Day 22 - Air filters

I've usually read that you're supposed to change your furnace / air conditioning filter every three months, but I've generally gone longer than that, just because I don't have any pets, I don't smoke, and it's just me here.  Usually about 6 months is more realistic for my house. 

Umm...  Okay, so the one that was in there was dated from 2 years ago.  Bad homeowner!  *smacks hand*  I've been using 3M Filtrete MPR 2200 MERV 13 filters since Covid hit.  It's a bit of overkill, but given that I have a number of environmental allergies, it can't hurt (other than costing a bit more).  The filter was dirty, but I could still see light through it, even after 2 years!

I also have a Blueair 311 Auto air filter in my bedroom for my allergies.  I swapped the filter on it a few months ago, so that's fine, but there is a cloth bag that fits around the unit as a pre-filter.  The idea is it take it off and wash it, but it's so hard to get it fitted back on correctly, that I don't want to risk any shrinkage / becoming misshapen due to being washed.  Instead, I just vacuum the exterior of it periodically to get an accumulated dust off.  I did that this morning, so in theory, the air in my house will be cleaner and fresher after taking these two actions today!

This was a quick one today, as I'm off to work at our Oktoberfest this evening and wouldn't have time for anything else. 

Well since we got that storm coming last night/today topped off battery banks, cell charging, made sure the usb hanging lights are with the battery banks. Umbrellas/ rain gear by the door.

Mowed the yard, firewood is always on the porch for the fire place. The extra/give away flashlights are also counted and staged.

Quote from: Rednex on September 22, 2023, 03:43:20 PMWell since we got that storm coming last night/today topped off battery banks, cell charging, made sure the usb hanging lights are with the battery banks. Umbrellas/ rain gear by the door.

Mowed the yard, firewood is always on the porch for the fire place. The extra/give away flashlights are also counted and staged.

Getting that sort of stuff dealt with beforehand really helps with feeling like you'll get through a storm like that, doesn't it?  I always try to do the same thing here if I know a big storm is coming.  I also usually add in some housekeeping items, like vacuuming and laundry, just in case I lose power and can't do it for a few days. 

Quote from: EBuff75 on September 22, 2023, 10:40:34 AMDay 22 - Air filters

I've usually read that you're supposed to change your furnace / air conditioning filter every three months, but I've generally gone longer than that, just because I don't have any pets, I don't smoke, and it's just me here.  Usually about 6 months is more realistic for my house. 

Umm...  Okay, so the one that was in there was dated from 2 years ago.  Bad homeowner!  *smacks hand*  I've been using 3M Filtrete MPR 2200 MERV 13 filters since Covid hit.  It's a bit of overkill, but given that I have a number of environmental allergies, it can't hurt (other than costing a bit more).  The filter was dirty, but I could still see light through it, even after 2 years!

I also have a Blueair 311 Auto air filter in my bedroom for my allergies.  I swapped the filter on it a few months ago, so that's fine, but there is a cloth bag that fits around the unit as a pre-filter.  The idea is it take it off and wash it, but it's so hard to get it fitted back on correctly, that I don't want to risk any shrinkage / becoming misshapen due to being washed.  Instead, I just vacuum the exterior of it periodically to get an accumulated dust off.  I did that this morning, so in theory, the air in my house will be cleaner and fresher after taking these two actions today!

This was a quick one today, as I'm off to work at our Oktoberfest this evening and wouldn't have time for anything else.

We change our furnace filter every month . Buy them by the six pk off Amazon. 

Day 23 (ish) - Fill 2 additional gas cans

The ice storm this past February had me refilling my two gas cans about every other day until the power came back on, as my generator runs through around 6 gal per day.  Just to give myself a little extra time without needing to fill up, I ordered two new 5 gallon gas cans (no, nothing cool, just plain plastic ones).  Of course, they arrived today while I was working at Oktoberfest all day, so I didn't technically do this on Saturday, as it was a little after midnight when I took them to the station to fill.  Back home, I added Sta-bil to each can (I do this every time I fill one up) and put them with the others. 

It's now 1am and I worked 13 hours at our Oktoberfest event on Saturday, so I'm going to sleep.  G'night everyone!

