Recently and over the years I’ve had a few instances where having survival gear in my car has really helped. Although I’m not always consistent on what gear I actually have due to multiple vehicles in our family, there are a few things that have made a significant difference.

Here are some of my favorite items for every day carry in the car:

In a survival situation their value would dramatically increase.I’ve also included some other odds and ends that seem pretty logical and common sense…. But I’ve noticed not too many folks actually carry or have them in mind for survival/preparedness use.

Jump Starter 12V

I’m sure most of you are sick of hearing about this as I constantly write about it. However, it is one of the best purchases I have made this year! This thing has saved my bacon, and helped a few stranded motorists along the way. I ended up with a dead battery during our first blizzard this winter, and even almost totally discharged, my jump starter STILL started my vehicle. It also has an outlet for other 12v devices, and a built in flashlight. Some come with compressors. You can get a really decent one for $50.

Multi-Tool

There are so many multi-tools out there I won’t try to name them all. Leatherman and Gerber are well known. Personally I have a Victorinox that I really like. I use it all the time, especially the Phillips head screwdriver, and the serrated knife blade. I have found that although most own one, very few people actually carry it WITH them during the day. I lend mine out a bunch.

If you have one strap it to your belt, or throw in it in your glove box or purse. In an emergency it could be your only toolbox for a long time.

Large Flat-Bladed Screwdriver

Beyond opening paint cans, these super tools can pry, dig, wedge, chisel, and lever things loose. Get a good quality one that has the handle made of indestructible materials so you can hit it with a hammer and generally abuse it.

Also make sure it has a thick shaft so you can pry. In a pinch it is also a weapon! Throw one in the trunk, backpack or BOB they are light weight and easy to carry. Sure most multi-tools have a flat driver, but this one you can really beat up without ruining the whole pocket tool kit.

Battery Powered Alarm Clock

Not only great for travel! Power outages suck and you lose your computer time. After the cell phone battery dies you have either your watch or nothing to tell time. My watch has crap for an alarm, so I use a battery powered alarm clock. There are also wind-up alarm clocks for travel but the battery powered ones seem to last longer and tell time more accurately. They are also so light weight and great for many other tasks. If you have a watch you probably don’t need this but some of us don’t wear one. During a power outage you still have to get up in the morning, right? My battery powered clock runs about 8-12 months on one AA battery.

Image courtesy of digitalart / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Surefire Flashlight or other Tactical Flashlight

No a Maglight will not suffice. I specifically said Surefire. Period. There are other good flashlights out there, but few even compare to a Surefire from my experience. I have owned Pelicans, Maglights, Innova, Streamlights….just about every fancy super flashlight that has come down the pike. Dig deep in the wallet and get one. You will not be disappointed. It works when you drop it, get it wet, etc these lights are rugged and I really like the brightness and long-lasting CR123A lithium batteries. The light bulb is LED and doesn’t crap out when you need it the most. I have a L2, a G2 and a E2 and am really pleased with them even though each can be sort of cumbersome in my pocket. I bought my L2 used on eBay for a good price.

Hammer

It doesn’t matter what brand as long as you can hit things with it. Harbor Freight has hammers on sale all the time for less than $7-$8 so don’t go dropping big money on one. It just needs to hit things like nails, metal, wood, and such. There are some neat survival hammers out there that have some cool features, but really any hammer will be better than none. Hitting tent stakes with a rock works, but hitting a padlock with one sucks beans. Couple the hammer with your large flat bladed screw driver and you can just about get into anything, break anything, or fix anything. Side note: a variety of hammers might be even better.

Laptop/Tablet with 3G or 4G wireless card

This is the ultimate information gathering tool, record keeper, communicator, and entertainment tool all in one package. Refurbished laptops or import tablets can be had for $70- $200 and the WiFi cards are only $40 a month with Cricket. Unless you have a large screen Android or iPhone, there is no other way out there to stay in touch with what is going on. You can email, you can look up useful YouTube videos on any subject, you can go to the FEMA website, check bank accounts, etc etc. Couple this with your Jump Starter and you can get online anywhere and re-charge the laptop battery for extended periods of time in remote places.

Spare House and Car Keys

Seems pretty simple right? I don’t know any starving locksmiths, however. This is a no brainer but easily overlooked. Spare keys to all your locks might take a while to track down in an emergency, so make a ring of spares and throw it in your safe. You might even hide a spare key for your car or home in a locking realtor box or with a very trusted member of nearby family or friends.

Household Battery Tester

Saves time and hassle by showing you which batteries have what charge left. Simple! Newer models can test watch batteries and the Lithium CR123A types as well. Another thought this brings up is using rechargeable batteries instead of throw aways.

