Car kit

[Ben]

Jumper cables. The boxes are useless...always dead when you need them due to shitty batteries.

I had the old style ginormous jump starters. Those batteries didn't last at all and I had to make sure to charge them before I went on any long trips. Not so with the new ones. Any time I take a road trip I top off the charger battery. It usually is done in 5-10 minutes because they drain so slowly. When the batteries died on my old 6.4L diesel truck, I tried the jump starter on it (I'd purchased one of the larger ones for that truck*) in the garage before I hooked a battery charger up. Started her right up, and I didn't top off the jumper battery first.

The problem with jumper cables is that you need another vehicle handy. If I leave my lights on at some of the places I offroad, I've got a long wait for another vehicle to come along. My new truck (and many new vehicles) has a "battery saver" function for bonehead moves like that, but I've never had to test it yet to see if it works.

On the tow straps, use the Harbor Freight rule: If it's something that can hurt you if it fails, buy it somewhere else. Get a way higher rating than you think you need.


* Rev- it's the NOCO 150, the big brother of the one in your link. I got it at nearly half price on a Lightning Deal.

[French G.]

http://www.survival-supply.com/sport-utility-blanket-p-11041.html?gclid=CMryr8eOqdMCFYtMDQodCpMLkw#googlebase

My car, first I cram the area around the spare tire with stuff. Block to get a jack on in soft ground, tie straps, tow straps, jumper cables, hose tape, tools, whatever I can fit.

Then there was a box, plastic thing that closes and was free from work. Gloves, shovel, flares, tow straps, Paracord, lug wrench, other tools. Another tote with car water, people water, and oil.

Couple of leave the car and/or civilization bags. Made them somewhat modular from belt size to messenger bag size. All manner of stuff, but all together about 25 lbs. which is about all I want to carry. Netbook bag o' Glock being my personal favorite. 7-8 months a year bags are supplemented by Carhartt coat with pockets full of goodies.

And lastly, the one I don't leave home without, to the point of adding it to rental cars, is a gransfors axe.

Mostly used the tow straps lately, I buy the biggest rachet binders I can find, many uses from securing mattresses to the car, self rescue with a pair of them and patience, standard towing, etc. Yes, a Subaru has reached a Range Rover in a blizzard.

[Ben]

http://www.survival-supply.com/sport-utility-blanket-p-11041.html?gclid=CMryr8eOqdMCFYtMDQodCpMLkw#googlebase

My car, first I cram the area around the spare tire with stuff. Block to get a jack on in soft ground, tie straps, tow straps, jumper cables, hose tape, tools, whatever I can fit.

Then there was a box, plastic thing that closes and was free from work. Gloves, shovel, flares, tow straps, Paracord, lug wrench, other tools. Another tote with car water, people water, and oil.

Couple of leave the car and/or civilization bags. Made them somewhat modular from belt size to messenger bag size. All manner of stuff, but all together about 25 lbs. which is about all I want to carry. Netbook bag o' Glock being my personal favorite. 7-8 months a year bags are supplemented by Carhartt coat with pockets full of goodies.

And lastly, the one I don't leave home without, to the point of adding it to rental cars, is a gransfors axe.

Mostly used the tow straps lately, I buy the biggest rachet binders I can find, many uses from securing mattresses to the car, self rescue with a pair of them and patience, standard towing, etc. Yes, a Subaru has reached a Range Rover in a blizzard.

I used to do the "everything I can think of for any contingency" thing with a pile of stuff in the back. What I do now is kind of a modular approach. I leave the basic smaller car kit in the vehicles all the time, but then also have a couple of storage bins that go in depending on what I'm doing. One contains tools, tow strap and shackles, and other stuff that I might need offroad. The other is a "basic camping supplies" bin. Everything I need for a minimalist night or two out of doors, because sometimes on a road trip while I might plan on moteling it, I might hit a really cool campsite and decide to camp a night or two. The bins make for organized and clean storage of stuff I might or might not use.

