Guessing that it will be in the middle of nowhere and max 5 hours before help or any other human arrives (i guess that is unlikely to happen in england)I would have:Swisstool x (good car fixing tool)Candy bars and some bottles of water (water also to fill up the coolant in case of a leak)Blanket to sleep under in case you will have to sleep in your car for the nightBasic flashlight like a LED maglite, you can pick it up second hand for a couple of euros. (make sure you buy a LED light not just regular bulb light)Also make sure that he has a decent pair of starting cables (or what ever you call them) in his car, these day a car won't do anything without (enough) battery power.Can of the proper motor oil Spare tire with tools if it is not already in the car (buy it from a car breaker / scrapyard, it doesn't cost a lot)Towing cableReflective vest, believe me cars always decide to quit on the worst possible spots I have some knowledge about cars and know that they wont suddenly break down without a reason. Even the newest best maintained car can quit working because of a defective cranckshaft sensor and even the biggest piece of junk can keep driving as long as it has oil and coolant.I guess that you can find those things for around 25 euros in total. The swisstool will go secondhand for around 40 to 50 euros so that might be a problem but a chinese mt will probably do the job depending on his mechanical skills? (a tool is only as good as its user)
Space blankets SUCK in real life. I've used them both in the field when caught in an ice storm while hunting and at home under less than ideal circumstances.Ya they will reflect heat but they don't actually insulate, are not comfortable, and crinkle, a lot. Worst of all of they get damp or over heated while in storage the mylar sometimes sticks together and then separates. This makes them useless because half your aluminium reflective surface ends up gone or so window screened till it doesn't work any more.That said I have 2 in my first aid kit just because they are compact and versatile.They are one of those mythical solve anything emergency items. Ya they may save your life, or they may just waste your time. It depends as much on you as it does on a flimsy piece of aluminum and plastic wrap.
Hey Comis, good to see you back buddy.
This isn't a hypothetical one,this is a fairly serious one.So here's the scenario: My flat mate works as a traveling sales rep. His company car is in serious need of proper maintance,which it's unlikely to get. At this point we're 8 months since its last major break down.What I want to do is prepare a small backpack. It's contents should provide warmth and sustenance from the time of break down to the point of vehicle recovery,assuming the breakdown will happen in the butt end of southern England(so max five hours?) Also I'm looking at staying under a budget of £20-25,and my flatmate in practical terms is vegetarian.So...ideas please!
Quote from: kirk13 on December 13, 2015, 07:29:19 PMThis isn't a hypothetical one,this is a fairly serious one.So here's the scenario: My flat mate works as a traveling sales rep. His company car is in serious need of proper maintance,which it's unlikely to get. At this point we're 8 months since its last major break down.What I want to do is prepare a small backpack. It's contents should provide warmth and sustenance from the time of break down to the point of vehicle recovery,assuming the breakdown will happen in the butt end of southern England(so max five hours?) Also I'm looking at staying under a budget of £20-25,and my flatmate in practical terms is vegetarian.So...ideas please!My car skidded down a slope along a deserted road in Malaysia on Teacher's Day 8 years ago. Being the prepper that I was, I had all sorts of tools, tire repair kit in my boot but none of them were of any use as my car was caught in between 2 trees on a slope. In the end, I had to break the front window with my legs and climb out to safety. I couldn't access whatever that I had stored in my boot because the lid was badly dented inwards. So I called the local police for help but they couldn't understand English. I decided not to wait for help and hiked for almost 12km (with a broken rib cage, whiplash in the neck and minor head injuries) in the dark towards the nearest village to get help. None of my 4 airbags were activated because the impact was sideways on the driver side.After this painful ordeal, I made sure that my next car had 6 airbags and fold-down rear seats. I also bought ResQme "belt cutter/window breaker" for myself and all of my closed friends and relatives, something which I hope they will never get to use. Whenever I travel long distance, I also bring along a small bag of supplies under my seat so that I can just grab and go during emergencies:- 2 x 500ml of water- 4 energy bars- 1 pack of sweets- headlamp/ flashlight- spare batteries- powerbank for mobile phone- reflective strap- emergency cash