Road Trip Readiness: Preparing Your Vehicle for Travel

If you were stuck on the side of the road, or hung up in stand-still traffic for three hours this summer, would you be comfortable… or suffering? 

Most people assume they’re fine, until they’re not.

Krista sat alone for five hours due to an earlier wreck on one trip, and we sat for a couple of hours on another trip, We'll tell you about those adventures (or misadventures). 

Today, we’re talking about how to prepare your vehicle before you start off on your road trip. 

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Let me ask you a question. If you were stuck on the side of the road or hung up in standstill traffic for three hours this summer, would you be comfortable or suffering? Do you have water, shade, a real spare tire? Most people assume they're fine until they're not. Krista sat alone for five hours due to an earlier wreck on one trip, and we sat for a couple of hours on another trip. We'll tell you a little more about those adventures in a little bit, but today we're talking about how to prepare your vehicle before you start off on your road trip.

SPEAKER_01 0:57

No zombies, and no alien invasions. Just practical prepping, where we teach everyday people how to prepare for life's emergencies, disasters, and crises. And we're here to help you get prepared. I'm Krista.

SPEAKER_00 1:12

And I'm Mark. We'll put all of these items in the episode notes at practicalprepping.info forward slash five five five. In fact, I think I'll make that into a checklist that you can copy and print. That's practicalprepping.info forward slash five five five.

SPEAKER_01 1:30

So today we're talking about road trip readiness, preparing your vehicle for travel.

SPEAKER_00 1:36

Well, let's start out with a pre-trip vehicle check. We're going to be making a road trip here in the not too distant future. And the first thing that I am going to do is go have the oil changed and all of the fluid levels checked and have the vehicle serviced.

SPEAKER_01 1:54

Smart thinking.

SPEAKER_00 1:55

That's going to include things like tire pressure, including the spare. Don't forget that. The oil level, and this is if you're not having it changed, the coolant levels, the brake conditions, and have good wiper blades.

SPEAKER_01 2:12

Very, very important. And you're going to want to check out your safety and your emergency basics. That's something that Mark always does, and I try to help him remember as well. And that includes taking your first aid kit with your over-the-counter medications.

SPEAKER_00 2:25

And let me talk a little bit about that. Not only do we have our boo-boo kits in our EDC bag, we have a little bit bigger kit in our get home bag, which will be in the car. But we also have a more of a trauma bag that we carry because of the fact that I'm a former paramedic and I can stop at accidents when safe to do so.

SPEAKER_01 2:49

And he has done that.

SPEAKER_00 2:50

And I have done that. And we can possibly help some folks out until the professional help gets there. So you might consider that first aid kit in a couple of different levels.

SPEAKER_01 3:04

Think about this as well a small fire extinguisher that is rated for vehicle use. Yes, they do make a special one.

SPEAKER_00 3:11

They do, and I need to pick one up this next week or two before we go on our trip.

SPEAKER_01 3:16

Well, put that on your list.

SPEAKER_00 3:17

I don't have one in the Jeep that we'll be going in. So that's something that we need to put in there. So I will put that on my list.

SPEAKER_01 3:25

Something else that I've seen that's been very helpful, you can actually purchase those reflective stand-up triangles or even some road flares, depending on what kind of visibility. Maybe it's dark of night and you might be on a curve or a downhill from coming from uphill. And you need for people to be able to see that you may be pulled off to the side of the road and give you a wide berth as they're going by.

SPEAKER_00 3:48

Another thing that you want to be absolutely certain that you have in the car, and I've written here flashlight or headlamp. I would say both.

SPEAKER_01 3:58

Yeah, I think you've used both.

SPEAKER_00 3:59

I I've used both. I like to have a flashlight for getting out and you know checking on something. But if I'm going to have to change a flat tire or if I am helping someone at a wreck, I want to be wearing a headlamp so that I can operate hands-free. And be sure you have extra batteries for those as well.

SPEAKER_01 4:20

Now we also have a rule. But I would say 99% of the time, this is our rule regarding gasoline in the tank. When our tank amount reaches the halfway point, we go ahead and fill back up. In other words, we try to consider half as basically empty. Right. And we know that at least gives us a good, comfortable cushion of mileage if we need to be in a long, long, long stretch somewhere where it might be, I don't know, 50, 60 miles between gas stations.