[bedlamite]

Mostly used for pulling small tree stumps. Works awesome. $20, light and incredibly strong. 12 foot tow straps are $10. Why anyone would use chain these days is beyond me. Weak, dangerous, heavy and any link can be a weak point.

Thoughts on whether or not to include a tow strap?

Don't assume tow straps are safer than chains. I've seen them break, and they can be just as dangerous. 

[French G.]

Don't assume tow straps are safer than chains. I've seen them break, and they can be just as dangerous. 

More dangerous. A lot more energy stored in a near elastic limit nylon strap. Still handy, don't stand in the bight.

[grampster]

Everything mentioned before and cigarettes and an ash tray, that's all I need...and some spare glasses, cigarettes an ashtray and everything mentioned before...that's all I need.  And a porkpie hat, that's all I need.  A porkpie hat, spare glasses, cigarettes an ash tray and everything else mentioned before...that's all I need.

[RevDisk]

Another point I previously didn't bring up. So, my car didn't come with a spare tire. They include a somewhat fancy thing of fix-a-flat and a roadside assistance number. Saves money and weight for them, ups the MPG by some fractional percent. But with US regulation, they have to save ounces to meet the required numbers.

I'm planning on buying a full sized tire. It'd ride about 0.5 in or 0.75 in ish too high, but I was planning on tossing a thing of car insulation under the trunk mat. I hate donuts and always have. Only issue is that OEM wheel hubs are ridiciously priced ($600 per), so I'm taking my time watching eBay. No one buys them as replacements, even dealers recommend buying an entire new set for cheaper than a single replacement oEM unit. Ideal circumstance is someone messes up two and decides to recoup a couple bucks by selling the other two.

Jumper cables. The boxes are useless...always dead when you need them due to shitty batteries.

On the serpentine belt... Are you able to change your belt on the side of the road practically, especially if you drive a FWD car? Does it take special tooling like a serpentine belt wrench kit? If so forget the spare you're gonna be on the hook to get home anyway. Before you stock a spare of anything consider the practicality of it.

Also on the belts with the modern materials they are made of you can no longer rely on cracking as the wear/age indicator. It's now thickness. Gates will send you a gauge for free IIRC

Just keep in mind what you can and cannot do with a modern car on the side of the road when building your tools and spare kits. I wouldn't get too crazy beyond jumper cables, fuses, maybe bulbs, and so own and some very basic tools.

I have been tempted to swap out the normal battery for a known good battery.

I assumed the idea of including the belt was to hand to the mechanic after your car was towed. Or doing it at home. I'm not adverse to buying replacement parts I know I will need in advance of needing them. Big ticket items, not so much. But leisurely doing research, finding the best deal, etc is preferable to being at the mercy of whatever the shop has on hand, at whatever cost they'll be charging me and however it takes for them to get said part. If stored properly, belts don't degrade badly for quite some time. I've done the same for brake pads and whatnot.

Concur essentially on your last part. Couple screw drivers, allen wrenches, tape measure, maybe a socket set. Stuff I'm guaranteed to need at some point. Ditto your list of parts. Only deviation is I'm willing to purchase known consumables in advanced of needing them.

Agreed.  Unless you've got an older car, even a modern pickup is a pain in the ass on the side of the road to fix.  And honestly unless you're rolling high mileage you shouldn't need to be fixing serpentine belts etc on the side of the road.

A good and often overlooked tool is a battery brush.  Contacts get nasty and you need to clean them on a camping trip in the middle of BFE...and can't find anything to use.  A small box of baking soda too.

For the things you decide on for sure, a vacuum sealer is a great way to organize and protect the things you pack.

Battery brush should be enough. I'm leery of keeping a powder in the vehicle.

I mostly use ziplock bags. Not sure if vacuum sealed bags are reuseable out and about, but I'm happy with cheap, reliable, resealable plastic bags even at a bit of expense of space. Plus, I already had them.

