My youngest son has literally traveled around the globe and I’ve been amazed at how little he packs as he travels. He only takes a backpack as his luggage that has a zip-off day-pack attached. As holiday weekends approach he often searches for exceptional air fares for a quick get-away trip on a budget. He found a ticket recently from Charlotte NC to Philadelphia PA for $37 but there was a catch… this airline required passengers to pay a fee for any carry-on or check-in luggage that exceeded the air fare price!

In many cases travel by plane can be a financial challenge, especially in an emergency situation. It may be necessary to think in terms of minimalism when dealing with a limited budget. The question is “what do you really need to carry with you during your flight?” and “what is the purpose of your trip?”. That will determine your luggage requirements.

I have heard stories of folks who at the check-in counter had encountered over-weight luggage fees. They stepped away from the registration desk and returned soon afterwards wearing some extra clothing that had been packed in their luggage resulting in a now lighter luggage weight that avoided the higher fees. That caused me to think that a person could wear items normally packed in carry-on luggage and avoid added fees.

I looked up the fees from the budget airlines that had this restriction and found that they allowed a “personal item” for free. They must be no larger than 14” x 18” x 8” in size and must fit under the seat in front of you on the airplane. That personal item could carry a second set of clothes that would allow you to wash one set while wearing the other and one set may be more formal for any occasion where it was appropriate. If I chose to wear the extra set of clothes I would also carry a compact folding ruck sack so that once I landed at my destination I could remove the extra clothes and carry them separately along with any sundries that I might purchase along the way.

Smaller items such as electronics, hygiene items, snacks, and personal items can be carried in coat pockets. Plastic bags are useful to keep all of the small items together and your pockets dry. It is a simple thing to lay the loaded coat into the TSA tray on your way through inspection. Extra needed items might be purchased upon arrival to your destination.

You may enjoy these links to other travel tips.

- Road Specific Tools -
Jumper Cables x 1, 9 Foot Tow Rope x 1, Tire Pressure Gauge x 1, Glassbreaker/Seatbelt Cutter Tool x 1, Reflective Warning Triangle x 1, Reflective Safety Vest x 1

- Other Tools -
Flashlight x 1, Fire Starter Flint x 1, Emergency Whistle x 1

- General Supplies -
Bungee Cords x 3, Cable Ties x 15, PVC Tape x 1, Gloves with grippers x 1, Rain Poncho x 1, Light Sticks x 2, Long Candle x 1

- First Aid Kit -
Gauze Pads x 4, Band-Aids x 20, Alcohol Prep Pad x 6, Tourniquet x 1, Antiseptic Wipes x 4, Scissors x 1, First-Aid Tape x 1, Metal Tweezers x 1, Mylar Blanket x 1, Elastic Bandage (small) x 1, Elastic Bandage (large) x 1, PVC Gloves x 1, Triangle Bandage x 1, Cotton Balls x 5, Safety Pins x 6

Here are some of my observations, opinions, and suggestions:
– Both zippered bags can be used as another resource for improvising.
– The roadside kit’s zippered bag has reflective tape on it’s sides and can be used at night time in conjunction with the Reflective Warning Triangle.
– The multi-tool is actually a knife that is similar to a Swiss Army Knife® with eleven different blades/tools, not to be confused with a Leatherman® or Gerber® multi-tool.
– Some items such as the towing strap can be stored in a seal-able plastic bag to keep contained and easily viewed for their use.
– As illustrated in the photo, the towing strap actually works… adequate for pulling a vehicle out of a slick mud spot or across the yard but perhaps not for more vigorous towing.

This kit is a huge resource for a variety of needs but I would like to suggest a few more items that could be added to the kit:
– Small roll of Duct tape, Notepad, Pencil/Pen, travelers tissues or toilet paper, flintwheel lighter, space blanket.

If you’ve ever tried to build an emergency kit or go-bag you probably noticed how expensive it is to buy it’s individual elements. In addition, finding an adequate container for it all can be a challenge and add to the expense. What amazes me is that all of the items listed above fits in such a compact package and for a very reasonable price. However I have wonderful news! At the time of this review, Survival Hax has offered for my readers an incredible discount of $25.00 off of your order!!

Normally my reviews are just for informational purposes but I consider this kit in conjunction with this discount offer to be an outstanding value. You may want to consider purchasing kits for all of your vehicles or as gifts for your loved-ones. This kit goes a long ways in helping you to be prepared for roadside or other unexpected emergencies.

As for the $25 OFF discount code, Survival Hax has provided these instructions:
1. Go to Amazon.com
2. Search for “survival hax roadside kit”
3. Add the ‘Roadside Emergency Kit with Jumper Cables’ to your shopping cart and then checkout.
4. On the last screen where it says “enter a discount or promo code” use discount code OFROAD50

In a previous article (No hook… no problem…) I shared the use of an “S”biner as a hook for my bags on a restroom stall wall. On a recent trip I discovered another use. By connecting each of the luggage straps together with the “S”biner on my back side I was able to create a harness that kept them from sliding off of my shoulders while I controlled the front side with my hands.

This may seem simple but it made a huge difference. It not only helped my transit between terminals but continued to help after my arrival where I traveled a distance by train and then walked for a mile to my final destination.

I highly recommend acquiring an “S”biner for your “Bug-Out-Bag”, “Go-Bag”, or travel gear. It is very versatile and you will be glad it’s there when you need it.