Purses & Kits

As forecast in my last post, I've been busy shopping for purses. I like the Baggallini line because they're lightweight and come in several attractive colors as well as the basic neutrals. Unfortunately, they tend to be smaller than the measurements stated on the website and hang tags.

For example, the Currency Organizer is .5" shorter making it difficult to impossible to store dollar bills flat in it depending on which pocket.

For that reason, the Triple Zip Bagg I first bought had to be set aside since it's too small to easily fit my Kindle Keyboard in it because the actual measurements are .75" shorter than the advertised measurements.

Settling on the Large Wallet Bagg for running errands, I chose the Hobo Tote for when I want to carry more such as a water bottle, camera, and monocular or binoculars. Since it's only a larger purse and not really a tote bag, I also bought an inexpensive, non-descript tote bag as well as a waistpack to complete my scheme of layering bags and kits.

So, this is how it stacks up:

My Large Wallet Bagg contains my micro survival kit.

My Hobo bag can hold my Large Wallet Bagg and my mini survival kit.

My tote bag can hold my Hobo bag and my small survival kit in its own waistpack with a belt pouch for my FAK and Clif bars.

When I go on a day hike, I'll use the small survival kit waistpack with a second belt pouch holding my GPSr, other incidentals, and my compass if it's not hanging from my neck.

My medium survival kit remains in the sustainment pouch ready to grab & go as my mobile survival kit whenever a friend invites me to go on a day or road trip.

I had to reorganize a bit to make each larger kit an expansion of the previous smaller kit to limit redundancy.

I love feeling organized!

Layering

Since my last post, a few things happened.

The first was I started wondering why I'm carrying a mini survival kit in my purse while running errands when I have a complete kit in my car. If I can't get back out to my car from a one- or two-story building, I'll be coping with worse problems than a mini kit would be able to help me with, considering I'll still have my micro kit on me.

The second thing was that the purse I was using, that contained my mini kit until I went back to a micro kit, broke. It didn't upset me as much as it could have since I didn't really like it because it forced me to wear the strap on my right shoulder when I'm more comfortable hanging a cross-body bag on my left shoulder, but I used it to run errands only about once a week for less than six months and think it should have lasted longer.

The third thing is that I popped the weight of my air travel survival kit up to three pounds by adding a first aid kit and some Clif bars. After all, if there's a forced landing or a crash, the likelihood of needing a FAK and something to eat will be greater. I'm not concerned with forced landings or crashes near airfields or populated areas because emergency response will be within minutes, but for those large expanses of wilderness or ocean that airplanes habitually fly over that may not receive aid for several hours or even days.

As a result, I really put my back into the thinking process and came up with a layering system of component bags.

The first is to replace my broken purse with another only large enough for my micro survival kit and my Kindle, cell phone, and wallet items. This mini purse will serve for running errands.

The mini purse for errands will tuck into a larger purse for day trips or road trips. In friends' vehicles, I'll have my mini kit in the larger purse with my mobile survival kit along as well.

For air travel, I plan to use a large tote as my personal bag. Inside the tote will be a waist pack containing a small survival kit and my day trip purse with my errands purse inside.

I think having a mini purse for errands that fits into a larger purse will make changing purses a lot easier since all I'll have to do will be to transfer the errands purse to whichever larger bag I'll need.

Also, for museums, galleries, and some stores that prohibit large purses, making you check them or leave them with the store's cashier, being able to pull out a smaller purse containing ID, cash, credit/debit cards, and other valuables such as a cell phone and Kindle would give me more peace of mind than leaving them with a stranger.

Besides, this way, I get to shop for two purses to replace the one that broke. With our being on the threshold of spring, it translates to my shopping for four purses: two sizes in a dark color for the rest of winter plus two sizes in a light color for summer.

Whee!

Mobile Survival Kit

Supplemental to my EDC mini survival kit, the reason I had so much trouble with this kit is because I wanted it for everything from hiking to air travel. The purposes, however, are different enough that separate kits are needed although they may share the same items.

For example, a backpacker goes out with the intention of spending a night or more in a wilderness area and prepares appropriately. The wise hiker packs the Ten Essential Systems intending to be home at night knowing it may not be possible because getting lost or terrain difficulty may lengthen the hike so a night to usually no more than three nights have to be spent outdoors.

On the other hand, nobody else from day-trippers and travelers to office workers, has any intention or expectation of sleeping anywhere other than in a bed. The survival kit is in case something happens to throw us into a survival situation.

This kit is for when I'm in somebody else's vehicle. It can easily be taken up to my room on my own road trips without rummaging through or dismantling my car kit. I might integrate the two kits later making this a subset of my car kit, but because I already had duplicate items because of camping and hiking and trying out various products, it's not an issue at this time.

1. NAVIGATION - Luminous compass; the same as for my Micro Survival Kit, this is an EDC item on my key ring.

2. PERSONAL ATTIRE - Now that I have all the other components for my exposure kit in my purse, the only items for this category are swim goggles for eye protection and a couple of oven bags to wear inside my shoes to waterproof my feet.

3. HYDRATION - Because water is vital, I want at least two methods for making water safe to drink. For the first method, I have (20) Micropur MP1 tablets, a quart zip bag, and 4 feet of aquarium airline tubing to aid collection.

If I don't carry a stainless steel water bottle which can be used for boiling water (I've been using my Brita bottle), a (1 qt. capacity) 8" x 3-7/8" x 2-15/32" foil loaf pan, flattened by folding in the sides and ends to make it easy to carry, is a lightweight and considerably less bulky alternative to a pot.

If I take my Katadyn water bottle, the ViruStat cartridge or the microfilter cartridge used with the MP1 tablets will purify water for me.

4. SHELTER - Two 2-person Heatsheets survival blankets. One for me plus one to share with the friend whose vehicle we're in, or one for a blanket for us and the second to be rigged as a shelter. If there are more passengers than what my blankets will cover, I don't know what will happen. While I'm willing to carry an extra blanket, I don't feel obligated to provide survival gear for everybody who may or may not be along especially since I've had to order many things online, including the Heatsheets.

5. COMMUNICATION - In addition to my EDC: (2) orange bandannas, Sharpie, mechanical pencil, eraser, Rite In The Rain pocket notebook, AM/FM/NOAA radio, and a small kite. My Mini Maglite LED flashlight has SOS and strobe features.

The kite is tricky because it can't be flown near kite-eating trees and a mini kite isn't as easy to see as a full-size kite is from a distance. Still, under the right conditions a kite would help show others where I am and a key ring, pocket, or mini kite takes hardly any space in the kit.

If you decide to get a kite for this and entertainment purposes, bear in mind that a parafoil kite is excellent because it won't have any sticks. However, parafoils fly lower, closer to the horizon, and need more wind than other types. A sled kite is similar and may have sticks.

