Road safety

[Flea]

I'm almost ready for my road trip, from the Midwest to the west coast. It's about 1600 miles, 4-5 days. I'm compiling a list of safety considerations ranging from common sense things to self-defense. Can anyone tell me if I'm missing anything while I still have a few shopping days?

Basic safety things -

Separate day bag for overnights in the hotel w/ one day's clothes, toiletries, etc.
Camping gear that always lives in my car
My sleeping bag and extra wool blankets
Nutritious munchies and extra medication/supplements
AAA membership and other pertinent paperwork
Travellers checks
Jumper cables
Homespun privacy curtains for pickup truck bed windows

SD things -

Gold "wedding ring" (is there anything thrift stores can't do?)
Very noisy but well trained dog
My badass single year of MA training
Stun gun - the one I habitually carry around my neighborhood
Special forces shovel

Any suggestions?

 

[MJS]

I'm almost ready for my road trip, from the Midwest to the west coast. It's about 1600 miles, 4-5 days. I'm compiling a list of safety considerations ranging from common sense things to self-defense. Can anyone tell me if I'm missing anything while I still have a few shopping days?

Basic safety things -

Camping gear that always lives in my car
My sleeping bag and extra wool blankets
Nutritious munchies and extra medication/supplements
AAA membership and other pertinent paperwork
Homespun privacy curtains for pickup truck bed windows

SD things -

Gold "wedding ring" (is there anything thrift stores can't do?)
Very noisy but well trained dog
My badass single year of MA training
Stun gun - the one I habitually carry around my neighborhood
Special forces shovel

Any suggestions?

I'd add to that a flashlight with fresh batteries, a cell phone, let someone know your destination points. Probably a bit too late for one of these but IMO, its something well worth having. My wife and I each have one in our vehicles. At least I know that if we're out somewhere and the car battery dies, this may save us. When I'm taking long trips, I like to have travelers checks, rather than cash. I do bring cash, but the majority is the checks.

Be safe and have a good time on your trip.

 

[elder999]

Any suggestions?

Your (every!)car should have this......a coupla gallons of water, and if your doing the "truck camping" thing, you might think of some way of securing the cap windows, gate and the truck's tailgate from the inside......no offense, but you seem to share at least a small measure of my paranoiac tendencies, so this is just a good idea....:lol:

 

[Tez3]

Wow, it sounds as if it's every bit as dangerous as the original settlers journeys! I've driven right across Europe several times and never had to think about safety stuff like this, stun gun, oh my!

 

[girlbug2]

I'd like to add, make sure your flashlight is a high quality one, the brighter the better. In fact, bring two--one to stay in your vehicle, one to carry out.

Maybe a nice booklight?

Oh, and good earplugs if you're staying in the kind of hotels I usually frequent with the thin walls and all.

 

[Flea]

Don't worry Tez. The stun gun is for my neighborhood. I'm just bringing it because I may as well since I already own it. I bought the shovel recently because I think it's kewl. My backup plan is to camp out of the truck if I can't find hotels that accept pets.

I'm paranoid, but not X-Files paranoid.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

Second on the water. If it hasn't already been mentioned, a couple quarts of oil and some antifreeze aren't a bad idea, either. As to the cell phone, some of the newest are GPS-enabled, which can be a good thing if you need help and just do not know where you are. A GPS mapping unit is nice too, if more expensive.

If you have any old cell phones that are disconnected but can take a charge, bring 'em. By law they all have to be able to dial 911 in the USA. Good to have, because in some remote areas, there is no signal to some cell phones, and yet others will work.

Good job on the AAA card. One of my favorites. They're great to have. Call 'em while you're on the road and they'll find an open hotel for you and make the reservation and everything. Great people. If you stop by one of their offices, they'll generate trip tiks for you and give you free maps and so on. You can also do that online, but the ones they make are great.

