Suggestions for a cheap vehicle kit

[Murph]

Here's a list of possibles I came up with, but it's pretty bulky, and also expensive. Especially when many of these items double up on contents of my BOB. Reduency is nice, but I don't have the funds to have 2 of everything yet. Anyone want to post what they have for a cheap vehicle kit?

Case of Bottled Water
2 MREs

Flares
Lighter
Matches
Candles
Sterno
Hand Warmers

Blanket
Tarp

Bug Spray
Suntan Lotion
Med Kit

Jumper Cables
Flash light
Fire Extinguisher
GI Fold Shovel
Snow Brush
Fix A Flat
Socket Set
Multi-tool

Camp Chairs
Anti Freeze
Oil
Back Pack
Bungie Cords
Tuck Tape
Electrical Tape
Pencil
Rope
Disposable Camera

Jacket / Fleece
Hat
Set of Clothes
Poncho
Boots
Gloves
Safety Vest
Knife

[Gatorfarmer]

I think I posted all the junk that was in my car not too long ago in a thread about "what's in your car". In that thread I did somehow manage to omit the cell phone charger and the flashlight in the glove box.

Are you starting from scratch or do you already have some of what you listed?

Some personal observations/suggestions based on your list -

Ditch the MREs. Mainstay rations will be more shelf stable. The heat of sitting in a closed car in the hot VA sun doesn't do wonders for the shelf life of MREs.

Sterno- eh... you could just put in a big bottle of hand sanitizer. It's cheap and it burns pretty well.

You could get a lot of what you want in a 30 dollar Walmart road emergency kit

I'd add maps, a cell phone charger, one of those crank radios (or at least a crank light) that will also charge a cell phone. Couple light sticks, a flash light and some caffeine tabs might be helpful too. Oh and a whistle. I always like to have a whistle. One of those dollar hairbrush/mirror combo units from Target is also a joy. And don't forget toilet paper and an empty coffee can or some such.

I'm guessing Tuck Tape was a typo and you meant Duct Tape.

If you're worried about snow, kitty litter and a small snow shovel will be better than the GI tri fold. I also have tire chains left over from when I lived in WA. (I'm from MI, so grew up with more snow than one is likely to find in VA.)

[Murph]

Yes, a fair amount of this stuff I already have.

As far as shelf life for MREs, I just ate a Sloppy Joe mix one that had been in my trunk for at least a year. The tabassco had exploded, and the sugar cookies were broken up, but otherwise it was just fine.

I use to have the kitty liter in there when I was living in Upstate NY, but the winters are pretty mild down here in VA. I guess I just need to get off my ass and assemble what I can an put it back in the trunk.

[Gatorfarmer]

Yes, a fair amount of this stuff I already have.

As far as shelf life for MREs, I just ate a Sloppy Joe mix one that had been in my trunk for at least a year. The tabassco had exploded, and the sugar cookies were broken up, but otherwise it was just fine.

I use to have the kitty liter in there when I was living in Upstate NY, but the winters are pretty mild down here in VA. I guess I just need to get off my ass and assemble what I can an put it back in the trunk.

I'm probably paranoid about my food. The official booklet that I have about MREs around here somewhere (prepared in disturbing loving detail - you could tell someone really liked their MREs) has a chart with shelf life under various temperatures. I'm sure that operationally some sit out in the sun for longer than the booklets claim is a good idea, but at the high end of the temperature chart shelf life drops dramatically and cars get fairly hot in the summer. Of course the sloppy joe mix is one of the yummier varieties, and also beef based, so it might be somewhat hardier. I've eaten granola bars and Cheez Its that have sat, so perhaps my worries are for naught. I do like that Mainstay bars, while not tasty, seem to survive a wide range of temperatures. (Well some people probably like them.)

I recently added a sleeping bag to the back of my car, not a great one, but a cheap/serviceable one that I don't care about.

An empty gas can might be handy as well along with a syphon pump. I've also gone back to keeping Tyvek coveralls in the car as they can keep clothes from being ruined while changing a tire or working on something. They run about 10 bucks or so at Home Depot.

If you have room, one good way to organize everything is to just put it in a rubber maid plastic tub.

[MosinMe]

That's a shit load of goods you have listed there

I keep in my Jeep wrangler under teh back seat...
-MRE.
-2 bottles of water.
-Tire iron. (For changing tires and for when Shit gets real )
-2 swiss alpenflage ponchos.
(In waterproof shoulder bag)
-Jumper cables.
-Full change of clothes.
-Needle nose pliers.
-Few wrenches for fixing various Jeep parts.
-Granola bar.
-Philips screw driver.
-Small FM radio.

