Preparedness for when

VJsmum

A cheap mobile phone with £5 of credit and a car charger.
Bag of almonds / other nuts, cereal bars

I have a shewee, you need to practice in the shower first

In other news, I have finally sourced paraffin for my lamps and got one to work :T. Surprised how much heat it gives off

[Deleted User]

Welcome aboard Bikingbint.

The answer to your question depends on a number of variables, some of which are:-

Where you will be travelling.

When you will be travelling.

The space in your vehicle.

The size of your wallet/purse.

If you only travel in high population/traffic locations, and only during spring, summer and autumn, then the items suggested by RAS should be plenty.

If, on the other hand, you travel in remote locations, during the deepest winters, you would be as well to carry some extra equipment.

Breaking down, or getting snowed in, in a sparsely populated part of the country/world, could easily become a genuine life or death situation.

If that is a possibility, items to get your vehicle moving again (Snow Shovel, Wheel Tracks, etc.), stout boots, gloves and warm clothing, a sleeping bag, and cooking facilities are not unreasonable items.

I'd pack a Sleeping Bag, Camping stove, but something like this, rather than the flat type I recommend for home use.


NB. Make sure you take the Butane/Propane mix, rather than straight Butane!

Also, a Jerry Can of water, kettle or mess tins, tea, sugar and powdered milk, instant soups, etc.

The list can be practically endless, governed only by the size of your car boot, and the size of your budget.

ETA: Just thought of something else, which could be a lifesaver.

Poundland sell small (about 2 Litre) hot water bottles.

One of them in the sleeping bag with you, would keep you nice and warm.

BTW. Cute alert. See below.

GreyQueen

Bikingbint wrote: »

Hello

Another lurker reaching for the light at the end of the tunnel. (yes I actually saw the sun today for the first time in ages).

I am an avid reader of this thread and would like a little advise.

I sometimes travel alone and decided to think about what I have with me should I get stuck in traffic, break down etc. I have a space blanket in the car with a large wind up torch. I have a whistle on my car keys along with another (battery operated) torch (very small but bright) and thought a 'swiss army knife' bit of kit would be a good idea. Your suggestions/recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Bikingbint

Good suggetions from the others already, but may I suggest a bit of addional warmth like a wool blanket? Should be able to get one pretty cheap second hand and it'll be a lot warmer than just a space blanket. Or have a sleeping bag, as Bob says.

You might also want to have a warm hat and gloves which live in the car. If you were stranded for long you'd be very cold and keeping the extemeties warm is very important.

I read an article somewhere online about surviving the cold in broken down or stranded vehicles, and it pointed out that the footwell is where the coldest air is, and if you can get something into there to insulate your feet, or curl up in such a way that feet aren't in the footwell, you'll fare much better.

Hi viz vests are excellent and are often found in £land. You might also want something like a strip of bright/ luminescent ribbon, which you could tie onto the extended car ariel if you were in danger of blending with a blizzard.

Also, although it's wintertime and our thoughts are trending to cold preps, don't forget summertime breakdowns can also cause challenges.

D'you remember that bad crash in fog last summer that caused a lot of people to be stranded on a bridge in what turned into a blistering hot day? People were suffering from too much sun, and lots had light summer clothes on, so had bare limbs as well as bare heads. And you might, as lady person, be out travelling in flimsy sandals or pumps in summer and end up having to hike away from a breakdown. A pair of comfy shoes and socks would be blessing in those circumstances. HTH.

Lovely to have you de-lurked, and also welcome to mowdrops and anyone else I've missed (am v.tired, so excuse my dippiness).

westcoastscot

I travel alone with work, and a key thing for me is a full RAC package. Pretty useless in really severe circumstances (was abandoned by the AA in a bad bout of flooding with a disabled child on the way home from hospital a few years ago - phoned the RAC and they came out).
I have first aid, food/drink, warm clothing and wellies, mobile phone, torch and a book to read. I also time my travelling in winter to be travelling with others - probably not a problem in urban areas but here I can be the only person on the road for miles.

Nice to see some new faces!

WCS

jk0

Bikingbint wrote: »

Hello

Another lurker reaching for the light at the end of the tunnel. (yes I actually saw the sun today for the first time in ages).

I am an avid reader of this thread and would like a little advise.

I sometimes travel alone and decided to think about what I have with me should I get stuck in traffic, break down etc. I have a space blanket in the car with a large wind up torch. I have a whistle on my car keys along with another (battery operated) torch (very small but bright) and thought a 'swiss army knife' bit of kit would be a good idea. Your suggestions/recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Bikingbint

For about twenty years I have kept light sticks in my car emergency bag:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Survival-Light-Safety-Emergency-Stick/dp/B004UDPRBK/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1389287199&sr=8-5&keywords=emergency+glow+sticks

It also contains a warning triangle, fire extinguisher, reflective vest, a space blanket, jump leads, spare bulbs, first aid kit & tyre repair aerosol:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fix-A-Flat-S60158-Advanced-Aerosol-Inflator/dp/B00DY02GU0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1389287422&sr=8-1&keywords=tire+inflator+aerosol

Edit: By the way, regarding the jump leads, how many of you park your cars 'nose in' in your drives at home and workplace carparks?

If you need a jump start from a colleague or neighbour, your leads will likely be too short to reach your battery.

jk0

Bedsit_Bob wrote: »

BTW. Cute alert. See below.

Have you dyed Buggalugs?

GreyQueen

Nah, that's definately a peroxide job.

What a cutie. And old style enough to appreciate a HWB. Most cats want an entire CH system deployed for their snoozing comfort.

I was horrified half an hour ago to shoot out the h.g. spuds from the tattie sack where they live in the bike shed and find that they had shoots on them like tarantula legs. All de-shooted now and I shall keep them indoors where I can keep an eye on them. I thought that the ones in the shed wouldn't shoot as it's so much cooler in there but they did.:(

Had a convo at lunchtime with a workmate who keeps exotic critters. What I had was a LOCUST, prolly a middle eastern one. You can buy them on the interwebs. He reckons it could have easily jumped the 3-4 foot from outside into my kitchen window. Fortunately, it has almost certainly died of the cold outside.

He told me that peeps who do bushtucker type thingies and eat raw locusts are fools; they can be contaminated with salmonella. I will be disinfecting the glass which held the beggar with Milt0n Sterilising Fluid.

[Deleted User]

GreyQueen wrote: »

I read an article somewhere online about surviving the cold in broken down or stranded vehicles, and it pointed out that the footwell is where the coldest air is

That is indeed true, and is why a snow hole should be built with at least two, and ideally three, levels.

You place a candle/stove on the top level, live and sleep on the middle level, and leave the bottom level empty, for the cold air to collect in.

If only two shelves are available, you share the top shelf with the candle/stove.

System

many thanks mowdrops and cornishchick for the free kindle link

System

oops ! cornishchick got italicised rather than bolded (still trying to get to grips with the technology).... will have a look in my 1000 Home Remedies book to see if there is anything that can help !!