I started this thread about fire extinguishers several years ago:

https://sigforum.com/eve/forum...935/m/1210085734/p/1

And I'm somewhat ashamed to admit that I never got around to putting one in my vehicle. The post by Mars_Attacks about ScreamingCockatoo saving the motorist who ran off the road, and the accompanying video, has certainly rekindled my interest.

I know the chance of needing one is slim, but I would never want to be in the position of seeing someone trapped in a vehicle with a fire starting and not having something to try to help.

This also has me thinking about seatbelt cutters, window punch, flashlights, etc. I always have a flashlight on me, and I always have a pistol on me so I figure I can bust a window if need be. I almost always have a knife on me, but keep one with a serrated blade in the glove compartment.

I'm wondering what others use or carry in their vehicles. Window punch tool that clips on viser?

Regarding the fire extinguisher, I drive a VW Touareg, which is a midsize SUV, and I think the reason I never put one in is that I couldn't decide how to mount it. I don't want it rolling around in the back, and if securely mounted it could be problematic when it's necessary to lay down the rear seats to increase cargo space. So any suggestions or recommendations in that regard?

I am going to commit here to putting a fire extinguisher in the vehicle, so I'll have the peer pressure to follow up. I'll report back when I do!

No affiliation, but have seen these rated highly from a few automotive YT channels.

https://elementfire.com/

I, too, almost always have knife, flashlight & CCW on me.

I’m just as guilty. No extinguisher in my car either. Ugh…now I’m gonna be held accountable as well.

In both my truck and motorcycle, I carry:

an IFAK that includes 2 tourniquets and Israeli Battle Dressing.

100' of paracord

In my truck, I also carry:

food and water designed to withstand heat and longevity.

emergency shelter

fold-up shovel

window punch tool that clips on visor is on both driver and passenger visors.

LED flasher emergency triangles with lithium batteries

---

Ego is the anesthesia that deadens the pain of stupidity

DISCLAIMER: These are the author's own personal views and do not represent the views of the author's employer.

Thanks for the link to that Element fire. I'm intrigued with it's size and longevity. I still need to do some more research but I noticed several negative video reviews where the reviewers tried to put out fires involving wood...which the web site clearly states...

"*Not recommended for outdoor live coal fires (ie. wood campfires or logs)

I bought an extinguisher and mount for my Jeep, since the local offroad park requires one, and mounted it to the roll bar in the back. It was back and forth with the one I eventually got and the Element, which would easily fit under the seat. I chose the one that would smack a passenger in the head upon hitting road bumps.

Go with the Element.

quote:

Originally posted by honestlou:
Regarding the fire extinguisher, I drive a VW Touareg, which is a midsize SUV, and I think the reason I never put one in is that I couldn't decide how to mount it. I don't want it rolling around in the back, and if securely mounted it could be problematic when it's necessary to lay down the rear seats to increase cargo space. So any suggestions or recommendations in that regard?

I use Element extinguishers.

It's roughly the size of a road flare (or a rolled-up magazine, if you aren't familiar with flares). No need to mount it, and it doesn't take up the space of a pressurized cannister extinguisher. You can stash it anywhere in the vehicle. I keep mine in the pouch on the back of the driver's seat, next to where I keep my trauma kit.



Another thing I keep on hand is an entrenching tool. While the folding e-tools pack down smaller, I find them harder to use than the tools with fixed handles. You'd be surprised how handy a compact shovel can be, and how often it's used.

Ha! I've had an extinguisher in the car so long this thread made me check it! Under pressure, need another

In these times, I've also added a tourniquet.

Too much to list at the moment- a full kit behind the seat with rain gear, cold weather gear, baseball cap, eyewear, gloves, duct tape, 50 feet of paracord, a C. Crane AM/FM/weather radio and two sets of spare batteries, a power bank for my phone, a water filter and water containers, tourniquet, Israeli bandage and a bunch of stuff I can't think of at the moment.

I keep what I call a "walk-out kit" (aka "The Black Dwarf", named after an infinitely dense theoretical stellar remnant) in my glove compartment, which is a Maxpedition 3x5" pouch stuff so full, it defies the laws of physics: a Leatherman multitool, SAK, A Cold Steel SR-1, BIC lighter, compass, bandana, lightweight poncho, SOL emergency blanket, mole skin, Storm whistle and other things which slip my mind at the moment.

Also in the glove compartment, a Surefire G2 with a Malkoff Device lamp module, and two sets of spare batteries.

And then, there's this.

Jumper cables, of course.

Milk crate
Towel
Gal of water
Box of Kleenex
Glass breaker tool
Entrenching tool
Tomahawk
Para cord
Bag of tools
Jumper cables
Rags
Duct tape
Marbles
Slingshot
Bug spray
Extra mags
Handcuffs
Key
Gloves
Trash bag
Flashlight
First aid kit (tailored to GSW)
Knife
Tums
Map


Thes are the things in my truck under a seat and in the door pockets and console. I should add an extinguisher

I have a lot of the typical stuff mentioned in this thread, but I would be adding an empty school-looking back pack.
If the vehicle ends up stranded and I would have to go on foot, I would like to have a way to carry a bunch of the stuff with me.

