What do you keep in your car?

POSTED BY: SIGNYM
UPDATED: Wednesday, January 29, 2014 22:57
VIEWED: 2764
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NIKI2

Tuesday, January 21, 2014 11:44 PM

(Had to quote your post to read it all, it didn't wrap)

Uhhh, the Loma Prieta was a 6.9, just over 50 miles from us. Like I said, the serious damage was limited to two freeways collapsing and the "land fill" of the Marina doing it's jello bit.

Quote:
The most notable damage included the collapse of the elevated Cypress Structure section of Interstate 880 in Oakland, the collapse of a section of roadbed on the Bay Bridge, and extensive damage to downtown Santa Cruz and San Francisco's Marina District. http://www.consrv.ca.gov/cgs/News/Pages/loma_prieta.aspx

Beyond that, not much happened, and here in Marin, absolutely NOTHING. I have no doubt the Northridge was much worse, given all the buildings and freeways in L.A., but that's one place, one 'quake.

As to "power gas and water", what do they have to do with "in your car"? We're talking about "in your car", yes? If the question was "what do you have in your home in case of emergency?", it would be a whole different matter. But people IN THEIR CARS who were seriously affected by the Loma Prieta were only those on the Bay Bridge and the Cypress freeway--and whatever they had in their cars wouldn't have helped them anyway. Do you see what I'm saying?

1KIKI

Wednesday, January 22, 2014 1:21 AM

It has to do with what I said above - chances are, where you'll be is where your car also is. It does not a lot of good for YOU to prepare a fantastic earthquake (or survival or first aid) kit for your home if you're not there when an emergency event strikes. OTOH if you have such a kit in your car it covers YOU wherever you are - at home, at work, on a trip ...

So I personally think it's a good idea to keep your personal supplies in your vehicle, which is generally nearby. And as I also pointed out, I also personally count my vehicle as emergency shelter, so it's part of my preparedness plan as well.

Now, even if your vehicle is kitted out and you're away from home - but if you have dependent children at home as SignyM has - then it's also a good idea to prepare a home kit for those who are at home. And a good idea to have walking equipment in your vehicle - sneakers, backpack, jacket - in order to try to get back home even if roads are down.

BTW, one important thing I forgot to mention is cash. After the Northridge quake, internet connections were down. My bank - BofA - was offline for over a week. No ATM and no teller service was available, since they communicate over the same lines with a central computer. Another is a full gas tank. The connections between the gas station and the internet - as well as the automatic storage tank transponders - were down for a week as well.

I understand SignyM's caution. Signy is at work much of the day while her disabled daughter is at home. Signy can't afford to let anything happen to herself, and can't afford to put herself in a position where she'll be unable to return home. I think that's why she makes such an effort to be prepared.

Since I don't have dependents at home, my concern is more about my personal safety. ETA: And probably less than SignyM's. B/c while there are people who would miss me, there is no one who NEEDS me. So I can see how different people would feel the need for different levels of preparedness.

SIGNYM

Wednesday, January 22, 2014 4:46 AM

I have emergency supplies at home but no idea whether DD would know how to use them: she freezes up in emergency situations. No dependable neighbors. The 23 miles from work to home is walkable in two days, so my plan is to take my car as far as I can... I'll drive the tires right off the rims if I have to... and walk the rest of the way.

Oh yeah- pens, and a squeegee to clean off my rear window.

'S funny, in looking over "my stuff" I see that I'm intermittently organized. A lot of the stuff that I put in place I did so years ago. Haven't touched it since (I better replace those water bottles before they fail and wet everything!) Same with my desk and paperwork. When it gets organized, it's part of a big effort. Then I don't touch it for months. I guess I'm not very meticulous.

6IXSTRINGJACK

Friday, January 24, 2014 6:13 AM

You're not flying off the sanity rails Sigs, are ya?

You sound pretty much like I did when GWB was on his way out the door, and I phucking hated that guy.

SIGNYM

Friday, January 24, 2014 8:24 AM

Quote:
You're not flying off the sanity rails Sigs, are ya?
You sound pretty much like I did when GWB was on his way out the door, and I phucking hated that guy.

Huh? I'm talking earthquakes (They DO happen in SoCal, yanno) and you're talking GWB. What's the connection, if any?

FREMDFIRMA

Friday, January 24, 2014 3:28 PM

Well, come full armageddon, I'd have 1200watts of power off wind or muscle in a couple of hours, and in a week I'd have enough for lights and heat, AND I have a reserve vehicle with a points based ignition (immune to EMP) secreted nearby, which is capable of running off any mix from crummy gasoline to grain alcohol...

Hell, even some of the residents like to joke "When the Zombie apocalypse comes, I'm staying at YOUR place!" - really though, being prepared for damn near everything is what they pay me for, and there's an extra stipend in my wages for experimentation and equipment testing.

FYI, Hyundai makes a DAMN good generator unit, the HY2200si, which is remarkably quiet, efficient, and inexpensive, as such things go, which'll be handy as a supplemental till I can wrench a couple truck alternators should we ever lose the power grid.

-Frem

SIGNYM

Sunday, January 26, 2014 11:07 AM

Hey, can I stay at your place????

6IXSTRINGJACK

Sunday, January 26, 2014 6:56 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
Quote:
You're not flying off the sanity rails Sigs, are ya?
You sound pretty much like I did when GWB was on his way out the door, and I phucking hated that guy.

Huh? I'm talking earthquakes (They DO happen in SoCal, yanno) and you're talking GWB. What's the connection, if any?

You say tomato, I say tomato..... ;)

6IXSTRINGJACK

Sunday, January 26, 2014 7:06 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
Hey, can I stay at your place????

No kidding, right?

Sounds like Frem's doing everything I want to do "someday" when I can afford it. Right now, I'd just like to have some gutters and A/C and a furnace that is younger than my dad.

I'm supposed to work tomorrow night. It's not a far drive, but I'm afraid if the car isn't kept inside all night that it won't start for me on Tuesday when I get out. Not only that, but when it was only -13 outside a few weeks back I had frozen pipe issues (and I was home!). I'm really afraid what might happen to my house when I'm not around when it's another 7 degrees colder at -20.

Haha! I kinda thought it might be another 20 years before we saw temperatures that cold here. Little did I know we barely made it two weeks before getting slammed with even worse weather.

My advice to ANYBODY being hit by this second round of BS weather, no matter how pimped your ride is for the apocolypse, DON'T DRIVE ANYWHERE!!!! Stock up on stuff you'll need for the next few days today when it's 30 degrees and by nightfall STAY AT HOME for the next 48 hours.

If you've got a grandma or grandpa that's on their own, you might also consider extending an invitation to them for those days as well. I'm glad my dad lives only a few miles from my Grandma, but I'd hate for her to feel that cold for even a few minutes if her furnace chooses that day to die. She's been gambling with that thing for a few years and I hate when it gets this cold because I don't think she's safe. I'd invite her here, but even when it's 30 degrees outside it's cold enough in my house to have to wear a hoodie and a hat. :)

BE SAFE! BE WARM!

Only about 5 more weeks of this bullshit (hopefully!!!!!)

6IXSTRINGJACK

Wednesday, January 29, 2014 10:57 PM

Hope y'all kept warm :)

Hopefully, the worst is behind us for the midwest this year.

I'll never again be so foolish as to say that we'll likely never see temperatures that low again for 20 years.

Here's hoping for a mild February, right? :)

P.S. "Lake Effect Snow" can suck it!

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