A 72 Kit For Your Car

The roads are filled every day with people going to and from work or school, going shopping or visiting, or even just looking around.  While an emergency or disaster that occurs while you are at home can be difficult enough to contend with, imagine how hard it would be to cope with your car sliding off the road during a blizzard when you are 28 miles from your house.  Besides blizzards or any snow or ice storm, other conditions can result in your inability to get home:  your car can overheat and stall out during a heat wave, mechanical failure can occur somewhere in the car, flooding or earthquake can wash out or destroy a road, leaving your stranded miles away from where you want to be.  These are all difficult situations, but all could be made more bearable, and make it more likely that you will live to complain about it if you have a 72 Kit in every vehicle that you own.

Roadside emergencies can occur at any season of the year, but are more likely to occur when the weather is bad.  Driving through heavy snow or during an ice storm is challenging, to say the least, and even the best driver can find himself or herself spinning out of control right into a drift or a ditch.  While there are times when it will be possible to dig your way out (if you have a shovel in the car) or use a traction pad to get back on the road, there will simply be times when you are stuck, and will have to wait for help.  Even if you have a cell phone, very poor road conditions often mean that you will be stuck in your car for hours.  Under no circumstances get out and try to find help during a blizzard or heavy snow storm, especially if you are in unfamiliar territory.  The first thing to do is to tie a piece of cloth to your antenna, to signal law enforcement, snow plow drivers, and others that you need help.

When the weather is cold, it will be important to retain as much body heat as possible, and your kit will undoubtedly contain an emergency blanket and/or sleeping bag.  Wrap it around yourself or get in right away, while you are still warm.  Be sure to eat and drink to keep up your energy levels and to stay hydrated, as dehydration can occur during cold, dry winter weather.  You can run your car for ten or fifteen minutes out of every hour, but you must remember to keep a window cracked, make sure that snow is not blocking your exhaust pipe, and that you stay awake.

Hot weather can be every bit as hazardous as cold, as heat stroke and dehydration can occur.  If a spell of exceptionally hot weather occurs, try to curtail your driving as much as possible.  Vehicles can overheat and stall out easily when the temperature rises into the 90s, and being stuck by the side of the road during this time can be dangerous as well as uncomfortable.  When the summer weather is exceptionally hot, be sure to carry your 72 Kit whenever you go out in the car.  However, at this time, it would be a good idea to add extra water to your ‘kit’ as well as a hat that offers good protection from the sun, cold packs, and perhaps an umbrella.  Even if you feel a bit foolish carrying an umbrella, if you have to walk any distance during very hot weather to call for assistance, it can help keep the sun from striking you directly.