Spare Jacket and Knit Cap/Gloves

Spare meaning beyond what you normally wear. You never know when you are going to get wet, sweaty, or the temperature suddenly dramatically drops. Recently here in Colorado we had a cold snap that followed a significant snow storm. Temperatures here were lower than in Alaska! My winter jacket didn’t cut it and I had to buy another. I also had to wear extra socks, thermal underwear, and two knit caps. I work outside both night and day at times, and it was very cold. I found that my normal gloves didn’t cut it either and had to dig up a second pair to wear over my current pair. Wow very cold! We had a few nights wear it was -7 degrees PLUS wind chill, so we are talking cold. Ever touch metal when it’s that cold? It hurts pretty badly. We also used a plug in heater to keep the basement warm as freezing pipes can really ruin your day.

Waterproofing Agents

Wax, Snow seal, aerosol sprays, etc. I had to re-waterproof my “waterproof” boots during the thawing out period after our recent storms. Luckily I had the products to do it and had dry feet the rest of the week. In a survival situation either on the road or hiking out, where are you going to acquire snow seal wax or shoelaces? Plan ahead, it just makes it better.

Power Inverter

This is like going from the stone age to the modern age with the flick of a switch. Power inverters convert 12 Vdc to 120 AC with the use of your car battery. You can use this in addition to having a jump starter. What is it good for? Charging or powering any household device up to a point…. Depends on your car battery and the size inverter you buy. You can get one from $40 up to $600 depending on what you want. These are used on RV’s and in boats. Great for hunting trips, camping and any emergency where household electricity would be useful.

Folding Shovel

Cold Steel and Glock both make entrenching tools or survival shovels that are well made. Even REI sells a little camping trowel that can really be used for many purposes. Digging a snow cave, digging out of mud or snow, making shelter, or even as a weapon! The Cold Steel shovel can be sharpened to a knife edge or thrown much like a tomahawk. The Glock shovel is super lightweight, has a hand wood saw, and is a decent well made tool for snow or digging in the ground. Many soldiers including special forces have used these items to save their own life in many ways. A tomahawk is very similar; just not as versatile as the shovel in that it isn’t a very good digging tool….heck, why not have one of each?

Cell Phone Charger

There are a few types: the type that plugs into the accessory/cigarette lighter, the type that plugs into AC plugs and the type that is a battery with USB port built in. All are nice to have and without them many of your electronics would be useless like: GPS, Tablet, Laptop, Camera, Cell phone, etc. Yet another variety of items where “why not have one of each” might be a good mantra.

Compass and GPS

One of each, ‘nuff said.

Toilet Paper and Paper Towels

The primary use of TP is well known at least around these parts…. But there are other uses; wick for a survival stove, kindling, dressing minor wounds, cleaning firearms, used to pad fragile items etc. Paper towels are even more versatile. This is so overlooked but is handy for maintaining hygiene and personal morale.

Other Odds and Ends

My goal is NOT to make you look like you live in your car! But many items can be packed in a very small container or space if you are creative. Anyway, maybe you already have these items, but maybe not. Either way many are worth honorable mention!

• WD40
• Duct Tape or Electrical Tape
• Bottled Water
• Beef Jerky or snack food
• First Aid Kit
• Saline Solution, Contact lenses or spare glasses
• Emergency roadside kit with flares
• Survival Knife
• Spare work and leisure clothes or shoes
• Deck of Cards
• Blowgun, crossbow, bow, sling, slingshot or firearm for gathering food or protection
• Pepper Spray
• Spare Gas Can and Tire Fix a Flat
• Car Jack and Spare Tire
• Spare belts, fuses and basic tools
• Snow Chains or carpet remnant pieces
• Cash both coins and bills
• Wallet, ID & credit cards (many people go places without them in their pocket!)
• Padlock and chain to secure items overnight

Please be sure to check out our selfdefenseandsurvivalforum on Yahoo! Groups for more articles and interactive discussions.

Copyright 2008 by duracles. Reprint permission granted if article remains completely intact.

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I was thinking about what types of things I keep next to the bed at night, and thought it might make a good subject for the SAS Forum. Hopefully you have thoughts on this too and would like to post them as well. Here goes!