I plan to add a few more things course' but that's what I have stashed so far

[BigDanInTX]

I'm guessing Tuck Tape was a typo and you meant Duct Tape.

Maybe not. You have seen Silence of the Lambs, right? ;-]

[gart43]

People already mentioned it, but I'll reinforce the point, add some cat litter in there.

Not only can you use it to gai ntraction, but, you can put it in your trunk which (read as might) should help keep your car from sliding into the ditch. It'd be great if you had a VW, than you could put it in the front to keep the front tires down a little .

[phil_in_cs]

I noticed the lack of camp chairs / stools in my car the last time I broke down. I had some shade, but standing there was tedious. Texas has a statewide roadside assistance plan; a central 800# that fans you out to the county sheriff's office to dispatch a tow truck. But, it took 45 minutes to get him there...

I don't think I need the snow brush. I'm not sure I've ever actually seen one.

Safety vests are a must; have them for your passengers too. Wallymart has some 'joggers vests' that are about 1/2 the price of the ANSI vests I've found. I also have a strobe light from CountyComm. About 5% of cars like to see how close they can get to a stranded car without hitting it.

Fix-A-Flats can get too hot; I loaned one to a friend and it pretty much blew all the junk out around the valve head without putting much into the tire. It was about 105 that day. Getting hot and cooling off doesn't seem to hurt them though; they just have a problem if its hot when you use them.

This is a good list; I need to inventory my car and see what's there and what's missing.

[Murph]

Camp chairs are one of those things that's always good. I dunno how many places I've been that were short on seating for everyone, and I was all set.

The other everyday use things to have would be Sun Screen, Bug Spray, and Bottled Water. I use that stuff all of the time.

[Murph]

Here's what FEMA / Red Cross suggest in their pamphlet "Preparing for Disaster"

-Flashlight, extra batteries, and maps.
-First aid kit and manual.
-White distress flag.
-Tire repair kit, booster/jumper cables, pump, and flares.
-Bottled water and non-perishable foods such as granola bars.
-Seasonal supplies: Winter - blanket, hat, mittens, shovel, sand, tire chains, windshield scraper, florescent distress flag; Summer - sunscreen lotion (SPF 15 or greater), shade item (umbrella, wide brimmed hat, etc).

[carouselle]

WD 40
Instant Hot Pack / foot or hand warmer
Instant Cold Pack

[Murph]

WD 40
Instant Hot Pack / foot or hand warmer
Instant Cold Pack

And Duct tape

[FanaticalModerate]

+1 on the spare clothes, highway vest, and maps.

On maps - if you're still in Virginia (especially NoVa, Richmond, or the Va Beach area) have up to date copies of every ADC "book" map relevant to your area, ditto for DeLorme's State Maps of VA, MD, and maybe NC & WV. Up to date maps are best, but a full set will cost you. Used ones might be available at used book stores or thrift shops, or maybe ask some real estate agents if you can have their old ones.

These aren't just for a PAW - traffic can get mightily snarled, and being able to navigate quickly through secondary and tertiary roads might restore hours of quality time during your 4th of July or Labor Day vacation!

I also recommend the little "Ref" series of books: "Pocket Ref," "Auto Ref," and "Pocket Partner."

[sheddi]

Here's what is in my trunk tool kit. It's written in British English so apologies for anything that makes no sense :

12v fluorescent lamp
12v hazard lamp
2D torch
2kg ABC fire extinguisher
Tow rope
DIN13164 first aid kit
15m x 5mm nylon string
Adult hi-vis vest
Child hi-vis vest
Wheel brace
Jump leads
Warning triangle
Baby wipes
Spare bulb kit
Haynes manual
1/4" / 3/8" socket set
Screwdriver set
Ring spanners
Open-ended spanners
Combination spanners
Multitool
Mole grips

You can add in a road atlas, spare pre-paid cellphone and charger, a box full of bungies and ratchet straps, washer fluid, brake fluid, a blue polytarp, a pair of sunscreens, and a few other odds and ends that I can't recall right now

[DaveJohns]

My vehicle kit is woefully underprepped. I typically have either my GHB or BoB in the back, but as far as a pure kit for the vehicle, yea, I am hosed. Murph is right - it is tough going for all the redundant redundancies.

In my kit:

2 cans fix-a-flat
fire extinguisher
high outputflashlight
20' tow strap, 6000# capacity
toolkit
case of water (12L total)
duct and electrical tape
spare fuses
booster battery/air compressor/light
2x vehicle jacks
tire iron

and of course, my cellphone/charger/etc