I had the old style ginormous jump starters. Those batteries didn't last at all and I had to make sure to charge them before I went on any long trips. Not so with the new ones. Any time I take a road trip I top off the charger battery. It usually is done in 5-10 minutes because they drain so slowly. When the batteries died on my old 6.4L diesel truck, I tried the jump starter on it (I'd purchased one of the larger ones for that truck*) in the garage before I hooked a battery charger up. Started her right up, and I didn't top off the jumper battery first.

The problem with jumper cables is that you need another vehicle handy. If I leave my lights on at some of the places I offroad, I've got a long wait for another vehicle to come along. My new truck (and many new vehicles) has a "battery saver" function for bonehead moves like that, but I've never had to test it yet to see if it works.

On the tow straps, use the Harbor Freight rule: If it's something that can hurt you if it fails, buy it somewhere else. Get a way higher rating than you think you need.


* Rev- it's the NOCO 150, the big brother of the one in your link. I got it at nearly half price on a Lightning Deal.

Damn, will have to keep an eye out for a deal. I'd withdraw all my concerns with that amount of overkill. Also, why not get a cigarette lighter charger for the jump pack? I have two power ports in my vehicle and use it as a daily commuter. Can easily plug it in once a week to top off. I do that with my normal jump pack on Fridays after work. In-car charging is not something I'm comfortable with doing with my acid battery jump pack.

I concur with you for jump pack over jumper cables. It's a toss up. Both would be nice, but they both take up room.

I'll give it a shot, just take my time looking for a sale.

I used to do the "everything I can think of for any contingency" thing with a pile of stuff in the back. What I do now is kind of a modular approach. I leave the basic smaller car kit in the vehicles all the time, but then also have a couple of storage bins that go in depending on what I'm doing. One contains tools, tow strap and shackles, and other stuff that I might need offroad. The other is a "basic camping supplies" bin. Everything I need for a minimalist night or two out of doors, because sometimes on a road trip while I might plan on moteling it, I might hit a really cool campsite and decide to camp a night or two. The bins make for organized and clean storage of stuff I might or might not use.

I've already started doing this at home and at work. Walmart sells Sterilite clear plastic bins that I absolutely love. 7 quart containers are $2, 15 quart containers for $4. They have two latches. Not watertight, but 'secure enough' for moving around. I think I have bought nearly a hundred of them between home/work. It's friggin life changing.

Makes it incredibly easy to find stuff. Putting together the supplies for the trunk case took maybe five minutes. Just picked what I wanted from the bins, tossed in a ziplock bag, tossed into Pelican case.

For more sturdy water resistant containers, I usually use either of the following

http://www.mcmelectronics.com/browse/Weatherproof/0000001435

http://www.mtmcase-gard.com/ammo-cans.php
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003TNV46O/

I happened to have a Pelican case that I procured... somewhere and it was the right size. It was beat up and the client wanted rid of it because it didn't look professional. Works fine. Normally if I'm spending my own money, I don't buy Pelican. If it's not out of my wallet, I go with Pelican.

For lots of small things or specific projects, I go with Stanley bin cases. I mentioned them before and have a cart I use for their storage: http://casper.im/project-PartsCart.php

Don't assume tow straps are safer than chains. I've seen them break, and they can be just as dangerous. 

Ayep. I go overkill, inspect before usage and stay well under the limits. I don't mix my straps. The tow strap I use for pulling out shrubs and small trees is used exclusively for that. Car ones stay in the car.

I don't think the tow straps are needed for my commuter and I'm leaning against it. Definitely always have one in the truck.

[Ben]

Damn, will have to keep an eye out for a deal. I'd withdraw all my concerns with that amount of overkill. Also, why not get a cigarette lighter charger for the jump pack? I have two power ports in my vehicle and use it as a daily commuter. Can easily plug it in once a week to top off. I do that with my normal jump pack on Fridays after work. In-car charging is not something I'm comfortable with doing with my acid battery jump pack.

I concur with you for jump pack over jumper cables. It's a toss up. Both would be nice, but they both take up room.

I'll give it a shot, just take my time looking for a sale.

