Vehicle Inventory

[The other Sean]

Awesome thread.

My only comment is on the location of the fire extinguisher. I have mine mounted under the front of the driver's seat. They sell a universal bracket kit, but I simply used some 1/8" bar sock and some existing screw holes in the seat frame.

 

[slomatt]

Awesome thread.

My only comment is on the location of the fire extinguisher. I have mine mounted under the front of the driver's seat. They sell a universal bracket kit, but I simply used some 1/8" bar sock and some existing screw holes in the seat frame.

That is a really good point, and a nice install. My fire extinguisher is not in a good location and could potentially be inaccessible if I get rear ended and can't open the hatch. I plan to move it, but the extinguisher was recalled and I'm waiting for the replacement to arrive first.

 

[NightCrawler]

Awesome thread.

My only comment is on the location of the fire extinguisher. I have mine mounted under the front of the driver's seat. They sell a universal bracket kit, but I simply used some 1/8" bar sock and some existing screw holes in the seat frame.

I am thinking of either moving the one from the back up to under the seat or just getting a second one and mounting it under the driver seat as well. better to have it close at hand should I need it someday then have to run around back to get at it.

 

[robrtsmtn]

Here are some pictures of what is inside my first aid kit. Before going into details I should mention that I've assembled these items over the last few years based on my own personal level of first aid training (Wilderness First Aid from both the Red Cross and NOLS. Mass casualty training through CERT.). and research. I strongly think that first aid training is the most important part of your "kit", it is a small investment in time and money that is worth a huge amount during an emergency. Instead of buying one of the pre-packaged kits I recommend getting some level of training and then building a kit centered around the items that you know how to use.

Here are the three use cases I've focused on:

1. Driving on paved roads around town or on the way to a trail. Most likely cause of injury here is a multi-car accident or fire.
2. Driving on dirt trails. Most likely cause of injury is a single-vehicle accident such as a roll, or injuries to spotters outside of the vehicles.
3. Camping or hiking. Most likely causes of injuries are burns, cuts, twisted ankles, broken bones, etc.

This kit is not built to support prolonged treatment in the backcountry, instead if an injury is severe enough we will evacuate the person out to get help. For most of us in the US "overlanding" does not mean ever being all that far from some kind of civilization. I did not include items such as a flashlight, radio, or cell phone in the list since we all carry those. And of course if you travel alone you should bring more advanced supplies.

The kit fits into a blue lunch box I got at Goodwill for $1 which has a removable plastic tub that can be used as a tray if needed. The orange safety shears and my notes from the NOLS course are in an outside pocket. The inside is organized with critical items such as nitrile gloves and a CPR shield near the top (personal protection is #1).

Different schools prioritize ABC (airway, breathing, circulation) vs CAB, but the bottom line is that being able to breath and circulate blood are critical. Maintaining an airway (beyond head tilt/chin lift) is a tough one for non medical experts. I've seen people carry trach tubes but without training I don't think they have a lot of value. Stopping or slowing traumatic bleeding is much more doable, and there is significant risk of bleeding in a vehicle related accident.

Here are the items in the main part of the bag. This is fairly heavily focused on bleeding and less so on personal comfort.
- Trauma shears.
- Syringe for wound irrigation.
- Empty plastic bags for wound irrigation, disposal of contaminated materials, occlusive dressing, etc.
- Latex gloves (multiple pairs).
- Coban tape and elastic rolls for holding dressings or treating sprains.
- Israeli military bandage (major bleeding).
- CPR shield.
- Various tapes for wounds and sprains.
- Large roll of gauze for wounds.
- Triangle bandages for splints and slings.
- Space blanket to keep the patient warm and dry, at least until it rips.
- SWAT tourniquet.
- Emergency C, electrolytes.
- Advil for pain management.
- Antacids
- Off brand "Sam Splint"
- Surgical sponges for wounds.
- Suture strips.
- Box for small items.

The white box contains small items that would get lost otherwise. If you look closely most of the medications are a year or so expired. I've been told that they don't loose much potency, and again this is a good reason not to invest too much in large quantities of medications.

- Benadryl for allergic reactions.
- Children's chewable Aspirin for heart attacks.
- Immodium for stomach issues.
- Various safety pins for splints, bandages, and slings.
- Superglue (doesn't take much space, can be used as liquid suture).
- Alcohol swabs.
- Burn gel.
- Triple antibiotic ointment.
- High quality tweezers.
- Various sizes of band aids.

