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A
Let me ask you a question. If you were stuck on the side of the road or hung up in standstill traffic for three hours this summer, would you be comfortable or suffering? Do you have water, shade, a real spare tire? Most people assume they're fine until they're not. Krista sat alone for five hours due to an earlier wreck on one trip and we sat for a couple of hours on another trip. We'll tell you a little more about those adventures in a little bit, but today we're talking about how to prepare your vehicle before you start off on your road trip.
B
Welcome to Practical Prepping. Today is May 18, 2026 and this is episode 555. This is the prepping podcast with no bunkers, no zombies and no alien invasions. Just practical prepping where we teach everyday people how to prepare for life's emergencies, disasters and crises. And we're here to help you get prepared. I'm Krista.
A
And I'm Mark. We'll put all of these items in the Episode notes@practicalprepping.info 555. In fact, I think I'll make that into a checklist that you can copy and print. That's practicalprepping.info 5.
B
So today we're talking about road trip readiness, preparing your vehicle for travel.
A
Well, let's start out with a pre trip vehicle check. We're going to be making a road trip here in the not too distant future and the first thing that I am going to do is go have the oil changed and all of the fluid levels checked and have the vehicle serviced.
B
Smart thinking.
A
That's going to include things like tire pressure, including the spare. Don't forget that the oil level and this is if you're not having it changed, the coolant levels, the brake conditions and have good wiper blades, very, very important.
B
And you're going to want to check out your safety and your emergency basics. That's something that Mark always does and I try to help him remember as well. And that includes taking your first aid kit with your over the counter medications.
A
And let me talk a little bit about that. Not only do we have our Boo Boo kits in our EDC bag, we have a little bit bigger kit in our get home bag which will be in the car. But we also have a more of a trauma bag that we carry because of the fact that I'm a former paramedic and I can stop at accidents when safe to do so.
B
And he has done that and I
A
have done that and we can possibly help some folks out until the professional help gets there. So you might consider that first aid kit in a couple of different levels.
B
Yeah, obviously what you're comfortable with naturally. Think about this as well, a small fire extinguisher that is rated for vehicle use. Yes, they do make a special one.
A
They do. And I need to pick one up this next week or two before we go on our trip.
B
Well, put that on your list.
A
I don't have one in the jeep that we'll be going in, so that's something that we need to put in there. So I will put that on my list.
B
Something else that I've seen that's been very helpful. You can actually purchase those reflective stand up triangles or even some road flares depending on what kind of visibility. Maybe it's dark of night and you might be on a curve or a downhill from coming from uphill and you need for people to be able to see that you may be pulled off to the side of the road and give you a wide berth as they're going by.
A
Another thing that you want to be absolutely certain that you have in the car and I've written here, flashlight or headlamp? I would say both.
B
Yeah, I think you've used both.
A
I've used both. I like to have a flashlight for getting out and you know, checking on something. But if I'm going to have to change a flat tire or if I am helping someone at a wreck, I want to be wearing a headlamp so that I can operate hands free. And be sure you have extra batteries for those as well.
B
Now we also have a rule. I have to admit truthfully that we haven't always 100% followed this rule. But I would say 99% of the time this is our rule regarding gasoline in the tank. When our tank amount reaches the halfway point, we go ahead and fill back up. In other words, we try to consider half as basically empty. And we know that at least gives us a good comfortable cushion of mileage if we need to be in a long, long, long stretch somewhere where it might be, I don't know, 50, 60
A
miles between gas stations or five hours before you can move.
B
Yeah, we'll get to that in just a minute.
A
Now let's look at some breakdown and roadside gear.
B
Okey doke.
A
These are things that you really need when you need them. You know it a spare tire properly inflated.
B
Right.
A
A jack and lug wrench that stands to reason. A tire pressure gauge and a portable air compressor.
B
Okay.
A
We carry a little small one. It sits behind the seat and the flowboard in the Jeep.
B
And.
A
And it will take a while to pump a tire up, but it will do it. It'll at least get us where we can go. And we also carry a tire patch kit in the car. So I could plug a tire if I needed to.
B
And that's where if you're going to I think 50 miles or less. I believe they rate some of those things.
A
Well, that's on the little donut tire.
B
Yeah.
A
Which I really don't like. The guy that designed that. I always said if I ever met him I was putting him in jail.
B
What's the deal with the donut?
A
The donut that little.
B
I know what it is. Why are you having an issue?
A
Because you can't drive that far with them. You have to drive at a much slower speed or you're supposed to to do it safely.
B
Well, you could drive those Hush Puppies you're wearing. That donut looks pretty good right now. There you go. You just drive them Hush Puppies.
A
Jumper cables.
B
Yes.
A
Or a jump box.
B
I actually like the jump box because I can operate that all by myself.
A
Yes.
B
I don't have to depend on the kindness wink of strangers or the strangeness of kind people.
