YOU CAN’T CARRY EVERYTHING. HAVING ACCESS TO GEAR IN YOUR VEHICLE CAN BE A LIFESAVER

STORY BY MIKE SEARSON

© CHERNETSKAYA | DREAMSTIME.COM

When we talk about vehicle EDC, we are talking about the essentials that are in your vehicle every day. It can include such things as larger firearms (long guns), blades (machetes and axes) and flashlights because those can be a bit heavier to carry around than what we can fit in our pockets. Extra clothing and basic survival gear are considerations, but vehicle EDC also includes items that are a bit more vehicle specific.

Some of us wouldn’t dream of leaving the house without a phone, pen, flashlight or knife. Your vehicle should never leave your garage without a jack, spare tire, fire extinguisher, space blanket, first-aid kit, gas can and a few bottles of water.

So, think of a vehicle loadout as two-fold: items you will need that may be too heavy or impractical to carry on your person, and items that will keep your vehicle running should you break down or get in an accident.

The actual vehicle loadout will vary depending on what part of the country you frequent and your typical needs. In the Sierra Nevada, I have a set of snowshoes in my truck in the winter. If I end up in the Arizona desert in the summer, they are not as useful as maybe an extra case of bottled water.

I have used and vetted each of the items I stow in my vehicle. Some I’ve added within the past year. Others have been EDC vehicle mainstays for three decades and have worked well from the swamps in Southern Florida to the deserts of Arizona to the snow-topped mountains of the Sierra Nevada and even on inner city streets.

01 PRO-EAGLE TALON 1.5-TON JACK

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE MANUFACTURERS

Don't let the 1.5-ton rating fool you. The Talon is ready to rip. It is lighter and smaller in every way, except where it counts most: lift height. The Talon comes standard with a 15-inch extension and offers 2 feet, 4 inches of lift. The fast pump valve goes from fully collapsed to full extension in four pumps. Rubber boots cover the plungers to keep out dirt, debris and moisture. There is an added ergonomic carry handle on the top of it so you can quickly throw it under a truck or UTV. Thick aluminum side plates, solid axles and large non-pneumatic wheels have made this one of the toughest jacks ever built.