gun = fire extinguisher?

W

wayneinFL

New member
I've heard defensive guns compared to fire extinguishers. I've heard back up guns compared to a spare tire. I like the analogy.

Those of you who carry a gun or keep a gun in the car for emergencies- what else do you you keep for emergencies? Besides weapons- things like spare tire, fire extinguisher, first aid kit, cellphone, etc. And have you used them?

Are we gun-obsessed nuts or are we really considering our well-being? I tend to think we're the latter.

Kind of a reality check/ priority kind of thing. Those of you who are prepared for an attack from a human predator- how well are you prepared for other, more common emergencies? And how have you done dealing with the more common emergencies?
 
I keep some of that Fix-a-flat stuff that comes in a can, jumper cables, three MREs, one gallon drinking water, two gallons 50/50 coolant/water, tool kit, cell phone chargers for both of my cell phones, hand held CB radio, extra batteries, mag light, extra batteries, tire iron, jack, road flares, blanket, yellow first-responder blanket, basic first-aid kit, duct tape, hammer, large hunting knife.

I've had to use most all of it at one time or another. The coolant I used when a friend's car overheated. The tire repair stuff gets used more often than I'd like. Tool kit gets used all the time. Jumper cables have never been used to start my truck, but I try to help those in need when I can. Used the road flares when I had to push my friend's truck out of traffic when her alternator died. Thankfully, I've never had to use the first-responder blanket.
 
While driving around town my main survival tool is a VISA with a high credit limit :cool: .

Actually, I do always have a flashlight and a small bag of tools. And frequently a .38 as well.

Although I'm not worried about a chinese invasion or big time civil unrest, I think it just makes sense to have some basic supplies around the house. Like a few cases of bottled water (always use some of that anyway) and a full cupboard of canned foods and the like. Though earthquakes are uncommon here, they can happen anywhere and so can inclement weather. And one thing I've learned, when a blizzard is coming everyone is stocking up and the stores run short real quick.

Because I'm an off-roader and frequent camper, I do have some pretty serious survival kits in my 4x4. Too many things to go into, but everything from an electric winch to sleeping bags to medical supplies to extraction tools/mechanic tools/critical spare parts, etc. And since I go to some rugged places, I've used many of these things.
 
I have an SUV, so I can carry:
-A folding shovel
-First aid kit
-Jumper cables
-Motor oil
-Windshield-washer fluid
-Hammer
-Flashlight
-Pack frame
-Various small tools (leatherman, tire iron, etc)
-Tow strap
-Two-way radio
-Jack
-AAA batteries
-Coat, hat, gloves, etc
And there's plenty of room left for guns and ammo, an emergency Poptart supply, beef jerky, 2+ liters of Mountain Dew, and four passengers. I have had occasion to use the shovel, window-washer fluid, flashlight, tow strap, radio,and clothing. The passengers are usually just deadweight. :D
 
Maybe it is because I was a Boy Scout, I still try to be prepared to this day. I have tools, cold weather gear, blankets, flashlights with batteries, and many other things in my jeep at all times. I try to be prepared at least minimally for any situation I can imagine.
 
Fire extinguisher (used it Friday), tow strap, small trauma kit, maglight, set of wrenches and sockets, jumper cables, shovel and cell phone. I carry these to aid others as well as myself.
 
Safety Gear

I have the typical Bug Out Bag complete with at least three days worth of prescription medicines. One thing I've done at the lake cottage is somewhat different from anyone else I've heard of and concerns long term water supply. We've lost power for extended periods a couple of times. Once so many trees were down it was impossible to drive for 5 days.

