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Emergency Stuff in Your Truck? What Do You Carry For Emergencies?

inthecabin

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+1 on plug kit and viair compressor. -1 on tow strap unless you have a complete recovery kit and EDUCATE YOURSELF on recovery. It is extremely dangerous when done wrong.
Really… I mean really… yeah you should know where to hook it and just a little common sense goes a long way.. I’m not trying to be offensive but isn’t this part of being prepared? Prepared means knowing how to use your equipment. Heck even eating can be extremely dangerous if done wrong. Been there done that…
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bcording

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I keep my AAA Club app on my phone, my insurance info in my glove box (do people outside of the South say 'glove box?'), some cash in an unobtrusive place, extra charging cables, and an extra jacket in winter in case I get stranded while waiting for AAA. I don't spend a lot of time in the wilderness so that seems like enough to get by until help comes.
I like to also have a blank check. Can’t tell you how many times at some government office I’m told they don’t take atm or credit cards.
 

NewBernWolf

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I like to also have a blank check. Can’t tell you how many times at some government office I’m told they don’t take atm or credit cards.
Oh wow! I'm not entirely sure I even know where my checkbook is.
 

bcording

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Oh wow! I'm not entirely sure I even know where my checkbook is.
I’ve had the same box of checks for over 15 years. The address is no longer valid but I still have 4 or 5 unused checkbooks. Easy to find in my gun safe.
 

kw86er

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Really… I mean really… yeah you should know where to hook it and just a little common sense goes a long way.. I’m not trying to be offensive but isn’t this part of being prepared? Prepared means knowing how to use your equipment. Heck even eating can be extremely dangerous if done wrong. Been there done that…
I have spent a lot of time on the trails 4x4ing and logging for a living/family trade. Now if you are unaware of how dangerous rigging and yanking a vehicle out of the ditch is and catch a clevis in the back of the head because you did it wrong that is your problem I guess. But I will rest point by saying learn how to use the equipment and understand the dangers if you are venturing off road.
 

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kw86er

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Is it common sense to not hook a tow strap over a tow ball? If it is I have seen a lot of stupid people out there trying kill themselves doing it.

 

Wnbasac

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I keep my AAA Club app on my phone, my insurance info in my glove box (do people outside of the South say 'glove box?'), some cash in an unobtrusive place, extra charging cables, and an extra jacket in winter in case I get stranded while waiting for AAA. I don't spend a lot of time in the wilderness so that seems like enough to get by until help comes.
hear,hear….AAA its my AmerExp I never leave home without unit!
 

kw86er

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I know I said I would rest my case... I lied

Let's say you have your 1 tow strap in your truck. Guessing you read the amazon reviews and it's a good one that is rated. Is it a tow strap or a snatch strap I will leave that up to you to decide?

You're on a snowy backroad not too far from home and end up in the ditch. It's busy enough and finally, a very nice person with a big diesel 4x4 stops to give you a yank. Thank god you have that tow strap or snatch strap "I forget which one I got". So you hook one end to one front tow hook "sure glad I got the FX4 package" and you loop the other one over his tow ball. Ok a small pull should get me out... no he is spinning his wheels... "just giver a little harder pull!" The nice guy with the big diesel is like "my big ass truck will have no problem pulling this little guy out of the ditch".

Now, this is how I see 99% of roadside good samaritan recoveries happen. 9 times out of 10 nobody gets hurt and nothing gets damaged. Maybe 1 in 100 the tow ball comes off and goes through your front window or your tow hook goes through his back window "shoot sorry man I didn't know I am supposed to use both hooks in a proper recovery". But as you can see in the video I just posted, when things go wrong people die.

Now if you simply had the correct gear and the know-how, maybe things go smoothly and you are recovered from an emergency and not creating a new one. But chances are you and the nice person helping would be better off calling a tow truck. Obviously the further you get out this changes and that is why I say EDUCATE YOURSELF on recovery gear and practices. It's better to be drinking your water in the passenger seat of a nice person than it is to be heli lifted to a hospital or worse.
 
