By John D. McCann
There are many types of vehicle survival kits. They can be broken down into the type of vehicle that is being used, the activity being performed, and the environment in which the activity is being conducted. Of course, we always know the type of vehicle for which the kit is being made. We normally know the activity we plan on performing, such driving a car into the country, taking a truck off road, fishing with a boat, whitewater rafting, or maybe flying for fun. However, we cannot always be certain of the environment; therefore, we need to plan for the worst so we don’t have to hope for the best.
Vehicle kits will be broken down into the following categories for ease of discussion:
Each type of vehicle kit should include items or equipment that will not only provide you with the personal survival items you need (which should be in your personal survival kit and carried in the vehicle), but also those necessary to fix or repair the type of vehicle you are using, to supplement your personal items and provide additional equipment for the specific activity in which you are involved. And because you are using a vehicle, you can carry larger items, or more items, than with a personal kit.
Obviously, your personal survival kit is the basis for your survival. Although you should always carry at least a mini kit on your person, a small, medium, or large kit can be left in a car or truck. Even an aircraft and larger boats should have a designated survival kit. But when you get into smaller modes of transportation such as canoes, kayaks, snowmobiles, or ATVs, you will need to remember to include one of your survival kits as the personal survival component of the overall kit.
You should keep in mind that a vehicle can also provide various emergency survival items itself. Most cars and trucks have a rearview or side mirror, which can be broken off in an emergency and used as a signal mirror. Vehicles are full of wires that can be used for lashing, and seating material and carpets can be used for protection and insulation from the cold. The list could go on and on, but always examine what you have (thinking outside the box) and determine how it might be used for other than which it was originally intended.
As mentioned above, you should have a personal survival kit that goes with you when you get out of the vehicle. You should also have equipment that can be used to repair your vehicle. This should include a spare tire, jack, and lug wrench, in the event you get a flat tire. Additional tools for minor repairs should also be considered, such as screwdrivers, pliers, a hammer, and a hacksaw. Jumper cables, a tow cable or strap, tire chains (if in an extremely snowy area), and possibly some small replacement parts such as fan belts and radiator hoses should be carried. A shovel can be extremely useful in many situations and a small ax or saw can assist removing a tree across the road.
Safety items should always be maintained in your vehicle. These items would include flares, a reflective safety vest, heavy work gloves, and a brightly colored flag to hang of your side mirror to warn of an emergency situation.
For personal survival, a container of water (as large a container as is practical, or several smaller bottles) should be carried. Keep in mind that if you are in an area where the temperature goes down below freezing, you should carry the water in a metal canteen or other type of container that can be placed over a fire or stove to melt the water (or melt snow into water).
Some extra food, rain gear, a first aid kit, some survival blankets, a regular blanket, and some duct tape are also items that should be included. In cold regions, you should also carry extra clothing. If you normally wear dress shoes for work, a pair of hiking shoes or boots should be kept in your vehicle. If you have to leave your vehicle and walk, you won’t want to be wearing dress shoes. In the winter, I carry a pair of winter boots, especially when I’m working in a suit and tie with dress shoes. I also carry a winter parka, as a dress trench coat only goes so far in a blizzard.
For emergency communications, you should have a cell phone. At one time vehicle cell phones were permanently mounted in the vehicle, but today everybody has a handheld device so if you have to leave the vehicle, the phone can go with you. The same is true for CB radios. There are vehicle-mounted units, but you can get handheld units that can be used in or out of the vehicle. If you are an Amateur Radio operator, you should have a portable. Multipurpose is always the way to go.
If room is available, there are some additional items that could prove useful. These could include a 12-volt emergency power supply, a power inverter, a portable compressor, a small survival stove, and a metal cup or pot to boil water, cook food, or melt snow for water.
Of course, the size of your vehicle limits the amount of equipment and supplies that you can carry. However, with a little innovative effort, you will be surprised at how much stuff you can store in a small amount of space. Remember to select items that will serve more than one purpose, reducing the overall package.
When I speak of trucks, I’m talking about personal transportation vehicles, such as pickups and SUVs. Some pickups and SUVs are four-wheel drive, and if you go off road, you need even more equipment than if you stay on normal roads.
Obviously, trucks have more room than automobiles, which means your equipment can be stored in a larger bag or container, or you can segregate items into containers of various sizes. Some trucks have room to build a container, such as a box, in the back or behind the seat to contain your survival gear.