Day 24 - R&R and a few small things

This weekend was exhausting.  Friday was a regular work day, plus an additional 6+ hours of standing / walking around at our Oktoberfest as part of CERT.  I got home around 11:30 that evening and basically collapsed in bed.  

Saturday, I got up early enough to sort of reset and then headed over again at 10:30 that morning to sand down some rough edges on our hay wagon.  There had been some repairs made to the loading / unloading area, but the wood was roughly cut and hadn't been sanded.  Since I wasn't looking forward to removing splinters from people all day, I brought one of my power stations and an angle grinder with a flap disc and spent about 5 mins smoothing everything out.  This is a good example of why I wanted to have at least one large power station (a Rockpals 1300, which I haven't reviewed yet) that can handle power tools.  The wagon was sitting in the middle of a parking lot, and while I could've strung out some extension cords to get to it, this was a lot easier!

After that, I left and ran a few quick errands before returning and spending 13 hours there again, most of it standing around in a parking lot.  And even after that, I pushed through and filled two new gas cans and then treated the gas before I called it a night, finally wrapping things up around 1am.

So today I didn't do a whole lot, because I needed some time to relax and recover!  Of course, my computer monitor (a 43" 4k TV) died first thing this morning and I had to order a new one.  But I did get a few small things done in the last few days that I'll claim for today.

After inspecting my ankle kit last week, I ordered a few new things for it.  Most of those have arrived and I've updated the kit to include: a new triple antibiotic packet, an hydrogel burn pad, a package of Steri-Strips, a sheet of Tegaderm film, and a CPR mask.  The CPR mask was a bit of an issue because it made the pocket so thick that I couldn't get the Velcro to close around my ankle.  I finally solved it by sticking the Velcro retainer for the scissors through the keychain and then Velcroing the whole thing down.  I'm still waiting on the bleed-stop gauze pad, but I'll tuck that in as well once it arrives. 

The CPR mask is the yellow thing under the black Velcro strip right in the middle.  The other yellow thing that is sticking out of the small pocket is the aspirin packet.
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In addition to the hydroponics that I restarted this week, I also restarted my microgreens. A few months back, I'd ordered some digital timers to use with the grow lights, but then ended up pausing my microgreens for a while and never even unboxed the timers.  Today I pulled them out, set the time and the on / off times and plugged the lights in.  One more thing off the list.  I still need to get some new plastic wood pieces to make the shelves a little larger, which is something else I may get to this week.

And finally, I went down in the basement and took some measurements for where I want to put the new storage shelves, along with measurements for the bins that will go into them.  It works out to being able to hold up to 20 bins, which is more than what I have.  That's a good thing though, as it'll let me put other items on the shelves too.  Now I just need to finalize the design.  Hopefully I'll get those built this week. 

Quote from: flybynight on September 22, 2023, 10:43:07 PM

Quote from: EBuff75 on September 22, 2023, 10:40:34 AMDay 22 - Air filters

I've usually read that you're supposed to change your furnace / air conditioning filter every three months, but I've generally gone longer than that, just because I don't have any pets, I don't smoke, and it's just me here.  Usually about 6 months is more realistic for my house. 

Umm...  Okay, so the one that was in there was dated from 2 years ago.  Bad homeowner!  *smacks hand*  I've been using 3M Filtrete MPR 2200 MERV 13 filters since Covid hit.  It's a bit of overkill, but given that I have a number of environmental allergies, it can't hurt (other than costing a bit more).  The filter was dirty, but I could still see light through it, even after 2 years!

I also have a Blueair 311 Auto air filter in my bedroom for my allergies.  I swapped the filter on it a few months ago, so that's fine, but there is a cloth bag that fits around the unit as a pre-filter.  The idea is it take it off and wash it, but it's so hard to get it fitted back on correctly, that I don't want to risk any shrinkage / becoming misshapen due to being washed.  Instead, I just vacuum the exterior of it periodically to get an accumulated dust off.  I did that this morning, so in theory, the air in my house will be cleaner and fresher after taking these two actions today!

This was a quick one today, as I'm off to work at our Oktoberfest this evening and wouldn't have time for anything else.

We change our furnace filter every month . Buy them by the six pk off Amazon.

This one thing, regular filter changes, is key to efficient hvac operation.