Good luck, stay safe.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

Oh, and if you wear glasses, a spare pair if you have them. They only break when you're on the road, you know. Taking copies of medical and eyeglass prescriptions is also good, as well as a written list of medical providers, allergies, insurance numbers, etc. I wear a health alert necklace when I'm traveling so first-responders will know I'm diabetic and sensitive to codeine if I should be found alive but unable to communicate for whatever reason.

This is all probably over the top, but I tend towards paranoia in these things. It doesn't hurt to have them. Back in the day, I just hopped on my bike and headed out, just the clothes on my back and a couple bucks in my pocket. California to Colorado in March on a 250cc one year!!! In Flagstaff, AZ, I thought I was going to die in a snowstorm. Those were the days.

 

[CuongNhuka]

You have a good start for a roadside kit, but if I were you, I'd go ahead and build one. You can buy some from the net, but I wouldn't bother, since you'd probably end up with a few repeats.

Contents (minus what you have): anti freeze, screw drivers, pliers, tire inflator, swiss army knife/multitool, thermal blanket, rags, ice scrapper, rope or a tow cable, extra set of warm clothes (including a heavy jacket), camp candles, water proof matches, flares, fuses, vice grips, paper towels, pen and paper, oil, flash light*, adjustable wrench, duct tape, help sign, extra batteries prybar, poncho/rain gear, sand, first aid kit with a snake bite kit, a deactivated cell phone**

* you could buy a flash light that uses a battery, but I'd avoid it. You can get whats called an 'emergency flashlight' which is a magnet surrounded by a coil of wire. It'll work after shaking it up and down and needs no batteries. If you cann't find that, I'd go for a big ol honkin one with like 1,000 candle power (if you cann't have indestructable, you might as well go for excessive power).
** by federal law a deactivated cell phone must be able to 911 (assuming the battery still has power). However, I'd try to get one made after 2002, since that is about when a different federal law made it so that all cell phones had to have a gps tracking chip.

I'd also carry a copy of your insurance and registration, ICE contact info, and a spare drivers license license or an ID (attainable from the local DMV) in a spare compartment in your car. Sealed up in plastic bag hidden in (say) a slit in a passagener seat. The cops could easily find it, but a bad guy is likely to.

 

[jks9199]

Get a map. Buy a national atlas. You can often still pick up free maps at state Welcome Centers (if they're still open), and if not, it's still worth it to buy one. If you have to buy it, the ones that cover two or three states are OK, if less detailed.

Taking a cell phone was already mentioned. Take two, even if you have to buy a cheap pay-as-you-go one. Leave the second one off once it's activated; searching for a signal will kill a battery very fast, and you don't want to discover that when you NEED your phone. Take a few minutes, and look up the state police websites in each state you'll be travelling through. Find out the number to contact them on the highway for both emergencies and non-emergencies (like in Virginia, #77 is the non-emergency link to the State Police) -- 911 doesn't always work! It doesn't hurt to take note of what the uniforms, badges, and cruisers look like, too.

I'm not personally such a fan of AAA for emergencies. I've seen too many cases where they take too damn long to get there. In fact, I'm not too big a fan of any of 'em for that reason. Their emergency service is contracted to local wrecker companies, and it's whoever they'll get to do it cheapest. That means that some of 'em are covering way too much ground with way too few cars.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

I'm not personally such a fan of AAA for emergencies. I've seen too many cases where they take too damn long to get there. In fact, I'm not too big a fan of any of 'em for that reason. Their emergency service is contracted to local wrecker companies, and it's whoever they'll get to do it cheapest. That means that some of 'em are covering way too much ground with way too few cars.

They can be slow, but it doesn't cost anything out-of-pocket with their services, and that can be important when traveling through some areas, where you can get charged gouging prices for services when you're in a tight spot. I typically don't carry cash, and you don't want to hear that Joe Bob Bubba Trucking, Inc, only takes cash on the nail, and oh by the way, your five-mile tow to the next town will be twelve hundred dollars.

Ever see the original "National Lampoon's Vacation?"

