Summer/Fall;
jumper cables
full-size spare tire on an old rim from my Dodge Shadow (so i lose a little cargo space, so what, i HATE temp-spares)
small 2-ton hydraulic floor jack (i also hate the mediocre “scissors” jack car manufacturers supply with the car)
Kryptonite braided Krypto-cable (12 footer) used primarily to lock my bike to the roof rack when i’m in less-secure areas, i suppose i could use the cable for other emergency things like a tow or pull cable
lightweight jacket (just in case)
ballistic nylon straps with spring clips on the end, normally used to secure my kayak to the roof rack, but you never know when a good set of straps might come in handy
my old Fila Taos mountain bike (normally it lives on the roof rack, but it goes in the trunk when it’s raining, and it’s raining today)
Spring/Winter
all of the above, minus the bike, and with the following added…
sleeping bag
spare heavy jacket, hat, and ski gloves
the full size tire on the rim is one of my old snow tires on another spare Shadow rim
I have a mini-van so I have no trunk, however I do have a stove in the back of my van. No, not a camp stove, an actual stove. It’s not hooked up of course. There’s also a small desk in the backseat. I’ve found that vans make for handy storage buildings.
2 empty gallon milk jugs (left from when the radiator sprung a pin hole leak)
1 brick (to help hold milk jugs upright when filled with water)
baseball glove
2 baseballs
bag of catcher’s gear
clipboard with my daughter’s softball team info (I coach)
daughter’s ball bag with bat, helmet, glove, water bottle, etc.
3 fishing rods
tackle box
bait bucket
So I’m all set. If I’m stranded in the widerness I can fish for food and play baseball for entertainment. Who could possibly need anything else? Oooh, that reminds me - I’ve got to put my jumper cables back in there!
Right now, an empty bottle of Tide detergent and a giant stain. It spilled on the way home from the laundromat.
In the winter, I keep a kit in a giant Rubbermaid tub, complete with the following:
emergency car kit with jumper cables, flares, etc
first aid kit
heavy-duty windshield scraper
large metal shovel
small metal shovel (trowel)
kitty litter or sand
heavy gloves, boots, wool socks, hats, scarves
blankets
granola bars
I do a lot of long-distance driving. My mom put the kit together. She went a little overboard, but if I did end up in a ditch, I’d be glad of it, I’m sure.
[ul][li]Skateboard[/li][li]Rollerskates in bag[/li][li]various knee and elbow pads and helmet[/li][li]2 pairs of basketball shoes (mine)[/li][li]various other shoes belonging to OhFace[/li][li]cargo net[/li]4 cardboard boxes to be used for an upcoming move[/ul]
And the winner of ther “Prepared to the point of looking paranoid” award goes to silenus.
I am a little dismayed that nobody said they had any vestige of first aid supplies until the seventh post.
As for me, I’m not traveling in arctic cold or desert heat, so thinks like blankets and ice scrapers are needless. I do have the full-size spare that came with the vehicle. Under the back seats are fix-a-flat, flares the jack and jumper cables. In the way-back are a small tool kit and first aid kit. Just the basics for urban life.
My Cherokee does not have a trunk, but a rear cargo area. This is what I have, based on memory:
[ul][li]An REI Backpacker First Aid Kit. Mine is an older model than the one pictured. I have two kits: One is attached to my ‘grip bag’, and the other is in the Jeep. I bought them after an accident occured on a film set and I used up nearly the entire contents of my old Johnson & Johnson kit that I had in the glove box.[/li][li]A ‘survival kit’ containing a small pocket knife, a magnesium fire starter, some fuel tablets, a ‘space blanket’, a few waterproof matches, and some Charms candy. It’s in an LC-1 compass pouch.[/li][li]A ‘roadside assistance’ kit containing a flashlight/flourescent light/flasher, booster cables, small electric air pump, revlective triangle, cloves, and a couple of other things.[/li][li]A cardboard box containing crap that gathers in the storage space[/li][li]An umbrella[/li][li]A nylon bag containing assorted straps[/ul][/li]Under the seat I have my jack, another set of booster cables, three road flares, and an entrenching tool. I used to carry a rope there as well, in case I, or someone else, needed to be pulled from a ditch or something; but I don’t remember if it’s still there.
The key for the tool box isn’t on the same ring as the keys for your truck, is it? It would be a shame to be that prepared and then blow it by not being able to get in the tool box once you locked your keys in your car (or lost them altogether).
Also:
For when you have to dive out of your girlfriend’s window naked and don’t have time to gather your things lest dear old dad tag you with the 12-gauge.
In my trunk, I have a large Rubbermaid Container, and in that container are the following:
[ul]
[li]Jumper cables in a neat little circular bag.[/li][li]2 quarts of motor oil[/li][li]Rope (see bungie cords above)[/li][li]Adjustable Emergency Belt (I’m not sure what I’d use it for, but it’s there anyway)[/li][li]First Aid kit[/li][li]1 can of de-icer (ice scraper is in glove compartment)[/li][li]extra tampons[/li][li]Wool blanket (see bungie cords above)[/li][/ul]
I also have a spare tire in the tire compartment, plus a 2 ton floor jack and a crowbar.
…This is such a weird post, since I cleaned out my trunk last night.
Actually, I carry a key card in my wallet for when I lock my keys in the truck. The jimmy is for breaking into student vehicles when they lock **their ** keys inside!
Living as I do in earthquake country, it is just prudent to have spare clothes somewhere. Not to mention having a change when you trash what you are wearing changing a tire or something like that.
A jacket.
A first aid kit.
A phone book.
A puzzle magazine.
An umbrella (actually, normally rides inside the car, but sometimes it’s in the trunk).
Jumper cables (unless they’re in the other car).