• 3 D cell Maglight with LED conversion
• Handgun, 3 spare mags
• Slip on shoes
• Cell phone
• Car keys
• Dark clothing (Sweats- no zippers)
• Folding knife
• Eyeglasses
• Empty backpack or duffel bag
• Fire extinguisher
• Telephone
• ID (wallet or purse)
• Knit cap or dark hat
• Jacket
• Cyalume sticks, candles, other long term power outage light sources

This is the gear that seems logical and reasonable to keep near your bed. The NRA in the Personal Protection in the Home (PPIH) classes and DVD advise the dark clothing. I thought this was an excellent idea. Sweat shirt and pants are fast to put on. Slip on shoes are quiet and fast as well. Avoid Velcro and zippers to be quick and silent. They also advise keeping a spare house key on a cyalume stick to throw out the window to let police in should they need to search. This assumes the Master Bedroom is the safe room for the house.

Image courtesy of imagerymajestic / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

If you believe your home is being burglarized or invaded, and you are home alone, you should stay in your safe room and lock the door. If you have family in other rooms you may be forced to go assist them by getting a flashlight and handgun. This is up to you. Personally, I will search my home if I hear an intruder and my family is in danger. If I am alone, I may stay in the room depending on the situation. The point is that by having gear next to your bed you have the ability to arm yourself and give yourself options.

The empty backpack would be to fill with the gear in a personal safe or drawer if you need to evacuate in case of an emergency. Of course, if there is a fire you should not waste time grabbing gear, you should just find safe egress for your family and yourself. It will save time in an evacuation or other threat to have an empty bag ready to pack gear. If you have a BOB or other survival kit, it is still good to have a spare bag ready to go. You never know what will happen, or what things you will need depending on the situation at hand.

Slip on shoes are really important. I have been dreaming about buying some Merrill Winter Moc’s for years (I have a knock off pair for now). They are slip on, have great support, and good sturdy soles with traction. Velcro, snaps, laces, zippers all take time. If you have something fast, go with it but the more time you can shave in getting ready to go the better. In a home invasion you may not have time to get dressed at all. Just arm yourself and lock the door to your safe room. Obviously, the safe room is a whole other discussion so we will assume you have one. Make sure your slip on footwear stays on, and can be worn outside if need be. Avoid flip flops, and fluffy slippers!

Some other considerations are Kevlar vest, night vision, radio or HAM communications, surveillance monitor, alarm system keypad, rifle or shotgun, bull horn, speakers for microphone (exterior or interior), video camera (all joking aside), extra blanket, axe or crowbar, prescription medication, riot shield, handcuffs, computer, and climbing ladder. This gear is not the basics as mentioned above, but more specialized. It has its own merit, albeit a specialized one.

Kevlar vests are for people who really need them. If your lifestyle places you into a higher risk category then by all means include this in your bedroom. Depending on the area you live in and the emergencies you are preparing for a Kevlar vest could prove an incredibly valuable investment. Night vision devices have come down in cost over the years, and are very helpful in total darkness. Power outages seem like the best time for night vision devices, as you can find things in the dark. On the other hand, a flashlight will work here also. Kevlar and night vision would be incredibly beneficial if you were defending your home from a home invasion type robbery or other attack. Just realize if you do utilize this in an attack, you would have to explain yourself to a court of your peers who may not understand why you had this stuff to begin with.

If you have a surveillance system, or home alarm system it makes sense to be able to have access to this at night. If you wake up from the alarm going off, you have the keypad next to you to see which zone was violated. Similarly, the surveillance system monitor should be near your bed. Most modern DVR’s have more than one output to monitors. They usually have a BNC out, a loop, and even a VGA out to tie in a computer monitor or TV. Most DVR’s also have a line in for audio, and this is extremely useful to hear what is going on inside and outside the home. Potentially again, you could be explaining why you have microphones placed around your home. You need to also check the laws in your state, as well as Federal laws regarding possible wiretapping. I’m not a lawyer so I simply don’t know what the law is on this Federally.

If you are a HAM or other radio communications user, you may want to keep the communication equipment near your bed. This seems straight forward enough. Some people have an entire room or shack dedicated to this however. You simply may want a speaker ran to the room that is easy to power on and off for use in an emergency so that you can hear what is going on while you make preps. Another idea is to have a whole house intercom system so that you can communicate with every important room and location as an emergency goes down. There are wired and wireless versions of this out there. Wired is better simply as it is more clear, reliable, and harder to listen in on or monitor. Even placing simple walkie talkies in every room is a good idea.