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Buschur

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I know I said I would rest my case... I lied

Let's say you have your 1 tow strap in your truck. Guessing you read the amazon reviews and it's a good one that is rated. Is it a tow strap or a snatch strap I will leave that up to you to decide?

You're on a snowy backroad not too far from home and end up in the ditch. It's busy enough and finally, a very nice person with a big diesel 4x4 stops to give you a yank. Thank god you have that tow strap or snatch strap "I forget which one I got". So you hook one end to one front tow hook "sure glad I got the FX4 package" and you loop the other one over his tow ball. Ok a small pull should get me out... no he is spinning his wheels... "just giver a little harder pull!" The nice guy with the big diesel is like "my big ass truck will have no problem pulling this little guy out of the ditch".

Now, this is how I see 99% of roadside good samaritan recoveries happen. 9 times out of 10 nobody gets hurt and nothing gets damaged. Maybe 1 in 100 the tow ball comes off and goes through your front window or your tow hook goes through his back window "shoot sorry man I didn't know I am supposed to use both hooks in a proper recovery". But as you can see in the video I just posted, when things go wrong people die.

Now if you simply had the correct gear and the know-how, maybe things go smoothly and you are recovered from an emergency and not creating a new one. But chances are you and the nice person helping would be better off calling a tow truck. Obviously the further you get out this changes and that is why I say EDUCATE YOURSELF on recovery gear and practices. It's better to be drinking your water in the passenger seat of a nice person than it is to be heli lifted to a hospital or worse.
I'm more impressed with the fact the hitch pin never failed than anything. My SXS I actually use the hitch pin for my permanent recovery point. I put my strap inside the receiver, run the pin through it and leave it there. I've pulled an awful lot of things out with my hitch, I use the larger shank, the video has the smallest shank you can use, I also turn the strap "inside out" is the best way I can think to describe it, in front of the ball, the ball holds the strap from sliding but I feel the strap is held from the "knot".
 

Criss944

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Now days every housing development, highway interchange, and parking lot has a retention pond. I keep a spring-loaded center punch taped in the dash cubby to break a window just in case I end up in one.
 
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DeanR

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I might as well be ready for...whatever. Here are the things I'm gathering to put in my Mav when it finally comes in:
- fire extinguisher
- fix-a-flat
- first aid kit
- tow strap
- flashlight
- blanket
- jumper cables
Good list I would add zip ties and duct tape. (I made a very crude fan belt one time). One thing I did as well, I had an extra L shaped lug wrench, it will slip perfectly in the supplied lugwrench and will give me an additional 16 inches of leverage. I carry a small compressor with me as well.
 

marpolsdofer

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Now days every housing development, highway interchange, and parking lot has a retention pond. I keep a spring-loaded center punch taped in the dash cubby to break a window just in case I end up in one.
I gave one with a seat belt cutter to my wife. She drives along a lake to and from work every day. Most of it is blocked by other roads and houses. There is one wide open sport 50-75 from the road that is wide open. All it takes is her to swerve from something and be in the water before you stop.

I do think vehicle water escape should be taught in drivers ed or show them the mythbuster episode of how to do it. If you do it wrong you can get knocked out or stuck.

There was a person who went missing around 10 years ago from a party by a pond. They checked the pound and other water locations to find him they never did.
Last year a YouTuber found him in his car in the same pound in 8ft of water 90ft from the shore.
My my guess is he tried to open the door but the water pressure was to much. Electric windows if he had them would have shorted out. Floated out further while taking on some water. The front window was missing probably kick it out. The water rushed in knocking him out or forcing him to the back seat and becoming stuck.
 

Michaelkov

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I carry the same emergency kit in my boat. Car, motorcycle, and bicycle :
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A burner phone, bottle of Makers, handgun with missing serial number, and a stolen credit card...nailed it!
 

GreenLady

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I carry most of what everyone else mentioned and also pepper spray, a thermal foil blanket and small aluminum bat in case someone tries to carjack me or a bridge collapses and I end up in the river and need to break a window. Most importantly a corkscrew for a bottle of wine when traffic is at a standstill 😱👍🏻
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