Modern Self-Reliance

Teaching Homesteading and Preparedness Skills

Car Supplies You Can’t Do Winter Without

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Car Supplies You Can’t Do Winter Without

Like many New Englanders, I know the weather can change very quickly. Small light snowflakes can turn into whiteout conditions in short minutes, bringing the highway to a crawl.

What supplies should you keep in your car? What if you get a flat tire, get stranded in a ditch or see a disabled car on the breakdown lane?

This article outlines the major components of my car's preparedness assets. The main categories are car supplies, person supplies and some general good stuff to have supplies.

trunk supplies
My Trunk Supplies

Car Specific Supplies

These car specific items are general supplies for easy car maintenance and repair. However, you must also know how to change a tire or check the fluids. It does little good to have windshield wiper fluid if you don't know where it goes when you run out.

Car Specific List

  1. spare tire
  2. tire pump
  3. tire wrench
  4. jumper cables (basic cables here)
  5. windshield wiper fluid
  6. 2 ice scrapers (1 big + 1 small)
  7. quart of oil
  8. funnel
  9. rags
  10. antifreeze

Person Specific Items

These person specific items will be tailored to the occupants of the car. If you have kids, pets or elderly with you, it will change these items.

The spare clothes could be a replacement for clothes that got wet or if you are outside longer than expected.

Person Specific

  1. pair of jeans
  2. pair of boots + sneakers
  3. hat, scarf, mittens, gloves
  4. sweater
  5. snow jacket
  6. snow pants
  7. shirt (long + short sleeve)
  8. underwear, socks

Small Humans

  1. diapers + wipes (if necessary)
  2. snow gear
  3. complete change of clothes (in current size)
  4. small stuffed animal (for morale)

Pets (thinking dogs here)

  1. Dog coat
  2. winter boots (make sure they are used to them)
  3. extra leash
  4. extra collar
  5. water bowl
  6. doggy bags
  7. food
  8. dog backpack? (so they can carry their own gear if big enough)

General Supplies

The general items are things that I perhaps wanted at one point, and made time to add them to my car for the future.

The blankets I have used many times for picnics, keeping muddy paws off the cushions, wrapping furniture for moving, and mopping up spills.

General Good Stuff

  1. shovel
  2. 2 regular blankets (you can never have enough blankets, even small fleece blankets)
  3. 1 heated blanket (I love love my heated car blanket!)
  4. sunscreen + bug spray
  5. sunglasses
  6. knife (my favorite knife)
  7. GPS ( + charger)
  8. phone charger
  9. Protein bars (my favorite non-melting Cliff bars)
  10. paper towels + wet wipes + tissues
  11. plastic bags (grocery bags)
  12. bag of rice (for wet electronics)
  13. sleeping bag (mine is similar to this sleeping bag)
  14. cash
  15. maps

72-Hr Bag

I also keep my 72-hr bag in my car. Don't have a 72-hr bag yet? learn about it here: 4 Steps to Building a Better 72-Hr Bag

Here are some elements that are especially important for the car.

72-hr Pack

  1. mylar emergency blankets
  2. fire items (lighters, candles, etc)
  3. MRE's
  4. Medical kit (band-aids, wipes, etc) (pre-assembled FAK)
  5. glowsticks + flashlight
  6. spare batteries
  7. hand crack radio
  8. water bottle* (my go-to water bottle)

*keeping water long-term in the car is tricky as it gets really hot in the summer and plastic bottles can leach chemicals in the water but then freeze in the winter making it not good for drinking

In writing this post, I also found the flower bouquet from my sister's wedding 3.5 yeas ago as it was made from silk flowers, a tennis ball, frozen hand lotion, a small mirror, and a few parking lot ticket stubs. I would consider all these items...well, optional.

Is there something I missed? What do you keep in your car that you couldn't live without? Thanks for stopping by!

Hungry for more?

  1. 4 Steps to Building a 72hr Bag
  2. Preparing for a Winter Storm
  3. 5 Options for Bugging-Out and Leaving Town for City Dwellers

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4 Steps to Building a 72-hr Bag

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4 Steps to Building a 72-hr Bag

The power company calls and you will have no power for 3 days. Do you have what you need to survive? The flood waters are rising and you must evacuate to a nearby school on a hill, are your supplies portable enough for you to carry? Pack a backpack with all your needs for 72 hours

This 72-hr kit is designed to have everything you need for 3 days. Some terms you may hear in the community is bug-out bag, or get-home-bag. Bug-out bags are for when you plan to abandon your dwelling, and camp out in the woods or other shelter.