The common diamond kite flies higher and needs less wind than parafoils and sleds while a delta kite flies the highest of all and needs the least wind.

Another idea is to fly a small American flag upside-down several feet below the kite because an upside-down flag is an official distress signal. For country flags that look the same either way or that duplicate a different country's flag when flown upside-down, tie a knot in the flag.

I recommend you visit a kite store to find the best assortment of small and specialty kites and that you select a predominantly red and orange kite because those colors show up against the sky better than other colors.

6. FIRE - Since I already EDC three methods to start a fire including tinder and magic birthday candles, only a tealight candle and hand sanitizing gel are needed for this kit.

7. ILLUMINATION - A Mini Maglite LED, a neck lanyard because I really don't like wearing a headlamp, and a headlamp because sometimes a flashlight swinging from a lanyard isn't good enough. Because my key ring LED flashlight has a pressure switch to turn and keep it on which also means something can turn it on accidentally, and because I have no way of knowing when the battery will fail, I added another key ring LED to this kit with an on-off switch that can't be turned on accidentally.

8. NUTRITION - (4) Clif and Zone Perfect energy bars plus a tin of Altoids.

9. FIRST AID KIT, HEALTH, AND HYGIENE - A pocket FAK to cleanse and protect minor wounds from infection, a tube of Super Glue with a brush to keep larger wounds closed until medical help can be received, Ultra (SPF 30) Chapstick, a stick of sun screen, StingEze, (10) Wet Ones, mint dental floss, (5) panty liners to make an unpleasant situation more bearable, hair elastic, a folding trowel for digging cat holes, travel toilet tissue roll, and (2) gallon zip bags for trash. I still need to add insect repellent wipes.

In an extra small Pac-It Sac by Eagle Creek, I have a FUD (feminine urinary device) kit: Freshette in its zip storage bag, toilet tissue, hand sanitizing gel, (5) Wet Ones, and (2) quart zip bags for trash.

10. REPAIR AND TOOLS - A sheath knife with 4.48" blade. a folder with a 3.4" blade, Leatherman Mini, Lansky pocket knife sharpener, wire saw, leather gloves, and pry bar. The pry bar is in case of an earthquake and to have something to knock out a ground-floor window to climb out in case I can't get a door open.

For cordage and repairs: (4) safety pins, 50' utility cord 1/8" diameter, 150 yds. unflavored floss, large-eye straight & curved needles, 30' invisible nylon thread wrapped onto a dental floss core, self-threading sewing needle, thimble.

Extras: (2) gallon zip bags, (2) extra AA cells for Mini Mag, (3) extra AAA cells for headlamp.

11. DOCUMENTATION - Cloud and survival information cards; this list. The cloud cards are to help predict the weather in case the radio fails.

12. FINANCES - $1.00 in quarters for a pay phone. A phone card would also be good. Obviously, this is for an urban survival situation.

13. TRANSPORTATION - I took a webbed, clip-on strap I had lying around and put it on the U.S. Army sustainment pouch I bought last month so I can carry it as a shoulder or cross-body bag or a waist pack.

14. ENTERTAINMENT - In addition to my EDC items, the same kite listed under 5. COMMUNICATION.

15. SECURITY & SELF-DEFENSE - A fire and in extreme circumstances, my knives, will keep wildlife at bay.

Excluding the water bottle and extra batteries, the total weight of everything listed is 6.5 lbs.

Why I Need a Mobile Survival Kit

I haven't given up on making a personal survival kit. It occurred to me that when I'm in somebody else's car for a day or road trip, I've got nothing to help me through a bad situation except for my water bottle, key ring LED flashlight, Fox 40 Mini whistle, Swiss Army Classic key ring knife, P-51, ResQMe, and the Spark-Lite I carry in the pen slot of my purse. It isn't a bad list but it isn't enough and I know better than to rely on somebody else having a Space Blanket on hand for me or even a first aid kit (FAK).

For example, in 2004 or so, there was a woman whose trunk I saw before we took off on a day trip and there was nothing in it. Completely bare. Absolutely naked. That was before I got serious about preparedness and it made me uneasy even then.

I've ridden with others on day trips to Wichita Falls and Dallas and overnighter or longer road trips to Houston, Albuquerque, and Milwaukee, but didn't know what they had for a car kit which was probably just as well.

Also, for hiking or backpacking, although I made a hiker's survival necklace consisting of my Suunto MC-2G compass, Fox 40 Mini whistle, Mini Swedish FireSteel, (4) Tinder-Quiks in a colored key ring pill fob I bought from CVS, a key ring LED flashlight, Pro Tick remover, and Swiss Army Classic knife; if I get separated from my pack, I won't have an emergency blanket or FAK. Definitely not good.

That made me think, if I have a bag I could convert from a waist pack to a cross-body shoulder bag, I could set up one small kit as a mobile personal survival kit for hiking and riding in other people's cars and put my exposure kit in it, too. If I remove the sharp things to make it TSA-compliant, it could also be my air travel survival kit.

The trick is to keep it small and lightweight enough for me to not mind taking it along every time.

[Edited on 1/1/12 to change the title.]

My Car Kit

This was birthed when I first started driving with a few items like a tire pressure gauge and entrenching tool, grew with more items such as jumper cables and flares, was the beginning of a survival kit with the addition of a gallon of water when I crossed a desert, then expanded as I saw the wisdom of preparedness.

In keeping with my 15 Essential Systems and using my EDC (Every Day Carry) items as well as items from my hiking, camping, and road trip packing lists, this is my current car emergency and survival kit.

Although I reduce water and food items for running errands in town and day trips, keeping the bulk at home as my home preparedness kit, I take everything listed on road trips.

1. NAVIGATION:

a. Luminous Suunto Clipper compass - on my car key ring.

b. Map(s)/road atlas.

c. Highlighters - I use yellow to plan and a darker color to mark my actual route to make it easy to see how far off-track I went.

d. Carson Lumi Click - a lighted magnifier.

e. GPSr and cigarette lighter adapter - optional. These things are great, but I've never relied solely on one.

To confirm my distrust, when I went to see "The Marriage of Figaro," I planned on dining at a particular restaurant after the opera and programmed the waypoint two nights before I left home. After the opera, however, something happened and my GPSr screen blanked out. It wasn't the batteries because I was using the DC adapter. It wasn't the DC adapter because it did the same thing with the batteries which registered a full charge on the meter before blanking out again.

Since I always have a variety of maps with me, I simply selected one and proceeded to the restaurant by memory of the street name and approximate cross street. It turned out that I was two blocks off on the cross street, but that wasn't far to drive in that vicinity.

I never did figure out what happened to it. It worked fine when I tested it after my return, even I went out of town to meet a friend for lunch.