The first thing you need to include is your personal survival kit. I recommend a medium or large kit for a truck, especially if you go off road. All the items discussed for automobiles would also be appropriate for a truck kit. However, with the additional room, you can increase the amount of food and water, as well as some additional equipment to assist in getting unstuck (again, especially for those going off road).
Some handy items for a truck are a tow strap, some recovery straps, a portable come-along (also known as a power puller), D-shackles, snatch-block pulleys, and some heavy work gloves. If your vehicle is high, you also might consider a High-Lift jack. Another nice but expensive (especially if you don’t do a lot of off-roading) piece of equipment is a permanent winch mounted on the truck.
I try to keep the same supplies in my truck at all times, adding special items as needed for specific trips. I keep a bag that carries a blanket, some rope, two MREs, a 32-ounce Nalgene bottle with an Alpine cup on the bottom, an Esbit stove with four solid fuel cubes, a Sierra survival stove (see chapter 8), duct tape, parachute cord, a Mora knife, an original Becker BK-3 Tac Tool and BK-7 Combat Utility knife, a radio with a wind charger, a small compressor, work gloves, five light sticks, a poncho, and three large contractor bags.
I have a flashlight mounted to the dash of my truck and a fire extinguisher mounted to the center console. A rescue tool for cutting the seat belt and breaking the window is mounted to the headliner between the two front seats so either the driver or passenger can reach it. A head lamp is kept in the glove box, which is especially handy for changing a tire at night.
A 12-volt power unit with jumper cables and an AC voltage regulator are also part of my normal equipment, along with a 2.5-gallon water container. This container is nice, as it is half the size of most heavy-duty water containers, making it easier to carry.
Additional equipment includes a small bag with rain gear, hat, and gloves. I also keep a folding shovel (and a collapsible snow shovel in the winter), a hatchet, a Sawvivor saw, and a tool kit. These are my tools for various emergency chores. I also keep a tow strap, D-Shackles, a come-along, and a Hi-Lift X-TREME jack. A large first aid kit is always present as are a roll of duct tape, some flares, and an emergency vest and flag. When driving in the back country, I also carry my M6 survival rifle with a built-in survival kit.
Use the automobile survival kit checklist and add the following items.
The type and size of boat will dictate what type of boat kit is required. For the purpose of this discussion, we are mainly concerning ourselves with smaller boats such as canoes, kayaks, inflatables, and small fishing boats used for freshwater adventures.
Keeping in mind that when you are on the water with a boat kit, there is equipment essential to this type of transportation. First, your personal survival kit should be in a waterproof container. If you want to carry a kit that is not normally waterproof, either place it in a waterproof container or double-bag it in freezer bags, placing the first one upside down in the second.
You should carry an additional waterproof bag or container with an extra set of clothes and a towel. They make a very lightweight towel called the “pack-towel” that can be packed down very small. Emergency rations should also be a part of this additional container.
Your next piece of gear should be a personal floatation device (PFD). Try to get one with several pockets that either zip or have Velcro fasteners. Include emergency devices in these pockets such as a strobe, signal mirror, and signal flares. I have D-rings on mine and attach a survival whistle to one of them on the outside. Also add a fire-starter kit, a survival blanket, and a flashlight. A quality knife in a sheath should be attached to the outside. If there is room, add some energy bars. The idea is that if you fall overboard and lose your other equipment (I’m not talking about the ocean here, but fresh water), you should have on you the essentials to survive. Fire starting is important because you want to get warm and dry as quickly as possible.
For the boat itself, you should have an extra paddle (tied inside the boat), a throw bag (for tossing to a person overboard), and something with which to bail water, or a small bilge pump. A roll of duct tape is also a good idea, as it can be used to help repair the boat as well as a broken paddle.
All gear and equipment placed in the boat should be secured by tying it down. If the boat is capsized, you don’t want your stuff floating downstream, or worse, sinking.
If you are on a wilderness trip, you might consider a weapon. The Henry US Survival rifle discussed at the end of chapter 8 would be a good choice, as the entire rifle is stored in a flotation stock, making it ideal for waterborne operations. A larger fishing kit would also be a good choice since you are already on water, and catching fish would be a readily available food source.
Secure all gear by tying it down
A survival kit for an aircraft should be able to accommodate the amount of people on the aircraft. An individual kit is not required for each person, but the total equipment available should be able to provide for everyone. Of course, if you are flying, you will have a personal survival kit with you. But you can’t always count on everyone else being as prudently equipped.
