Tools/Equipment to Keep in your Jeep

[AJeepZJ]

You are about to undertake a long journey of 1000+ plus miles. You hope for the best, but you want to prepare for the worst. I'd like to begin putting together a comprehensive list of tools and/or equipment to keep in your Jeeps at all times which can be utilized in the event of a breakdown of any degree - or perhaps to help a fellow Jeeper.

Lets compile a list together so that we can publish our list in the "Technical Articles & How-to's" Forum. Provide an explanation for the item/tool/equipment where applicable.

Lets Go!!!

[Sal-XK]

I always have a certain amount of stuff in my Jeep which I add to when I take trips.

I always have the following items in my jeep

Hand held GPS
Compass
maps and protractors
3 weeks of food ( 1bx of MRE's)
about 3 days of water at normal consumption but could be stretched out to about 10 days or so.
Fire starter Kit rubbing sticks together is no fun.
Blanket
single air mattress
flash lights and spare batteries.
assortment of tools straps and stuff like that.
Jumper cables.
Warm clothes only carried in the winter time
Poncho
wet weather gear.
Baby wipes it's a military thing LOL
Pioneer kit: Its a ax shovel pick ax hoe all kind of stuff in one tool I just got it this weekend :)
Rope and string
100MPH tape (it's like duct tape)

all this stuff fits in the storage box I made in the rear except for the food and water. When I pack for trips I pack more stuff mostly along the same line just more comfort stuff and of course more water. I hang 4qt camel backs to the back of at least two seats when I travel as well I guess I'm paranoid about running out of water. For a cross the desert or travel threw Alaska or something I would add some extra stuff Like:

Fishing rods and nets
Maybe hunting rifle
Water filter pump and or water purifier tablets but the tablets taste real bad.
satellite phone or one of those rescue things.

[AJeepZJ]

I always have a certain amount of stuff in my Jeep which I add to when I take trips.

I always have the following items in my jeep

Hand held GPS
Compass
maps and protractors
3 weeks of food ( 1bx of MRE's)
about 3 days of water at normal consumption but could be stretched out to about 10 days or so.
Fire starter Kit rubbing sticks together is no fun.
Blanket
single air mattress
flash lights and spare batteries.
assortment of tools straps and stuff like that.
Jumper cables.
Warm clothes only carried in the winter time
Poncho
wet weather gear.
Baby wipes it's a military thing LOL
Pioneer kit: Its a ax shovel pick ax hoe all kind of stuff in one tool I just got it this weekend :)
Rope and string
100MPH tape (it's like duct tape)

all this stuff fits in the storage box I made in the rear except for the food and water. When I pack for trips I pack more stuff mostly along the same line just more comfort stuff and of course more water. I hang 4qt camel backs to the back of at least two seats when I travel as well I guess I'm paranoid about running out of water. For a cross the desert or travel threw Alaska or something I would add some extra stuff Like:

Fishing rods and nets
Maybe hunting rifle
Water filter pump and or water purifier tablets but the tablets taste real bad.
satellite phone or one of those rescue things.

I want a more complex list on these! haha.

[Matt]

In addition to Sal's list

Dewalt Cordless 1/2" impact (and sockets), reciprocating saw and die grinder.
Some really good flashlights


A thread we might be interested in revisiting... since we rarely do 1000 mile journeys, but do go wheeling!
http://www.theultimatejeep.com/showthread.php/805-Trail-Tools-discussion-Power-Tools?highlight=dewalt

[Sal-XK]

I want a more complex list on these! haha.

For trails I load up the dewalt set as well. Not sure how much more complex your looking for. I can survive without help for weeks on my own before I need to find more food or water.

[HueyPilotVN]

Here is a visual jog to suggest some things to take along. All this and my portable winch fit in the storage box in the rear. I also carry a bag with a defribillator, oxygen tank and other goodies in the back of the commander.

https://theultimatejeep.com/images/imported/2010/06/024-1.jpg

[AJeepZJ]

For trails I load up the dewalt set as well. Not sure how much more complex your looking for. I can survive without help for weeks on my own before I need to find more food or water.