2. PERSONAL ATTIRE:

a. Sun glasses with retainer cord, & clip-on keeper for car visor.

b. Sun hat or visor, winter hat or knit cap, scarf or neck gaiter - depending on the season.

c. Red bandanna - multiple uses.

d. Driving gloves/poptop mittens - convertible mittens are the greatest because they provide the warmth of mittens with the manual dexterity of fingerless gloves and all I have to do is pop off the top of the mitten to switch from one to the other - luv'em!

e. Shawl wrap, sweater, windbreaker, and winter coat - depending on season.

f. Walking shoes/hiking sandals/hiking boots/winter boots & socks, YakTrax Walkers - again, depending on the season.

g. Change of clothing appropriate for the season.

h. Cascade II poncho with DIY ties - breathable and much more comfortable than the PVC poncho of my exposure kit (next item).

i. E-kit: PVC poncho, N95 face mask, swim goggles, earplugs, nitrile gloves, plastic bags - in addition to protecting from dust, noise, or hazardous NBC materials; for extra protection in case of self-rescue, I can put the plastic bags over my socks inside each shoe to waterproof my feet and help prevent frostbite. The nitrile gloves may be used similarly inside my gloves or convertible mittens to further protect my hands.

3. HYDRATION - because water is vital, I have multiple backups for this system:

a. Brita Bottle/thermal water bottle/Katadyn filtering bottle, insulated carrier, Katadyn ViruStat or microfiltering cartridge - which water bottle I use depends on the season and how far from home I'm going.

For example, if I'm only running around town, I use the Brita Bottle or thermal bottle when I want to keep ice longer in over 100° F summer heat like it's been for 65 days so far this summer. For a long road trip, I take all three since the Katadyn bottle is part of my hiking and preparedness kits, using the Brita Bottle as it's intended to be used or to fill the thermal bottle with great-tasting water instead of taking along a Brita pitcher like I used to do.

I like the Katadyn bottle because it may be used as a regular water bottle, a microfiltering bottle when used with the microfiltering cartridge, or a purifying bottle when used with the ViruStat cartridge. It would be great if the carbon filter for the Katadyn bottle could be purchased separately so we have the option of using it as an aesthetic filtering bottle because it would allow every option. Then, I wouldn't need the Brita Bottle.

b. 18 oz. stainless steel bottle mug with fold-in handles and graduated measurements on the side and a foil pot pie pan as a DIY lid - to boil water if necessary. A regular 1 quart/liter Nalgene-type water bottle fits into these bottle mugs so there's very little additional space needed to take one along. Some come with their own lid.

c. 1-4 gallon(s) water, 1 DIY cozy - 1 gallon for day trips to 4 gallons for crossing a desert. I still need to make the cozy to keep the water from freezing during the winter. I thought of using an inexpensive polystyrene ice chest, but it takes up too much space.

d. Katadyn Micropur MP1 tablets and a quart zip bag - to collect water if the location is too shallow for my bottle or mug and to purify water if viruses are a concern when I'm using the microfiltering cartridge in my Katadyn or another bottle that's less than 1 quart/liter capacity. While it's okay to use an MP1 tablet with a lesser amount of water, I think it's a waste since the quart zip bag is so easy to have on hand.

e. Aquarium tubing, 4' - to siphon water if I can't collect it with my water bottle or zip bag.

f. Evaporated milk with non-dairy creamer to improve taste.

g. Hot beverage fixings such as powdered spiced apple mix and bouillon cubes. Since caffeine and alcohol aid both dehydration and hypothermia, there's no coffee, cocoa, or alcohol in my kit. The only tea is decaffeinated.

h. Box juice - optional, usually apple which is better for alertness than caffeine.

i. (3) 2-liter PET bottles for SODIS - optional, depending on how much space is available after packing my small car for a road trip.

4. SHELTER & COMFORT:

a. Umbrella - use as portable sun shade as well as for rain.

b. Window shades & solar-powered fan - the fan hangs on the edge of a window to vent the interior hot air to the outside. Sorry, I've had it so long, I can't recall from where I bought it.

c. Space Emergency Blanket - I got one years ago and still keep it in the car at all times since I take the All Weather and Grabber blankets along only for road trips.

d. Space All Weather Blanket - sturdier, quieter, and easier to refold than a regular Space blanket; use as ground sheet, tarp, and signaling.

e. Therm-A-Rest Women's Trail Lite pad - from my hiking pack. I have an inexpensive closed-cell foam pad I use for car camping but it's too bulky for my pack or to keep in my small car. Not thinking, I got a 3/4-length Uber pad which doesn't insulate my usually colder legs and feet at all simply because it's short, so switched to the full-length Therm-A-Rest.

f. Space Grabber hooded all weather blanket - use as a hooded blanket and for signaling.

g. Plastic sheet (=> 2 mm thick) - create a greenhouse effect with a fire on one side when a Space blanket is used on the opposite side as a heat reflector for warmth. The sequence is: fire, plastic, person(s), Space blanket, and car or other surface to which the plastic sheet and Space blanket are secured. Also for additional purposes such as collecting dew or rain runoff for hydration.

Relying on only the car as shelter might not be a good idea because of the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning and not being able to stretch out to sleep may prohibit getting the best quality of rest during an already stressful situation; it's a personal judgment call.

The problem with rigging a tarp or pitching an open-ended emergency tube tent is that wind shifts may cause the elements to storm in and the open sides permit insects and larger critters to share my shelter. I really don't like the idea of a snake snuggling up to me to share my body heat as I sleep and cringe at the thought of rolling over onto a rattler. While a mosquito net would help the open ends of a tube tent, it would have to be a large net to help with the open sides of a tarp.

I do have a hiking tent that needs to be staked out which I carted around in my car for a few years until I realized a free-standing tent would be better because of the variety of surroundings I was driving through.

When high summer temperatures turn a car into an oven making hyperthermia a concern, rigging a tarp to create shade would be more comfortable than getting under the car to stay cool. I can tie my All Weather blanket to my roof rack or close the car doors on the edge of one side and use my hiking poles or buy taller, collapsible tarp poles to hold up the other.

5. COMMUNICATION:

a. Cell phone with In Case of Emergency (ICE) info in phone book + cigarette adapter - I probably should get an additional way to recharge it in case I can't recharge it using the car battery.

b. Antenna help flag (red bandanna).

c. Fox 40 Mini whistle - on key ring.

d. Parker Jotter with Space Pen refill - the Jotter cost me less than the Space Pens were priced; I put a Space Pen refill in it because it writes when other pens won't.

e. Mechanical pencil & eraser.

f. Rite in the Rain® All-Weather notepaper - to leave weatherproof notes in case I leave the vehicle to attempt self-rescue so rescue personnel know which way I went and my condition; this paper needs a pencil or Space pen to be able to write on it.

g. Surveyor's tape, 30' - to leave a trail of "breadcrumbs" in case I leave the car to search for water so I can find my way back and so SAR may track me down.

h. Signal mirror.

i. Radio Shack NOAA Alert radio.

j. Grundig AM/FM/SW radio, optional - to keep up with what's going on in the rest of the world.

