The Van Kit

I've talked from time to time about the gear I carry in the van on a regular basis and thought I'd put together a quick picture of the "van survival kit" and a few other items that I always have on board.

I'm using a watertight box from Bass Pro Shops for the container and have enough first aid and survival items in there to make a forced stay somewhere a little more comfortable. Inside the box I have the following:

1.	Fire	Matches, firesteel, WetFire Tinder, Windmill Butane Lighter, and a file striker in case I find some flint
2.	Signaling	Fox Micro Whistle and StarFlash Signal Mirror
3.	Food and Water	Coffee candies and MicroPur MP-1 Tablets (30) plus a 1L Nalgene (BPA Free) bottle, 1 Quart zip top bag, and 10cm Billy Can
4.	Repair and Tools	Multi-Tool (this one's an old Leatherman Wave,) Victorinox Outrider, zip ties, duct tape, Fallkniven DC4 sharpener, and a mini pry bar PLUS the Fallkniven F1
5.	First Aid	Band-Aids, Neosporin, hand sanitizer, Aspirin, Immodium, Benedryl, and Tylenol

Shelter would be the van and I've got my bedroll and axe in there should I need to abandon the van for some reason and build a shelter.

I also always carry a battery jumper which can recharge batteries in electronic devices as well as jump dead automotive batteries. It's got a USB port to charge your phone, iPod, etc.

I am frequently criticized for carrying so much "junk" in my car and I have actually removed a 4.5 gallon water jug to slim down the amount of gear I'm toting around every day. If I throw my day pack in the back though I'm ready to hike anywhere and any time and adventure sometimes comes from simply seizing the opportunity presented.

Thanks for reading,


B