Oh sorry, I actually have the one you had in your link, not the 4000 amp one. One could argue even the 2000 amp is a little overkill for most gassers. I'm still using it with the little 2.7L in my current truck because all the Ford ecoboosts have the auto stop/start now and come with big honkin' AGM batteries, so figure it doesn't hurt to have some overkill. :)

[RevDisk]

Oh sorry, I actually have the one you had in your link, not the 4000 amp one. One could argue even the 2000 amp is a little overkill for most gassers. I'm still using it with the little 2.7L in my current truck because all the Ford ecoboosts have the auto stop/start now and come with big honkin' AGM batteries, so figure it doesn't hurt to have some overkill. :)

Have you used it in very cold or hot weather?

[Ben]

Have you used it in very cold or hot weather?

The one time I used it on the old truck it was summer, so probably in the 90s, but otherwise only transported in the 100s, and nowhere I go generally drops below the high teens.

[brimic]

Jumper cables. The boxes are useless...always dead when you need them due to shitty batteries.

On the serpentine belt... Are you able to change your belt on the side of the road practically, especially if you drive a FWD car? Does it take special tooling like a serpentine belt wrench kit? If so forget the spare you're gonna be on the hook to get home anyway. Before you stock a spare of anything consider the practicality of it.

Also on the belts with the modern materials they are made of you can no longer rely on cracking as the wear/age indicator. It's now thickness. Gates will send you a gauge for free IIRC

Just keep in mind what you can and cannot do with a modern car on the side of the road when building your tools and spare kits. I wouldn't get too crazy beyond jumper cables, fuses, maybe bulbs, and so own and some very basic tools.

Serp belts are easy to change- the car's lug wrench typically fits the nut on the idler pulley. I always carried a spare belt until the time I thought I needed it- except the idler pulley grenaded.... I now just carry towing insurance on all my vehicles.

.................
The only thing I would add to the list are space blankets and chemical hand/body warmers.

[Boomhauer]

Maybe so on some RWD vehicles...but even on my old Silverado a normal socket and ratchet were cumbersome unless the radiator was out. The last FWD I worked on no way in hell would the lug wrench do the job.

[KD5NRH]

Extra dollar store or eBay flashlights to give away.  Can't count the times I wasn't really needed for a roadside help, but stuck around because they borrowed my flashlight.  Same for cheap little pocketknives.

[RevDisk]

Extra dollar store or eBay flashlights to give away.  Can't count the times I wasn't really needed for a roadside help, but stuck around because they borrowed my flashlight.  Same for cheap little pocketknives.

Per first post, 3 of them with batteries.

Serp belts are easy to change- the car's lug wrench typically fits the nut on the idler pulley. I always carried a spare belt until the time I thought I needed it- except the idler pulley grenaded.... I now just carry towing insurance on all my vehicles.

.................
The only thing I would add to the list are space blankets and chemical hand/body warmers.

I've tried space blankets a couple times and never found them comfortable. Cheap mover blankets aren't the most comfortable things in the planet, but they can pull a double duty in an emergency. Admittedly they're not water proof, shouldn't be an issue.

[Brad Johnson]

Car kit.

http://www.factoryfive.com/

Brad

[Jamisjockey]

Per first post, 3 of them with batteries.


I've tried space blankets a couple times and never found them comfortable. Cheap mover blankets aren't the most comfortable things in the planet, but they can pull a double duty in an emergency. Admittedly they're not water proof, shouldn't be an issue.

More than one use.  I have a drop cloth in my truck.  I've used it or moving blankets even just so I have something to stand on to change into my waders when fishing, or something to use under my person when changing a tire so I don't get my clothes dirty (or to protect against hot asphalt).  Also great in a vehicle if you're loading something up that's dirty or leaky to protect the interior.

Another thing to add, I always keep a few trash bags in my truck.  Barf bags for kids, cleanup when out camping/picnicing etc. 

[Frank Castle]

I did the Serp beltson my front wheel drive car!  ^&*@*&%$$

Next time, its going to a shop!!

[KD5NRH]

I did the Serp beltson my front wheel drive car!