6. FIRE - Vital for heat, purifying water, signaling, cooking, light, and morale; I have multiple backups for this system as well:

a. Lighter - with an adjustable flame that mimics a blowtorch, butane lighters are not dependable at high altitude or when wet or cold, however, there are windproof and water-resistant models available.

b. Wooden safety and storm-proof matches in waterproof match safe - backup to the lighter.

c. Swedish FireSteel Army model by Light My Fire - ferrocerium rods work even if wet and will outlast both the lighter and matches by far.

d. (2) "Magic" can't-blow-out trick birthday candles - for windy conditions.

e. Magnesium block firestarter - the shavings are too easily blown away, but if sheltered by kindling and wood, will help dry damp wood so it can burn.

f. (6) PJ cotton balls and (5) PJ tampons - triple-sized cotton balls and super plus tampons slathered with petroleum jelly as DIY tinder stored in a plastic snack zip bag.

g. (3) Firestarting sticks - in case natural kindling is too wet.

h. Portable stove & fuel - for this car kit, I selected the Esbit Pocket stove.

i. (1) Nuwick 120-hour candle - to warm vehicle and some foods, it also provides light.

j. Silicone & wooden trivets - there's no point in melting or burning up the vehicle or ground sheet. The wooden trivet could also serve as fuel in a pinch.

k. Set of two nested camping pots (with fold-in handles) with lids, 1.3 & 0.9 liter capacity. The smaller pot stays in the car kit all the time while the larger pot gets added for road trips. I used to include a kettle, but decided it's unnecessary between my bottle mug and these pots.

l. (2) EzHeat instant reusable handwarmers - boil in water to reactivate.

m. Fire extinguisher - required by some U.S. National Parks.

7. ILLUMINATION:

a. Mini Maglite with red lens from accessories pack - in glove box to read maps and preserve night vision. I got this years before and converted it to LED before getting the LED model and haven't had a reason to remove it from my glove box.

b. Mini Maglite LED, accessories pack, Nite Ize headband, neck lanyard. A brighter light than my converted, older Mini Mag, I really like having the SOS and strobe features of the next-generation model.

The problem with the headband is wearing the flashlight on the side of my head makes me feel lopsided. As a result, I prefer the lanyard except it bounces when I move and I can't always direct the light to precisely where I'm looking without holding the flashlight in my hand.

c. Headlamp - I currently have three I don't like and continue to look for one I do. I put one of these three in my car kit.

d. (4) Chemical light sticks - to light car interior to aid visibility while I sleep without running down batteries or risking a fire. I'd hate for another driver to not see me when I need help or, worse, hit my car but because they have expiration dates and I bought a lighted traffic cone, I doubt I'll replace them after they're gone.

8. NUTRITION:

a. Snacks - a small selection chosen from Clif/Luna bars, granola bars, nuts, dried fruit, crackers, or peanut butter-filled snack crackers. These are for day trips.

b. Three or more days worth of meals - instant oatmeal and Cream of Wheat, Bumble Bee's Tuna Salad Lunch on the Run, instant miso soup, Knorr's Sides - rice and pasta, Idahoan instant mashed potatoes, Ramen, foil-packaged or canned fish, chicken, or meat, canned vegetables, fruit cups, and Mountain House freeze-dried food (so far, I haven't liked the other brands I've tried). These are also my home preparedness kit. I prefer dried, dehydrated, or freeze-dried products because they don't have the weight of canned goods and there's no risk of breakage as with glass making this kit double as my evacuation kit. Although I realize they need water to prepare, and water might not be readily available, I hope to be rescued before my water supply is exhausted or be able to evacuate to a locale with an adequate water supply outside the disaster area.

c. Plastic plate as cutting board, paring knife, and a Frisbee for a plate because the raised edge helps prevent spillage. One of the camping pots can double as a bowl.

d. Eating utensils: plastic set of knife, fork, & spoon; citrus peeler for fresh fruit bought along the way.

e. Salt & pepper.

f. Manual can opener - even though I have a P-51 can opener on my key ring.

g. Punch can opener + cap lifter + corkscrew - leftover from my first attempt at making up a car kit for spontaneous picnics.

9. FIRST AID KIT, HEALTH, HYGIENE, LAUNDRY:

a. Commercially prepared FAK, lip balm, sun block, insect repellent, insect sting relief, artificial tears, rehydration mix.

b. Personal medications, multi-vitamin & multi-mineral pills.

c. Floss, toothbrush & toothpaste.

d. Toilet tissue pack/roll, toilet seat covers - this started out as a travel item.

e. Feminine supplies including a Freshette feminine urinary device (FUD) and a 2 L colored PET bottle - the Freshette is because I don't like exposing my bare butt in the great outdoors and hours in a car on an evacuation route wouldn't give me anything in the way of privacy much less a clean restroom. The bottle is so I don't have to let more cold air in by opening the door to go outside; it's colored so I don't confuse it with my SODIS bottles and so I won't have to regard the color of its contents.

f. Hand sanitizing wipes/gel - alcohol-based sanitizer gel will also help start a fire.

g. Facial tissue, hand lotion, foot powder, baby wipes - convenient sponge-type bath.

h. No Rinse shampoo, No Rinse body wash - for a more thorough clean-up when water is in short supply.

i. Biodegradable washing liquid - for body, hair, dishes, and laundry in fresh or sea water.

j. Solar shower - this black plastic bag, tube, and nozzle contraption that uses the sun to heat the water started out as a camping item because there's nothing like a hot shower.

k. Shout stain removal wipes, optional.

l. Quart and gallon zip bags for trash.

10. REPAIR & TOOLS:

a. Squeegee, Rain-X wipes, windshield interior cleaner, ice scraper, spare wiper refills - leftover from the last time I bought refills since my wiper blades are different lengths

b. Leatherman multi-tool, knife & scissors sharpener, LifeHammer, ResQMe - on my key ring for when I'm not in my own car, I didn't know about the ResQMe when I bought my LifeHammer.

c. Gorilla Grip universal socket, 3/8" ratchet handle & driver extension set, adjustable wrench, entrenching tool, ax, Sierra saw.

d. Duct tape, 100' paracord, zip ties, bungee cords, bungee net - to secure items on the trunk lid's luggage rack.

e. Jumper cables, spare fuses, tow rope, traction mats & plastic bag to keep car clean after use, 1-gallon gas can, funnel, siphon, plastic bag to hold used funnel and siphon.

f. Bumper-mounted deer warning devices - absolutely fantastic for keeping bugs from executing kamikaze dives into my windshield; when the splats start up again, I know it's time to wash out the devices. And I've never hit a deer which is why I originally bought them.

g. 2-AAA Pack-a-Cone, warning triangle, flares, reflective safety vest.

h. Wheel block (a brick), jack, tire iron, spare tire, air compressor with cigarette lighter cord, tire pressure gauge.

i. (6) spare AAA cells for Lumnifier, Pack-A-Cone.

j. (4) spare AA cells for flashlights.

k. Eyeglass repair kit - gotta have sunglasses!

l. (3) 1-quart zip bags, (5) 1-gallon Hefty One Zip freezer bags, (3) kitchen can trash bags, (3) leaf trash bags.

m. (1) roll paper towels.

