Sal Bandini
Well-known member
- Joined
- Aug 30, 2012
- Messages
- 994
If the lock deicer is in the car how will she get to it?
Tool Kit for the CAR!
- Thread starter bczygan
- Start date
Not to be an ***, but...
Does she know first aid?
Sign her up for a class (eg, red cross)
and she can make a road-side-safety kit as part of her training.
Then speparate out the mechanizal stuff from the first aid stuff.
It's more important to understand how to think in an emergency that to have lots of **** in the trunk.
Now, a couple key things:
1) Communication device (and somebody to call)
2) Bottled water, age/diet approriate food (to help think straight)
3) Gloves, Socks, Hat, etc for extremities (sitting still --> cold)
4) Light-source (LED+lithium bbatteries)
5) Plan (B) for 1, 2, 3 so there is some redundancy
5.2) Actual firts Aid Kit (see: adventure medical kits)
=====
6) Stuff for a good samaritain to help
6a) Ducktape, Pliers, tools, etc
6b) Fluids, spare fuses, jumpers, etc
6c) Work gloves (nitrile and cold weather / mechanix or what not)
6d) Rags/paper towels/dishsoap/clorox wipes/etc
6e) One nice thing is a mat or something to throw on the ground.
(kneeling on wet ground in the rain with wind etc)
======
I would say those are roughly in order of priority.
Lastly, even if you have all this gear, you need some knowledge.
Like....don't open the radiator cap when the engine is hot.
Of course, how long does it take to wait to cool the motor?
By then the car should be towed. or just dial 911 if the outlook is negative.
Hope this helps.
Does she know first aid?
Sign her up for a class (eg, red cross)
and she can make a road-side-safety kit as part of her training.
Then speparate out the mechanizal stuff from the first aid stuff.
It's more important to understand how to think in an emergency that to have lots of **** in the trunk.
Now, a couple key things:
1) Communication device (and somebody to call)
2) Bottled water, age/diet approriate food (to help think straight)
3) Gloves, Socks, Hat, etc for extremities (sitting still --> cold)
4) Light-source (LED+lithium bbatteries)
5) Plan (B) for 1, 2, 3 so there is some redundancy
5.2) Actual firts Aid Kit (see: adventure medical kits)
=====
6) Stuff for a good samaritain to help
6a) Ducktape, Pliers, tools, etc
6b) Fluids, spare fuses, jumpers, etc
6c) Work gloves (nitrile and cold weather / mechanix or what not)
6d) Rags/paper towels/dishsoap/clorox wipes/etc
6e) One nice thing is a mat or something to throw on the ground.
(kneeling on wet ground in the rain with wind etc)
======
I would say those are roughly in order of priority.
Lastly, even if you have all this gear, you need some knowledge.
Like....don't open the radiator cap when the engine is hot.
Of course, how long does it take to wait to cool the motor?
By then the car should be towed. or just dial 911 if the outlook is negative.
Hope this helps.
Petrol should not be carried in a car internally.
(5 gal external on the back of a jeep? Sure, fine)
AAA or the auto club policy will bring you gas if you run out
And empty gas-can and funnel for transfer of fuel is not crazy tho.
(like if you need to hitch or siphon, etc)
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Add a "Kansas credit card" (a rubber hose) so you can siphon gas out of someone else's tank into your empty gas can and then into your car. Useful for when a good samaritan stops to help or you want to help someone else, or when the goin' gets really tough.
expfcwintergreen
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 16, 2011
- Messages
- 157
No gasoline; personally, the only gas can I would carry would be one that has never had gas in it. If the rope you mentioned is for towing, leave towing to a tow truck. Trying to control a car being pulled by another is dangerous, even more so if the engine isn't running so there is no power steering or power brakes.
The tools I have carried for years are 6-19 combination wrenches and 3/8 drive sockets, ratchet and breaker bar; 1/4, 3/16 and 1/8 flathead screwdrivers; Phillips 1,2,3; needle nose and channel lock pliers; good quality 8 and 10 inch adjustable wrenches; battery tool to clean terminals; tarp; serpentine belt; some thing to chock the other wheels when changing a tire; jumper cables; jump suit; hand gun; reliable phone and charger.
You probably really don't want your wife out working on a car by the side of the road; that is really dangerous for so many reasons. Lock the doors; put the loaded gun beside her and call a tow truck for the car and a friend, relative or a cab to pick her up.
The tools I have carried for years are 6-19 combination wrenches and 3/8 drive sockets, ratchet and breaker bar; 1/4, 3/16 and 1/8 flathead screwdrivers; Phillips 1,2,3; needle nose and channel lock pliers; good quality 8 and 10 inch adjustable wrenches; battery tool to clean terminals; tarp; serpentine belt; some thing to chock the other wheels when changing a tire; jumper cables; jump suit; hand gun; reliable phone and charger.
You probably really don't want your wife out working on a car by the side of the road; that is really dangerous for so many reasons. Lock the doors; put the loaded gun beside her and call a tow truck for the car and a friend, relative or a cab to pick her up.
