The trunk bag, part II.

[Clinotus]

Awhile back we did an article about the Trunk Bag (http://230grain.com/showthread.php?67500-Trunk-Truck-survival-kit.), its a pretty simple and straight forward concept: You dedicate 25% of your trunk or vehicle storage space to tools or items that will 100% get you back on the road.

We are returning to this topic because of the constant need to reassess the scenario to ensure the most optimal resolution. Thats corporate speak for “I screwed up and need to rethink this”. The story is simple, I packed the family up in the truck for a road trip and two states away we got stuck in a parking lot. Chance favored us as we were in a McDonald's parking lot which was well lit, but it was still a parking lot on the highway and the last place you want to be with your family with a disabled vehicle.

To make matters worse we had the seats packed with kids of various ages and an infant that needed to be fed. With a dead battery, screaming kids, and the cold starting to creep in we relied on our trusty AAA card to save us, while the service was available it wasn't as prompt as we wanted it to be and they seemed to just want to tow the vehicle rather than jumpstart it.

But!

I did have my bag. I tried jumping it from another vehicle with my cables but no dice. I had my tools though. What I did not have was the most important tool which was a battery charger. Having the larger vehicle I'd always jumped other vehicles, never once have I had the need to be the jumpee. Getting complacent with that mindset I never carried a charger but did ensure that my wifes sedan did. We read about it and think about it but don't really give it a lot of thought but complacency is a killer, I preach it with firearms and personal safety but did not apply it to other areas and have no one to blame but myself.

Anyhow here is the revisit and the bag I keep in the truck:

http://230grain.com/images/articles/trunkii/Trunk_ii000.jpg

Pretty simple bag that I picked up at Home Depot one day, most of the items in this bag I sourced from that same store.

http://230grain.com/images/articles/trunkii/Trunk_ii001.jpg

It has pockets that allow you to keep tools at the ready, mainly to thwart theft of the bag since it is in a somewhat visible location I use the pockets for my towing/rigging straps instead.


http://230grain.com/images/articles/trunkii/Trunk_ii002.jpg

The contents of the bag.


http://230grain.com/images/articles/trunkii/Trunk_ii004.jpg

Zip-ties of various length.
Small piece of twine.
Screw driver
Wraps.
Trash bag
Jumper Cables
Deep Socket SAE set
Sae wrench Set

http://230grain.com/images/articles/trunkii/Trunk_ii003.jpg

Tool box with:
Electric tape
Needle nose pliers
Vise grips
Screw driver
Mini wrench
Electric stripper/cutter/crimper

Oil
SAE and Metric Hex sets.
One of the many ratchet straps rated for 440lbs and 700lbs
Large Wrench
Gloves
Chain.



http://230grain.com/images/articles/trunkii/Trunk_ii005.jpg
http://230grain.com/images/articles/trunkii/Trunk_ii006.jpg

The one tool I needed that day. Its larger than I wanted but I purchased this one on the road, I plan on swapping it out with a slimmer unit.


http://230grain.com/images/articles/trunkii/Trunk_ii007.jpg
The small details. Always carry extra bulbs with you and just in case a lens repair kit. No need to get pulled over for a voilation, or to blind the drivers behind you.



All in all in the end, while we sat there for more than an hour AAA showed up and the gentleman walked over to the truck jumped and we were back on the road in 5 minutes flat.

Easily preventable.


-Stay safe.

[Perrybucsdad]

Nice post, but follow-up question for you. Where were you planning on plugging that charger in? Most come with about a 3 - 6 ft cord on it, and unless you are right up against the electrical outlet, I would plan on adding at least a 100' extension cord for good measure.

Also, might not be a bad idea to also have a deep socket and regular socket metric set. Even my wife's American Made care is all metric, so I guess you need to check. Have both just in case though.

- John

[Clinotus]

Nice post, but follow-up question for you. Where were you planning on plugging that charger in? Most come with about a 3 - 6 ft cord on it, and unless you are right up against the electrical outlet, I would plan on adding at least a 100' extension cord for good measure.

Also, might not be a bad idea to also have a deep socket and regular socket metric set. Even my wife's American Made care is all metric, so I guess you need to check. Have both just in case though.

- John

I normally have it either plugged in or plug it in 12 hours prior to putting it in the car for a planned road trip. :) Its a portable unit so after the charging it sits in front of the 'Trunk Bag' in the trunk.

I agree completely the split sets for tools, I keep the SAE in the truck and have outfitted my wifes care with a Metric/SAE mix. Most of the time if there is a vehicle issue one of the vehicles will respond to the other one so at that time I have both sets available begging that Murphy's Law doesn't come into play. I used to carry both in the Truck but between the bags, charger, and extra tool box it took up far too much reasonable space so I toned my kit down a bit.

Her kit:
http://230grain.com/images/articles/trunkbag/trunk_toolset.jpg