The Basic Survival Package for Your Car

We hear about a lot of doomsdays scenarios, most of which are utter nonsense. One that is not, and which many, maybe even most people will eventually face is being stranded in the middle of nowhere. Fortunately the cell phone - probably our first and most important piece of modern survival gear - ensures that you are often only a phone call away from rescue.

Now, in event of the End of the World, you will need considerably more than we'll detail below. As for events like earthquakes, storm power outages, and so forth we'll cover another time. For now, let's just look at the survival situation most people in a western country are most likely to face. The car. Whether it's for yourself or your teenager who just got their license and is prone to accidents, safety is a must and the car is the best place to keep survival gear.

You're driving through a fairly remote area, no cell phone coverage, and something happens. Ideally you can leave the car running with the heater keeping you warm till rescue appears, probably in the form of another driver. Depending on what caused the problem, this should almost be a guarantee. During a sudden apocalypse with zombie hordes or a mysterious quartet of horsemen, this really wouldn't apply, but even in event of major disasters of the natural sort, or those caused by war (An EMP strike for instance) these tips should get you through things till help arrives. Some emergencies are strictly personal, others might be mass effects from weather or natural disaster, prepare for both. If you're stranded in the middle of nowhere and a hundred people are trapped in a collapsing building, where do you think emergency crews will go first?

Think 72 hours. Rescue is virtually guaranteed in that time frame, probably a great deal less, a few hours at most usually. You're in your car, you're stranded, and you may need to keep going for that long.

In your average survival guide or kit this is where they are going to start talking about signal mirrors and such. We have a brain of course, we don't need to pack a signal mirror into our car because it has three mirrors already, two on the side and one right smack in the middle. We want light, cheap, and compact. We also want stuff that is normally useful even in a small crisis or normal daily life. We are clever and we are ready to improvise.

Realistically you can survive for three days or even longer without food, but if you end up having to walk to safety you'll need food to keep your strength up. If you're in the middle of nowhere without cell phone reception it could easily be a dozen miles or more to the nearest civilization. So what should we keep in our trunk? Here are the basics:

Water - Get a case of bottled water. A dozen 1 liter bottles is probably the best. You can dehydrate very quickly even in the winter. You will probably have any number of non-emergencies where a bottle of water would be handy anyway. On long road trips having some water in the trunk is real handy when you're thirsty and you just passed a sign saying 'Next Exit 30 Miles'.

Food - There are many options here, and you can go without food for a bit, but the MRE (Meals Ready to Eat) is probably your best friend. If it's cold and you're going to be waiting a while, you should eat. The MRE is nice because it is compact, fairly cheap, and you can throw one in your trunk and it will still be edible years later. More is better, but even one will see you through almost any emergency you can expect. Even canned food is probably sufficient, lacking a tool to open it, you can probably bash it open with a rock, but a tool is obviously better, speaking of which...

Multi-tool - The Swiss Army Knife has mostly gone the way of the dodo in favor of these, I keep one in my glove box. Quality ones can be expensive, but a cheap one will do the trick too. These are just generally useful anyway, since your car will pretty much always be nearby you wherever you are and life is full of minor incidents where a screwdriver or pair of pliers would be handy.

Weather Gear - A poncho for rain and wind, a decent winter coat, hat, gloves, and a blanket. If your car breaks down you can't rely on a heater, and you can freeze to death pretty quickly in the winter. Even in a couple hours if things are bad enough, especially if you'll need to walk for rescue. You are most likely to get into a survival situation when the weather is awful. Once again, this is handy even for non-emergencies. You left home and the day turns out to be colder or wetter than expected, you've got the stuff you need in the trunk.

Note: Be Visible. A coat that has reflective panels, or is white, is best. You can pick up a reflective belt very cheap too. Remember that on a lot of back roads people speed like the Devil himself was in hot pursuit, when rescue arrives it is best not to be run over by it. Also, think about it, if you're a lone driver and you see someone walking down the road, even waving their hands, you might just speed by even if you see them. Someone with a reflective belt on is basically a mental billboard saying 'Emergency' and not 'Crazy Drifter'. They will definitely see you and I suspect be more likely to help. If you have chem lights (these are those little plastic tubes you crack and shake and they make light) hang one on you.

First Aid Kit - Lot of the time when you have car problems it involved some sort of crash and subsequent injury to you or your passenger. You may well be able to use your cellphone and call for an ambulance and it still might not get there in time, since survival in these cases can be measured in minutes. Keep a first aid kit in your car, preferably under the driver or front passenger seat. If someone just slammed into you from the rear, you might not be able to get into your trunk in a rapid fashion. Have one in your car and make sure you know how to use it.

Light - Road Flares, Chem Lights, Flashlights. You may be less likely to be out at night, but you're far more likely to have an incident at night. LED lights are much cheaper than they used to be, and are sturdier and longer lasting than incandescents.

The Key Chain: Keeping a little flashlight and pocket knife (sharpened) on your key chain is a must. If you crash your seat belt might well get stuck, and you may have to cut yourself free. Your key chain will be right there in the ignition with a flash light and a knife. You're hanging upside down in your flipped over car which is leaking fuel, that seatbelt probably just saved your life but may now be the paramount threat to your continued survival. All the emergency gear in the world won't help you if it's stuck in your trunk and you're stuck in your seat.