SPEAKER_00 4:53

Or five hours before you can move.

unknown 4:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 4:56

We'll get to that in just a minute.

SPEAKER_00 4:58

Now let's look at some breakdown and roadside gear.

unknown 5:01

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 5:02

These are things that you really need when you need them.

SPEAKER_01 5:05

You know it.

SPEAKER_00 5:06

A spare tire properly inflated. Right. A jack and a lug wrench. That stands to reason. A tire pressure gauge and a portable air compressor.

SPEAKER_01 5:17

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 5:18

We carry a little small one. It sits behind the seat in the floorboard in the Jeep. And it will take a while to pump a tire up, but it will do it. It'll at least get us where we can go.

SPEAKER_01 5:30

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_00 5:31

And we also carry a tire patch kit in the car. So I could plug a tire if I needed to.

SPEAKER_01 5:39

And that's where if you're gonna, I think fifty miles or less, I believe they rate some of those things.

SPEAKER_00 5:43

Well, that's on the little donut tire. Yeah. Which I really don't like the guy that designed that. Always said if I ever met him, I was putting him in jail.

SPEAKER_01 5:52

What's the deal with the donut?

SPEAKER_00 5:53

The the donut, that little I know what it is.

SPEAKER_01 5:55

Why are you having an issue?

SPEAKER_00 5:56

I because you can't drive that far with them. You have to drive at a much slower speed or you're supposed to to do it safely.

SPEAKER_01 6:05

Well, you could drive those hush puppies you're wearing. That donut looks pretty good right now, doesn't it? There you go. You better just drive them hush puppies. Jumper cables. Yes. Or a jump box. I actually like the jump box because I can operate that all by myself. Yes. I don't have to depend on the kindness wink of strangers or the strangeness of kind people.

SPEAKER_00 6:27

A basic toolkit with some pliers, screwdrivers, and adjustable wrench. These can come in handy for some things. I also like putting a socket in there that is the size of my lug nuts with an extension and a cheater bar.

SPEAKER_01 6:46

See, and you know why that is?

SPEAKER_00 6:48

Because I've been there where I couldn't get it off.

SPEAKER_01 6:50

As James Gregory used to say. Because sometime in the past.

SPEAKER_00 6:53

Yeah, and my lug wrench is now a four-way lug wrench, not the stinking thing that comes with the vehicle.

SPEAKER_01 6:59

Ah, lessons learned.

SPEAKER_00 7:01

Yeah. I I like having that four-way lug wrench, and I have been known to carry a four-foot cheater bar for that thing. Okay. But anyway, some duct tape and some zip ties. Smart. A lot of times there are things that happen and you need to plug holes. I had a broken window one time, a small vent window, and I was able to make a covering for that out of duct tape.

SPEAKER_01 7:26

That's very, very good.

SPEAKER_00 7:27

I've used zip ties for any number of things. And a lot of these kinds of things, you're going to be outside the vehicle working with your hands. So put some work gloves in the car.

SPEAKER_01 7:37

Smart.

SPEAKER_00 7:37

Have some there. This next one, you may or may not want to do this, a toe strap. Part of this depends on where you are and what you do with your vehicle.

SPEAKER_01 7:48

Yeah, of course.

SPEAKER_00 7:49

If you're in areas where you can get stuck a lot, you might want something to that somebody can pull you out of a slick spot.

SPEAKER_01 7:58

Yeah, I understand that one of the redneck rules is to have a winch on your truck.

SPEAKER_00 8:02

Yes, that that's good.

SPEAKER_01 8:03

You have it always pull people out of the ditch.

SPEAKER_00 8:05

That's really good. But I also have a 20-foot steel cable that actually is rolled up on top of the spare tire in the Jeep. And we're talking Jeep Patriot. It's not hanging on the back of the vehicle, it's under the back floor. And so I have that cable there and it has hooks on each end that I can use as a toe strap, or you can get a cloth type toe strap. Sure. Now I told you I'd give you an update after wearing my new gun belt from 1791 GunLeather.com.

