want to prepare for, it has probably occurred to you that some may begin while you are away from home. For most of us, our first priority is going to be getting back to that refuge of safety. It’s possible, especially if home is in an urban area, that we will need to pack up and move to a more secure location. In either case, having supplies to help get us safely to our destination is wise.
What should your vehicle contain?
There are many, many opinions about what should be carried in a vehicle and I probably tote around far more than most people, but I thought I would share what I have to help give you inspiration for what you may want.
To begin with, I try to keep this plethora of things inside medium sized storage tote boxes so it’s not loose and sliding all over the place. Clear-sided ones make it easy to see the most critical things, so I often slide those along the edges for quick identification. Inside the lids, I have a checklist of items the box contains to help locate what I need.
The Inventory
Here is what one contains, in no particular order:
- Bottled water
- Powdered Gatorade
- Red handkerchiefs
- Length of rope
- 50 feet of paracord
- Carabiner
- Large trash bag
- Small Kleenex pack
- Firestarting supplies (magnesium/strike bar, lighter, waterproof matches, etc)
- ” Camp towel”
- Handcrank flashlights
- Mini-sewing kit, including safety pins
- Fishing line, hooks, sinkers
- Hand sanitizer
- Ponchos
- “Dry sacks” (nylon bags)
- Lightweight blanket and “emergency blanket”
- Tablet of paper & pencil
- HotHands & chemical cold packs
- Leatherman tool
- Shoe laces
- Superglue
- ShooGoo adhesive
- Granola bars
- Small pack baby wipes
- Deck of cards
- Pocket knife
- Emergency whistle
- Compass
- Adjustable (folding) saw
- Cup
- Bouillon cubes
- Ace bandage
- Water purification tablets
- Pocket Survival Guide
- Length of heavy-duty aluminum foil
- Snare wire
- Can opener
- Mini pry bar
- Tea bags & sugar
- Jar of peanut butter
- 5 cable zip ties
- Ziptop bag of toilet paper
- Duct tape
Some of those items may not have an obvious purpose to you, but many have multiple uses. For example, ShooGoo could repair a flapping sole or be applied to a splinter to put it out.
Believe it or not, that all fits inside a 19 qt box. It is ALWAYS with me. I resist the urge to leave it behind “to save space” on big grocery runs, long car trips, etc. That is undoubtedly the time I would end up needing it.
In a subsequent post, I will give the inventory of the other items I carry in the rest of my van.
PreppingToSurvive.com 
September 7, 2011 at 9:19 am
Good list I have similar kits in my vehicles – my suggestions:
Every car should have a first aid kit; equipment to replace a fuse (plus backup fuses), tools to change a tire, and jumper cables.
I would suggest having a fixed-blade knife like a Mora or something – pocket knife and even a leatherman cannot readily process wood or hold up well for many bushcraft/survival tasks you may need to perform.
Don’t forget gloves – I keep a pair of gloves (mechanix are good) in all my cars – even helpful when just changing a tire, etc. May want to add a couple pairs of nitrile sterile gloves for first aid use, too.
I like to have sharpie markers in my kits – if you need to leave a note for SAR, you could write the message on your hood, roof, window, etc. and it will not wash away.
Throw a couple split rings in with your trapping kit – can be used to construct engines for your snares, and I took one off my key ring to get a grip on a hose clamp to repair a split radiator hose that was too wide-gapped to grab with just the pliers on my leatherman.
I keep a small assortment of nuts and bolts as well as some baling wire, plumbers tape (with the holes) and JB weld in my toolkits.
The tablet of paper could benefit if it’s rite in the rain type, too.
September 7, 2011 at 10:55 am
What a great list of suggestions! Thanks.
Quite a few of those I keep somewhere in my van (door pockets, glove box, under-console basket,.. We have an upcoming post about those additional items).
Others (like the split rings, Sharpie, and nuts/bolts/JB Weld, I don’t think I have- yet. ;-)).
I appreciate your input!
September 7, 2011 at 8:04 pm
Great additions Dustin!
Laura also has a tire repair kit and a 12-volt mini air compressor with her as well. These are pretty inexpensive and store easily. Plus it helps just in case you have multiple punctured tires or your spare is flat.
Joe
September 7, 2011 at 9:12 pm
Very well thought out inventory. My fear is that if SHTF and I need to bug out, Using a vehicle may be a bad idea if there are road blocks for weapons searches or whatever. In that case we would be on foot and off the roads. It’s a good idea to build a kit for that scenario as well.
September 7, 2011 at 9:24 pm
Absolutely. I keep the same supplies as Laura in totes in my pickup. I have many items that will help under a wide variety of circumstances. If I have to leave the vehicle, I’ll take the items that I’m most likely to need and put them in a backpack that I also keep in the truck and head out on foot for home.
Good point.
Thanks!
Joe
October 26, 2012 at 9:52 am
Toilet Paper they make small camping rolls or regular sized rolls one in every car
December 18, 2013 at 7:22 am
in addition to, or instead of, the Ace bandage, consider a roll of VetWrap self-adhesive elastic bandage. Very useful “multi-tasker” stuff 🙂
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July 7, 2015 at 8:17 am
But what are the deck of cards for? I can’t even imagine.
September 13, 2015 at 5:35 pm
If you have infants don’t forget to keep formula, and clean water with extra bottles in your pack. Keep diapers, diaper cream and wipes as well. Remember Bridge Gate under Christie in New Jersey? People including children were stuck on the bridge in traffic for days! You never know what will happen anymore so always be prepared.
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