Keep in mind that when disasters strike the emergency services are often overwhelmed, they may well get your call, or see your vehicle, but have other priorities. Better not to gamble when a few simple steps will help. Better not to tie up emergency workers when you can do for yourself, at least temporarily. Alert them anyway, if you can, excessive courage is a leading cause of death.

At the very minimum, water, something to eat, light, a coat, gloves, a hat, first aid kit, and some sort of knife. Adjust based on your circumstances, but those are must have items.

Note to Parents: Your kids will eventually get a car and you will be in a position to advise at the very least. I know a lot of people who got lectured on keeping a bag of cat litter in the trunk for if they get stuck in the mud or snow, but never got told to keep a first aid kit in there. Do the smart thing. Get some sort of carry bag, you probably have tons of these lying around, old book bags from school, gym bags, whatever. Stuff a winter coat in there, get a survival blanket (those shiny ones, remember, reflective equals visible and visible equals good), get a few MREs, a poncho, some bottles of water, all the stuff on the list and put them in your kid's trunk. Get that first aid kit under their seat and the flashlight and pocket knife on their key chain. Try to think 'shiny', good odds are your young adult things all black is a wonderful choice in fashion, so make sure there kit is unfashionable and reflective. You should be able to do this for less than $50, especially since the clothing and bag should already be kicking around.

Your average young adult is far more likely to be in an emergency in their car and far less likely to know what to do. To make it worse, they are also less likely to possess the physical and mental fortitude to weather the proverbial storm than your average adult. Explain everything to them. Knowledge and willpower are the most important things to have in an emergency, and knowledge will bolster their willpower. Your kid is quite likely to suddenly decide to exercise their newfound freedom via vehicle to wander out to nowhere, but even if not, they may well drain the battery on their phone. They could easily have been talking on it when the accident occurs and the phone gets damaged when it flies out of their grip and smashes into the windshield. Stiff lectures on not using the phone in the car are certainly wise, but your child may well suffer from Earpluggium, a bizarre but common disease that strikes teenagers. It's symptoms are a tendency to look distracted and nod their head when getting important advice. Assume a high probability your kid can't call for help because the phone is out of juice, can't get reception, or was damaged. They may even have a functional phone but be unwilling to make a call because they were doing something that might get them in trouble with you or the law.

Some things that may pop up:

My water bottles are frozen - Your car engine is probably still warm, and you can tuck a bottle inside your coat to thaw.

My trunk is frozen shut or otherwise jammed - Do not smash it with a rock. If frozen, try to chip the ice off, you should have an ice scraper in your car. If the thing is just smashed, find something to pry it open with, you should be able to cut through the back seats to get at it. Your upholstery isn't worth your life.

Low visibility - Snow, rain, or fog remember you need to be visible. Stay off the road. In bad weather you can't be seen yet you might decide to walk on the road because it's been more recently plowed and the berm is all snow drifts or mud.

Heat - If you live in the south, snow is not a problem, heat is. Humid or dry, that water is real important. So is staying out of the sunlight. A bottle of sunscreen in your first aid kit is a good idea, and that poncho can be rigged up to provide shade. You are likely to be injured and in shock, which will only be worsened by heat and dehydration. You may want to keep a couple packages of Gatorade or similar with your water to help restore electrolytes. It is virtually impossible to drink too much water, so when in doubt, drink more. Avoid coffee and alcohol, since these will further dehydrate you, and there really shouldn't be in alcohol in your car anyway.

Bad Ideas - Resist the temptation to try anything weird like sucking gas out of your tank to use for warmth or a beacon fire. These sort of things don't work well. If it's cold and your engine still runs, don't roll up the windows with the heater on full blast or you will probably get carbon monoxide poisoning, wiggle your fingers and toes a lot so as to prevent frostbite and possible amputation. If your door is jammed shut and you can't get the window open, before trying to punch through the glass, ask yourself if the other doors work, if you have something hard you can hit the window with beside your hand, if you have something you can wrap around you hand to protect of from bits of broken glass. Lot's of times, because of panic and shock, people will overlook good ideas in favor of bad ones. Make yourself calm down and think rationally, or you may be a greater threat to your own survival than the emergency around you. Do not worry about the damage to your vehicle, it will still be just as damaged tomorrow when you and your passengers are safe, thinking about it will probably just panic you further.

Travel - If you have to leave your vehicle, remember to stick to the roads, but try to stay off them. Roads go somewhere, and roads have traffic with people who will help. Don't try to shave off some distance by cutting cross country. Bring all your gear with you, leave a note at your car explaining what happened and where you're going. If the police come by and find an empty car with a note, they'll find you. The modern GPS systems are great, but try to keep hard copies of maps when in areas you don't know, electronics require electricity after all. Don't travel if you're injured unless you absolutely have to. If some disaster caused your emergency, and your radio still works, find a channel and find out what's going on. I'd suggest a compass, but if you are in the middle of nowhere knowing which way is north is unlikely to be of much assistance anyway, still, it definitely won't hurt.

Lastly, remember, don't panic. With the right knowledge and even the most basic of equipment, you'll be fine. Feel free to leave additional tips of your own via comments, and stay safe.