FEATURE Road-Ready No one will ever confuse me with a hardcore -prepper. But I travel a lot and if Im traveling by car, there are some things Ill have with me. Its a mix of things I call my mothers warning and other items Ive decided I need with me in todays world. A lot has changed over the past 50 years. As a kid, our family car always had a gallon of water, snacks, a beach towel, socks and clean underwear for the four of us. Dad added band-aids, jumper cables, a screwdriver and an adjustable wrench, along with a flashlight and spare batteries. Today, one small pouch can hold backup power, nourishment, light, first aid gear and more considerable amount of other useful gear if you find yourself in a pinch. And its portable. Ive added miniaturized items that didnt exist in those days: a thin-film solar battery charger and Cobra Electronics JumPack. The solar chargers purpose is obvious- but the JumPack is one of the most powerful little gadgets Ive seen in some time. The size of a paperback book, its a very powerful battery pack. Ive recharged my iPhone and iPad for four days straight using it-without a recharge. Ive also used its jumper cables (included) to crank a boat and a diesel pickup. Impressive performance in a $100 item (I got mine on Amazon). While driving, I plug the solar charger into the JumPack and keep it topped off. And I also have a small penlight size power supply given to me by a friend at Chevrolet. Today, I think power is an essential. I also have a couple of new items Ive added over the past week. A Fish & Fire Kit from 12 Survivors and SOGs new Hunt light knife. The Fish & Fire kits one of those tiny paracord deals that looks like a large key fob. When unwrapped, there are a dozen items you can use to start a fire and/or fish. SOGs new Hunt Light knife is a sheath knife with three LEDs in the handle on each side of the blade. Its designed for field dressing -and Ill be using it for that, but its also useful item in an emergency pack. Granted, I dont plan to be stranded where I need to make a fire, fish, or field-dress a critter, but I subscribe to the better to have and not need... school of thought; especially when everythings so small it all goes into a small shoulder pack. That pack also includes other emergency essentials: small first aid kit, tourniquet, quik-clot, spare batteries, whistle, multi-tool and other items I like having along in todays uncertain world. The gears back in the car today as the new product previews for 2015 are getting underway. Today, Im with Fishing Wire editor Frank Sargeant taking a look at new technologies from Yamaha Marine Group at their test facilities near Chattanooga, Tennessee. From there, its on to Little Rock, Arkansas and the annual National Association of Sporting Good Wholesalers (NAGW) annual meeting and exhibits. NASGW gives an early preview of guns and other assorted gear well be telling you much more about in the coming weeks-without the hubbub and crowds of SHOT Show. And while Im there, well also be finalizing our plans for some new projects youll be hearing more about soon. Were excited at some of the new things youll be seeing in 2015. Were pretty certain you will be, too. All part of a promise we take seriously: well keep you posted. -Jim Shepherd
Posted on: Mon, 13 Oct 2014 15:06:38 +0000
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