The high MERV filters can be problematic if system is not designed with this level of filtration in mind. It reduces airflow and hence efficiency. They clog faster which further reduces airflow. There is not really one size fits all solution since there are so many variables.

That said if you go with the high MERV filters change them frequently.

I use a lower MERV filter (800) and change them every 30 days in June, July,August & September when the HVAC runs a lot and extend the interval to 60 days the rest of the year. YMMV.

Day 25 - Clean my concealed carry & bedroom guns

I'd neglected cleaning my carry guns for a while and both my Ruger LCP II and LCP Max were particularly bad, given the opening at the back for the hammer (they'd each gotten quite a bit of lint in them).  Probably still would have worked, but I obviously need to be better about cleaning them on a regular basis.  

I think that one of my Para Ordnance Warthog mags has a spring in it from a full-sized (14-round) mag, rather than the shorter, 10-round mag for that gun.  It was at least three inches longer than the others when removed and I have some punctures on my hand from finally stuffing it all back in there.  I managed to get the mag loaded again, but I really had to put some muscle into it, even with a MagLula.  Shouldn't have any feed problems with that one!

And I'd forgotten how hard it is to get new-ish Glock mags apart for cleaning (my bedside table gun is a G23).  Those base plates just about killed me to get them loose!  But after applying enough leverage with the punch, I managed to pry them off.  That part of the cleaning probably wasn't needed, as they haven't been shot since I last cleaned them, but it's the principle of the thing.  As long as I'm cleaning the gun, I should clean the mags too.


Finally, the shotgun really just needed to be dusted off.  I wiped everything down, lubed it, and made sure that the batteries in the Surefire foregrip light were still good and then reloaded it.

Here's your gun-cleaning-PSA:  Make sure that you have your med kit handy, just in case.  

Cleaning guns is a frequent time for a negligent discharge, but it's also a time when it's easy to get fingers caught in slides, gash your hands open on sharp surfaces, or just punch various holes in your fingers from the damned mag springs...  Some of those aren't all that bad, but it's better to be safe than sorry!

Oh, and I watched Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves while I was cleaning the guns.  I'd never seen it, but it's on Amazon right now and I'd heard good things.  I enjoyed it, although it's relatively predictable and the main characters didn't really ever seem to be in much peril.

Day 26 - Misc - headlights, covid tests, winter vehicle bags, and cleaning out the car

Today was a miscellaneous day.  With the announcement that you can get free covid tests mailed to you again, I ordered mine this morning.  I've got a few left over from before (some of which I bought myself), but I'll add to my stash for the next time I need to use them.

I'm taking my car to the shop tomorrow for a few repairs.  The most urgent is to get an exhaust leak fixed, but I'm also having the mechanic change out the low beam bulbs (mine are original - 18 years old!) for a newer, and hopefully brighter, set.  Because it'll likely end up parked at the shop for a few days, I cleared out the trunk and interior, so that there isn't anything of value left in it.  While it's there, I'll also have him check for any codes that might be stored after the electrical freakout a week and a half ago, but I doubt that he'll find anything.

My Suburban has regular halogen lights in it and they're extremely pathetic (maybe 200 lumens each).  I'm considering swapping out the whole headlight unit for one with projector lenses, but for now, I've gone ahead and ordered some LED bulbs that'll fit my current setup.  Hopefully, the existing housings will still focus the light enough that I'm not blinding other vehicles, but I'll have to see once I get the bulbs.  My test method for this is easy - park the truck behind my car, turn the truck headlights on, and then sit in my car and see if I'm blinded!  I try very hard not to be one of those a$$#*!&s out there with ultra-bright, badly-aimed headlights that blind everyone, even with upgraded lights.  So far, I've managed to do a pretty good job of that!

I've also started the process of getting my winter vehicle bags together.  I still have a few food items to pick up and then I'll go through each of the bags to see if there is anything else missing that I need to fill in.  I think that they're all set from last year, but I"ll have to check and make sure.  I've got the list and I'll pull everything out of each bag to check them off as I go.