Some lists include a drive belt, hoses, and clamps. I don't because I have my car serviced according to the maintenance schedule in the owner's manual and take the car in for an oil change and to have such things checked before each road trip for my own peace of mind, ounce of prevention and all that.

11. DOCUMENTATION:

a. Driver's license - in wallet.

b. Proof of insurance & phone #.

c. Registration & owner's manual.

d. Roadside assistance membership card with phone #.

e. ICE info - in wallet.

f. [Disposable] camera to record scene of accident.

g. Notebook to record accident info: other driver's license #, car plate #, insurance.

h. This list - to quickly assess what's available, use as tinder.

12. FINANCES:

Cash & coins - I'm not sure what good these will be in an emergency or survival situation except to pay for a taxi, tow truck, or on-the-spot repairs since many businesses accept credit/debit cards. I keep coins in a Tupperware pudding cup in one of the car cup-holders for toll roads and parking meters.

13. TRANSPORTATION:

a. Small ice chest - used without ice to insulate my FAK medications from heat when I park for a while to visit a site enroute to my next lodging.

b. Plastic bins - to store and easily transfer non-canned food and other preparedness items between home and car.

c. Doubled shopping bags for canned food.

d. Car accessory litter bags with Velcro closures - hung off the back of the front seats using the head restraint supports. These are used to hold my folding umbrella, maps, Mini Maglite LED flashlight, and other small items.

e. Car accessory storage bag that hangs in the trunk next to the back of the back seat - to hold almost everything in the Tools & Repairs category using a minimum of trunk floor space. Some items, like the brick, saw, and ax, are stored underneath or because of the angle of the seat back, between the bag and seat back such as the solar fan and sun shade during the off-season.

f. Car top carrier - for road trips. Abundant shopping in San Francisco and Los Angeles motivated me to buy a car top carrier system while I was in L.A. because of the greater capacity and providing more protection than the luggage rack on the trunk lid. I don't store car kit items in it.

g. Da car - ideally, items needed immediately such as the FAK, candle, matches, Space Blanket, and water would be within reach so the occupant(s) can preserve body heat while taking care of immediate needs without having to open the vehicle doors.

There's a luggage rack on the trunk lid, but because any cargo has to be netted, depending on state law, and tarped to withstand weather, I view this as a temporary carrier or for the last resort.

14. ENTERTAINMENT - The only items kept in the car at all times are my pocket and mini kites. I take my Kindle when I foresee waiting time while I'm doing errands in town. The rest are added for day or road trips as desired:

a. Camera, recharger, tripod.

b. Binoculars/monocular.

c. Crossword puzzle book, playing cards, assorted pocket, mini, and full-sized kites - under the right conditions, a kite could be used to signal my location.

d. Cassettes and MP3 player.

e. Cassette adapter and sticky pad for the MP3 player.

f. Kindle (also needs the cassette adapter) with games as well as reading material - I can recharge the Kindle using the inverter I got for my laptop.

g. Small musical instrument such as a tin whistle or harmonica and music book.

h. Watercolor painting supplies.

15. SECURITY & SELF-DEFENSE - Because this category depends on the variety of states' laws as much as personal preference, I generally limit it to my Fox 40 Mini whistle because if close enough, three blasts can really hurt a bad guy's ears giving me a chance to get away as well as signaling my need for help, three being the universal distress signal.

[Updated 11/18/2011]

Review: Brita Bottle

The new Brita Bottle, available since mid-February, is an on-demand, aesthetic-filtering, environmentally-friendly, reusable water bottle made of durable, easy-to-squeeze, BPA-free, recycle code #4 LDPE plastic.

It is available in translucent blue or green for MSRP US$9.99 each, including one replaceable filter, or in a Twin Pack from $18.99. Replacement filters are MSRP $7.99 per pair.

The Bottle is 9.75" tall. The circumference varies from 7-5/8" at the waist to 9" at the largest point.

The literature inside says the filtering system was tested and certified in accordance with NSF/ANSI Standard 42 for aesthetics to reduce chlorine taste and odor by at least 50%. The Brita Bottle averaged 79% with the minimum at 58%.

The NSF requirement for the reduction of particulates is 85% to be a Class VI filter which is 50 to <80 microns. The Brita Bottle averaged more than 99.9% that was also the minimum.

Not finding the Brita Bottle at Wal-Mart and not wanting to drive out-of-town to Target or shop online, I located my blue Bottle at Walgreens. The enclosed directions say to first hand-wash it with mild soap, but knowing soap can leave a residue even when well-rinsed, I used regular liquid dishwashing detergent, instead. The directions also say that everything except the filter is top-rack dishwasher-safe.

After flushing out the loose carbon dust as directed by squeezing a full bottle of water through the filter, I was ready to begin my evaluation. Since I work at home, my interest in the Bottle is for when I'm out-and-about longer than water in another convenient-to-carry bottle filled from my Brita pitcher would last like for festivals, day trips, and travel to areas with safe water.

For road trips, the Bottle will save my having to pack my Brita Space Saver pitcher which is much too large for air travel. Although I haven't flown anywhere since I bought the Bottle, I expect it to be acceptable by the TSA just as my Brita Fill & Go filtering bottle was as long as it's empty when I go through inspection.

The capacity according to Brita is 20 oz. Filling the Bottle to the ledge below the screw thread for the cap, I measured the capacity as 21 oz.

The cap consists of several pieces. First, there is a base cap that screws onto the 49 mm opening large enough to add ice cubes and for easy washing. The filter slides into a hole in the center of the base cap and is held in place by a screw-on, push-pull sport cap. The sport cap is covered by a snap-on hygiene cap.

According to the label and enclosed literature, the filter, Model No. BB02 which also fits Brita's older Fill & Go bottle, needs to be replaced every 128 (20 oz.) servings/20 gallons/75 liters or every two months for proper performance.

