A foundational premise of this blog is that I don’t suggest to you anything I haven’t already done myself. It is what I hope to separate myself from some of the bigger blogs replete with the “smart boys” who yammer about this or that without having actually tried to use a cigarette lighter with numb fingers in the cold.
Anyway!
Last week, dog sitting duties altered the plans for my day and I found myself in town earlier than expected for a haircut. My barber is a long time resident and she prefers to be paid with an ounce of silver bullion. I happily oblige since I always keep some in my Jeep.
Since I was off-schedule I stopped at Circle K on the way home for a hot dog which I started eating while waiting in line to pay.
“This is half-eaten. Can I get it for half price?” I asked the clerk.
“Sure, I’d be happy to charge you double!” he replied.
Smiling, I started to pay and noticed a woman behind me waiting to buy a 2 gallon red plastic gasoline can. She was in her 70s and I thought “Well, this is out of the ordinary.”
“Not a typical birthday present you have there” I remarked to her.
“No, my car stalled in the driveway as I was pulling in for gas.”
What a simple decision.
“I can help you, you don’t need to buy that.” As we walked away another clerk said after me “God bless you!” and I could only reply “He already has.”
Enter the Gas Bag
About 4 years ago I bought one of these at the Outdoor Expo up in Flagstaff. It was not cheap but I’m not willing to bolt a Rotopax fuel brick to the outside of my car and I’ve already had the unpleasant experience of one splitting inside my car due to heat and pressure. So I keep an empty rolled up Gas Bag from Giant Loop Moto on hand instead.
It is a lined bag that is safe for storing, well, gasoline. It has tie down loops to lash it to your vehicle when full and a neat telescoping spout. My understanding is that its the very small consumer version of what the military designed for fuel storage in the middle eastern wars.
I normally keep mine rolled up, spout inside, lashed to a rail in the back of my Jeep. I remember the last time I used this, it was a rainy drive north up I-25 in Colorado and I passed a truck on the side of the road. Then a few minutes later I passed the driver walking north to Trinidad. A miserable situation easily remedied.
The remainder of the rescue was unremarkable and it was the same work the woman would have done on her own – I was just there to do it for her.
Final Thoughts
Why is this worth writing a blog post about? The first answer is that most of us are raised to appreciate the investment and uplifting feeling of sharing a trouble with someone else. If you’ve ever been changing a tire on the side of the road and someone pulled over to lend a hand then you’ve surely felt it. Or you are worried and share that in confidence with a listening friend. It is the response you feel when someone exhibits empathy toward you, coupled with sincere effort.
(Remember, I’m not part of the “prep” community where everyone lives on their own in the desert and eats lizards like Mad Max. I form rational self-reliance tribes of normal people, not cartoon characters which don’t exist.)
The second answer is that this gear is awesome. I’ve used it. And you should know it exists. So save up some of your self-reliance budget and get one for your car. Heck, you may unexpectedly need it yourself.
Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest. - Mark Twain