On the Road Again, More Safely This Time

Aside from my husband, my daughter, my siblings and my parents, one of my most enduring and complex relationships is the one I have with my cars. They have identities to me. With names like Wilderberry, Daisy and Opal, these babies are my pride and joy.

In fact, one of the biggest loves of my life (and if you think I'm exaggerating, you just need to get to know me better) is my now deceased 1993 Cadillac STS with a Northstar engine. That was Daisy. When I was through with her, there were body panels missing, the rims were useless, and she had to be jump started every single time I wanted to go somewhere. But I cried when some grave robber came and hauled her off on his flatbed. Oh, how I cried.

I'm only telling you this to illustrate the fact that cars are an integral part of my existence. I drive every day, even when I have nowhere to go. The Partner recently added up all the miles I've clocked in the past year and determined that I drove nearly as much as he did. He has a long commute. I am a stay-at-home mom. He said, "I don't think you're getting this 'stay at home' concept."

When the Parent Bloggers Network asked if I wanted to review the Sequoia Survival Co. Vehicle Survival Kit, of course I agreed. Anything to make me and my family safer in the place we spend an inordinate amount of our time is fine by me. When the compact red tote bag arrived in the mail, I was more than pleased.

The Partner and I sat at the kitchen table laying out the seemingly endless array of products I pulled from the tote. He was impressed by the crank radio/light and cell phone charger. The charger turned out to be incompatible with his cell phone, but he's used to that. "One size fits most" almost never fits The Partner.

After we'd inventoried the booty and determined that at least one of our family cars would now be much better prepared for an emergency, we came to the conclusion that a survival kit would make the perfect holiday gift. Even the people who have everything often overlook survival kits. There aren't many of us who dwell on the what-ifs long enough to put together our own kits or find one in a store or on-line. I know that I, for one, live for today. And that's fine for right now. But what about tomorrow?

Sequoia Survival Co. Vehicle Survival Kit Pros:
-The kit seems to have everything. From hand warmers to rope to toilet paper to the all-important first aid kit, the contents of that little red bag might just make a major emergency survivable, and will almost certainly make the more common side-of-the-road inconveniences less uncomfortable.

-The kit is compact and easy to stow in any vehicle.

-The Sequoia Survival Co. has done the thinking for you. When it comes to facing a potentially frightening situation, it is sometimes easier to avoid the idea completely than to come up with a plan. This kit is a ready made plan-in-a-bag.

Sequoia Survival Co. Vehicle Survival Kit Cons:

-One of the water packets in the kit burst at some point before we opened the tote. Since most of the items were individually packaged, nothing was damaged. We simply left the contents out to dry. Still, had the kit been a holiday gift for a family member or friend, we feel the problem would not have reflected well on what we believe to be the quality of the product.

-The kit is not cheap. At $99, the cost could easily be prohibitive. I looked around and found cheaper kits on-line. Though they often include less, a frugal shopper could buy extra items separately and still come out ahead. An even more frugal shopper could build his or her own kit from the bottom up. But in the instances when time is money, the Sequoia Survival Kit is a very good value.



In case you are wondering, I'm Binky from the blog 24/7. I'm pleased to be added to the body count here at The Full Mommy and look forward to seeing you here again soon.