This is not a bug-out bag for extended camping. A get-home-bag has limited supplies designed to get a person from the office to their home to reunite with family and re-stock.

This could be a get-home-bag but is not designed so. (I explain the main differences between options here.)

Planning your 72-kit:

Step 1: Picking a backpack

As you think about building a 72-hr pack, you will want a strong durable backpack that is comfortable to carry.

  • You may be tempted to go to an army surplus store, however we don't recommend a military looking backpack. If you are traveling down a highway full of abandoned cars, it's not advisable to look like the military. You don't want others to guess what supplies you have, and military folks are known to carry gear with them. So don't look like the military.
  • The trick is to blend in; be the kid with a school backpack, the business man with his gym bag or the professional woman with a cute leather bag.

Step 2: Person specific items

What items do you need, that are specific for you?

  • Are there medications you need on a daily basis? Do you wear contacts or glasses? Are you prone to allergy attacks in the summer?
  • Do you get sun-burnt easily? Do you get over-heated easily?
  • Can your children carry their own backpack or do you have to carry their supplies as well?
  • Do you have pets that will require their own kits? (Four-legged creatures are family too!)

Step 3: Managing Backpack Weight

Ideally your pack should weigh less than 20% of your body weight.

  • For smaller humans, this may mean having to decided what is absolutely necessary in order to cut down on weight.

Step 4: Include the Essentials

Do you have the absolute essentials you need to survive for 3 days? Food, water, shelter, and first aid.

This example kit is designed to include:

  • food
  • water solutions
  • first aid
    • + over the counter medications
    • + exposure prevention
  • fire starting solutions
  • hygiene supplies
  • communications
  • power
  • defense.

Most importantly, you should know how to use items in your kit and personalize it for your needs. Below I have listed the items in my pack by category.

This backpack kit costs about $260 to assemble. But costs will vary depending on where you find your items, and what you choose to include.

72-hr bag
The Whole 72-hr Backpack

Food

  • 3 MREs (MREs found here)
  • Chocolate or jelly beans (for morale)
  • utensils
  • vodka/alcohol (wounds + morale)

I stock MREs for  a number of reasons. I looked into making my own, but MREs are cheap, for what you are getting. Consider on Amazon for MREs, you can buy one for about $13.

It comes in a sealed package designed to resist the elements. It contains at least 2000 calories, and it also has a multi-year expiration date.

I recommend stocking a few when you want a complete package already ruggedized for the environment.

Water Supplies

Silcock Key aka Facet Wrench

The approach to water has to be multidimensional. How to find water, store it, and purify it?

  • Find: Finding water in an urban environment can be difficult. A silcock key is essentially a universal socket wrench for outdoor water facets. Notice on the sides of building there are outdoor water facets, if only you have this handy wrench to open them. This, of course, is (possibly) stealing water, so use in an emergency.
  • Store: Store the water is a durable water bottle capable of being dropped down staircases. I have dropped my trusty Nalgene many times.
  • Purify: Purify the water with a simple Sawyer filter. You could also use iodine tablets. Either solution can make any water source drinkable.

You can find these items easily on Amazon: silcock key, Nalgene bottle, Sawyer Filter.

Shelter*

*I do not include a tent or tarp because of weight

Many of these items work together to replace the function of the tent if needed. The poncho also can be used for shelter.

The Mylar blanket and trash bags are waterproof and large enough for a tarp.  Mylar blankets are very versatile and can cover many functions. They are warm and reflective, which makes them perfect for keeping humans warm.

