Chris in TN
WKR
- Joined
- Jun 17, 2025
- Messages
- 323
I'm getting the car ready to go to CO. Last trip, I took a 4wd pickup with an actual transfer case. This year, it's an SUV with AWD. But we're going 1st season and *not* planning on a lot of off-road travel. If the weather starts looking snowy we'll likely shift downhill to avoid being ten miles out of town with deeper snow than we can drive in. If I was going 2nd season or later and/or going to be on long windy BLM dirt roads, I'd likely still insist on taking an actual pickup with a 'real' 4wd system. But enough of that. What do you carry to get yourself out of vehicular binds?
Starting this thread partly to critique my own list but also as a guide for future use by others.
My list thus far:
First, there's gun gear I keep in the car:
-Takedown cleaning rod
-gun oil/solvent
-paper towels
A small ratchet and screwdriver set.
Both SAE and Metric allen key sets.
A gerber multitool
Needle nosed pliers
The point of the above is to be able to disassemble and reassemble your rifle (or bow) and fix whatever ails it. When I was a kid I had to go back to camp one day to rod some mud out of my rifle muzzle. Thankfully one of the more experienced guys in camp had a cleaning rod. I also bring whatever I might need to work on a scope mount or rezero, though hopefully most of us have done what we could to mitigate gun problems.
Then, for more vehicle-focused stuff:
-fresh battery. My SUV burned up an alternator this summer. Before I got home the battery was completely dead. I recharged it but won't trust it in deep cold, so it'll be replaced next week.
-fresh oil change. A hunting trip from here to there and back is likely to end up being 3kmiles.
-I replaced the starter this summer.
Crescent wrench
Adjustable wrench
A basic socket set with both metric and SAE sizes, ratchets, and a couple of big screwdrivers. When I was a kid we went deer hunting one year in CO and the other vehicle we were with, had to stop and replace a seal in a rear end (mid 80's chevy 4wd pickup) on the side of the interstate at night. I learned two lessons there: First have tools. Second, if you know a part of your vehicle is suspect, fix it before the trip so you don't have to do it on the side of the road.
Flashlights. At least one headlamp and one handheld light.
A gallon of engine oil
A gallon of antifreeze and enough water to refill multiple times if you have to limp to town on a busted/leaky hose.
At least one 20' tow strap heavy enough to pull yourself out of a mudhole
At least one proper recovery strap
At least one shackle to assist in attaching the straps to your vehicle or whatever recovery vehicle you can find.
I don't have a winch but I do have two come-a-longs that stow in my car's jack compartment.
A ground anchor if you're in desert terrain would be nice, as would a tree protector strap.
At least one replacement headlight bulb per type that your car needs.
Jumper cables or a battery pack. Both would be nice.
Extra food and drinking water.
At least 50' of decent rope. You never know how you'll use it.
At least one or two ratchet straps.
Put proper cold-weather wiper fluid in your reservoir before the trip. Have good wipers. Put rain-x on your windows before the trip.
If you drive an SUV, have a plan to attach a tow strap somewhere. A lot of cars don't really have good tow points anymore. Have a plan. And make it something you can still reach when the vehicle is stuck.
Paper towels. Toilet paper. Wet wipes.
Phone charger.
Extra clothes and boots
ETA: If I'm in a pickup, I want a hi-lift jack. But if you have one, know how to use it and how not to use it. They are irreplaceable tools when you need them, but they can get you killed. Learn how to use it and not to use it. Don't just throw it in the truck.
SHOVEL. I've been stuck a long way from home (see below) and I've been stuck 'at home' more times than I can count, and I have never once not needed a shovel in the process. Have a shovel.
TIRE CHAINS. Three years ago we paid an astronomical wrecker bill because we didn't have chains. I'm almost certain we could have drove right out of the situation if we'd had even a basic set of chains. As it was, we stalled out about five miles from the gravel road, on a dirt BLM road. Oops. We weren't in a life threatening scenario - we had everything we needed to live comfortable for a week in the vehicle, but half of it was on a trailer, which made it even harder to go uphill in the unexpected snow - but it was the end of a long trip and we were ready to go home, so we paid a wrecker instead of waiting for the snow to melt and the road to dry (which it did a couple days later, but we were long gone by then). Lesson learned.
SPARE TIRE. I crawled under my car the other day to look over the spare that hasn't ever been on the ground. It's flat. I mean the bead isn't even seated anymore. It's getting replaced this week.
We will have spare sleeping bags in the car in case we end up in a meat-packing situation and bring a load of meat to the car at dark with our camp still up on the mountain. Also, to repeat, extra food and water.