A
A basic tool kit with some pliers, screwdrivers and adjustable wrench. These can come in handy for some things. I also like putting a socket in there that is the size of my lug nuts with an extension and a cheater bar.
B
See? And you know why that is?
A
Because I've been there where I couldn't get it off.
B
As James Gregory used to say. Because sometime in the past.
A
Yeah. And my lug wrench is now, now a four way lug wrench. Not the stinking thing that comes with the vehicle.
B
Ah, lessons learned.
A
Yeah. I like having that four way lug wrench. And I have been known to carry a four foot cheater bar for that thing.
B
Okay.
A
Anyway, some duct tape and some zip ties.
B
Smart.
A
A lot of times there's things that happen and you need to plug holes. I had a broken window one time, a small vent window. And I was able to make a covering for that out of duct tape.
B
Very, very good.
A
I've used zip ties for any number of things and a lot of these kinds of things. You're going to be outside the vehicle working with your hands. So put some work gloves in the car.
B
Smart.
A
Have some there. This next one, you may or may not want to do this. A tow strap. Part of this depends on where you are and what you do with your vehicle.
B
Yeah.
A
Of course, if you're in areas where you can get stuck a lot, you might want something to that somebody can pull you out of a slick spot.
B
Yeah. I understand that one of the redneck rules is to have a winch on your truck.
A
Yes, that's good.
B
You have to always pull people out of the ditch.
A
That's really good. But I also have a 20 foot steel cable that actually is rolled up on top of the spare tire in the Jeep. And we're talking Jeep Patriot. It's not hanging on the back of the vehicle, it's under the back floor. And so I have that cable there and it has hooks on each end that I can use as a toe strap or you can get a cloth type toe strap.
B
Sure.
A
Now, I told you I'd give you an update after wearing my new gun belt from 1791 gunleather calm.
B
So how's it working out?
A
Well, I've been wearing it daily now for a few weeks. Actually. It's probably more, what, a month, something like that that I've been wearing that and it lives up to everything that I expected. It fits the belt loops on my jeans and my dress pants. And yes, it looks good enough to wear as a dress belt. I carry my Hellcat outside the waistband in a 1791 gunleather holster. The belt also supports an extra mag in a pouch and a full size multi tool in a pouch. That starts adding some weight. I don't get that sag that you get with a regular belt. And it's a lot more comfortable than carrying even a compact pistol on a regular belt. Okay, so if you're tired of feeling the heavy sagging weight of carrying a firearm, I'd highly suggest that you get a belt that's designed to support a firearm.
B
Smart.
A
The 1791 gunleather belt does just that. Now, you can get 1791 gunleather holsters in local gun shops, but you'll have to go to their website to get the belts. And if you use the code PREP15, you'll get a 15% discount.
B
Yay.
A
While you're there, take a look at their line of American made leather holsters. I do love mine. Now, the discount applies to anything that's on their website. That's 1791gunleather.com and use the discount code prep15.
B
Next on the checklist is the summer specific essential. Since we're dealing with that particular season right now, here's what we think you need to have. You need some drinking water and that
A
goes with any time really well.
B
That's true.
A
But we want to add, in our case, we're going to add an extra gallon in the car for our road trip.
B
Yes. So we suggest that you take the regular water bottle and then plus it as one gallon. You can refill if you need to.
A
Yeah, we'll probably have four or five bottles of water in the car and then we'll add a gallon so that if we get stuck at one of those five hour parking lots. Yeah, the stories coming, then we're going to be able to have water to drink. You might even want to add some electrolyte packets. During the summer, you can deplete a lot, especially if you have to be outside the vehicle working or doing something and you're sweating a lot. You lose a lot of those electrolytes being outside. You want sunscreen or if you're driving, it's always like the sun is on one side of the vehicle or the other.
B
You know, my left arm is darker than my right arm.
A
Mine is too.
B
From years of having that left arm up in the window.
A
And on this particular trip, I'll put some sunscreen on that arm for sure.
B
Yeah, right.
A
How about some lip balm with spf?
B
I like a good lip balm. In fact, I'll tell you something, I'm not advertising any particular brand, but I have discovered beef tallow lip balm. It has a pleasant fragrance and it's super kind to your skin. Y' all need to get some beef tallow lip balm. I'm telling you, it is the. It is the balm dot com. See what I did there?
A
Yeah. Always have hats and sunglasses.
B
Yes. I like my boonie hat.
A
The boonie hats, good. I carry a ball cap and I carry a western cap with me a lot of times.
B
Yep, that's true.
A
But there's always a couple of extra bony caps in the car. How about a lightweight blanket or an emergency blanket?
B
You know, that may seem counterintuitive to a lot of people thinking about hot weather, but sometimes in the summertime there can come up a humongous rainstorm and it can chill the air so quickly. If your air conditioner's been on, you happen to be outside and you get wet, you can get chilled.
A
Yes, you can.
B
It's very uncomfortable. So covering up with that lightweight blanket or the emergency blanket, very smart idea.
