What do you keep in your car?

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Originally posted by 1kiki:
I have a question for you Frem

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Allright.

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As a former EMT I look on commercial first-aid kits as toys.

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Which they prettymuch are, as-sold, comfort treatment for minor boo-boos, sure.

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rolled up corrugated cardboard (splints for broken bones)

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I use plastic folding ones from Morrison Medical, as cardboard might get drenched in a rough weather situation or bloodsoaked from a bleeding compound fracture and then fail just when most needed - also got some quick-cast rolls in there, I think.

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Any suggestions to add to the medical kit?

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Well considering much of the stuff which'd be MOST useful is either prescription only, illegal to possess (real painkillers, etc), hard as hell to get or ludicrously expensive, not much I can add beyond suggesting a bottle of distilled water to clean off/out the injury, cause rarely do such things happen in a clean environment.

One REALLY good suggestion though, is to pitch the effing box it came in, seriously those things are bloody useless - and then go raid the local camping store for a heavy fishing tackle box and load that mother up good and proper, better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.

Ironic bit to that, normally that might be a problem as I have some very strict limits (religious basis) about giving medical aid, but since the only folk around here likely to actually need it are ones I have been financially compensated by contract to look after, that sidesteps the issue rather handily by categorizing them in a fashion that allows me to do so.

-F

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THANKS! for the tips, with special mention re splint material. I truly appreciate it.

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That's TRULY impressive Signy.

I've got a jack, and a flat spare tire. Oh... I do have a nice Black and Decker jump starter that also has an inflation device for the tires and has a really bright light, can play the radio and has some A/C outlets for use with small things like phone chargers (it's saved me more than once, and in different ways... I recommend it to anyone at around only $90 bucks or so). That's it though.

Fortunately, I only drive half a mile to work and walk a lot of the time when the weather is nice if I'm not waking up late with a hangover. Since I'm the single guy with the work-in-progress house, I tend to have people over much more often than driving to their place. Kinda sweet that my gas expenditure for my ride for an entire year has been less than $300 bucks the last 2 years.

I don't even have a car stereo. Got some nasty electrical issue in my car that NEVER happens when I take it in somewhere so nobody can figure it out. Occasionally during this bitter cold weather I find myself having to ride the gas and brake at the same time when hitting a stop light or sign, but when the radio was still in it happened all the time. Weird, huh?

Bottom line, it's an A-B car. If it's more than 20 miles between A and B, I just meet up at somebody's house and ride with them.

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Usually, just a tool box, ice scraper, tissue, a lighter, flashlight, and change.

Though if Ive been filming anything, Ive been known to leave stuff like tripods, lights and on occasion, swords, in the back seat for weeks on end.




"Goram it kid, let's frak this thing and go home! Engage!"

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If I lived in earthquake land, I might be more cautious. The odds of needing provisions are higher out there.

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Not really, Mal4. 'Quake hits and you're in your car, unless you're on an overpass that pancakes or something, it doesn't mean much. Weather here isn't such that you'd necessarily need blankets, and the odds of being far from food or water are only if you're out in the boonies and the roads are destroyed. I should think there'd be much more need for survival gear if you lived in a cold state in Winter or something...or maybe tornado country or hurricane land? Dunno, but 'quakes and survival gear in a car wouldn't mean much to us.

Now as a general RULE, like running out of gas in the desert or being stuck in snow, yes, that stuff would be meaningful.

As to mine: A sulky, with all the flat-tire gear that entails, two big gallon jugs of water (to fill the sulky bottles for the dogs), usual car-tire-changing stuff, grocery bags, cold-weather gear (for the sulky, it "lives" in the car), flashlight (for night runs) spare leashes, extra doggie bags, dog water bowl...you can kinda tell where we're at. Car breaks down, I'd hook up the sulky and go on my way. ;o)

As to 'quakes, it's the media that makes them seem so bad; not nearly as many people (in America) have been injured/killed from 'quakes as from hurricanes, tornadoes, or I'd venture floods. We had friends from around the country calling to see if we were okay after the Loma Prieta, when actually it was only a couple of places in the City and Oakland that were seriously affected. You know the news: If it's dramatic, those are the pictures you'll see.

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I don't think So Cal is capable of generating a 9.0, but if you look at even modest-sized quakes like Northridge (6.7) and the Hector Mine quake (7.1 what used to be called Landers Big Bear), it put power gas and water out to large chunks of the population for up to 5 days (water). http://books.google.com/books?id=WNG3kZhu30sC&pg=PA40&lpg=PA40
&dq=northridge+earthquake+power+water+gas+%2Brestored&source=bl&ots=aOUFQA-_mP&sig=EgeSb3Ykcrfn8cuwVKecSNo4LKs&hl=en&sa=X&ei=SrreUrCBAdXdoASOr4LwBA&ved=0CDoQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=northridge%20earthquake%20power%20water%20gas%20%2Brestored&f=false

I don't know if you've experienced a similar-sized quake within 50 miles of your home, if not - lucky you!

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