SPEAKER_01 8:40

So how's it working out?

SPEAKER_00 8:41

Well, I've been wearing it daily now for a few weeks. Actually, it's probably more, what, a month, something like that that I've been wearing that. And it lives up to everything that I expected. It fits the belt loops on my jeans and my dress pants. And yes, it looks good enough to wear as a dress belt. I carry my Hellcat outside the waistband and a 1791 gun leather holster. The belt also supports an extra mag in a pouch and a full-size multi-tool in a pouch. That starts adding some weight. I don't get that sag that you get with a regular belt. And it's a lot more comfortable than carrying even a compact pistol on a regular belt.

SPEAKER_01 9:26

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 9:27

So if you're tired of feeling the heavy sagging weight of carrying a firearm, I'd highly suggest that you get a belt that's designed to support a firearm. Smart. The 1791 gun leather belt does just that. Now you can get 1791 gun leather holsters in local gun shops, but you'll have to go to their website to get the belts. And if you use the code PrEP15, you'll get a 15% discount. Yay. While you're there, take a look at their line of American made leather holsters. I do love mine. Now the discount applies to anything that's on their website. That's 1791GunLeather.com and use the discount code PrEP15.

SPEAKER_01 10:17

Next on the checklist is the summer specific essential, since we're dealing with that particular season right now. Here's what we think you need to have.

SPEAKER_00 10:25

You need some drinking water in your and that goes with any time, really.

SPEAKER_01 10:30

Well, that's true.

SPEAKER_00 10:31

But we want to add uh in our case, we're going to add an extra gallon in the car for our road trip.

SPEAKER_01 10:37

Yes, so we suggest that you take the regular water bottle and then plus it as one gallon you can refill if you need to.

SPEAKER_00 10:44

Yeah, we'll probably have four or five bottles of water in the car, and then we'll add a gallon so that if we get stuck at one of those five-hour parking lots, then we're going to be able to have water to drink. You might even want to add some electrolyte packets during the summer. You can deplete a lot, especially if you have to be outside the vehicle working or doing something and you're sweating a lot. You lose a lot of those electrolytes. Being outside, you want sunscreen. Or if you're driving, it's always like the sun is on one side of the vehicle or the other.

SPEAKER_01 11:22

You know, my left arm is darker than my right arm.

SPEAKER_00 11:24

Mine is too.

SPEAKER_01 11:25

From years of having that left arm up in the window.

SPEAKER_00 11:28

Yeah. And on this particular trip, I'll put some sunscreen on that arm for sure. Yeah, right. How about some lip balm with SPF?

SPEAKER_01 11:37

I like a good lip balm. In fact, I'll tell you something. I'm not advertising any particular brand, but I have discovered beef tallow lip balm. It has a pleasant fragrance and it's super kind to your skin. Y'all need to get some beef tallow lip balm. I'm telling you, it is the balm.com. See what I did there?

SPEAKER_00 11:55

Yeah. Always have hats and sunglasses. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 12:00

I like my boonie hat.

SPEAKER_00 12:01

The boonie hat's good. I carry a ball cap and I carry a western cap with me a lot of times.

SPEAKER_01 12:07

Yep, that's true.

SPEAKER_00 12:08

But there's always a couple of extra boonie caps in the car. How about a lightweight blanket or an emergency blanket?

SPEAKER_01 12:15

You know, that may seem counterintuitive to a lot of people thinking about hot weather, but sometimes in the summertime there can come up a humongous rainstorm and it can chill the air so quickly. If your air conditioner's been on, you happen to be outside and you get wet, you can get chilled.

SPEAKER_00 12:32

Yes, you can.

SPEAKER_01 12:32

It's very uncomfortable. So you covering up with that lightweight blanket or the emergency blanket, very smart idea.

SPEAKER_00 12:38

Or if the two sides of the vehicle don't agree very well on the temperature that the inside of the vehicle should be.

SPEAKER_01 12:45

Like you and me.

SPEAKER_00 12:46

Like you and me. One of us can wrap up with a blanket if necessary. But I've used those emergency blankets on the scene of wrecks.