Sorry, lol. As far as specific tools. For example, things that I would carry specifically aside from all the stuff to survive would be

Cordless Grinder
a Polisher
Drill bit Set
Driver torque wrench
Socket Wrench
sockets particularly those sockets commonly used for the WK and XK
socket extender and U-joint socket adapter
Filter Wrench
Vice grips
2.5-5lb hammer
Dremmel tool kit
Various assortment of Screw drivers and flat heads
Wire cutter
Ratchet
sawzall
an impact wrench (as specified earlier, with an extra battery.
Scissors
Jumper Cables
crowbar
Sledge hammer
extension cord
CB Radio
Hi-lift Jack
a solder and/or blow torch
Welder with welding wiring
Flashlight
Extra batteries
extra fuses

[NeilSmith]

If I have all that stuff I'd never be able to get all my wife's bags in there. Oh wait, maybe thats a good thing. :)

[Sal-XK]

As AJ already knows I carry my complete kit of dewalt power tools when I hit the trails. But that's not good enough if you have no way to charge the batteries. Installing at least a basic inverter is a good idea for all sorts of stuff. When I finish the wiring I will install a second more powerful inverter in the back somewhere maybe a 2000 watt one. On my fairy tale wish list is a water tank with a pump. Also on board air would be handy as well. These are things you can just carry with you and hook up they don't need to be installed so I think they count as a packing list.

[Holaday07 4.7]

My AAA card, I cant say that I have ever really grabbed more than my Dewalt, a set of sockets, my Gerber multi tool, jumper cables, and a tow strap. I dont know where Everything would go if I had that much stuff in there before the dogs, kid, bags, and fiance.

[ScorpionCrawler]

The only thing I have that's not mentioned yet is a fan belt. I saved the old one at replacement time and carry that.

[cico7]

Duct Tape
Sledge hammer
Swiss Army Knife
Matches
Hose Clamps 1 large and 1 small.

All you need....

[Adondo]

Most of that list with a few additions.

Seasonal items: In summer, I carry a 3 gallon blue water bottle with a pump. (Office water cooler bottle) I modified the standard 5 gallon bottle pump by cutting it down in length to fit the shorter bottle. That water is in addition to the usual stashed bottled water. In winter, I add a duffel bag full of parkas, rabbit caps, gloves, insulated Carhart overalls, snow boots, etc. etc. In contrast to the guy in Oregon a few years ago who tried to walk out with tennis shoes and a windbreaker in heavy snow, I'll probably overheat. :)

A Spot Satellite Messenger. As far as I'm concerned this should be standard issue equipment for jeeping/hiking/biking/skiing/snowmobiling/mountain climbing etc. There is NO EXCUSE to not have a Spot on your person AT ALL TIMES. http://www.rei.com/product/784892/spot-ii-satellite-gps-messenger Frankly, I'm getting tired of reading news stories of people lost or trapped somewhere for days/weeks, and sometimes dying when rescue is just a button push away. It's the 21st century, people! Even the guy the movie "127 hours'' was about could've been tracked with a Spot. Even if the 911 button didn't work from the deep canyon slot he was stuck in, the okay messages sent before he got there would've told rescuers which way he was heading and/or the area he was in. And... when his stream of OK's suddenly stopped coming in, his family would've been on the phone to 911. I do the same thing with the Jeep. If we roll down a hill and are knocked out, the last geotagged OK message will show where we are within maybe 2 or 3 miles or so. (Depends on how many OK's you send out) And WHEN you get one, be sure to sign up for the Lloyds of London insurance option. It's only about another $15 a year and will cover up to $100,000 of chopper flight time and the like should you fall and break a leg somewhere. And remember, DO NOT play with or test the 911 button. If the sheriff or SAR team (Complete with hovering Bell Jet Ranger) descends upon your house where you're playing with your new Spot Messenger in the living room, you might be in for jail time and reimbursement costs. Once you hit an OK, help, or 911 button, it's like a fired bullet - there's no calling it back.

Emergency bivvy bags. They're not to expensive, and can keep you warm. They're also great for when your sleeping bag ain't makin' it. Just wrap up in a bivvy then get in your not-warm-enough bag. http://www.rei.com/product/813513/sol-thermal-bivvy

An X-Jack. These will get you loose from sand, mud and soft stuff as well as lift the rig for anything else. It will lift almost 9,000 lbs. and can be used to rescue someone trapped. They inflate by either a compressor or the vehicle exhaust. http://www.arbusa.com/Products/Tow-Straps-And-Recovery-Gear/Exhaust-Jacks/46.aspx I've seen (and laughed) at people with shovels etc. working for hours to get out of sand. It's soooooooo easy... just lift the rig, fill in the holes under the tires and set 'er back down on top. An X-Jack makes this as easy as it can get. High Lifts also work, but and however, the sheer amount of lift to get a tire up and out of the sand makes them unstable. Many a body panel or side window had been crushed from a High Lift kicking out or from the upended rig shifting over. The higher the rig is up, the worse it is. An X-Jack is much better and safer.

High volume compressor. You can either spend $400 from ARB or the like, or get just about the same unit from Harbor Freight Tools for $75. http://www.harborfreight.com/12-volt-150-psi-high-volume-air-compressor-66399.html The key word here is VOLUME. Forget $29.95 compressors that will go ''up to 200 PSI" because they're crap. What does that do anyway for a tire that holds 50 PSI?!? They have little output in volume and usually go up in flames long before a before a 265/70R17 tire would get enough air to be useful. This compressor is about as big as a small 120 volt tank-less you might run a airbrush gun with. It's kind of big and needs direct battery connections to run. Don't waste time with anything less.