That's pretty much it. I do also have a small first aid kit in my backpack that I take hiking, but perhaps that'll be in a future post. Recently I added a mirror to that kit because you could have an injury to your face and need to be able to see it.

Again, I'm interested in your constructive criticism and feedback. This kit is a work in progress and changes every time I learn more or hear a good idea.

- Matt

I really appreciate what thought and effort you have put into this. Additionally, I would like to add, don't be afraid of buying a kit and add to it. Both my youngest son and I have done the research on a couple of different kits, and we couldn't put together the same kit for less price. For the basic kit, a prepacked one may be your best bang for the buck, and then add what SloMatt has shown above, although I didn't see a blood stop, but may have missed it.

 

[slomatt]

I really appreciate what thought and effort you have put into this. Additionally, I would like to add, don't be afraid of buying a kit and add to it. Both my youngest son and I have done the research on a couple of different kits, and we couldn't put together the same kit for less price. For the basic kit, a prepacked one may be your best bang for the buck, and then add what SloMatt has shown above, although I didn't see a blood stop, but may have missed it.

That's definitely true, sometimes the prepacked kits can be cheaper than building your own. But, you can get pretty good deals at places like http://www.bestglide.com/specials.htm.

By blood stop do you mean a product like quick clot?

 

[Guerrero]

That's definitely true, sometimes the prepacked kits can be cheaper than building your own. But, you can get pretty good deals at places like http://www.bestglide.com/specials.htm.

By blood stop do you mean a product like quick clot?

Yes, like Celox, torniquete and a chest seal, avoid buying tq’s from amazon, a lot of counterfeits, dark angel medical sells some great kits


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[[DO]Ron]

I don't carry to much around on a day to day basis. Just a small fire extinguisher, a small first aid kit, jumper cables, a towel and a warning triangle and some high visability vests (yellow things).

When I go on a longer trip / go out for the day I trow my emergency bag in the rig and more often then not a plastic bin with more stuff as well. With those I have around 6 liters of water, a bigger first aid kit, blankets, fire making stuff, cups, ropes, flashlights, headlamp, shovel and other bits and pieces with me.

I live in the Netherlands, we are never really that remote so don't really need a lot of things with me I think.

 

[robrtsmtn]

That's definitely true, sometimes the prepacked kits can be cheaper than building your own. But, you can get pretty good deals at places like http://www.bestglide.com/specials.htm.

By blood stop do you mean a product like quick clot?

Yes, there are different brand names but you nailed it.

 

[slomatt]

Yes, there are different brand names but you nailed it.

Great, thanks for clarifying that. I've considered carrying a antihemorrhagic/hemostatic product such as Quick Clot but decided not to. I've heard a couple of first aid experts recommend avoiding such products and instead focusing on applying direct pressure and using a tourniquet if needed. Their reasoning was that the Quick Clot is difficult to remove in the ER and can lead to additional damage. To be fair, it's possible that they were thinking of the old powdered version and not the modern type that is impregnated in cloth.

 

[robrtsmtn]

Great, thanks for clarifying that. I've considered carrying a antihemorrhagic/hemostatic product such as Quick Clot but decided not to. I've heard a couple of first aid experts recommend avoiding such products and instead focusing on applying direct pressure and using a tourniquet if needed. Their reasoning was that the Quick Clot is difficult to remove in the ER and can lead to additional damage. To be fair, it's possible that they were thinking of the old powdered version and not the modern type that is impregnated in cloth.

You are probably right. I do consider a Tourniquet as a last resort measure due to the damage it may cause, and agree with direct pressure if possible. My focus on a quick clot type of treatment is only because serious bleeding in a remote area may cause serious blood loss before access to medical help may be available. for example, I have seen a guy cut his brachial artery when trying to move a broken control arm when we were approx. 3 hours from any type of medical assistance. Bleeding was controlled and we got him to med assistance even though he was pretty pale by then. I am maybe overly attentive to blood loss in the boonies.

 

[SeattleBeardo]

Very detailed inventories! Thank you!