SPEAKER_01 12:54

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 12:55

I would always carry those in my patrol car, and I've wrapped them around several patients to keep them warm until the EMS got there. Smart. It's a great thing to have with you and very, very usable in a number of ways. And we've covered that on some other episodes.

SPEAKER_01 13:13

Now let me tell you a little bit about the story. When I got stuck on the highway for five hours, I was driving from Alabama to North Carolina. I was 60 miles from my destination. I was in South Carolina. This was November 2018, and it was dark of night. It was already about seven o'clock at night, and I knew that I could get to Concord by about eight o'clock. And that was my game plan. I get to Spartanburg and the traffic is slowing, and then the traffic is detoured to an off-ramp road. And suddenly I'm on a bridge and I am between two semi-trucks, and I'm stopped behind the one that I'm behind, and then there's a semi that's stopped behind me. We're on a one lane, we're stopped, it's dark, and nobody's moving. I immediately start calling my local friends in the South Carolina area because I have some there, and I said, Hey, what's the deal with this traffic being stopped? And they said, Oh, six o'clock that morning, a chemical spill had taken place with a truck, and they had to call in out of state cleanup crews to come in to deal with the chemical spill. It was not an evacuation event, but it was definitely a highway cleanup event. So there I am at seven o'clock. I let my daughter and son-in-law know, hey, I'm stuck here on the road. They said we already know about it. We already know about the wreck. Just, you know, be safe. I only had about three-eighths of a tank of gas because I had not got yet to my favorite truck stop.

SPEAKER_00 14:43

Which was only a couple of miles away.

SPEAKER_01 14:44

A couple of miles north of me, but I never made it to there. So time's ticking by and it's cold, so I'm keeping my heater running. And I see that three-eighths of a tank drop to a quarter of a tank, drop to about almost an eighth of a tank. And at midnight, five hours later, the traffic broke free. They detoured us through the countryside, and about five miles from there, I was literally on the empty symbol on my gas tank, praying the whole time, praying to the good Lord the whole time. Please let me get to the gas station. There was a Valero, one Valero gas station out of the middle of nowhere. I pulled into there, get the gas, run in, take advantage of their facilities, and get back in my car. And about 12 45 the next morning, I made it to Concord, North Carolina.

SPEAKER_00 15:36

Now, the other trip that we were making, and we wound up in the parking lot on I-40 for about three hours. And I think it involved a wreck that was in a construction zone. But was this when we were in the mountains? We were in the mountains. And there was really nowhere for us to go. And we wound up living out of our bags, so to speak. We had snacks, we had trail mix, we went through a large container of beef jerky.

SPEAKER_01 16:07

We had some sodas and drinks.

SPEAKER_00 16:28

She and her dog, and they didn't have water. Thankfully, the National Guard or whoever it was was bringing snacks and water along the the Interstate to those that were were trapped. Now, something that's a little bit controversial that I have done in the past, and I did this for years in my patrol car. I carried a gallon of gasoline. And we have traveled with that gallon of gasoline. It's in a sealed container, and then I put that inside of a trash bag and seal that up. But I have one gallon of gasoline that is in the back of the vehicle were it to be needed. Now, what I used it for on patrol was I would run into people that had run out of gas. And it was just a lot more convenient to me to give them a gallon of gas rather than take them somewhere to get gas and bring them back. I would just I would give them a gallon of gas and be on your way. But that is something that we've we've done and it can be a bit controversial, I know. And Krista and I have gone round and round about that.

SPEAKER_01 17:39

Yeah, I'm not a big fan of traveling with gas. We don't have a place to secure it without and I might have a very sensitive smeller, and I can smell that gas right through that trash bag and it drives me nuts.

SPEAKER_00 17:50

Well, the trash bag pretty much cut most of the smell out, but like she said, she's got a very sensitive smeller. And so I no longer carry that. But if I were going on a very long trip, I very well might do that.

SPEAKER_01 18:06

I might be persuaded.

SPEAKER_00 18:07

But anyway, that's the story behind what we were talking about when we wound up sitting on the parking lot.

SPEAKER_01 18:14

Now here's something that you're especially good at. Of course, you're especially good at all of the things we've mentioned, but the navigation and the communication aspect of prepping for your road trip. Let's talk about that.