[Sal-XK]

My AAA card, I cant say that I have ever really grabbed more than my Dewalt, a set of sockets, my Gerber multi tool, jumper cables, and a tow strap. I dont know where Everything would go if I had that much stuff in there before the dogs, kid, bags, and fiance.

The idea is what would you have if you were wheeling in the middle of no where, were walking out would take about 7 days or so. A thousand mile trip thew the wilderness takes a lot more gear then a day or weekend trip to the local trail.

[Adondo]

It's pretty simple really.

You need some recovery gear. I forgot to mention a full sized shovel up on the roof rack. I use big tension springs to keep it secured. (Bungee cords sun rot and fail) Tow straps work when someone else is there to pull you out, otherwise you need a good jack and digging stuff. If nothing else, the U.S. Forest Service requires you to have a shovel for putting out fires.

Tire repair kit and a way to re-inflate a tire. (Compressor) Tires are pretty much 98% of what gets you down a trail, you can't keep going on a rim. Maybe on pavement, but not off-road very far. If you're deep into the wilderness, and carry one spare like most people do, you should be able to repair what's already mounted rather than switch to the spare and have no other backup.

The rest is for comfort. If you get stuck for a while, do you want to freeze? Go hungry? Or die (literally) of thirst? Or... break out the MRE's and bottled water and bivvy bag? You DO have a Spot Messenger don't you?!?

Mechanical tools are nice 'n' all, (And a good idea) but after 30+ years of 4-wheeling, I've noticed that no matter what you bring along, what needs fixed is something you don't have tools or parts for anyway. (Other than common stuff like a fan belt) The only way that idea really works is to be on a Jeep rally where there's enough stuff from all the rigs on the trail to have a better chance of having the something you might need. Hardcore Crawl people might even have a welder aboard, but for a single rig to pack all that's needed for breakage would exceed the Jeep's cargo capacity. :) JMHO.

Heck, even at the rally I just came from last weekend, one lost their steering pump. The pulley cracked and broke. Of course, the serpentine belt needs that pulley for everything else, so it got towed back to camp. And, that was a MAJORLY modified Crawl rig with 44'' tires. Like I say, no matter what gets packed along short of a duplicate Jeep behind you, something will fail that you can't fix. Better to have a tow strap and a buddy(s) along to get you back out.

[AJeepZJ]

Like I say, no matter what gets packed along short of a duplicate Jeep behind you, something will fail that you can't fix. Better to have a tow strap and a buddy(s) along to get you back out.

Of course, the flip-side of this statement is something will also break or become loose that could have been tightened or fixed - rendering a tow-strap useless. At the very basic level - even most novice off-roaders know to bring a tow-strap and tow hooks or shackles. This post was more geared towards gaining some insights as to the various itemizations that moderate to advanced level of cross-country journeyman equip.

[cico7]

I should add baling wire.

Duct Tape
Sledge hammer
Swiss Army Knife
Matches
Hose Clamps 1 large and 1 small.

All you need....

[cico7]

On a more serious note, You need to plan to gear based on where, when and what your plans are.
If you are doing a weekend trip to Jeepskool vs a week in the Moab your gear choices will be different.
There will not be a universally correct repsonse.

Since I spend less time than many off road, my everyday carry consists of water, blankets, a change
of clothes, and a smattering of tools, matches, and some kindling.

When I used to travel all the time, I got caught a couple times without proper clothing. After seeing people
stuck for days, I always carry the items above.

[Sal-XK]

Duct Tape
Sledge hammer
Swiss Army Knife
Matches
Hose Clamps 1 large and 1 small.

All you need....


I should add baling wire.

I'm never camping with you again bro LMAO

[cico7]

I'm never camping with you again bro LMAO
HA HA HA, your's should include zip ties!

[Sal-XK]

HA HA HA, your's should include zip ties!

Never leave home without them LOL

[HueyPilotVN]

I am in the middle of a six thousand mile trip and I figured the best thing to take along so that I would have all my tools is this.

I push it all around the country in front of my Commander.

https://theultimatejeep.com/images/imported/2011/04/00521-1.jpg

[Holaday07 4.7]

Well that is a unique idea! I have never considered pushing my camper around, I guess that is why 4xGuard has that fron reciever, lol

[AJeepZJ]

One day... one day I'll have more money than I know what to do with... And I would get one of those.

[CmmdrDan]

One day... one day I'll have more money than I know what to do with... And I would get one of those.

You can pay me to steer it while you push it around!

[Holaday07 4.7]

You can pay me to steer it while you push it around!

