Like a fair number of folks, I have always had a basic kit for each vehicle we owned. First aid, tools, flashlight, oil, water, blanket, chains, rope, jumper cables, maps, compass, road flares and fire starters.
Cleaning out my old truck and sedan and transferring the kits to the new vehicles, I checked the gear that had accumulated over nineteen years of ownership in the vehicles and trashed some, replaced some and added a few things to update the mix.
I found a few items that I envisioned if I needed them, things were not going well, but, better safe than screwed, so they were added to the kits.



The Celox is for that big gaping hole in someone where they are bleeding out. You pour this stuff in and it may keep them alive until the EMTs get there or you can get them to the ER. If you do not have it at home and in the car, take a look. Probably the best thing to come out of the Iraq wars.
I have had fire extinguishers in the car before, and they were not cheap and seemed to always have lost their charge when I checked them. The disposable one here is cheap, and according to Amazon lasts for years and works as well as any small rechargeable unit.
The lifestraw is for that lost in the woods scenario, or stranded due to weather or zombie apocalypse. You can use it to drink pretty much anything that looks like water and be reasonably safe.
I have great boltcutters, in the big toolbox at home. The few times I needed them was on the road confronted with some fallen fence, rusted lock or what not. This folding pair fits in a small space and goes with you.
The powercell is one of the Red Headed Irish Wisecrackers favorites. The size of two card decks, it holds a charge for four months and will power your cell phone for days but also can jump start a car without the need to line up, string cables and what not. She has amazed the guys at the shop during the winter when she pulled this little gem out and got their cars started during twenty degree weather.
Any interesting new essentials you have in your travel kit? Always looking for travel tested recommendations.



I thought of buying the deck of cards battery starter. How long have you had it? Recent or over years?
I have had one in each car for two years. Both have started other people’s cars. My jumper cables are nice and dry and unused.
Great post. I was just thinking I should be more prepared for trouble.
Several “space blankets” might be useful, and take up little space:
https://www.amazon.com/Emergency-Kit-Survival-Preparedness-Maintains/dp/B01N54TPTP/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1494349559&sr=8-4&keywords=foil+blanket+emergency
I have carried one in each vehicle in the first aid kit for years. Given we travel together, two makes a bit more sense.
I forgot to post the links for my items- here they are:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004NG8V1M/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Celox
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GABZTPY/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Bolt cutter
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006QF3TW4/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Lifestraw
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OV7HKA6/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Power bank
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001229JCU/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Fire extinguisher
Might I suggest you find your local survivalist or Army/Navy store and buy some battle wraps. They are small, light, packaged so they don’t go bad for a long time, and provide a great bandage for more serious wounds, a sling for arms, and help bind up broken limbs. There are Israeli battle wraps that are a bit bigger. Uniform of the day in the weeds was two battle wraps per man, generally worn in the elastic band around the cover to the helmet.
good suggestion
The Israeli product looks to be very good.
Can’t tell. ?Is that fire extinguisher halon. I loved halon extinguishers. They were on all the race cars – at least until you couldn’t get a big one.
here is an answer to that from amazon
“Halotron is a more environmentally friendly form of Halon.Both are extremely expensive and the price of this alone would indicate that neither is being used. Both Halotron and Halon do indeed come in portable extinguishers
By Taos Guy on May 3, 2017
No. This model uses “potassium lactate,” as indicated on the can and on the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) which may be searched for online (type “MSDS First Alert Tundra Fire Extinguisher” without the quotes, then look for a PDF (Acrobat) file; make sure it’s for the same mfr and model). Potassium Lactate (chemical symbol KC3 H5 O3) is a food additive. see less
By Skaizun on January 6, 2017 “
Pitchfork if you live in Florida and have run across a black racer and coral snake in one week. I don’t know what tool to buy for the 2 ft iguana I noticed crawling up my lantana tree today.
Honestly… I don’t live in the Australian Outback.
I’m just a ‘city girl’ looking to live in a non reptilian/amphibian environment! I have a koi pond that is starting to upset me because of the aggressive tree frogs that come out every night and start their very own Bud Light commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVcbasIb8lQ
“I don’t live in the Australian Outback”
No, you live in the tropics. Well, close.
In the Outback, I think, your worse problem would be flies.
The iguana is a good critter
Re: the frogs. Perhaps I should hire one of the Robertson brothers?
Haha!
Iguanas are veg eaters – not dangerous.
?Was that really a coral snake. King snakes look like corals but are non-venomous. Corals, OTOH are HIGHLY venomous. The ditty taught ED docs is: “Red on black, venom lack. Red on yellow, kill a fellow.”
Yes Dev!