You may want to consider an LED light bar instead. If you mount it on the front bumper and point it down they provide ample illumination. 

https://www.amazon.com/Slim-Light-Bar-Waterproof-Lightbar/dp/B0BJ71SZTR/ref=sr_1_4?crid=28P92GYN9I8TF&keywords=led%2Blight%2Bbar&qid=1695833441&s=automotive&sprefix=led%2Blight%2Bbar%2Cautomotive%2C85&sr=1-4&th=1

I drive on 2 lane highways at night a lot lately. I have noticed that a properly aimed light bar ( a small one) when aimed properly is not as dazzling as regular low beam headlights on vehicles like trucks.

Quote from: Raptor on September 27, 2023, 11:54:48 AMYou may want to consider an LED light bar instead. If you mount it on the front bumper and point it down they provide ample illumination.

https://www.amazon.com/Slim-Light-Bar-Waterproof-Lightbar/dp/B0BJ71SZTR/ref=sr_1_4?crid=28P92GYN9I8TF&keywords=led%2Blight%2Bbar&qid=1695833441&s=automotive&sprefix=led%2Blight%2Bbar%2Cautomotive%2C85&sr=1-4&th=1

I drive on 2 lane highways at night a lot lately. I have noticed that a properly aimed light bar ( a small one) when aimed properly is not as dazzling as regular low beam headlights on vehicles like trucks.

Unfortunately, that's not an option in Michigan.  Any additional lights like that (ditch lights, light bar, light rack, even underglow or wheel lights) are only legal if you're off-road.  On-road you're limited to at most 4 lights:  low+fog, high+driving (if equipped, which is very unusual nowadays), or low+high.  (and no, I have no idea how that works with some of the newer cars that have multiple LED lights for the headlights, but presumably they've re-written the law to account for OEM lights while still outlawing aftermarket lights)

This generation of Suburban is "4-way" high beams (low+high) and the fog lights shut off automatically if you turn on the highs.  My old one also shut off the fog lights, but then would switch to high-only, which is why I put in a mod to leave the low beams on when the highs were activated.  As an aside, if you're running xenon HID lights in your lows, they need to stay on so that you aren't momentarily without useable light when switching back from high to low, due to the warm-up required for xenon bulbs.

Supposedly, the factory light housings have a fairly decent cutoff to them.  I'll find out when I install the new "bulbs" and if there is too much glare, I'll return them so that I won't be "that guy."  If it turns out to be the case I'll have to get some aftermarket headlights that have projector lenses in them.  Unfortunately, unless I spend an absurd amount of money (like $1800), all of the aftermarket headlights use H1 / H7 bulbs, which aren't as easy to find high-end LEDs for. 

Quote from: EBuff75 on September 27, 2023, 12:53:17 PM

Quote from: Raptor on September 27, 2023, 11:54:48 AMYou may want to consider an LED light bar instead. If you mount it on the front bumper and point it down they provide ample illumination.

https://www.amazon.com/Slim-Light-Bar-Waterproof-Lightbar/dp/B0BJ71SZTR/ref=sr_1_4?crid=28P92GYN9I8TF&keywords=led%2Blight%2Bbar&qid=1695833441&s=automotive&sprefix=led%2Blight%2Bbar%2Cautomotive%2C85&sr=1-4&th=1

I drive on 2 lane highways at night a lot lately. I have noticed that a properly aimed light bar ( a small one) when aimed properly is not as dazzling as regular low beam headlights on vehicles like trucks.

Unfortunately, that's not an option in Michigan.  Any additional lights like that (ditch lights, light bar, light rack, even underglow or wheel lights) are only legal if you're off-road.  On-road you're limited to at most 4 lights:  low+fog, high+driving (if equipped, which is very unusual nowadays), or low+high.  (and no, I have no idea how that works with some of the newer cars that have multiple LED lights for the headlights, but presumably they've re-written the law to account for OEM lights while still outlawing aftermarket lights)

This generation of Suburban is "4-way" high beams (low+high) and the fog lights shut off automatically if you turn on the highs.  My old one also shut off the fog lights, but then would switch to high-only, which is why I put in a mod to leave the low beams on when the highs were activated.  As an aside, if you're running xenon HID lights in your lows, they need to stay on so that you aren't momentarily without useable light when switching back from high to low, due to the warm-up required for xenon bulbs.

