My Car Emergency Kit -- Upgraded!

Just a little break from vacation to give everyone a much-needed update to an earlier post...

After hundreds of suggestions on my how to create a car emergency kit post, I took another look at what was in my kit, with a special focus on what was missing. A few trips to various stores online and off have left me with a fuller-featured bag of tricks. Here's what I've added and changed (and yes, it all still fits in the pack):

• Rope - Adding in 25 feet of thin but strong nylon rope doesn't add much weight, and commenters are right: It can be more useful than duct tape in some situations.
• Toilet Paper - A roll of toilet paper takes up a surprisingly large amount of space, but if you smush it down it helps.
• Hand Saw - I took out the "Rambo style" survival knife and subbed in a more serious saw I got at a hardware store. It's still portable and includes a nylon sheath so that everything doesn't get cut up. Along with the Swiss Army knife and the hand axe, I feel like I've got all my chopping options covered now.
• Small Metal Bowl - I found a surprisingly inexpensive titanium bowl at a hardware store, which (as readers noted) would be useful for melting snow or cooking in.
• Folding Shovel - I was really torn on this item. It's quite large and heavy, and it easily dominates my pack. But it may be one of the most practical things in the kit, in the event my car gets stuck in snow or other ground covering. Virtually everyone who lives where it snows said they keep one in their car all the time along with sand or kitty litter.
• Candles - Many people noted that a single candle burning in a car will keep the temperature above freezing. I bought four 12-hour votive-style candles, wrapped them in newspaper, and put them in the metal bowl to avoid breakage.
• Purell - I know there's antiseptic in the first aid kit, but a travel-size vial of Purell is always good to have in a pinch.
• Cash - Two $20 bills.
• Folding Stove with Fuel - Maybe the niftiest item in my kit, thanks to the good people at DisasterStuff.com, who sent a sample of their items for me to check out. This little camp stove is barely bigger than a pack of playing cards when collapsed, and it costs a whopping five bucks. You can use the solid fuel pellets for heat or regular candles. Nifty!

If you don't want to go the DIY route, DisasterStuff has a wide variety of pre-made kits that are probably cheaper than putting all this stuff together piece by piece. The company's automotive-centered kits include jumper cables, flat fixers, and the like, while backpack kits are designed fore more general emergencies, with focus on food, water, and warmth. The kits are available in a variety of sizes and prices, and of course you can add gear à la carte. Iodine pills in case of nuclear radiation? The web site's got 'em!

I also received some cool products from Life+Gear, including a rugged pre-made personal survival backpack (good for three days of survival, complete with food and water) and a hand-crank 6-in-1 flashlight/siren/radio/cell phone charger/you-name it. The company will even send you a free adapter for whatever cell phone you carry. It's a bargain at just $33.

A final word of thanks to all the commenters and emailers, especially the hundreds of you who suggested I carry a gun, liquor, or both. Sounds like quite a combo.

Happy New Year!