 

[Rangervinny]

Ok so I dint have very much I just got into overlanding and started with the basics more to come in sure of it lol

I'll start with the exterior first
1. Reese Roof Rack
2. Alpena fog style pod lights
2. Auto Direct spot light style pod lights
2. Quickfist tool mount packs (set of 4)
1. Groundforce shovel
1. RT offroad jerry can
1. Smittybilt jerry can holder
1. Cb antenna

Now for the interior
1. Off brand cb radio
1. First responder medical bag set up for trauma and medical
1. Kiddo fire extinguisher
1. G force race net used for storage
1. Off brand clip board filled with maps and atlas
1. Craftsman jack and jack stand
1. Pair of firefighter gloves used for setting up recovery equipment
1. Reflective vest
1. Tool bag with assorted tools
1. Small storage container with toilet paper, fire starter, knifes, emergency blanket, two bottles of water, two granola bars
1. Summit Racing brand set of hose clamps
1. Smittybilt tire plug kit

#TRD #Rav4

 

[slomatt]

You are probably right. I do consider a Tourniquet as a last resort measure due to the damage it may cause, and agree with direct pressure if possible. My focus on a quick clot type of treatment is only because serious bleeding in a remote area may cause serious blood loss before access to medical help may be available. for example, I have seen a guy cut his brachial artery when trying to move a broken control arm when we were approx. 3 hours from any type of medical assistance. Bleeding was controlled and we got him to med assistance even though he was pretty pale by then. I am maybe overly attentive to blood loss in the boonies.

Wow, that must have been a really extreme injury. I'm glad that your friend made it out ok.

Many first aid classes, such as the Red Cross, now advocate tourniquets as a way to stop bleeding in cases where direct pressure is not effective. The key is to use a properly designed tourniquet that is wide enough so that it distributes the force and minimizes the potential damage to blood vessels or nerves. Ideally once a tourniquet is applied it should only be removed by a trained medical professional.

I could see quick clot being useful on wounds where you cannot stop the bleeding using direct pressure or where you cannot apply a tourniquet, such as on the abdomen.

- Matt

 

[Taz.beast]

Very nice and informative thread. Very helpful!!!!

 

[Lanlubber In Remembrance]

Specific items
I own a high lift jack but never carry it (there's a good thread on this site discussing the pros and cons). Instead I carry the factory bottle jack with a saddle adapter and a base plate. The base plate is 3/4" plywood, which can support a surprisingly large amount of weight. This helps keep things stable on soft or uneven ground.

I have a Warn M8000 with synthetic rope on the front of the truck. My other recovery gear includes:
- Rash guard for the rope.
- Rear shackle mount.
- Dynamic recovery strap.
- Static tree strap which doubles as a winch extension.
- Remote control for the winch.
- Lightweight snatch block.
- Multiple shackles.
- Winch load calculation diagrams.
- Leather gloves (preferable to synthetic since they won't melt if used around a camp fire). I carry multiple pairs in case they get wet or someone needs to borrow a pair.
- Chain, turnbuckles, bolts for makeshift repairs (not used for recovery). These are lightweight and great for things like holding an axle in place.
- Air "cross" for airing up the tires.

All of the recovery gear has a MBS (minimum breaking strength) of at least 2x the max pull of the winch in a double-pull setup, with the winch line being the "fuse". I suggest reading about WLL (working load limit) vs MBS when selecting recovery gear.

The tools are primarily focused on my 4Runner, with a few more general items thrown in. When working on the truck at home I try to pay attention to what I use and make sure I carry a similar item in the truck. Many of the tools were bought used or at Harbor Freight to keep the cost down so that it's not the end of the world if they get stolen.
- Spare set of used belts.
- Metric combination wrenches and flare wrenches.
- Various screw drivers, including a large flat head striking cap driver that doubles as a chisel.
- Large combination wrench that fits on my adjustable track bar and also can be used as a cheater on smaller wrenches.
- Prybar.
- Soft hammer and a hatchet which doubles as a hammer.
- Gloves for working on the truck.
- Punches.
- Feeler gauge.
- Files (good for fixing messed up threads).
- Magnetic recovery tool, because I like to drop bolts.
- 3/8" extensions, wobble adapters, and adapters to 1/4" and 1/2". I'm hoping the 3/8" extensions will hold up if I ever use them with the 1/2" ratchet.
- 3/8" ratchet and 1/2" extending ratchet which doubles as a breaker bar.
- Both 3/8" and 1/2" metric sockets including "in between" sizes like 13mm which correspond to standard sizes like 1/2".
- Specialty sockets for the front hubs, spark plugs, and a 10mm hex for the drain plugs.
- Hex sockets, and torx bits for when Jeeps need help.
- Various pliers. I'm probably going to remove the linesman pliers since they are redundant.
- Wire brush for cleaning threads and removing old teflon tape.
- Hacksaw.
- Box cutter.
- Air gun.
- Crescent wrench, useful when I need two of a specific size wrench.
- Metric and imperial hex wrenches.

