Mr. Rawles,
Reading the great post on preparedness kits I noticed a couple things that I do differently with my vehicle. I’ve got a spare tire mounted on a homemade bracket on the front of my truck. this took an hour tops with an iron pile and a welder. It’s not meant for pushing but it sits there comfortably mounted to the existing bumper and the metal near the hood latch. I would think also that with some forethought it could be incorporated into a big frame mount push bumper. its a classic ‘country’ configuration which clears up room in your truck bed or inside the vehicle. It’s never made sense to me to mount the spare tire under the rear end of a 4WD vehicle.
This setup also lets you put your chains on the tire which makes them easy to get too and easy to lay out when the time comes. Once they are on, just wire up the extra and throw a big bungee on to take up the slack and rattle. I’ve even found that a license plate will fit inside the rim of most truck tires (15″ or larger). If you are worried about theft you can attach a padlock and/or use a big nut/bolt and lock washer which will ensure that somebody has to take the time with a wrench or tire iron to get at your spare. This is a really cheap way to save space and make your rig more functional. Thanks, – Hi-Plains Reader
Mr. Rawles,
I just read the article about field kits and have to agree with Christian Souljer. I a similar setup in the event that I can bug-out in my truck. My plan is to bug-in but if I have to leave I have 2 options to my disposal ( driving or walking ). Most of my equipment is in rubbermaid type plastic boxes and ready to go. The only thing I would suggest is have several different size tarps to go with you. When out camping using my equipment I put up tarps over the tent and kitchen area to keep the rain out, for shade, and privacy for toilet and solar shower. As far as rope goes I have one box a dedicated rope box with different lengths and types of rope. Great article and keep up the wonderful work that you do. – R.H. in Asheville, N.C.