Just this past week I took a road trip with my family to the midwest. We enjoyed the drive and seeing the sights, but never far from my mind was how isolated we sometimes were. On a few of the state highways – one lane in either direction, flat, and no structures for miles upon miles – I realized that it would be bad to break down without having prepared beforehand. As a result, I began to mentally take stock of what we had available in our vehicle and how long we could survive on it. Of course, some of what I inventoried in my mind was what weapons we had to defend ourselves with, and what communications tools we had to contact help. The following is a list of equipment that I try to maintain in my vehicle for such a trip and some justification for each piece. Continue reading →