All survival gear, excluding your personal kit, should be stored in either a large pack or carry bag that can be readily transported away from the aircraft in the event that is necessary, such as the threat of fire or explosion.
At least one good fire-starting kit should be incorporated with the minimum of a magnesium fire starter, waterproof/windproof matches, a lighter, some candles, and fire starters such as cotton balls saturated in petroleum jelly or Tinder-Quik fire starter tabs. A good quality waterproof flashlight with extra batteries should be available for the minimum of every other person.
There should be a supply of drinking water and emergency food and rations, again, for the amount of people present. Include bouillon cubes, tea or coffee bags, and sugar. A stove, such as an Esbit Pocket Stove, and cooking utensils should also be included, with at least one cup for each person. Include several water bags for storage, as well as a means to purify water.
In addition to emergency sleeping bags (or real sleeping bags if room is available) and parachute cord, tube tents or other types of emergency shelter should be available for everyone on board.
A good-sized fixed-blade survival knife, and a machete or ax should be included in the kit along with a folding saw, a survival saw, and a multipurpose tool. Some additional repair tools to include are a hacksaw, vise grip pliers, and a good quantity of duct tape.
A first aid kit that can handle the number of people present and any severe injuries that may result from a crash landing should be part of the package. This kit should also include lip balm, sunscreen, insect repellent, and a head net for each person.
Signaling devices should include at least one signal mirror, a survival whistle, signal flares, a strobe light, and a signal panel and flagging tape. If there is room available, a couple of whistles and signal mirrors would be better. A good-quality orienteering compass should be included for navigation.
For food collection, include a freshwater fishing kit, some SpeedHooks, several survival yo-yos, a gill net, and some commercial snares or snare wire.
Finally, include some aluminum foil, toilet paper, a sewing kit and a survival manual. If a weapon is desired, the Henry US Survival Rifle would be ideal, as well as the M6 Scout rifle.
I’ve talked to numerous people who drive snowmobiles and it never ceases to amaze me how many don’t carry a survival kit, even though they travel at relatively high speeds over various terrain for ten or more miles. I ask what happens if they break down ten miles out in the woods, and they respond that they never really thought about it. This is when a survival kit is important. To build a serviceable snowmobile kit, a personal survival kit would be your starting point, adding additional items as indicted below.
Of course, you should have repair items to keep your machine going if it breaks down. This would include basic repair parts and tools, extra gas and oil, and a tow rope if you are out with more than one machine.
If you are snowmobiling, you are out in a cold conditions, so you should have a survival kit that will help you survive that environment. A rack of some type on your snowmobile may be handy to accommodate additional gear. Extra warm clothes are important, especially if you have to spend a night in the wilderness. To protect you from the elements, include shelter options, such as a tube tent or lightweight tarp. If room allows, a small one-man tent would also be a great advantage. A survival sleeping bag would be a minimum; a small sleeping bag would be better.
A small stove is needed to melt snow into drinking water, and some emergency rations are needed to keep your energy level up in the cold. Snowshoes and a collapsible snow shovel should be attached somewhere to your snowmobile. If you end up having to walk out, you will be glad you have the snowshoes.
ATVs (all-terrain vehicles) are similar to snowmobiles, as they are often used as recreational vehicles. Although ATVs are taken out into the wilderness, I often get the same response from owners questioned about survival kits: “What survival kit?”
A survival kit for an ATV should be similar to that for a snowmobile. Repair parts and tools, extra gas and oil, and a tow rope are a must. If you don’t have a winch on the machine, you might consider a small come-along to get yourself out of a sticky situation. There are many types of ATV racks that provide extra storage space for carrying gear.
You still need a good personal kit, with additions to the shelter and emergency food or rations section. Unless you take your ATV out in the snow, you should trade the snow shovel for a folding shovel, and leave out the snowshoes.
Additional clothing should depend on the environment and season. Carry extra water and something in which to cook in addition to a first aid kit. Don’t take a chance. If you break down and have to spend a night in the wilderness, be prepared.
While there are some similarities between the different vehicle survival kits, there is gear that is specific to the type of vehicle being used. Always remember to keep the environment, number of people, and weather conditions in mind when venturing out. Some gear will provide for all of these factors, while some items must be specifically chosen to serve in certain circumstances.
Vehicle kits are not difficult to make. Plan for the worst, and be prepared to survive! Find more survival kit packing instructions in Build the Perfect Survival Kit by John D. McCann available at store.livingreadyonline.com.