Most of us own the vast majority of the stuff I listed already. And the vast majority of it either fits into compartments in your car, or under the seat in the jack compartment, or it'll all fit into a single large tote. Minus the shovel, of course.
If I was going in a pickup truck again this year I'd probably bring some (homemade) traction boards. I've never used them but I've been stuck enough to see where they could be very useful.
What am I missing?
Starting this thread partly to critique my own list but also as a guide for future use by others.
My list thus far:
First, there's gun gear I keep in the car:
-Takedown cleaning rod
-gun oil/solvent
-paper towels
A small ratchet and screwdriver set.
Both SAE and Metric allen key sets.
A gerber multitool
Needle nosed pliers
The point of the above is to be able to disassemble and reassemble your rifle (or bow) and fix whatever ails it. When I was a kid I had to go back to camp one day to rod some mud out of my rifle muzzle. Thankfully one of the more experienced guys in camp had a cleaning rod. I also bring whatever I might need to work on a scope mount or rezero, though hopefully most of us have done what we could to mitigate gun problems.
Then, for more vehicle-focused stuff:
-fresh battery. My SUV burned up an alternator this summer. Before I got home the battery was completely dead. I recharged it but won't trust it in deep cold, so it'll be replaced next week.
-fresh oil change. A hunting trip from here to there and back is likely to end up being 3kmiles.
-I replaced the starter this summer.
Crescent wrench
Adjustable wrench
A basic socket set with both metric and SAE sizes, ratchets, and a couple of big screwdrivers. When I was a kid we went deer hunting one year in CO and the other vehicle we were with, had to stop and replace a seal in a rear end (mid 80's chevy 4wd pickup) on the side of the interstate at night. I learned two lessons there: First have tools. Second, if you know a part of your vehicle is suspect, fix it before the trip so you don't have to do it on the side of the road.
Flashlights. At least one headlamp and one handheld light.
A gallon of engine oil
A gallon of antifreeze and enough water to refill multiple times if you have to limp to town on a busted/leaky hose.
At least one 20' tow strap heavy enough to pull yourself out of a mudhole
At least one proper recovery strap
At least one shackle to assist in attaching the straps to your vehicle or whatever recovery vehicle you can find.
I don't have a winch but I do have two come-a-longs that stow in my car's jack compartment.
A ground anchor if you're in desert terrain would be nice, as would a tree protector strap.
At least one replacement headlight bulb per type that your car needs.
Jumper cables or a battery pack. Both would be nice.
Extra food and drinking water.
At least 50' of decent rope. You never know how you'll use it.
At least one or two ratchet straps.
Put proper cold-weather wiper fluid in your reservoir before the trip. Have good wipers. Put rain-x on your windows before the trip.
If you drive an SUV, have a plan to attach a tow strap somewhere. A lot of cars don't really have good tow points anymore. Have a plan. And make it something you can still reach when the vehicle is stuck.
Paper towels. Toilet paper. Wet wipes.
Phone charger.
Extra clothes and boots
ETA: If I'm in a pickup, I want a hi-lift jack. But if you have one, know how to use it and how not to use it. They are irreplaceable tools when you need them, but they can get you killed. Learn how to use it and not to use it. Don't just throw it in the truck.
SHOVEL. I've been stuck a long way from home (see below) and I've been stuck 'at home' more times than I can count, and I have never once not needed a shovel in the process. Have a shovel.
TIRE CHAINS. Three years ago we paid an astronomical wrecker bill because we didn't have chains. I'm almost certain we could have drove right out of the situation if we'd had even a basic set of chains. As it was, we stalled out about five miles from the gravel road, on a dirt BLM road. Oops. We weren't in a life threatening scenario - we had everything we needed to live comfortable for a week in the vehicle, but half of it was on a trailer, which made it even harder to go uphill in the unexpected snow - but it was the end of a long trip and we were ready to go home, so we paid a wrecker instead of waiting for the snow to melt and the road to dry (which it did a couple days later, but we were long gone by then). Lesson learned.
SPARE TIRE. I crawled under my car the other day to look over the spare that hasn't ever been on the ground. It's flat. I mean the bead isn't even seated anymore. It's getting replaced this week.
We will have spare sleeping bags in the car in case we end up in a meat-packing situation and bring a load of meat to the car at dark with our camp still up on the mountain. Also, to repeat, extra food and water.
Most of us own the vast majority of the stuff I listed already. And the vast majority of it either fits into compartments in your car, or under the seat in the jack compartment, or it'll all fit into a single large tote. Minus the shovel, of course.
If I was going in a pickup truck again this year I'd probably bring some (homemade) traction boards. I've never used them but I've been stuck enough to see where they could be very useful.
What am I missing?