Rifles and shotguns should be included in any home survival preps, and be kept locked but accessible. There are many ways to do this, but the primary concern is of course to keep them out of the hands of young children. Also, you don’t want to come home and open the door only to be looking down the barrel of you own shotgun in the hands of a criminal. There are many types of gun safes and locking devices out there. The best keep the gun hidden from view and allow you to keep the firearm loaded but locked down. Most stand up safes have a digital touch pad that you type in, and they can be quickly opened. They are always bolted to something substantial, and locked otherwise they lose the whole reason for having one. Long guns should equipped so that you can use them in the environment they are intended for. Shotguns also should be loaded with shot that can be used in the home without endangering the rest of the occupants. Slugs for instance can penetrate cover, so you may want to load bird shot. Remembering the minute man story from the Revolution, you want to have things ready to go so that you can be ready to go in a minutes notice!

Image courtesy of bplanet / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The bull horn and video camera could be useful if your home is routinely vandalized, or repeatedly trespassed. Also, if you have a stalker or other wonderful annoying person that is harassing you, you have the ability to let them know loudly to leave and you can record their behavior or actions. A surveillance system is good for this, but a video camera is inexpensive and mobile. You may want both! Video cameras are also good for insurance reasons, like recording damage to your home as it happens so that you have irrefutable proof of what occurs. Floods, hurricanes, twisters, and riots are things that fall into this consideration. Even high wind or hail could be taped to use later.

Axes and crowbars can be useful if a storm or natural disaster occurs. Having them next to your bed can really be a blessing if the roof caves in on your family and you need wrecking tools to get them out. They are useful in many situations. I have a large axe and rechargeable reciprocal saw that I can use to move broken branches. One blizzard our walkway was totally blocked by large branches and I had to use a sword to chop the limbs. It worked well, but an axe and saw would have been better. Most of the time, consider the environment around you and plan accordingly. Not every house will need a chainsaw, etc. But honestly, having the stuff near me at night gives me allot of versatility and options if something were to happen. My wife doesn’t mind as we have actually had situations where my planning has saved us from assaults, emergencies, and other issues. This year alone I have had 3 people attempt to open my front door WHILE I was home!

If your window to your bedroom is two or three stories up, an emergency ladder is a requirement to leave your room if there is a fire or other emergency. Talk to a local fire department representative to learn which are the best, how to use them, and where they need to be stored. They are worth the time and hassle to get because you spend the money and feel the relief knowing you can get out the window in a fire. This is a very practical item to have, but just a little uncommon.

Riot shield? I had one of these for a short time and the uses for these are nearly endless. The type I had was an old East German clear polyplastic type, and had two arm straps and a place for a baton. It was lightweight and easy to don quickly. Unfortunately it wasn’t very well made.

I was training with a friend using practice swords and in one day it was eventually totally destroyed. I really miss having one as they can protect you from assaults with a handheld weapon, thrown objects, liquids, most non-firearm projectiles, and even unarmed attacks. Another one of those things that may be difficult to justify, but still damn useful when you really need it. Handcuffs fall into this area too. If you have security training, and need to make an arrest of a subject in your home, handcuffs are the best. Either you feel you need them or you don’t.

Some medications are incredibly expensive, and difficult to get. You may want to keep them in your bedroom so that in an emergency you definitely have access. Some meds you may need for health considerations like heart trouble, or pain. These drugs could save your life by having them next to your bed, or prevent them from being stolen in a break in. It is not uncommon for thieves to steal prescription medication. Also, some drugs should be locked up so that children do not misuse them, or accidently ingest them. Locking them in your gun safe would be a great idea and make them easy to grab if you need to leave in a hurry.

Other things to keep by your bed may be ordinary but useful. We occasionally have power outages, so extra blankets in the winter are very nice. I wouldn’t mind having one in my family vehicle too. But keeping them near the bed makes them great to have if it gets colder or the heat stops working. Blankets CAN be used to put out a fire, or used to make a makeshift rope. Some blankets even make great improvised weapons or camouflage. Having a computer by the bed is nice, but in an emergency, you may want to grab your laptop and take it with you fast. Some people have incredibly irreplaceable content on their laptop, so leaving it behind could cause heartache and stress. Simply keeping it near the bed at night could save one from tons of hassles later.

Planning for any emergency can save you time and inconvenience, but it can also make the difference between life and death. As a mental exercise it is useful too. You can take stock of your bedroom, gear, and what you have that you need to keep near you. Under extreme stress or panic, a person can make a mistake and leave something behind. Having the gear next to you can make this much simpler. Also, having the gear sort of allows one to plan. Having a plan is vital so that you know what to do, don’t freeze or panic, and it frees up the mind for other considerations. Go to bed and imagine some of the scenarios that can unfold while you sleep, and how you would react to them. This is fun to do, and can allow you to see the holes and gaps that need to be remedied. You can also include your roommates or spouse in the exercise and they may have ideas of their own that help.

Copyright 2008 by duracles. Reprint permission granted if article remains completely intact.