Supposedly, the factory light housings have a fairly decent cutoff to them.  I'll find out when I install the new "bulbs" and if there is too much glare, I'll return them so that I won't be "that guy."  If it turns out to be the case I'll have to get some aftermarket headlights that have projector lenses in them.  Unfortunately, unless I spend an absurd amount of money (like $1800), all of the aftermarket headlights use H1 / H7 bulbs, which aren't as easy to find high-end LEDs for. 

Headlights have been a big issue in the Jeep community. As both the TJ and JKs both have terrible factory headlights. The best solution that anyone came up with for less money is the Trucklite LED knockoffs from China. Trucklite makes some of the best LED headlights out there. But they are very expensive. Several hundred dollars. I and many others have way to much other stuff to spend money on than $500 headlights! Which I think is a ridiculous cost.

So many Jeep guys switched to these exact replicas for under $100 a set. I had them on my TJ for 3+ years. And plan to put them on my new JK.

These are specifically for Jeeps. But I know Trucklite makes them for Suburbans. So there must be a knockoff for your suv as well. I don't have time to research which ones would work for you at the moment. But I'll try later. They are a direct fit. No mods. And they plug right into your existing wiring harness.

They are WAY WAY better than stock. Don't heat up like a HID or need special wiring figured out and customized. They won't blind incoming traffic. But provide some of the best light I have ever seen.

Here's the thread on them at the Jeep forum with pics.

https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/replaced-headlights-with-truck-lite-knockoffs.6239/

Here are mine listed in Amazon. But better orices can be found in ebay. Once you figure out which ones you need.

WHDZ 7 Inch Round Led Headlight for Wrangler CJ JK TJ Motorcycle Offroad Vehicles https://a.co/d/5HQancK

What year is your suburban?

My (new to me) Suburban is a 2013 and the headlight assembly is the same on the Tahoe and Avalanche (roughly from 2007-2013, but there's some variation on start/end dates between those models).  There are a number of aftermarket replacement headlamp assemblies for it which are clustered in the $250 range (Akkon, AmeriLite, Acanii - no idea why they all start with an 'A').  Higher end units are available from companies like AlphaRex ($1130) or Black Flame Customs (everything is customizable and pricing starts at $1100). 

The stock bulbs are H11 and 9006, but those aftermarket assemblies in the $250-range all use H1 and H7 bulbs.  On my old truck, the aftermarket assemblies used the same as the stock, which made switching over a lot easier. 

Aftermarket support for trucks like mine is just a fraction of what's out there for Jeeps and even getting parts can start getting difficult.  I've been waiting for four months on a new door panel, with no end in sight for when it'll finally be in stock through the local dealer.  And no luck whatsoever at finding one online through a salvage place. 

If these bulbs don't work out, I'll probably bite the bullet and order a set of the aftermarket assemblies and start searching for bulbs that I like to go in them.  I've been upgrading my headlights ever since high school, back when the best options were just to get a higher-quality version of the sealed beam lights that went on my cars!  That was the first time I was exposed to some of the earliest SilverStar bulbs.  

Nowadays, things are much, much better, but I still spend a ton of time doing research!  I'm subscribed to several YouTube channels who do bulb reviews (Bulb Facts and Car Light Reviews) and I've been using the Bulb Facts website now for years.  I use those to sort out some of the chaff each time that I'm doing upgrades.  My car is all set right now, but I'm still sorting the truck. 

Day 27 - Time with friends & winter car bags

I'm on vacation this week, but my team at work had an outing planned, so I tagged along.  The fun part was that it included two people who have retired in the last few years and one former team member (who moved to a different department).  So I got to see some people that I haven't seen in a while.  We all met up at a cider mill, had doughnuts & cider, did a lot of laughing and catching up, then left and had dinner at an upscale Mexican restaurant.  All in all, I think that everyone had a great time, although the spit take (a real Hollywood-style one!) while at the cider mill was probably the best moment!  (we keep a running list of funniest / most memorable times and then go through the list at the end of the year - that will definitely be on it)

Since our company is work from home (you can go into the office if you'd like, but most people don't), we don't see each other in person all that much (we've been WFH since Covid started) and it's nice to get to hang out and do something fun like this.  We were missing two people who are in Texas right now doing a client visit, but everyone else was there. 