If the pay is right I would sign up to be the Navigator

[Adondo]

Ha ha, Huey. I can certainly identify with that idea!!

https://theultimatejeep.com/images/imported/2011/09/DSCF4494JPG-1.jpg

[Sal-XK]

Those are some great rides for sure and at heart probably most jeepers dream to have and travel and explore the country side well done guys.

I just wanted to add something about the packing list. You guys that carry those star things or what ever there called that you can call for help on. Your still depending on an electronic device to safe your life in case of an emergency which means no matter how you look at there is a possibility of failure here. Considering that when that device fails it fails at the worse possible time and then what do you do. You can't put all your eggs in one basket and yes its a great idea and will probably save your life. But if your a 7 day walk away from the nearest human and that fails then what. My box of MRE's and case water won't fail and when I need them I will have them and they will save my life. If you plan on going across Alaska or moab then having a plan A,B and C will save your life if something goes wrong. Making one of these expedition type trips is on my list of things to do someday and what I'm building my XK towards being able to accomplish. I consider every trail ride and every camping trip a test on designing my XK for such a trip.

[cico7]

I am with you there Sal. Expedition is what i am interested in.

I used to live in a gated community (not a prison) and we had propane
and electic...and lots of trees. We had to be prepared for power outages so
we had alternate fuels, foods, stored water and planned to be able to live that way
for 10 days. When we came out of the woods, I had a different mindset
than my neighbors. I was prepared. I like to stay that way.

I guess we're off topic, but there ya go.

[Sal-XK]

I am with you there Sal. Expedition is what i am interested in.

You can wheel the snot of these jeeps that's for sure I've done it. But I think expedition is where the XK really shines and comes into it's own. It's big engines huge cargo area and awesome drive systems and good reliability with its extreme weight carrying rating make it a perfect candidate for going expedition. :)

[cico7]

You can wheel the snot of these jeeps that's for sure I've done it. But I think expedition is where the XK really shines and comes into it's own. It's big engines huge cargo area and awesome drive systems and good reliability with its extreme weight carrying rating make it a perfect candidate for going expedition. :)
Soooo, we going to MOAB?

[Sal-XK]

Soooo, we going to MOAB?

Heck ya bro!!!! You know my situation I'm getting toward the end of all that stuff should be officially retired sometime after the holidays. Then I just need to settle into civilian life and get my feet planted bro oh and about a few more thousand dollars in mods and I'm good to go. :)

[DBH1911]

I keep a hand tool box with wrenches, screwdrivers, etc, energy bars, 3 liters of drinking water, couple of flashlights and plenty of extra batteries, blanket, towel, change of clothes, work boots, towstrap,paracord, rope, 100mph tape. I am sure that there is stuff I am missing

[AcidCold]

Let's see..

ViAir OBA
Air lines
1/2 breaker bar
3/4 breaker bar (For front hub axle nut)
metric & standard socket set
wrenches
pry bar
tie rod separator
big C clamp
Small C clamp
vice grip
crescent wrench
More tools I can't think of.
ARB snatch strap
spare hub
3 ton floor jack
Jack stand
Electrical parts/tape/fuses
Can't think of the rest
I am currently running on all my spare parts :(

[AJeepZJ]

Let's see..

ViAir OBA
Air lines
1/2 breaker bar
3/4 breaker bar (For front hub axle nut)
metric & standard socket set
wrenches
pry bar
tie rod separator
big C clamp
Small C clamp
vice grip
crescent wrench
More tools I can't think of.
ARB snatch strap
spare hub
3 ton floor jack
Jack stand
Electrical parts/tape/fuses
Can't think of the rest
I am currently running on all my spare parts :(

Thats no good. How ya been by the way. You still gearing for that move to the south? :)

[lekmedm]

Let's see..

ViAir OBA
Air lines
1/2 breaker bar
3/4 breaker bar (For front hub axle nut)
metric & standard socket set
wrenches
pry bar
tie rod separator
big C clamp
Small C clamp
vice grip
crescent wrench
More tools I can't think of.
ARB snatch strap
spare hub
3 ton floor jack
Jack stand
Electrical parts/tape/fuses
Can't think of the rest
I am currently running on all my spare parts :(

You forgot the tidy whities... :D




:eek:

[NeilSmith]

If you have locking lug nuts on your wheels, make sure you keep the socket in the Jeep. I cant tell you how many times we get a car in the shop , need to remove a wheel, and the socket for the lug nuts is nowhere to be found and the owner has no clue.

[BonesWK]

a bible to help me pray that nothing breaks on my jeep. :D

[lekmedm]

a bible to help me pray that nothing breaks on my jeep. :D

Amen to that, brother!

[cico7]

Here is something to store your goodies in......

Truck Vault (http://www.truckvault.com/)