Not that bad if you figure out which wrench fits the tensioner, buy a cheapie at a pawn shop for $1-2 and permanently attach a 3-4' cheater bar.  Easiest way is galvanized conduit smashed oval enough to fit 4-6" onto the wrench and then essentially crimped onto the middle with a hammer.  Preferable is to cut off the end you won't use, (open end if there's room the get the box end on) and weld on something tough.  Basically, make it as long as you can without hitting the hood.    
Once you can pin the tensioner with your off hand in pretty much any position relative to the rest of your body, it's a lot easier than trying to muscle a 8-12" wrench in a tight space.

Per first post, 3 of them with batteries.

I mean the cheapest LED flashlights you can get.  Preferably about a dozen so you have a good chance of 6-8 of them working.  A couple of those headband ones can come in handy too.

[RevDisk]

More than one use.  I have a drop cloth in my truck.  I've used it or moving blankets even just so I have something to stand on to change into my waders when fishing, or something to use under my person when changing a tire so I don't get my clothes dirty (or to protect against hot asphalt).  Also great in a vehicle if you're loading something up that's dirty or leaky to protect the interior.

Another thing to add, I always keep a few trash bags in my truck.  Barf bags for kids, cleanup when out camping/picnicing etc. 

Yep. Only issue is they're not waterproof. But for their cost and general usefulness, good enough.

Not that bad if you figure out which wrench fits the tensioner, buy a cheapie at a pawn shop for $1-2 and permanently attach a 3-4' cheater bar.  Easiest way is galvanized conduit smashed oval enough to fit 4-6" onto the wrench and then essentially crimped onto the middle with a hammer.  Preferable is to cut off the end you won't use, (open end if there's room the get the box end on) and weld on something tough.  Basically, make it as long as you can without hitting the hood.   
Once you can pin the tensioner with your off hand in pretty much any position relative to the rest of your body, it's a lot easier than trying to muscle a 8-12" wrench in a tight space.

I mean the cheapest LED flashlights you can get.  Preferably about a dozen so you have a good chance of 6-8 of them working.  A couple of those headband ones can come in handy too.

With respect, KD5NRH. I prefer my solutions to be efficient, lightweight, safe, cost effective and storage friendly. I don't prefer haphazard, cost inefficient, oversized, unsafe, dangerous, wear intensive and performance inefficient solutions.

You were doing very well for a while after that bad stretch. We probably didn't mention it, but we were proud that after that break you dropped the "always giving suicidal solutions to any problem" thing. Lately you'd heading back towards that problem. I know you said you've been tired lately, I really do recommend getting some sleep or whatnot. I get that you mean well, but you go through phases of giving shockingly bad suggestions. Admittedly, this isn't injure some, let alone suicidal, so it's not as bad as you got at one point. I recommend posting AFTER you take a nap rather than before. As a general rule of thumb, if you're posting something involving welding, just saying, statistically it's has about ninety percent chance of being a bad idea.

[Ben]

I mean the cheapest LED flashlights you can get.  Preferably about a dozen so you have a good chance of 6-8 of them working.  A couple of those headband ones can come in handy too.

I've always found it more efficient to buy a couple of good lights for the kits and just check the batteries a couple of times a year. Stuff like car kits should be checked and inventoried a couple of times a year anyway to make sure everything is there, intact, and not expired.

[RevDisk]

I've always found it more efficient to buy a couple of good lights for the kits and just check the batteries a couple of times a year. Stuff like car kits should be checked and inventoried a couple of times a year anyway to make sure everything is there, intact, and not expired.

3 OK but not great 3-AAA LED lights seemed like a good compromise. I'm still looking for cheap but decent 18650 flashlights. I have a very nice weapon light that I use for my daily flashlight that is awesome. But $65 per flashlight is a bit rich for me. Anything cheap enough that I'm worried if it will turn on or not needs to go in the trash, not cluttering up my car. I have a huge supply of 18650's. I buy new and upscale because why not, but I theoretically I have an unlimited number of pulled 18650's I could snag from laptop batteries or Dewalt battery packs.