Tonight I spent some time going through the winter bags for each vehicle.  I'm not quite done yet, as I had to order a few items, but they're pretty close now.  I laid everything out on the floor, went through it all, checked it against the list, and repacked what I've got so far.  The kits aren't exactly the same, since there's quite a bit more room in the Suburban than in my Mazda hatchback, but quite a bit of it is.  Most of the items should be here by Friday and I'll post some pictures with the whole list once they've arrived.

And don't worry - I did a "quality check" of the candy bars that I put into the bags and the one I tested was good.  However, I might have to check some of the others too, just to be sure... 

Day 28 - New headlights in the truck

The new LED "bulbs" arrived today and I installed them this evening.  HUGE difference!  And yes, I did check the aim and the cutoff (I even checked that the truck was sitting level and measured the height of the point of aim compared to the headlight height).  If anything, I could probably aim them upward a bit more, but I'll leave them the way they are for a while to make sure that I'm not blinding other drivers (I'll keep an eye out for people flashing their lights at me).

Before.  Yes, they really were that dim.
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Halfway along.  The cutoff is better than it looks (the camera was having difficulty with how bright the glare was off the door).
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And after!  (I need to clean the camera lens on my phone)
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Now that I've confirmed that the low beams are okay, I'll go ahead and order high beams and probably fogs as well.  I went for a quick drive after installing them this evening and the new ones are just soooo much better.  The truck will be a lot safer to drive at night now.

I'm headed to my 30th high school reunion this weekend, which was a big part of why I wanted to get this done.  I'll be driving back after dark and really didn't want to make a 2hr drive at night with the old bulbs. 

UPDATE:  I've ordered new high beams and fog lights that will arrive next week.

Day 29 - Prepping the basement for shelves & misc purchases at Menards

I had hoped to get some storage shelves built this week, but it's looking like that might not happen.  However, I did spend some time today clearing out the space where the shelves will go and double-checking my measurements.  The space isn't huge, so the shelves will only be about 6'6" wide.  One of the reasons for double-checking the measurements was to confirm that there will be enough space on the top shelf for my 12v fridge (which is a little over 17" tall).  The top shelf has variable clearance due to pipes and vents which cross that area.  Having a 45 lb fridge on the top shelf isn't ideal, but if I made one of the lower shelves large enough to fit it, the top shelf would have to be much shorter.  Since that top shelf will only be at 64", it won't be too bad. 

The Menards trip was actually supposed to be for the materials to build the shelves, but the pickings were slim in the lumber department, so I did some miscellaneous shopping instead.  I have a number of small projects to do and picked up some of the items for them - outlets to replace a few in my bedroom that are worn out (will barely hold plugs), oversize outlet covers for a couple of very badly cut openings in my office, and some winter work gloves to go in the truck.  

There was also a sale bin full of various "tie downs" aka rope & bungees.  So I brought back a few packages of jute rope and some "550" cord (which isn't the real stuff, but is fine for general light-duty rope use).  After all, you can never have too much rope!  Finally, I picked up some 1 pound gas cylinders, as they were on sale for $60 / 12-pack.  I'd already gotten a 4-pack at Sam's Club, so this puts me in a good place if I need to run my Mr Heater Big Buddy heater again this winter. 

I would've gone across the street to Home Depot to see if they had the lumber that I needed, but Fridays there are a zoo and I didn't want to deal with it.  I may hit them up Sunday evening or sometime next week when they aren't as busy.  Technically, Menards had everything that I was looking for, but the 2x4s, 2x2s, and half-sheets of plywood that I needed were all picked over and everything that was left was ragged, chipped, warped, broken, or all of the above.  

On the plus side, they may have some paneling that is a match (or at least close enough) for my basement!  That would let me finally finish up some areas down there where I needed paneling to fill in gaps.  I've searched on and off for years to find something that would work down there and it's exciting that I might've finally found it!

Day 30 - Reorganize the Suburban

It's hard to believe that I made it through the whole month!  There were a few days where the "prep" was a little iffy, but I really tried to do something every day.  And here we are!