I probably should carry a set of locking pliers as well to help with rounded or stripped bolts.

And some miscellaneous gear:
- CB antenna.
- Wet wipes, soap, towel, and hand sanitizer.
- Various ropes, ratchet straps, and bungee cords.
- Window screens for sleeping in the truck.
- Fire extinguisher (need to see if this is on the recall list).
- First aid kit (I might do another thread on the contents).
- Staun deflators and an air pressure gauge.

And finally the contents of the box under the seat. These are all small items focused on making repairs to get the truck off the trail.
- Duct tape.
- Sand paper (all kinds of uses such as cleaning electrical contacts).
- Microfiber towel (prevents the items from rattling, and towels are always useful).
- Spare headlamp and spot light bulbs.
- RTV and Two types of quick setting epoxy.
- X-treme tape, electrical tape, and teflon tape.
- Small and large gauge wire.
- Multimeter.
- Spare fuses for the factory items and the winch, relays, and crimp terminals.
- Hose clamps, bailing wire, strapping, zip ties, etc.. for holding things on that are trying to fall off.
- ARB tire repair kit. The orange box this comes in takes a huge amount of room, I ditched it and saved a lot of space.
- Vinyl repair kit for camping gear.

I also carry a collection of paper maps, and an overland-rated Frisbee that is useful when people are moving slowly on the trail.

I think that is pretty much it, other than an ice scraper and flashlight which didn't make it into the pictures.

When offroading it is really easy to carry everything, literally including the kitchen sink. This post intentionally doesn't include camping gear (which is really a different discussion) and instead focuses on what I feel are high value everyday carry items. It also doesn't include emergency items such as water, food, and spare clothes since those are brought on an as-needed basis.

I hope that others find this post useful, and I'm interested in any feedback you may have.

- Matt

Very good post, I wish I could be so thorough and conscious of my needs for the road.

 

[slomatt]

Very good post, I wish I could be so thorough and conscious of my needs for the road.

Thanks. It just takes some time/experience to get a feel for what you end up using, what is worth carrying because you might need it, and what is probably overkill for your particular situation. It's a constantly evolving balance.

 

[Lanlubber In Remembrance]

Thanks. It just takes some time/experience to get a feel for what you end up using, what is worth carrying because you might need it, and what is probably overkill for your particular situation. It's a constantly evolving balance.

It's the old story about what's good for the goose may NOT be good for the gander ! I'd carry my whole garage if I could just because I'm that insecure in my old age about getting too far away from my sources of security. Young people don't understand that, but they will as they age and realize their body is old but their mind doesn't know it. Having everything I think I might need gives me the security to overcome my fear of exploring alone.
Lanlubber

 

[Kokopelli]

Well at least us old timers have the benefit of”been there, done that”. HA

 

[Lanlubber In Remembrance]

Well at least us old timers have the benefit of”been there, done that”. HA

For someone my age, I think I probably have the longest bucket list of anyone I know. My life has been an "all work and no play" for all to long. It's taken me the last 7 years to figure out that I have been chasing the wrong rainbows, I know where I'm going now ! I'm going there and doing that before it's too late. Happy trails Herrmann

 

[slomatt]

I've added a few items to my toolkit.

1) Small set of locking pliers that are handy on rounded off bolts or crimping shut brake or fuel lines.
2) Vessel 220W screwdriver. This has 6 different tips, two of which are JIS bits which work better on many Japanese screws than a phillips does.
3) Mac's Utility Mat. This was an impulse buy while I was purchasing some new ratchet straps, but I'm actually really happy with it and have used it several times while working under the car. It will come in handy as a doormat while camping and as a place to change boots when skiing. My only problem is finding a place to store it in the T4R.