SPEAKER_00 18:24

When we talk about communication, our first line of communication is always our cell phone. Of course. That's what we reach for when we want to talk to each other, when we want to communicate with each other. So we definitely want to be carrying a phone charger for the vehicle.

SPEAKER_01 18:41

Oh, and by the way, I heard last week a tech guy that's kind of an advisor for the big major networks, he tells that you nearly need to use the one that's made for the charger outlet that's in your car. It's kind of an elongated round charger that pokes into that voltage.

SPEAKER_00 19:00

What we used to call cigarette lighter.

SPEAKER_01 19:01

What we used to call cigarette lighter. He was actually saying that that's a better way to charge in the vehicle than trying to sometimes even a power rock or a stone may not work as quickly as doing it in the and we keep one, actually we keep a couple in our Jeep.

SPEAKER_00 19:18

And so we've got them wired up in such a way that we have multi-cables coming off of those, and we can charge two or three devices at one time.

SPEAKER_01 19:28

We even have an inverter in our car. We do carry that. That we can actually put a plug-in charger if we need to.

SPEAKER_00 19:34

Yes, we can. But we also carry those backup battery banks. Of course. Sure. They do help. We can charge up things if we need to. But also be sure you carry the charging cables for your devices that you're going to need to charge.

SPEAKER_01 20:00

Yeah, I still have to carry two. An Apple and a USB-C. Right. But do you still got some mini C's? I think that's the one.

SPEAKER_00 20:08

I've got some of the USB mini plugs. But I've also got a cable over here that has three different heads on it. This particular one will do the USB cable, the USB mini, the C cord, and the Apple all on this one cord. So I tend to carry this one in my EDC bag for that very reason. A lot of people like to have offline maps downloaded.

SPEAKER_01 20:36

Right, okay.

SPEAKER_00 20:37

And that way, if you get stopped at a wreck and you wound up getting detoured or something, you have those maps you can find your way around. I like a good old paper road atlas.

SPEAKER_01 20:48

Yes, agreed. And you do need to have a current one for 2026 because many times this will now reveal new roads, new routes, or closures. Uh you know, it have to be current. You know, if you're playing. Ours is probably 1978.

SPEAKER_00 21:06

I still have that old Cartercraft in my phone.

SPEAKER_01 21:08

Yeah, back in the 1900s, you know.

SPEAKER_00 21:11

Yes, but I think ours is probably five or six years old. And it's time to update that. So here goes something else on the list. Speaking of list, an emergency contact list in paper form.

SPEAKER_01 21:25

Yes. That's just part of your prep.

SPEAKER_00 21:28

That's just part of it. Have it in your bag, have it in your glove box, have it wherever, but you need a paper list of those emergency contacts. Let's talk about some comfort and convenience.

SPEAKER_01 21:43

Well, the first thing that's going into the car before Mark puts anything else in the car is a fresh filled thermos or two of coffee.

SPEAKER_00 21:51

Hey, there's priorities here.

SPEAKER_01 21:53

And he's got that old Stanley, and you ought to see this battle worn thing. I mean, it is scarred up, scratched up, works like a champ.

SPEAKER_00 22:00

Yep, but coffee in my case, I I do enjoy it. And I prefer to take my own than buying it on the road. It's overpriced and a lot of times it's not great.

SPEAKER_01 22:11

Not as good as homemade.

SPEAKER_00 22:13

Another thing you want to put in there for sure is some non-perishable snacks.

SPEAKER_01 22:18

Yes, so think heat resistant. For example, like trail mix, raisins, dried cranberries, dried cherries, nuts, almonds, walnuts, you get the picture. What we're going to tell you though is don't have anything meltable in your trail mix. We found out the hard way. We like to have some chocolate chips in our trail mix. Well, that's fine as long as it never gets hot.

SPEAKER_00 22:39

Makes gigantic clumps.

SPEAKER_01 22:40

Oh, it's it's nasty. So if it's got chocolate chips or butterscotch or anything peanut buttery or white chocolate, anything that you can hold in the palm of your hand and it'll melt, don't have that in your trail mix and you won't be sorry.