Mylar blankets can be duck taped together to form a makeshift tent or tarp. They can be used to signal or insulate a fire to reflect back warmth. These are the blankets you see first responders use on victims to prevent shock. They are cheap, lightweight, and easy to find.

first aid kit
Small First Aid Kit
first aid kit
The Quick Essentials

First Aid

  • antibacterial towelettes
  • latex gloves
  • painkiller (Tylenol or alleve)
  • diphenhydramine (Benadryl)
  • antacid (tums)
  • hydrocortisone cream
  • triple antibiotic ointment
  • cough drops
  • earplugs
  • tweezers

  • scissors
  • cotton balls
  • waterproof adhesive tape
  • gauze rolls
  • band-aids
  • butterfly bandages
  • ace bandage (like this ace bandage)
  • hand sanitizer
  • Q-tips
  • petroleum jelly
  • Nozema

For first aid kits, there are many pre-made kits available online. I made my kit mostly from the Dollar Store and was able to customize exactly what I wanted. However, pre-made kits have the advantage of filling in the basic without you having to think about it. They can scale to the size you need and are pretty cost effective. I recommend this small, compact first aid kit if you aren't planning to build your own. I go in-dept into first aid kits in my post on them: 3 Extra Places for a First Aid Kit.

mason jar of fire
Mason Jar of Fire
lighters, matches, mason jar
Jar of Fire Unpacked

Fire and Light

  • glow sticks (LED glow sticks)
  • flashlight
  • extra batteries for flashlight
  • candles
  • matches/lighter

Communications

  • phone charger
  • AM/FM crank radio
  • whistle
  • notebook + pen/pencil

I have a small flash light I carry with me. This light comes in handy in dark cars, and even darker parking lots. It is pretty small but is quite bright. It has a high beam, low beam, and flashing beam settings. I like the different settings, but you can't turn it off quickly, as you have to cycle through all the settings. I still find it a great deal, and the clip is very strong.

The mason jar of fire is pretty handy. The jar keeps it all contained and dry. If a lighter were to break the jar would contain the lighter fluid. The jar could be used for many purposes, holding candles upright, storing more water, keeping this waterproof, etc.

Hygiene

  • bar soap
  • Kleenex
  • Floss
  • baby shampoo
  • hand lotion
  • sunscreen
  • bug spray
  • toothpaste
  • toothbrushes
  • tampons
  • menstrual cup (I highly recommend the Diva cup)
  • condoms
  • wash cloths
  • chap stick
  • socks
  • contact solution/case

Other

  • knife (EMT knife)
  • dust masks (mask)
  • cash
  • important documents
  • bandana
  • map

Sourcing Items for you 72-hr Bag

Many of the smaller items I found at the dollar store or target, some special items I ordered off amazon. Thrift stores can be a good place for backpacks and smaller bags to group the first aid kit or hygiene items. When your hands are muddy or bloody, you don't want to have to fish through a million loose items to find the wet wipes!

Have you ever thought about putting together a 72-hr kit? What items might I have forgotten to add? Thanks for stopping by!

Looking for more?

  1. Apartment Sized: One Month Food Stash for Under $150
  2. 8 Tips When Taking a Loved One to the ER
  3. 7 Tips on Bugging-In for Urban Preppers

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Planning a building a backpack for everything you need for 72-hours.
One-Month Food Stash for Less than $150

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One-Month Food Stash for Less than $150

One thing that is important when it comes to survival situations is food. Even a simple power outage can shut down the local grocery store, forcing you to eat what is already in your house. I want to share today our one-month food storage box.

This food gives us peace of mind and assurance that we always have food in the house. When unexpected guests arrive, we know we can pull from our box a delicious, hearty meal. If one of us where to lose our jobs unexpectedly, we could reserve our savings and eat out of the box for a while.

This box includes all shelf stable items, and some that require no cooking, just reheating. Not having to cook means you could in a pinch eat at room temperature without the need for a cook stove or fire or drawing attention to the meal. It may seem silly but cooking a big pot of steaming chili may cause others to lift their noses at the smell and come down to check it out.

Our box is designed for one person to eat comfortably, without rationing, for one month. For us, it means we could eat for 2 weeks, or find space in our apartment for another box. This box currently lives under our end table next to the couch and fits nearly everything. (Water we store elsewhere, learn about our water storage here.)

So how much does it cost? About $140. But we didn't buy it all at once. After the first list was made, every grocery trip we selected 5-6 items to buy and slowly built up our supply.