 

[KELLYG]

This may be way too obvious. Go to a reputable mechanic and have them check the vehicle over for any issues that are current or may arise while traveling. Ie tires, brakes, coolant, leaks, ball joints etc. This may not be a guarantee that something won't go wrong but if there is something not quite right it can be rectified while at home base as opposed to out in the sticks somewhere.

 

[MJS]

This may be way too obvious. Go to a reputable mechanic and have them check the vehicle over for any issues that are current or may arise while traveling. Ie tires, brakes, coolant, leaks, ball joints etc. This may not be a guarantee that something won't go wrong but if there is something not quite right it can be rectified while at home base as opposed to out in the sticks somewhere.

Couldn't agree more with this. To expand on what Bill was saying about the tow service charging some outrageous fee, and Nat. Lampoons Vac, I'm sure we've all seen those movies where someone breaks down in a one horse town, and the garage charges some out of this world fee for a simple repair.

 

[sgtmac_46]

I'd add to that a flashlight with fresh batteries, a cell phone, let someone know your destination points. Probably a bit too late for one of these but IMO, its something well worth having. My wife and I each have one in our vehicles. At least I know that if we're out somewhere and the car battery dies, this may save us. When I'm taking long trips, I like to have travelers checks, rather than cash. I do bring cash, but the majority is the checks.

Be safe and have a good time on your trip.

Ditto on the Powerpack.......a TRUE lifesaver.

 

[CoryKS]

You can get a space blanket at your local camping supply store. It's cheap, lightweight and comes folded into a tiny square packet. You should keep one in your car, the storage space required is negligible.

 

[still learning]

Hello, Don't forget the 2 inch folding knife and a cub scout fork and spoon knife!

The Media may save your life?

..make a list of yourself and others in car in case of accidents...contact list, medical cards, presciptions, allergies, etc..

Aloha, ...have a NICE trip! ...hopefully the only thing you will need was the money for gas and lodgesing + food.

 

[Tez3]

We can buy 'wind up' torches here, radios too plus a lot of other gadgets.
http://www.windup-products.com/?gclid=CNDO8fvmzJ0CFUtp4wodBnx8sQ

 

[tallgeese]

As others have said, a good map, working phone, and functional car will make everything go smooth in all likelihood. If you've got all the above, one way or the other you can survive without triple A. But that's entirely your choice.

I'd second the water, oil, anti-freeze stockpile. I'd also have a set of jumper cables at the minimum, they can be handy for the "oops" moment when you slip off and leave the dome light on. If you're car camping, you've got about everything else you might need in an emergency all ready.

As for the stun gun, I always suggest people should carry the highest level of weaponry that they are trained on, comfortable with actually using, and legally able to have with them. Check the legal ramifications of having a stun gun in the states you plan on going thru, your mileage may vary on it's legality.

I'm not saying you shouldn't keep it with you. I'm just saying that the legal environment of each state may effect how you elect to transport it. This in turn will determine how you plan on deploying it during a crisis and even IF you have immediate access.

Just some thoughts.

 

[Gordon Nore]

Good job on the AAA card. One of my favorites. They're great to have... If you stop by one of their offices, they'll generate trip tiks for you and give you free maps and so on. You can also do that online, but the ones they make are great.

I was thinking just that. My dad always had the CAA membership and would get those trip tiks and guides for travel. I've done the same; although, it's been a few years since my last long road trip, so I imagine it's a bit more high tech now.

 

[girlbug2]

Something just occurred to me to mention regarding AAA: two years ago I was traveling in my van with my two kids and labrador retriever in the back when the radiator overheated and I needed a tow just off the freeway. I called AAA and it wouldn't have been a problem except for the labrador: they claimed that by law the tow truck couldn't take him in the cab with us. After a few calls back and forth with AAA and the tow truck guy my cell phone was almost out of power, so I used one last call to summon my dh who came along to the rescue. AAA never called me later to follow up and find out what happened...I was irate at their so-called "customer service". For all they knew we could have died out there.

The point of this being, you mentioned that you are taking your dog...call AAA and ask them about what their policy is regarding dogs in an emergency situation.