Knowing that 128 (20 oz.) servings equals 20 gallons, I was curious how it correlated to two months and did some calculating. By using the Bottle for all of the standard hydration recommendation of 64 oz. per day, it would take only 40 days to consume 20 gallons.

However, after keeping track for a week and learning I average two fillings (42 oz.) per day, I calculated the filter would last 61 days (128 servings x 20 oz. per serving / 42 oz. per day = 60.95 days).

Of course, YMMV, but if you drink an average of two Bottles per day, getting the rest of your hydration needs from other beverages and food, marking your calendar to replace the filter in two months will be both close enough and a whole lot easier than counting refills or calculating the number of gallons consumed.

The Bottle is very comfortable to hold, but once leaked a drop or two because the push-pull sport cap wasn't closed all the way although it looked like it was.

It leaks a lot more if I don't put the large base cap on carefully. I discovered I have to press the carrying loop down while screwing on the cap or it won't go on level. With the loop removed, it still leaks a little unless I unscrew the cap until the threads click before screwing the cap on. It's best to set the Bottle on the counter or other support to avoid squeezing it as the cap is screwed on.

After figuring out these little tricks, the Bottle is dripless no matter how vigorously shaken.

The leaking isn't due to the cap because I can put it on my Fill & Go without having to be careful about it and it doesn't leak, so it must be something about the Bottle.

I suspect it's because the thread goes around only once plus about a third where the ends overlap while the thread on the Fill & Go goes around twice. Wrapping the Bottle's thread with plumber's tape might resolve this minor issue; I plan to buy some, try it, and report back, but it really would be better for Brita to fix this issue for us rather than our having to be so much more careful than with the Fill & Go or trying to fix it ourselves.

[Update 6/2/11 - Too lazy to buy plumber's tape, I tried different tape only to get a small flood when I squeezed to drink. Since I figured out the little tricks required to make my Bottle dripless (other people haven't had these issues, so it just depends on the Bottle or maybe I'm squeezing more vigorously than they are), and I'm very happy with it preferring the new Bottle over Brita's older Fill & Go bottle, I decided against trying the plumber's tape.]

Disliking the plastic taste of my first Bottle of water as sometimes happens with LDPE water bottles I've tried, I put in a couple of tablespoons of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), filled it with hot tap water, capped it without the filter, shook it, and let it sit overnight.

Since my second Bottle of water still tasted of plastic, I dumped in enough baking soda to cover the bottom over 1/4 inch, filled it with hot tap water, capped it without the filter, and let it sit over 24 hours, shaking it occasionally. That fixed it. Subsequent servings of water have all tasted absolutely great.

If I couldn't have gotten rid of the plastic flavor or should I ever want a bottle with a different capacity, I could substitute a recycle code #1 PET/PETE bottle with a 28 mm opening such as is found on standard .5 L, 1 L, and 2 L water and soft drink bottles, Coke products excluded, since the filter and push-pull sport cap fit without leakage on the bottles I tried. A 1-liter bottle would be especially good for foreign travel and preparedness because it's the capacity recommended for most chemical treatments for unsafe water. I'm thinking the Brita Bottle filter will remove any lingering chlorine odor and taste, but don't care to speculate about iodine treatments.

By aligning the filter's arrow-shaped openings with the Bottle's seams for easy tactile detection and keeping a seam underneath the Bottle as it gets empty, I can squeeze out all of the water but a tablespoon enabling me to get a maximum quantity before needing to refill it.

[Edited 6/2/11 - If the seam that is aligned with the top end of the screw thread is downward, the Bottle leaks a drop when I upend and squeeze to drink if I set it on the counter while screwing on the cap although it still doesn't leak when shaken while the sport top is closed. It leaks a lot if I grip it around its middle while screwing on the cap, but less if it's supported on my palm. As a result, I marked the opposite seam with a Sharpie to ensure I have it downwards when I drink so there is no leakage as I squeeze.]

Aligning the filter with the Brita logo on the cap is another option for a visual indicator. Aligning my collapsible koozie seams with the Bottle's seams provides both easy visual and tactile indicators.

The koozie also serves its original purpose as an insulator helping keep the water cool and as a sweat band to collect condensation when ice is added.

[Update 7/30/11 - The Outdoor Products insulated water bottle sleeve, reviewed here, is better than a collapsible can koozie.]

Not only does the Bottle fit into my collapsible koozie and car cup holder, it also fits into the water bottle pockets of my travel purse and other carriers such as my water bottle parka with shoulder strap.

Like other sport caps with snap-on dust covers, the Brita Bottle's hygiene cap is likely to be easily lost. Since this is an on-going problem of mine that isn't likely to change, I attached a 4" cable tie to the carrying loop and Krazy-glued the loose end to the hygiene cap to leash it to the Bottle. Unfortunately, the Krazy Glue did not hold, perhaps because the cable tie was too short and/or too stiff to withstand the stress of movement as I removed and replaced the hygiene cap.

Losing the hygiene cap is no big deal since I don't put the cap in my mouth and figure I can easily use the water's outward flow to rinse it off. Besides, I don't wash my hands every time before pulling the top open and only God knows what germs I pick up from the surfaces I touch between drinks.

However, since I do like having a cover to prevent a fly from landing on the center of the sport cap behind my back, I'm trying another way to make a leash and will post a report on it, later.

Overall, I'm very happy with the Brita Bottle and prefer it to the older Fill & Go except for needing to be careful about closing the cap to prevent leakage. It's easy to use, comfortable to hold, conveniently-sized, and produces great-tasting water.

[Update 9/19/2012 - In March, I bought a two-pack and have had no problems whatsoever. The new bottles are lavender and a pretty blue. The older bottle is a wussy-looking light blue. I don't know if the leakage was peculiar to the light blue bottles or if Brita changed something in the new bottles since they look the same to me. Either way, I'm totally thrilled with my newer bottles!]

I recommend it to everyone wanting an on-demand, aesthetic-filtering, environmentally-friendly, reusable water bottle that can be refilled from any source of potable water.

Mid-Year Check

Making the food list last year turned out well for me. All I had to do for the mid-year check this week was eye the list and add the items expiring before September to my shopping list. After shopping, it was easy to dig out the items to be replaced from the plastic bin because I put things in chronological order by expiration date so those items expiring sooner are on top. Then, I moved them to the space for current use and put the new purchases in the preparedness food bin after writing the expiration date on the front or top with a black Sharpie so it's easy to see.

Replacing the water was no big deal. All I did was buy more and move the jugs reserved for preparedness so they can be used for current needs which I pretty well do whenever I buy spring water by the gallon for my tea, anyway. The only difference this time was that I did it on purpose because it's the mid-year check, not because I needed to buy water which means I'll have more water than usual in my regular supply for a while. I'm unsure of the sense of doing things this way except it ensures my preparedness supply of water is fresh whether or not I use my regular supply.