Cash. At least a couple hundred in smaller-ish bills. If you get stuck and need a tug you can probably get someone to get you unstuck for an agreed fee or a generous tip for doing so. Possibly gasoline, if the internet is down and the credit machines don't work, it's no guarantee that it will work but you might be able to pay cash to get fuel or food, especially if you are in a rural area where there may be smaller mom-n-pop stores that will take cash and can make the pump work.


And BTW here is a bit of levity for your amusement:


A blonde’s car gets a flat tire on the Interstate one day So she eases it over onto the shoulder of the road.
She carefully steps out of the car and opens the trunk. She then takes out two cardboard men, unfolds them and stands them at the rear of the vehicle facing oncoming traffic. The lifelike cardboard men are in trench coats exposing their nude bodies to approaching drivers.

Not surprisingly, the traffic became snarled and backed up. It wasn’t very long before a police car arrives.
The Officer, clearly enraged, approaches the blonde of the disabled vehicle yelling, “What is going on here?”

“My car broke down, Officer” says the blonde woman, calmly.

“Well, what the hell are these obscene cardboard pictures doing here by the road?!” asks the Officer…

“Helllllooooo, those are my emergency flashers!” she replies.

Hehehheeheheh
.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/16...5-FBA34729/324719662

I've got something slightly larger than this in the back of my Jeep. My little "crash kit".

I probably have too much of useless stuff in there, but I've used a lot of of the equipment in there, some of it, like the first aid stuff, I hope I'll never have to use again.

T shirt, sweat shirt, 2 pair socks, underwear, pants, winter skull hat, 2 pair winter gloves, 2 pair work gloves, GI issue canteen and canteen cup, small thermos, water filter, a box of DripDrop (think "powder Gatorade), aspirin, ibuprofen, Benadryl, a "unit 1" type first aid kit (extra tourniquets & Isrelli bandages), axe, small shovel, 550 cord, poncho liner, Mylar blanket, bic lighters, fire starter material, a 10x10 tarp, plastic drop cloth, duct tape, tools, nylon ties of different sizes, a sewing kit, leatherman multi tool, ratchet straps, flash light, fire extinguisher. 3 MRE's, tea bags, instant coffee. 2 Wire coat hangers.
A small backpack. Bottle of vodka.

I probably have a little more in there that I forgot about. Thinking about getting a small solar panel, big enough to charge a phone or a flashlight.

Jumper cables, an extra knife, pen, note book, extra phone charging cord are in different spots in the jeep.

A tube sock with a billiard ball in it, and a 5gallon pail of AstroGlide.

I keep the following in the back of my SUV
- EMS Trauma kit
- 3/4 Fire boots
- Fire gloves
- Nomex hood
- 5lb Dry chem
- Hatchet with fire ax head
- Folding brush saw
- 30' of Rescue rope, carabiner & Fig 8 Descender
- Spring loaded center punch
- Rescue knife
- Flashlights

I have Element extinguishers in both vehicles and one in the kitchen.
IFAK behind the headrest, within reach of the driver in either vehicle is the extinguisher, a res q me tool, flashlight, knife, and an IFAK on the back of the headrest.
Backseat has a pack with more first aid, socks/t shirt vacuum sealed, hat, gloves, batteries, knife, flashlight, just about anything we might need to get home or stay out for a day or two.
Bed of my truck has a few tools, shovel, tow rope.

Used my car extinguisher twice for other peoples vehicles.
In 30 years.

A tourniquet would be a great addition for my car
And after watching a dozen U tubes ,
I'd make space for a Halligan tool as well.

I will be looking into training for both.

Same as most. I carry two quality flashlights. One using CR123A batteries, the other AA. I figure the CR123A is the primary but I can always find the more common AA batteries if needed. I carry a few spares as well.

This time of year I add a thermal layer to my bag as I live in PA.

I carry

• water
  
• jumper cables
  
• a super small 12v air compressor
  
• a foot operated air pump
  
• shop rags
  
• bottle of washer solvent concentrate
  
• a old tiny 9v transistor radio
  
• fire extinguisher
  
• roll of TP
  
• short roll of paper towels
  
• some cinching nylon strapping
  

In winter I add a plastic bag with toboggan, balaclava, couple pair insulated gloves, a goretex scarf, an old wool blanket, couple of pairs of wool socks I bought on the street in Potsdam.
I add a pair of insulated hunting boots and of course a cheap Columbia coat I never wear but would kill for if stranded in the car in freezing weather.

Oh and one of those blue and yellow first aid kits and there's one of those glass breaker tools in the center console.

After my encounter with the wreck in the mountains, I'll be keeping a MUCH bigger first aid kit in the car.

All I have now are jumper cables, tire chains and a tool kit.