SPEAKER_00 22:53

But if you want the chocolate in there, go ahead and get the one with the MMs.

SPEAKER_01 22:57

Well, that's not yeah, it melts in your mouth, not in your hand.

SPEAKER_00 23:00

We used to make our own trail mix a lot. Ms again. We would mix in the MMs.

SPEAKER_01 23:05

Smart. That's see that's that makes a lot of sense.

SPEAKER_00 23:09

Trash bags come in very, very handy. Now we tend to use a backfloorboard behind one of the seats as a trash bag while we're traveling. Yeah. And then when we get to the next fuel stop, we'll clean that out. Right. But we also carry trash bags in there for a lot of other reasons as well. Sure. I mean, and we did an episode involving trash bags a while back. I mean, the things you you can make ponchos out of them if you need to.

SPEAKER_01 23:37

Or if you got, you know, dirty, muddy shoes or something you and you knew you could be able to clean them at your destination, throw them in a trash bag, put on different pair of shoes, and and then clean them when you get where you want to.

SPEAKER_00 23:48

Same thing with wet clothes.

SPEAKER_01 23:50

Right. Exactly.

SPEAKER_00 23:51

But wet wipes and hand sanitizer. I used to carry a bottle with me all the time, and I've gotten away from that to some degree. But we keep wet wipes in the car. We keep a roll of paper towels in the car.

SPEAKER_01 24:04

Yes, and that is handy.

SPEAKER_00 24:06

That comes in very handy. And it's not necessarily a prepping thing. It's just it's really handy.

SPEAKER_01 24:12

Well, you know, the last time we pulled the roll of paper towels on a road trip was, and this happens to us more than once. We go to a drive-thru, we pick up some burgers, we at halfway down the road, we open the bag, no napkins. What's the deal with the napkins? Is that happening to you? Because that's happened to us more than I cannot believe.

SPEAKER_00 24:30

You had one job. Put the right stuff in the bag.

SPEAKER_01 24:33

And st and no straw. That really hawks me out. I have kept a stash of straws in my glove compartment box and plastic cutlery as well, little forks and knives and things. Because a lot of times you order a salad on the, you know, and I'm eating on the road while you're driving. No fork.

SPEAKER_00 24:49

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 24:50

I hate that.

SPEAKER_00 24:51

Yeah, she got mashed potatoes one day with no fork, no spoon, no knife.

SPEAKER_01 24:55

So what am I supposed to do? Eat like a dog.

SPEAKER_00 24:56

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 24:58

Anyway, back to the show.

SPEAKER_00 25:00

Now here's some just in case extras.

SPEAKER_01 25:02

The J I C's. I like that.

SPEAKER_00 25:04

J I C. Just in case extras.

SPEAKER_01 25:07

Everybody's got some J I C's, and your list may be different, but here's what we're going to tell you you need. How about some rain gear?

SPEAKER_00 25:13

Oh, yeah. You may have to change a tire in the rain.

SPEAKER_01 25:16

I mean, it rains like a beast down here in the south. When it wants to rain good and hard, it is toad strangling rain.

SPEAKER_00 25:22

And there are areas of the country that have monsoon seasons.

SPEAKER_01 25:25

They have floods and everything. It's terrible.

SPEAKER_00 25:27

So rain gear is really great to have poncho if you need it. I like a rain suit if I'm having to change a tire or something of that type. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 25:36

Have y'all ever heard of frog togs?

SPEAKER_00 25:38

Frog togs.

SPEAKER_01 25:38

You know what frog I never heard of frog togs tell me.

SPEAKER_00 25:41

It's a name brand rain suit.

SPEAKER_01 25:43

Oh, it is. It's pants and a jacket, and it's it'll keep you dry.

SPEAKER_00 25:46

I've got a set. Now they are very much too large for me.

SPEAKER_01 25:51

Are they the ones that have the reflective tape lines on them as well?

SPEAKER_00 25:55

You can get them that way, but these are not. This is a black set that I have. But they're too large for me for this reason.

SPEAKER_01 26:03

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 26:04

I bought them to go over my uniform, including my gun belt and your external dress carrier. Sure, of course. Even over my duty jacket if it was cold weather.