What's new is that I started thinking about medications for a preparedness first aid kit (FAK) and bought an extra box of allergy pills, generic pain relief, and other basic first aid medications. I usually wait until I need these before buying them because I've stocked them in my home FAK before only to discard them after the expiration date without ever using any, but decided that a period of tumult is not the time to be needing a drug store that may not be open during a disaster.

The allergy pills won't be wasted because I can rotate them into current use and buy a new box for the preparedness kit when my daily supply needs to be replaced, and I should add a multi-vitamin and multi-mineral supplement to aid good health in whatever stressful situation this preparedness kit is to see me through, but I expect to take a hit on the cost of the rest since they are more likely to expire than be used.

Finally, I decided to store the FAK meds and my Katadyn Micropur water purification tablets in an insulated cooler bag designed to hold four cans. Since I don't know whether a preparedness situation might be too cold or too hot, either of which may degrade the chemicals, I figure it's better to play it safe by storing them in a cooler.

Besides, I wasn't using the bag for anything else. I originally bought it on sale for air travel because it folds flat for easy packing so I don't have to buy, then leave behind, a cheap Styrofoam cooler at every destination just to keep a few beverage cans cold. It'll do fine in my Grab & Go bag and for road trips, but I'll have to think about what to do for preparedness issues when I travel by air since it can't fold flat when full. It's easy enough when I travel by car, but air travel requires paring down to the bare minimum especially when trying to use only a carry-on bag.

I'm becoming increasingly aware that going on vacation doesn't exempt people from disastrous situations. Vacationers and business travelers should have basic preparedness kits with them in order to survive the unexpected just like anybody else, probably more so since they're away from their home turf in unfamiliar surroundings.

Free MP3 Bible

A couple of years ago, I downloaded the book of Jude from the Firefighters for Christ which offers a free MP3 KJV Bible, read by Stephen Johnston, as part of their ministry for those who want it on their computers or MP3 players.

I downloaded it to see if it's like my Bible on cassette (it is) because I like Stephen Johnston's narration with faint background music between the chapters and books better than Alexander Scourby's narration with no background music of my CD Bible. I forgot about it because I've been waiting to buy an MP3 player when I really need one. Finding Jude on my laptop while looking for an MP3 file to try out on my Kindle, I realized that maybe I didn't need to buy the TTS Bible.

However, since the complete MP3 Bible is 1.1 GB, and since the Kindle's 3 GB is shared by ebooks, magazines, Audible files, MP3 files, and personal documents, the MP3 Bible may be larger than anyone might want to keep on a Kindle.

Fortunately, individual books may also be downloaded.

As a result, I downloaded the New Testament, 231 MB, one book at a time during last month's snow storms and am enjoying it on my Kindle. An important point I learned in the process is that everything has to be moved to the Kindle at one time to keep everything in order. When I transferred another book later, it didn't get appended to the end but was inserted somewhere else, chapters straying at random.

I'm thinking about transferring the entire Old Testament to my Kindle as well because I can always delete ebooks I've read and restore them from my Kindle Archive.

Also, I can free up Kindle space by deleting the MP3 Bible after I get an MP3 player. I think I still need to get an MP3 player eventually because I have over 15 GB of music on my laptop and don't like having to hook it up and turn it on just for music on the road. My road trip mix folder alone is over 6 GB.

Last week during my day trip to lunch with my friend, I tried listening to my Kindle but found it too soft for the ambient road noise. Fortunately, I also took along the cassette adapter from my Sony Discman. Setting the Kindle's volume to the max enabled me to listen to the New Testament through my car speakers just fine.

As usual with no buttons being pushed to keep my Kindle awake, the screen went into Sleep mode but the audio kept playing. After reaching my destination, I slid the power switch to awaken the Kindle and turned the audio off by pressing Alt + Space before powering the Kindle off. Tucking the unit into its case then into my handbag, I headed into the restaurant and had a great visit with my friend.

My Kindle's turning out to be everything I hoped it would be.

TTS

For this week's blog post, I was going to write about the Text-to-Speech (TTS) feature of the Kindle.

I was going to point out that whether the feature is enabled or not is up to the publisher of the ebook.

I was going to highlight the choice of a male or female voice that may be adjusted to speak faster or slower than the default setting.

I was going to mention it's a bit mechanical sounding, compared to a real person reading aloud, but it's a minor limitation of the Kindle 3 that doesn't bother me.

I was going to say that because my car has a cassette player, I can use my portable CD player's cassette adapter to listen to an ebook or a few MP3 files on my Kindle through my car speakers while I drive.

I was going to blog about how I enjoy listening to scripture at home and on the road and that long road trips killed several of my Bible cassettes through the years. Changing over to a Bible on CD and taking along a CD player means more clutter in my car. Anticipating the purchase of an MP3 player and having to find an MP3 Bible to play, I was going to rave about how very happy I am to have found OSNOVA's TTS-friendly KJV Bible for only $4.99.

I was going to write that, unlike my other ebook Bible, the speech is very easy to follow either listening or reading along because the verse numbers were removed and the text set in normal paragraphs.

I was going to mention that since I bought this TTS-friendly Bible for listening purposes, sometimes I forget that the speech function has to be stopped in order to use the Next Page/Last Page buttons or the 5-way controller arrows to skip forward or back to another book. I was going to add that using the Shift and Sym keys makes it easy to toggle the speech off and on again.

I was also going to post that for the low cost, ease of use, and convenience of not having to pack everything I used to and considering I can use it at home, too, the TTS feature on the Kindle and this TTS-friendly Bible are real blessings.

But I decided to get a rotisserie chicken and seedless grapes for dinner and read another ebook, instead.

Romans 10:17. So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

I <3 My Kindle

Finishing my Christmas shopping last Friday, my thoughts dwelt on how convenient Amazon's Kindle would be for me at home apart from its being a travel accessory.

1. Although I've enjoyed reading free ebooks on my laptop courtesy of the free Kindle for PC application, reading at bedtime makes my laptop magically grow progressively larger and heavier as I get sleepier, shrinking back to its regular size and weight before I awake. Being able to switch from my laptop at any point in a book to the much smaller and lighter Kindle would enable me to continue reading until I'm ready to nod off.

2. Checking Amazon for five books I bought this year, I saw that Kindle editions are available for all of them at a lesser price, one for free. Not only would it save me money, it would greatly decrease the amount of space I need for storing books at home. Sure, I'm a great fan of public libraries even while traveling, but there are books I just have to own. Of course, I can store more ebooks on my laptop, but see #1 above.

3. The Kindle has a Text-to-Speech feature that, depending on a publisher's allowing it to be enabled which may be determined on Amazon's description for the book, allows me to listen to an ebook when I want to rest my eyes like being read a bedtime story as a child. This feature is not available in the PC app. For road trips, I can plug my cassette adapter into the headphone jack, insert the adapter into my car's cassette player, and by turning Text-to-Speech on, listen to a book as I drive as if it's an audio book.

