Car Emergency Kit Contents

So after my crazy incident of having to leave my car in an ice storm and walk home, I concluded that I got an 'A' for preparedness and a 'C+' for organization. It was cold and awkward and frustrating, fumbling and rummaging through my giant plastic tote and my duffel bag for my emergency supplies. Also, as I walked home, I realized that if I had farther to walk for help, for example if I were to be stranded in a more remote area than my own neighborhood, I'd want to pack some emergency gear with me, so I wanted to get a real backpack instead of a duffel.

Thermal cycling is not great for plastic; it tends to get brittle and then fracture at the sharp corners or where the fabric bends. So I decided it had to be waxed canvas (which is water-proof). I decided to spring for some very well-made, very expensive American-made Frost River packs. I had been intrigued by these for years. When I lived in California, my day-hiking pack was a military surplus canvas rucksack. It was sturdy as heck and covered some thousands of miles of weekend jaunts with me. But when I moved to Alaska and needed to carry more emergency gear and more cold-weather clothing, I upgraded to a modern nylon pack from REI. A canvas pack of the size I need now weighs over five pounds, which was maybe reasonable in pioneer days, but not today. We have miles to cover!

But for a car emergency pack... sturdiness trumps weight. So I sprung for my long-admired waxed canvas backppack: the Cliff Jacobson Signature Pack, in which to pack all of my "bug-out" equipment:


For my car emergency kit that stays in the car, I chose a bigger waxed canvas pack: the Prairie Boot Bag. It has a separate compartment intended for muddy boots, and that compartment is perfect for quick-access items, such as flares, jumper cables, and rags:


Finally, things that fit so nicely in their cubbyholes in the car, or that I use frequently, stay where they are:


Look how much more tidily everything fits!


I love how accessible the bags are, and how much more ergonomic it is to grab them than it is to grab the giant plastic tote! After all, the last thing I need to have happen in an emergency situation is to throw out my back! My one misgiving is that my emergency warm clothes are in the "stay in car" bag instead of the bug-out bag, but I'm sure on a cold day I won't forget them!