The truck was badly in need of some reorganization.  Ever since I'd bought it, I'd sort of tossed everything in and just left it.  But after clearing most of it out yesterday to prepare for my trip to Menard's, the time was ideal to reorganize it all.  I went to the carwash, vacuumed, cleaned the windows, and tightened up the spare tire (it wasn't fully seated up under the truck) before I started reorganizing.

Yes, this is still quite the pile, but previously this filled up the whole back end, including the space where the driver's side 3rd row seat was (I had removed it) and the space behind the 2nd row!  I think this is a lot better!  Some of the items in the picture are just temporary (tools for working on new lights and some stuff just for the weekend), but most of it will be staying in here long-term.

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Here's a list of what all is in there (left to right): 

• Gooloo car jump starter (black case with red zipper)
• Jumper cables (black bag on far left)
• Arcturus wool blanket
• Under the blanket:  large first aid kit, large container of cleaning wipes, roll of paper towel, roll of shop towel, magnetic LED rooftop warning light
• Frogg Toggs (round stuff sack on top, middle)
• Oukitel P501 power station (temporary, just for the weekend)
• 24-pack water
• Bit driver kit (small flat box right in the middle of the picture - temporary - just until all new lights installed)
• Recovery straps (black bag in middle of picture)
• CERT bag (red back in middle)
• Small tool bag (bottom middle)
• Big tool bag (next to other tool bag)
• Trauma bag (gray bag)
• Conpex work light / flood light (blue case in back)
• Fire extinguisher (directly under the blue case with the work light)
• GHB (dark red bag on the right)
• Trim removal kit (black bag with blue trim - temporary - just until all new lights installed)
• Socket set (temporary - just until all new lights installed)
• GSPSCN air compressor (far right black bag)
• Behind air compressor: warning triangle and magnetic light
• Flushable wipes (white/blue package in right hand storage bin)

Not pictured:

• Located with the jack in the fender storage area:  Fix-A-Flat, LED flares, and Orion road flares
• Located in the small storage compartment on the left side:  D-ring hitch with pin and soft shackles
• 2nd row underneath seats:  Marbero power station, TP, fire blanket, water rescue throw bag, car door step, waterproof blanket, Kleenex

Yes, that's a lot of stuff, but it's not like my truck was ever going to get very good fuel economy anyway!

Thanks for everyone who participated this month in any way, whether you posted about it or not.  Hopefully we all continue to improve our preparedness and this is helpful for ideas along the way.  Obviously, this isn't the end of things for me, but I'm not going to go out of my way to keep doing this sort of stuff every day. 

Keep on Prepping!

 

I keep fire extinguishers/IFAKs under the front passenger seat so i can reach them in case I need one and can't get out of the  car. I have longish arms and the only access is from the back side of the seat in my cars, so it works for me. Hidden but accessible. [why/when did the car designers take away front access to under the front seats?]

'Squad FAKs' kept in the back.

Quote from: MacWa77ace on October 02, 2023, 09:39:09 AM

I keep fire extinguishers/IFAKs under the front passenger seat so i can reach them in case I need one and can't get out of the  car. I have longish arms and the only access is from the back side of the seat in my cars, so it works for me. Hidden but accessible. [why/when did the car designers take away front access to under the front seats?]

'Squad FAKs' kept in the back.

One of the big disappointments for me with my 2013 vs the 2004 is the lack of storage / inability to put things out of the way but easy to access.  The center console armrest area is huge, but that's almost the only storage in the front of the truck (glove box is a joke and the is just a shallow tray for drinks & everything else).  

The 2nd row seats now have the frame all covered up with plastic, so I can't store much under them, nor can I attach things to the frame.  I used to attach the fire extinguisher to the frame of the 2nd row seat, with quick release velcro straps that could just be ripped loose to release it.  No-can-do with the new one, and the space underneath the seat is only a couple of inches tall.  Large enough for a few small items, but not for the extinguisher (it's a 5lb refillable unit). 

I need to do a clean out / refilling of the first aid bag in the back.  It's a large bag that came fully stocked.  I've revised it since then, but it's been a few years since I really cleared it out and made sure everything is still ready to go.  *knock on wood* I haven't had much need to use it, other than for a few small boo-boo type things.

I could probably fit an IFAK in the center console but i feel that it stays cooler under the seat. Other than that, some sort of bracket mounted under the dash would be the only other option. I don't really want anything visible.