4. Another feature not available with the PC app is the ability to organize ebooks into folders, called Collections. Kindle for PC sorts by author, title, most recent, or by file size making quite a list for me to go through to find what I want out of the already 99 ebooks in my library. Being able to go to a Collection will greatly relieve me of the annoyance of not being able to quickly find something I know I have. Because ebooks may be categorized in more than one Collection, there's less chance of my not being able to find what I want due to forgetting in which Collection I categorized it.

As a result, after reading the 1-star and 2-star negative reviews on Amazon that did not put me off in the slightest, I ordered a Kindle last Friday, Dec. 4, at nearly 6 P.M. ET along with a neoprene case by Belkin. Assured they would be delivered Dec. 10-14, continuing to read on my magical laptop (see #1 above), I found waiting to be as hard on me as waiting for Christmas Day when I was a child.

Amazon and United Parcel Service must have really gotten their acts together for the holiday season. Despite my ordering after normal business hours on a Friday, considering the weekend and that I selected free shipping which usually takes a few days longer than the paid-for standard shipping, my Kindle arrived on Tuesday morning, shipped from Lexington, Kentucky. Remembering one Amazon shipment originating in the Dallas-Fort Worth area of Texas that drove me crazy watching it spend three days going from one UPS distribution center to another before it left the state of TX, I was determined to not monitor the tracking status for my Kindle during the six to ten days it was supposed to take to arrive. Surprised by the fast delivery, I was jumping in joy.

Having read the PDF User's Guide through the Kindle for PC app over the weekend, I unpacked the box and plugged in my Kindle to charge.

Noticing the indicator light changed from orange to green two to three hours later, I eagerly turned it on, registered it to my Amazon account, downloaded and synchronized my library, then tried out a few features before organizing my ebooks into Collections.

(The instructions said I wouldn't have to register it if I bought it through my Amazon account, which I did, because it would already be registered, which it wasn't. No matter. Registration was fast and easy, taking only a moment.)

I'm not reading ebooks on my laptop, anymore.

Imagine reading that's much easier on your eyes than using a backlit screen.

Imagine electronic paper and ink technology that's easier to read than paperback and some hardback books.

Imagine having nearly a hundred books, with room for up to 3,500 books, in a device that can be held in one hand, either hand, that's thinner and weighs less than two ounces more than a giant (6.8 oz/192 g) bar of Hershey's red Symphony chocolate.

Imagine being able to access any of your ebooks at any time with only a few clicks of a thumb or finger without having to move from your chair.

Imagine being able to turn pages with a slight movement of your thumb on the same hand holding the Kindle.

(Picture how not having to lift a finger to turn a page, much less an arm or hand, deepens the meaning of the term "couch potato.")

Since it arrived Tuesday morning, I've spent about ten hours reading on it and I love my Kindle. I really love it!

Praise the Lord!

Working on a Car Emergency Kit

I've been looking at several lists for what to include in a car emergency kit to ensure I've got my bases covered. Some lists include items that make absolutely no sense to me.

For example, a couple of lists include a gallon of window washer fluid on the basis that winter driving uses more. However, I'm thinking why don't they check the reservoir once a month or every weekend or every few days depending on how much is used and keep the fluid at home instead of waiting until they run out to refill and taking up valuable trunk space that would be better used for a gallon of drinking water for a car survival kit?

Then, three lists have recommendations for oil: a pint, a quart, two quarts. What's going on with vehicles that they're saying to carry oil? None of the lists explain. And a PINT??? What's with that? The add mark on a car's dipstick means you're a quart low. Also, I've only seen oil sold by the quart except for motorcycles. Yes, the author is American.

On the other hand, one list recommends spare headlight bulbs because "several European countries require them." Another recommended spare headlight bulbs and the tools to make the change. I think spare bulbs are a good idea for those who drive long distances at night as I've done at times, as long as the entire headlamp doesn't have to be replaced and realigned. According to my owner's guide, mine needs only a bulb. I still need to look at the car to see how easy it would be for me to do myself and what tools it would take because I've never done it before.

Spare fuses are another good idea and are very easy to replace. I had to install a heavy-duty fuse on my last car for the taillights to work when I was pulling a trailer with a small sailboat that I used to have and was surprised at how simple it was. I didn't even get my hands dirty. When I checked my owner's manual for this car, I learned that I already have three spare fuses. Unfortunately, I'm puzzled by one being 5 amp and there's no 5 amp fuse being used that it could replace. Very odd. Anyway, I'm planning to buy three other fuses so I have a complete set.

Another list recommended a plastic bag for storing the funnel all the lists recommend after it's used. I think that's a good idea and will get a zip bag for the gas siphon, too, or maybe store both together in one bag.

Another item is water. One list specified enough drinking water for the occupants for a 24-hour period and the radiator while others simply listed "water." I used to get a gallon jug for the car only when I was going to drive across a desert. Starting in 2006, that changed to 2-3 gallons at all times because a lot of tap water doesn't taste good to me anymore. Now that I do road trips with a Space Saver Brita pitcher, I don't need bottled water for normal drinking but will probably keep a gallon or two anyway for my car survival kit.

Other items I'm not sure about are things like plastic cable/zip ties, clamps, tape to seal hose leaks, light sticks, and a bag of sand or cat litter.

Lacking explanations for the zip ties, I think they'd melt from the heat of the engine.

Then, I always take my car in before a road trip to have an oil & filter change and to have the belts, hoses, and clamps checked. Plus, I have my AAA membership.

As for the light sticks, along with the car's hazard lights, I already have a Mini Maglite LED flashlight, flares, and the UCO candle lantern that's part of my cool weather hiking pack that doubles as part of my car survival kit. However, since light sticks aren't battery-operated, aren't fire hazards, don't cost much, and are small enough that the room they'll take up is negligible, I'm more likely to keep a couple on hand for my car emergency and car survival kits than get the other things I'm not sure about.

Finally, I used to carry a bag of cat litter, but when it didn't work and I ended up using a malfunctioning telephone answering machine to get traction, I quit carrying it. After that, it was the tow rope and helpful strangers with their vehicles that got me out of stuck spots. Once, my wheels spun in mud when I parked off the side of a road to watch a bicycle race in another town and once it was in sand down on Padre Island. Both times, others did the same thing but didn't get stuck. Only me. Huh.

Interesting

Returning to Wal-Mart today, I was surprised to see that only the orange plates are 75 cents. The other colors are US$1.50 for a set of four.

The bowls are 75 cents per set, not 50 cents.

Still a great price, I bought my bowls and am setting one aside for motel camping.