I'll probably go Amazon hunting later today. There has to be some $5-$20 lights that fit the bill.

[Ben]

3 OK but not great 3-AAA LED lights seemed like a good compromise. I'm still looking for cheap but decent 18650 flashlights. I have a very nice weapon light that I use for my daily flashlight that is awesome. But $65 per flashlight is a bit rich for me. Anything cheap enough that I'm worried if it will turn on or not needs to go in the trash, not cluttering up my car. I have a huge supply of 18650's. I buy new and upscale because why not, but I theoretically I have an unlimited number of pulled 18650's I could snag from laptop batteries or Dewalt battery packs.

I'll probably go Amazon hunting later today. There has to be some $5-$20 lights that fit the bill.

I use a couple of the Pelican polymer CR123 lights that I got for around probably 20 bucks, but that was some years ago. There's a ton of decent lights on Amazon in the $15-$20 range with good reviews. Heck, even some of those "two for ten bucks" high lumen lights with adjustable output are pretty darn good. I have these in the house (among a dozen others - I'm something of a flashlight collector):

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01C6JZG6A/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

In my post, I was assuming by "get a dozen of them" KD5 was referring to something like those little keychain button lights. If I need an emergency light,  I want the option of high output available.

I carry one of these in my pocket all the time now, so  I always have a backup light with me if the one in the glove box fails:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0184O2JE8/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[KD5NRH]

With respect, KD5NRH. I prefer my solutions to be efficient, lightweight, safe, cost effective and storage friendly. I don't prefer haphazard, cost inefficient, oversized, unsafe, dangerous, wear intensive and performance inefficient solutions.

I have yet to meet a mechanic who only "cheats" with a factory-made breaker bar and socket, (Especially FWD serpentine tensioners, since there's never room to get a socket on one.) rather than a pipe, another wrench or other improvised extension.  I've also never seen a serious one outside of a dealer shop (where he only has to deal with one make, and has direct access to specialty tools from the manufacturer) who didn't have multiple tools, jigs, and things that don't fit into any category known to man, modified or wholly fabricated with a welder and/or grinder.

Heck, the engineer that supervised installation of the 24" telescope near here brought out the factory tool for final adjustment of the pier mounts; it was a no-name impact socket welded to four feet of what looks like a cut down rock bar for turning the bolts in 5 degree increments.  Millions to build an observatory, and they paid a guy six figures to put the scope in pretty much the same way I suggested getting 1/8 turn on a pulley tensioner. 

Cheating a $2 wrench with $1 worth of conduit to change a $20 part in 10 minutes, avoiding loss of use of the vehicle for at least a half day and likely $60+ in labor costs (Let's not factor in towing costs if the belt actually broke, since they only do that on a weekend night, farther than a battery charge from any shop.) is hardly outlandishly kludgy or excessively risky.  If you can't manage putting a pipe over a wrench without getting yourself killed, you should probably leave all automotive tasks to someone else, including driving.

I've always found it more efficient to buy a couple of good lights for the kits and just check the batteries a couple of times a year.

Oh I have good ones for me.  It's only the "loaners" that are junk, so I don't end up standing around in the rain waiting for some unfortunate person with a split hose to hand back a $60 Fenix or watching them cut against a steel backing with a $100 CRKT that I spent an hour tuning the edge on.  Leaving them some no-name light that I got 10/$7.99 with batteries or a $1.49 gas station knife is a no brainer.

[Perd Hapley]

Don't forget your human shield.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/govt-stands-by-officer-in-jk-human-shield-row/articleshow/58213539.cms

[Ben]

Oh I have good ones for me.  It's only the "loaners" that are junk, so I don't end up standing around in the rain waiting for some unfortunate person with a split hose to hand back a $60 Fenix or watching them cut against a steel backing with a $100 CRKT that I spent an hour tuning the edge on.  Leaving them some no-name light that I got 10/$7.99 with batteries or a $1.49 gas station knife is a no brainer.

Okay. That's a different story than using them for yourself. :)