Feb 5, 2002. Found this on the site I mentioned last week. A good article on how to stock an emergency car kit. I like this man's wife's attitude. Note that they are located somewhere in our region. Paul ( Note to nephew: I am including you from now on in my "survival" articles.) Dear Frugal; I confess, I have been a file leach on your homepage for nearly a year. I have greatly enjoyed your site and consider it the best of its kind on the net (superfluous butt smooching). I am now writing to you out of sheer selfishness (for the most part). I would like to get a password to access your library. Since I am too cheap (frugal?) to send a monetary donation I have enclosed an article that might be of interest to your readers. Sending a few inflated dollars would be the easy way to accomplish my purpose (library access to feed my information habit), but a file that I have created would be sending something of myself (isn't it disgusting to hear someone justifying their cheapness!). Here goes. Thoughts on a car emergency kit. My wife's job forces her to travel throughout the western region of North Carolina regardless of the weather. Western N.C. is predominately mountainous and rural with weather that is unpredictable in any season. My intentions were to create a kit that could be useful throughout the year, provide aid and comfort for the most likely contingencies, be portable, inexpensive and simple enough for her level of survival training. With these design criteria established I assembled the following units. Shelter Unit Military space blanket- Also known as a casualty blanket. This item is made of a heavy duty thermal reflective plastic with reinforced grommets along the edges. The primary use of this item would be conservation of body heat, but it can double as a shelter should she need to abandon the auto. Parachute cord- About 50' of 3/16" to provide attachment for above. Numerous other uses. Leaf bag- A heavy duty leaf bag to serve as emergency rain coat when holes are cut for head and arms. Can also be used as a ground sheet. Clothing Unit Military BDU pants- Made of a reinforced cotton/polyester blend, these pants are made for rough usage. I picked a size large enough to accommodate thermal underwear. Turtleneck longsleeve shirt- Cotton/polyester blend. A light to medium weight wool shirt would be better. Will upgrade soon. Underwear- A complete change of lingerie is worth its weight in gold to a lady. Forget the stuff from "Frederick's", we're talking utility. Socks- Two pair, light weight wool/nylon. Shoes- A pair of athletic shoes in their mid-life stage with good laces. Gloves- Wool, military issue glove liners. 2 Hats- One is a "boonie" style for rain, the other is a stocking type for maximum heat retention. Bandanna- Plain old cotton hankie, 1001 uses. All items are stored in a plastic trash bag. Comfort Unit Soap- Small bar of "hotel" soap. Shampoo- Single use "hotel" packet. Toothbrush- Kid sized. Toothpaste- Sample size. Dental floss- One of those ity-bity types the dentist gives you. Can be used for heavy duty sewing, suturing, snares, garrote, rappelling rope for insect, etc. Mirror- Small, for vanity or signaling. Contact lenses- My wife uses soft lenses that are individually packaged in saline solution. Sanitary napkins- For obvious and not so obvious uses i.e. tinder for fire making, bandage compress. Sponge- The dehydrated variety. All items packed in a Tupperware container. Sustenance Unit Water- Two 20 oz. softdrink bottles (plastic), two drops of bleach in each. Individually packed in a ziplock bag. Food- Since this kit was developed for a maximum 72 hr.s and my wife's vegetarian preferences I stocked this unit with several MRE pouches of baked beans, potatoes au gratin, crackers, peanutbuter, jelly, hard candy, cocoa, accessory packs and a package of "Datrex" food bars. When stocking your "pantry" remember that people under stress need more carbohydrates for energy, they will want to munch to help relieve stress and they will quite often refuse unfamiliar foods. Pack in ziplock bags for visibility/resealable. Spoon- Large and long, tough plastic or Lexan. Cup- I prefer the metal military canteen cup because you can cook or boil water in it. Water purification tablets- The chlorine based are better than the iodine based. Check the expiration date on the bottle and replace when needed. Fire Making Unit Matches- A small box. Lighter- Butane, childproof lock prevents fuel from escaping. Magnesium bar w/ striker- Air crew survival firestarter. Birthday candles- Stays lit long after a match would, indispensable for getting a fire going. Packed together with lighting unit. Lighting Unit Cyalume sticks- Two 12 hr. green. Flameless, no batteries, they are dated but I have used sticks that were years out of date and they still worked. Flashlight- Any flashlight