49 Things For Your Emergency Car Kit

In case I need to drive somewhere north (and this did happen 1 year ago in the middle of the worst storm of the year), I need to be prepared in my car with equipment to last me a night or two. About 17 years ago I went camping in Algonquin Park in the middle of February. It was good and cold and full of snow. On my way back my timing belt broke while I was in a fairly remote stretch of road off of a highway. Luckily I got picked up by a young couple who drove me 45 minutes out into the country and gave me a bed for the night. One time about 20 years ago I was in a car accident in the mountains in Quebec, and the car my friend and I was in launched off of a mountain highway, and dropped about 30 feet into a snow-filled culvert. We did a full spin and landed right-side-up (Dukes of Hazard style). Folks saw us, a towing crew got us out and everything worked out okay.

But consider what could have happened if it had been late at night in a far more remote area. A thorough risk-assessement would dictate that you be prepared for the worst, especially in these unpredictable Canadian winters.

Here's what I carry in the trunk of my car:

1. Alcohol Trangia Stove with 1 gallon of Methyl Hydrate fuel
2. Cooking pot and mugs
3. Cutlery
4. Kettle
5. 4 Nalgene Bottles (which can be used as hot water bottles at night)
   
6. 5 litres of water
   
7. Gransfors-Bruks Small Forest Axe
8. Mora knife and Buck drop point hunting knife
9. 8 wool blankets
10. 2 down sleeping bags
11. 4 MRE meal packs
12. 2 packs beef jerky
13. 1 Pepperoni - large
14. 4 Mountain House Freeze Dried Entrees
15. 4 tins Spam
16. 6 boxes of Pop Tarts
17. 6 large chocolate protein bars
18. 4 large bags of plain and peanut M&Ms
    
19. 4 tins corned beef
20. Instant Rice
21. Baby cereal, instant formula
    
22. Instant soup mixes
23. Tea bags
24. Instant coffee
25. 2 lbs sugar
26. Hot chocolate packages
27. Powdered milk
28. Heavy Tarpaulin
29. Light Guide Tarp
30. 2 man tent
31. Sleeping pads
32. Firestarting kit - matches in a matchcase, ferrocerium rods (2), fatwood slivers, cotton wool with vaseline, lighters
33. First-Aid Kit including sutures, needles, painkillers, ointments etc...
    
34. Toiletries kit
35. Knapsacks
36. Wool pants
    
37. Wool sweater
38. Wool socks
39. Winter jacket
40. Winter gloves
41. Wool hat
42. Books
43. AM / FM Radio with extra batteries
44. Headlamp with extra batteries
    
45. Utility Flashlight with large 6V battery (x2)
    
46. Road flares
47. Bag of salt
48. Rope, cord
49. Paper and pencils and pens

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