I took 3 sections of 2" X 10' plastic pipe and joined them with elbows and filled it with builders sand. If I can get water from the lake or ice to melt I can pour the water in and when it traverses the 30' length it comes out very clear. I would still treat it with purification tablets or iodine but it's clarity satisfies the visual appeal. I'm sure some actual impurities are also filtered out of the water too. On the other hand I'm not so confident in the system that I'd use "yellow" snow. :D
 
Fire extinguisher, Accidental Death and Dismemberment insurance, car insurance, and I wear my seatbelt. I always carry a cellphone, knife, OC, Surefire E2e, and as long as I'm not going to the bar, a Glock or Sig. In the car, there is another knife, a Stinger flashlight, jumper cables, tow strap, cell phone charger, spare tire and jack etc., a swiss Army knife, and in winter, a set of old Carhartts. I figure if I carry this stuff around all the time, I'll never need it. :rolleyes:
 
Beenthere

That's a pretty ingenious idea on the sand filter, but a little hard to carry in a car :D . I carry a Sweetwater Guardian in my truck that will filter out pure drinking water from a cesspool. It's about the size of a small can of fruit juice with a pump handle on the side and costs around 70 bucks. I think it filters down to .03 microns, which is a lot smaller than the bugs that cause the trots. Here's a link.

http://www.msrcorp.com/filters/
 
I carry a full tool kit (SAE/Metric up to 1/2 drive) , bunch of electrical crimp connectors, $8 multimeter, 2 tow chains, 4 20 foot pieces of 1 inch mountaneering webing, 75 foot of 2 inch webing and 150 feet of 1/2 rescue rope, couple of rigging bits, 75 foot water throw bag, ax / shovel / hacksaw / bow saw / shovel / bottle jack / high lift jack / cable come along / tire pump / spare belts and filters for the truck / tire plug kit / booster cables / haligan bar, buch of animal capture equiptment / nets / gloves and so forth, a disposable tyvec rain suit, extra set of cold / wet weather gear, Full first aid kit (includes oxygen and IV's).

At one point or another I have used all of this stuff in my various travels.

All of this fits behind the seat of a 350 quad cab or in the bed tool box though old murphy will insure that whatever you need is at the very bottom.

Personaly have never seen the need to carry a fire extinisher, don't have the room for a decent size one (20 ABC) and unless one got a vehicle fire at the very earliest stage chance of a stop is about nill, plus am not goign to carry bunker gear with me to safely aproach a vehicle fire.
 
I never carried an extinguisher myself until about 6 months ago. boss had me follow one of the other guys in a company van that had been sitting 8 months. We were going to get it serviced at firestone, 3-4 miles away. It was spewing black smoke all the way. we got to a stop light about a half- mile from the garage and some guy pulled up next to him at the light. He had his head out the window, waving his arms like a crazy man. I thought he was giving him heck for driving so slow- the van would only do about 20mph. Trav calls me on the phone and says "this guy says my van's on fire- what do you think I should do?" I look at the bumper- he's right- the plastic is dripping on the ground.

"the van's on fire what should I do?"

I'm thinkin' what the heck is he asking me for? I'm not in the burning deathtrap.

"I say go for it! We're almost there!"

he leaves the light and this thing goes off. flames four or five feet high. faster he goes the more flames. We stop at the next light, he shuts it off. flames die down a bit.

He gets out. Excitedly. He says "what should we do now?" I say, "hell, firestone's right across the street. I say make the turn, pull it into the lot and tell 'em 'it seems to be overheating'"

He says "F^@&!ng, have at it!" and throws the keys at me. I figure what the heck, I get in and turn the key. It cranks 9 or 10 rev.'s then PHWOOM! All I can see is black smoke and flames licking the doors coming in the windows. Got the the sudden feeling I was in a giant barbeque, and I was the main course. Mortal fear. I took the key out opened the door as casually as I could, stepped out and said "Well... I don't think it's gonna start."

Long story short, didn't make it to firestone. fire dept put it out. I was amazed at all the gear they were wearing. I mean, I was just in that thing with a tshirt and shorts. I called boss. he didn't believe me 'cause I was laughing. Then we showed up back to work smelling like burnt plastic.

Although a fire extinguisher wouldn't have put that out, I started carrying a little 5#bc. The next week I put out a car that had just caught fire. The owner seemed all freaked out about it- the way he was blowing on it and slapping at it with his jacket. He thanked me profusely. I was all proud of myself, even though it was an old dodge aries that should have burnt down in '86.