that is small, tough and you can hold in your mouth to free both hands. One set of batteries should last for the duration, replace them yearly. Candle- For light/heat, I prefer the type used in candle lanterns because they stand up to high temperature better than most, sold in camping stores. First Aid Unit Bandages- Assorted fabric backed. Tape- Small roll, fabric backed, 2" width. Pain reliever- Whatever you use at home, several doses in 2 pill packs. Anti-diarrhea- A case of the trots while safe at home is a nuisance, when you are in a stressful situation you can not tolerate the potential dehydration much less the hygiene problems. A blister pack of Immodium should suffice. Antibiotic ointment- Small tube of opthamolic ointment, could be used in eyes, skin cuts, or warmed and poured in ear for earaches. I am not a doctor, this is not medical advice, proceed at your own risk. Antihistamine- Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) is a good choice for a runny nose, hayfever, or better than nothing for insect stings. Diphenhydramine will make you drowsy, keep this in mind. Prescription drugs- In a waterproof container, pack a 3 day supply of any medicine that you can not do without. Miscellaneous Compass- A good basic model will give you enough information to help orient yourself. Map- I chose a detailed highway map of our state, a topo map would be unrealistic for my wife. Whistle- Unless help is within speaking distance use the whistle for attracting attention. Swiss army knife- An ersatz version of the original with a passable cutting edge. Sewing kit- One of those promotional items with a couple of needles, some thread and a button or two. Pencil and paper- For leaving notes, a pencil will not smear when wet. Toilet paper- A half used roll in its own baggie. Money- About 25 bucks in small bills, some coins too. Phone numbers- A small list of friends and relatives. Survival manual- Army manual soon to be replaced by the military survival cards. New Testament- A palm sized version for inspiration in dark moments. This kit is stored in a military, medium sized "Alice" pack without the frame, its home is in the trunk of her car. The total weight is approx. 25 lbs. As you may have noted, there is no defense unit, this is because my wife relies upon a spiritual defense rather than physical. I don't completely agree with this, however I do respect her opinions and have designed the kit with her specific needs based upon her level of training. In the four years since I assembled this kit it has been put to use three times, once for an unexpected overnighter and twice for half day adventures stranded in ice storms. Total cost of this kit is under $100, most items are probably in your home now, many of the items are military surplus or freebies. For a small outlay I have provided my wife and myself with a little extra security. My (Paul's) additions: these come more from taking day hikes: Hand sanitizer: you can find substitutes for toilette paper, or paper towels, in the wild, but insuring that your hands remain clean can be a problem. If you are going to use leaves, make sure you know what poison ivy is. A had sanitizer is really a gelled form of alcohol. You rub it into your hands, and do not touch them to anything, and they will be disinfected. Sandy soil, or leaves, can remove matter from your hands you do not want, but they do not disinfect. Work Gloves: I already keep these in my truck. Most people are not used to chopping wood, or working with their hands. Work gloves are good. Walking stick: a good, light, strong walking stick is a pleasant companion, when you are by yourself. Helps in our "up-and-down" State, when on the hills. Gives you some assurance that you might "shoo" a dog off, or keep a snake at a comfortable distance. A stout, clean stick is best. I like a maple sapling, dried and de-barked, for strength and ease of carry. Hatchet, or folding saw, or machete: If you expect to have to spend a day in the woods you will want some kind of wood-reaper. The Estwing Campers Axe is a good choice. Always keep what you are chopping "low", in relation to you. Then, if the axe slips, it will mar the ground, and not your leg. (I don't carry any of these hiking, in controlled areas.) Field Knife: The actual Swiss Army Knife, from Victorinox, with the scissors included, is a God-Send. The tweezers are useless, unless you file them to a fine point, as I have. Actually, a cheap steak knife, with a paper "sheath" works fine as a field knife. You need a small sharpening stone, and can use the back of your belt for stropping. Medicines: he mentions medicines. Unfortunately, the heat of most cars will ruin most medicines. Read the panels on the back about storage temperatures. Cord: A good cotton variety cloths line is easier to use than parachute cord, and lasts longer.