But what if it expires before I use it, seems like a waste of money? First we created this box around foods we eat every day. So, when we plan chili for dinner in a week, we buy what we need but take the items out of the box and restock with the items we bought. This keeps things rotated and fresh. It also ensures we are stocking the box with things we like and eat regularly. Second, think of it like car insurance. Most months you don't have an accident, don't need repairs but you still pay for insurance. This box is food insurance, most months you won't need it, but will be very happy to have it when you need it. Third, peace of mind is not a waste of time (or money).

So, let's get down to the details, what’s in our box?

One-Month Food Stash for Less than $150
Our Food Stash

Breakfast meals: (38 meals)

  • Oatmeal and brown sugar or jam or honey (15)
  • Protein powder (15)
  • Corned beef hash (8)
  • Protein bars and canned fruit (15)

Lunch + Dinner: (56 meals)

  • Pasta and tomato sauce (8)
  • Easy Chili (16)
  • Shepard's Pie (16)
  • Tomato Soup (8)
  • Mac and cheese (8)

Snacks:

  • Ritz and peanut butter (-)
One-Month Food Stash for Less than $150
Absent of protein powder and fruit

Here with 38 breakfasts and 56 lunch/dinner meals that comes to 94 total meals which is 3 meals a day for 31 days. The recipes are pretty simple.

Oatmeal: (1 serving x 15)

  • 1/2 cup oatmeal
  • 1/4 cup water (to preference)
  • 1 dab of honey, jam or brown sugar

Corned Beef Hash: (2 servings x 4)

  • 1 can Corned Beef hash

Protein + Fruit (1 serving x 15)

  • 1 protein bar
  • 1 fruit cup

Protein Shake (1 serving x 15)

  • 1 scoop of powder
  • milk or water to preference

Pasta and tomato sauce: (2 serving x 4)

  • 1 box pasta
  • 1 jar tomato sauce
  • sprinkle of Parmesan cheese (for morale)

Easy Chili: (4 servings x 4)

  • 1 can black beans
  • 1 can baked beans
  • 1 can diced tomatoes
  • 1 can corn
  • 1 packet taco seasoning
  • optional canned meat (not included)
  • optional rice

Shepard's Pie (4 servings x 4)

  • 1 can peas
  • 1 can corn
  • 1 can gravy
  • 1 packet of dried mashed potatoes
  • optional canned meat (not included)
  • optional rice

Mac and Cheese (1 serving x 4)

  • 1 box mac and cheese

Tomato Soup (1 serving x 4)

  • 1 can tomato soup
  • rice/pasta optional

For variety, try mixing half a can of tomato soup with half a prepared box of mac and cheese. This nice blend changes things up and is still the same amount of servings.

Note: Rice is very easy to make with water and easy to store dry. It has a long shelf life, is packed with calories and fills your stomach. This makes rice a great way to stretch a meal, chili over rice can double the servings of chili. Rice in tomato soup (think Spaghetti-O's) or Shepard's pie can do the same, making your food supply last much longer.

Cooking without Power

Do you have a plan to cook this food without electricity? Say there is a bad wind storm that knocks out power. You have food from your box but some require cooking and some reheating. How do you plan to heat or cook the items in this box?

A good apartment solution is a camp stove. I recommend this Butane Gas camp stove. It is large enough for your standard cooking pots. The Butane Canisters are not easy to find in stores but can be ordered easily from Amazon. (Small propane canisters are also becoming harder to find in camping stores.) Each canister last for 3- 4 hours of burn time. Don't forget to stock up on Butane canisters too! With this link, you can buy 1 canister for about $1. That is a great deal!

One warning with using butane stoves inside: Carbon Monoxide. Get a simple battery powered detector and you will be all set. You could open a window if it's not cold outside.

Want a free printable list ? I will email it to you. Check out the box below.

What other recipes do your family love that are made of shelf-stable ingredients? What would you swap out in this list?

Looking for more great content:

  1. Water Storage for Today, This Month and This Year
  2. 8 Steps to Evaluating your Food Preparedness for Power Outages
  3. Homemade White Bread Recipe - Tastes Nothing Like Store Bought

Free Print Out

Do you want this information in a great printer-friendly format? We will include our sample food plan and ideas for how to create your own plan for your family.

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One month shelf-stable food for one person, apartment sized.
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