Now I keep a 20# extinguisher in the van. You never know. Besides, I work around batteries, etc. and there's always the potential for a fire.

BTW, I know there's fire-rescue and police on these forums. Easy on the lectures about the dangers of burning vehicles- sitting in the giant bar-b-q taught me more about fire than any of the lectures in high school ever did.
 
In the time-between-the-snows, I keep a 200 piece Craftsman tool set with a couple of extra 8-inch crescent wrenches and vice grips, 20' jumper cables, a couple of multi-tools, wet weather gear, a set or two of sweats (never know when you'll need get you or someone else out of wet clothes) a poncho and poncho liner and a couple hundred feet of parachute cord. If I'm going on a trip (more than 200 miles or so) I throw in a box or two of chemlights, a few big freaking knives and an Army combat lifesaver bag with tourniquets, IVs, bandages, etc.

When there's white stuff on the ground, I add a two man tent, a complete Army sleeping bag system (or two if traveling with a companion) a box of MREs and an ammo can with two propane bottles, a stove head, a lantern head, a coffee pot, coffee, tea, boullion and wooden matches.

All of the fair weather stuff sits under my cargo cover next to the spare, and most of the foul weather stuff fits nicely in the back out of the way.
 
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I carry most all the stuff everyone else does in my tool-box, my tools, an MRE, shop towels, Fast Orange handcleaner, jumper cables, power tools & 2 flashlights.
In the cab, I'll always have a knife, spare mags and of course a box of protection against "other types of threats". :D
 
i actually don't keep a gun in the car, but i keep virtually everything else. a full tool kit that just stops short of power tools, extra clothes, water, all the car fluids, a spare tire, a battery-powered air compressor, a dozen or so flashlights, lots of random stuff i'd need in the woods... i could go on... now if i could only keep it organized :D that's the advantage of having an 8-seat SUV that's rarely got more than one person in it, i guess. mind you, i've still fit 12 in the darn thing without having to dump any gear. all our friendly police here can just turn a blind eye to that comment, cut me a break and believe me when i say i think i've paid enough in tickets to own my own highway :P
 
Y'all check the temperature rating on your fire extinguisher if you live in the South.

Gets pretty hot in the trunk during the summer and some extinguishers aren't supposed to get very hot during storage.
 
/\ there's a lot of things like that. those of you that carry defensive sprays should look the same. i'm still warming my parents up to guns but got my mom "riot spray," basically the big ol' cans of high-concentration pepper stuff... but you can't store it at above 125. i imagine it could make for a very unpleasant day if it ever leaked.
 
Getting it organized

For those of you who keep a lot of "stuff" in your vehicle, and want to keep it organized, if you have a cat, or know anyone who does have a cat. (I don't have a cat. My WIFE has cats.) Tidy Cat kitty litter comes in one of the handiest buckets you will ever see. They're more or less square, so they fit together realy well, and they come with a hinged top. They come in two sizes. The buckets are so handy that it's worth buying the cat litter even if you don't have a cat, just to get the bucket. They're even handier than a 5 gal bucket. They pack better, and the tops are easier to get open.

I keep some canned food, extra warm clothes, a blanket, bottled water, cell phone, fix a flat, and some other stuff. All kept in Kitty Litter buckets.
 
The tool box in my 29 yr old pickup has almost enough tools for an engine rebuild.

The family minivan may not even have a screw driver (do have jumper cables). There's just no place in that thing to secure a good basic tool box that isn't constantly in the way of something else. I still gotta do something about that though.

I was a boy scout and in the 18 years I've had the old truck, I've had plenty of opprtunities to use the tools it carries.
 
gun = fire extinguisher

I keep what I call my "Bug-out" bag in my truck. In addition to a firearm or two, first aid kit, tarp. tool bag, fix-a-flat, water, MRE's for 3 days, knife, handaxe, compass, firestarter and etc. :) :)
 
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