SPEAKER_01 26:17

Well, that's good thinking.

SPEAKER_00 26:18

So but they will definitely keep you dry. And we have no affiliation with them.

SPEAKER_01 26:24

I just like to say frog time.

SPEAKER_00 26:25

Yeah, she likes to say frog tongue.

SPEAKER_01 26:27

Oh, and also have an umbrella. And I mean maybe two or three. I've got a small personal umbrella, and then we've got an umbrella that's like a golf umbrella. It's big enough to put ten people under.

SPEAKER_00 26:36

I can't get ten.

SPEAKER_01 26:37

Don't ten real skinny small people.

SPEAKER_00 26:40

Yeah, don't know ten that I like c enough to be under the umbrella with me. But there are a couple of golf umbrellas in our car, and that's for getting Krista to the door dry.

SPEAKER_01 26:52

That's right.

SPEAKER_00 26:53

You know where the priorities come.

SPEAKER_01 26:55

That's right.

SPEAKER_00 26:56

A multi-tool andor a pocket knife.

SPEAKER_01 26:59

Oh, I guess that's just a part of your EDC.

SPEAKER_00 27:01

It's a part of my EDC.

SPEAKER_01 27:03

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 27:03

But not only do I have them on my body, in the bag, I have an additional multi-tool and additional knife. Two is one and one is one so actually I've got three or four multi-tools.

SPEAKER_01 27:18

You are practically prepared.

SPEAKER_00 27:20

I just uh get an extra one and I throw it in the bag.

SPEAKER_01 27:22

Hey, here's what you're gonna need in the South: bug spray.

SPEAKER_00 27:26

Definitely.

SPEAKER_01 27:27

Oh yeah, man. Those mosquitoes, they chew me like an apple. I mean, they bite me all the time.

SPEAKER_00 27:33

And Florida and Louisiana have some mosquitoes that seem to be the size of crows.

SPEAKER_01 27:38

Oh, they call them the state bird. It's true.

SPEAKER_00 27:42

But have that bug spray if you are going to have to be outside the vehicle for some period of time.

SPEAKER_01 27:48

And you know when they're worse? After a bad storm.

SPEAKER_00 27:51

Oh, yeah. Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_01 27:52

So think about that.

SPEAKER_00 27:54

Another thing we carry is a small tarp.

SPEAKER_01 27:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 27:57

I think there's an eight by ten and an eight by six in the car that we carry those. We always carry some emergency cash and small bills.

SPEAKER_01 28:09

Yes, ones, fives, tens, and twenties.

SPEAKER_00 28:11

And a pen and paper.

SPEAKER_01 28:13

You might have to leave a note, take some of that duct tape and stick it on a door or something. If you're checking on someone and they're not home, they you need to let them know if power's out and you can't call them. Let them know with a note that you were there.

SPEAKER_00 28:24

Or if you need to get a message to someone, you can write down a phone number and give that to someone else to make the call.

SPEAKER_01 28:33

A park ranger or somebody like that.

SPEAKER_00 28:34

Police officers or somebody like that.

SPEAKER_01 28:37

Yeah. Now today's cup of coffee comes from Heidi. Now, Heidi is a brand new supporter of our podcast, and we welcome you, Heidi, and we thank you so very much for your support. So, hey friends, how about you? Did you learn something from the podcast? Have you gotten some new ideas or maybe received some kind of value from our show? Would you help by giving back just a little? Go to practical prepping.info slash support and you'll find ways that you can support the show. And that would include, like our friend Heidi, a coffee membership. It's only five dollars a month, but it really helps us offset the expenses of our show. That's practicalprepping.info slash support.

SPEAKER_00 29:18

We do appreciate you being here today. We appreciate you taking your time and choosing our podcast when you could listen to anything else in the whole wide world.

SPEAKER_01 29:29

Because we're going on the road again. I just can't wait to get on the road again.

SPEAKER_00 29:34

But we do appreciate you being here today.

SPEAKER_01 29:36

And as Krista always says stuff happens, have a great road trip, but stay prepared.

SPEAKER_00 29:42

And we'll see you next time.