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PelicanPines
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Empty never used 1 gallon gas can...
BDT/NWMN
Well-known member
Two pair of matching jack stands..
Park Her car in the driveway, and place on jack stands..
Give wife spare keys to your toolbox and car.
Ask her what she thinks about the tools in your car..
Have Her check Her car over on a creeper, and ask Her what she may need for tools out on the road..
She might settle for a few spare light bulbs, and tools to install them. Add a good lug wrench, a basic pair of pliers, a roll of tape, an adjustable wrench, a claw hammer to bust up some ice or compacted snow, and a small shovel..
Park Her car in the driveway, and place on jack stands..
Give wife spare keys to your toolbox and car.
Ask her what she thinks about the tools in your car..
Have Her check Her car over on a creeper, and ask Her what she may need for tools out on the road..
She might settle for a few spare light bulbs, and tools to install them. Add a good lug wrench, a basic pair of pliers, a roll of tape, an adjustable wrench, a claw hammer to bust up some ice or compacted snow, and a small shovel..
mustangSR70
Well-known member
You mention how dangerous it is where you are, yet you want her to carry a full arsenal of tools and supplies so somebody, a stranger, can work on the car. I think you'd be much safer to have a tow truck come get said broken down car than have her depend on strangers. Those tools, that rope, can also be turned into a weapon or restraint device. A breaker bar would be an easy weapon to beat somebody with, rope great for tying up a victim, a shovel to bury a body. If safety is your big concern, think about all that.
I have a small bag, maybe 10"x6" that has basic tools in it, some zip ties, electrical tape, a flashlight, a knife, $10, and a couple other misc items. AND THAT'S IT. It's saved other people's butts more than my own, which is why I really like having it. The bag can be zipped and is easily stowed in my standard cab truck. Behind the passenger seat is a jumper cable kit I got as a gift. It's got some other stuff in it but I don't know what it is. I've used the cables to jump a couple other vehicles, in the past.
Most of the stuff I carry I wouldn't mind giving away to someone in need. There's been a few times I've given people tools or flashlight or gloves or the like because I had it and they needed it.
My vehicle has it's own lug wrench and jack as should every vehicle.
I do have a quart of oil but it's only there because we took a long trip and I haven't pulled it from behind the seats.
Bill, her lock de-icer should be in her purse. It does no good trapped in a frozen vehicle.
I know a few folks that swear by keeping a bag of cat litter in their cars during the winter. They use it for traction if they're stuck or slipping.
As well, Bill, she doesn't need a ton of "stuff" so you don't need to treat it like an expedition vehicle. If anything, maintain her car so it's in tip-top shape and you won't need anything but a small bag of items for emergencies.
Most of the stuff I carry I wouldn't mind giving away to someone in need. There's been a few times I've given people tools or flashlight or gloves or the like because I had it and they needed it.
My vehicle has it's own lug wrench and jack as should every vehicle.
I do have a quart of oil but it's only there because we took a long trip and I haven't pulled it from behind the seats.
Bill, her lock de-icer should be in her purse. It does no good trapped in a frozen vehicle.
I know a few folks that swear by keeping a bag of cat litter in their cars during the winter. They use it for traction if they're stuck or slipping.
As well, Bill, she doesn't need a ton of "stuff" so you don't need to treat it like an expedition vehicle. If anything, maintain her car so it's in tip-top shape and you won't need anything but a small bag of items for emergencies.
expfcwintergreen
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 16, 2011
- Messages
- 157
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I was thinking this and forgot to write it.
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Also, do a short inspection of the car before you start it every day regardless of the weather or how big a hurry you are in. See if the tires look to have enough air; check coolant, oil and power steering and brake fluid; check transmission fluid at least once a week after car has been driven; listen for unusual sounds and find out their source as soon as possible.
kctyphoon
Banned
Has ANYONE read that this is for a 70+ year old woman?? She's lived over 7 decades without "training" and "classes" on how to " survive" if the car doesn't start.. Seriously, unless you live in a desert that's prone to school shootings, I don't think she needs to be certified in first aid, carrying every flammable fluid that goes into a car, along with a torque wrench just in case the car needs a jump.. Do you really think she's gonna do ANYTHING beyond making a phone call and waiting?? Buy her a cell phone and a sweater and call it a day..
redsand187
Well-known member
How about a gun? Protection from the hoodlums and she can shoot a deer if she gets hungry.
Most people get into trouble by not staying put. They don't stay put because they don't know better or they don't have clothes to say warm while being still. Or they are worried about needing food/water, etc. Sometimes bad planning forces you into bad decisions, but too often its just false choices, because people don't know the odds.
But very little of this has to do with tools. I agree,
I would just get road service membership like AAA, or possibly the one offered by your car insurance. It will include most of the things you are trying to provision for, like running out of gas, flat tire, dead battery, towing, and others. Just have her keep an extra charged phone battery in her purse. I'd keep most of the things on your "Emergency/breakdown supplies" list, and maybe add a MRE (meal ready to eat) that will also have a heating pack inside. I take it you live in cold climate.
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