A
Or if the two sides of the vehicle don't agree very well on the temperature that the inside of the vehicle should be.
B
Like you and me.
A
Like you and me. One of us can wrap up with a blanket if necessary. But I've used those emergency blankets on the scene of wrecks.
B
Yes.
A
I would always carry those in my patrol car and I've wrapped them around several patients to keep them warm until the EMS got there.
B
Smart.
A
It's a great thing to have with you and very, very usable in a number of ways. And we've covered that on some other episodes.
B
Now let me tell you a little bit about the story. When I got stuck on the highway for five hours, I was driving from Alabama to North Carolina. I was 60 miles from my destination. I was in South Carolina. This was November 2018 and it was dark of night. It was already about 7 o' clock at night and I knew that I could get to concord by about 8:00'. Clock. That was my game plan. I get to Spartanburg and the traffic is slowing and then the traffic is detoured to an off ramp road and suddenly I'm on a bridge and I am between two semi trucks and I'm stopped behind the one that I'm behind and then there's a semi that stopped behind me. We're on a one lane, we're stopped, it's dark and nobody's moving. I immediately start calling my local friends in the South Carolina area because I have some there. And I said, hey, what's the deal with this traffic being stopped? And they said, oh, six o' clock that morning a chemical spill had taken place with a truck and they had to call in out of state cleanup crews to come in to deal with the chemical spill. It was not an evacuation event, but it was definitely a highway cleanup event. So there I am at 7 o' clock, I let my daughter and son in law know, hey, I'm stuck here on the road. They said, we already know about it, we already know about the wreck. Just you know, be safe. I only had about three eighths of a tank of gas because I had not got yet to my favorite truck
A
stop which was only a couple of
B
miles away north of me. But I never made it to there. So time's ticking by and it's cold. So I'm keeping my heater running and I see that 3, 8 of a tank drop to a quarter of a tank drop to about almost an eighth of a tank and and at midnight five hours later, the traffic broke free. They detoured us through the countryside and about five miles from there I was literally on the empty symbol on my gas tank, praying the whole time, praying to the good Lord the whole time, please let me get to the gas station. There was a Valero 1 Valero gas station out of the middle of nowhere. Pull into there, get the gas, run in, take advantage of their facilities and get back in my car. And about 12:45 the next morning I made it to Concord, North Carolina.
A
Now the other trip that we were baking and we wound up in the parking lot on I40 for about three hours. And I think it involved a wreck that was in a construction zone.
B
But was this when we were in the mountains?
A
We were in the mountains and there was really nowhere for us to go. And we wound up living out of our bags, so to speak. We had snacks, we had trail mix, we went through a large container of beef jerky.
B
We had some sodas and drinks water
A
and things like that. These are just some of the things that you can get into when you're not making a long trip even. Yeah, I remember the big snowstorm up on the interstate there. The lady said I was only making a 15 minute trip. And she got home 36 hours later, she and her dog and they didn't have water. Thankfully the National Guard or whoever it was was bringing snacks and water along the, the interstate to those that were, were trapped. Now something that's a little bit controversial that I have done in the past and I did this for years in my patrol car, I carried a gallon of gasoline. And we have traveled with that gallon of gasoline. It's in a sealed container. And then I put that inside of a trash bag and seal that up. But I have one gallon of gasoline that is in the back of the vehicle were it to be needed. Now what I used it for on patrol was I would run into people that had run out of gas and it was just a lot more convenient to me to give them a gallon of gas rather than take them somewhere to get gas and bring them back. I would just, I would give them a gallon of gas and be on your way. But that is something that we've, we've done and it can be a bit controversial. I know. And Krista and I have gone round and round about that.
B
Yeah, I'm not a big fan of traveling with gas and we don't have a place to secure it without. And I have a very sensitive smeller and I can smell that gas right through that trash bag and it drives me nuts.
A
Well, the trash bag pretty much cut most of the smell out. But like she said, she's got a severe sensitive smeller and so I no longer carry that. But if I were going on a very long trip, I very well might
B
do That I might be persuaded.
A
But anyway, that's the story behind what we were talking about when we wound up sitting on the parking lot.
B
Now, here's something that you're especially good at. Of course, you're especially good at all of the things we've mentioned, but the navigation and the communication aspect of prepping for your road trip. Let's talk about that.
A
When we talk about communication, our first line of communication is always our cell phone. Of course, that's what we reach for when we want to talk to each other, when we want to communicate with each other. So we definitely want to be carrying a phone charger for the vehicle.
B
Oh, and by the way, I heard last week a tech guy that's kind of an advisor for the big major networks, he tells that you nearly need to use the one that's made for the charger outlet that's in your car. It's kind of elongated round charger that pokes into that voltage port we used
A
to call cigarette lighter.
B
This is what we used to call cigarette lighter. He was actually saying that that's a better way to charge in the vehicle than trying to. Sometimes even a power rock or a stone may not work as quickly as doing it in the.
A
And we keep one, actually we keep a couple in our Jeep and so we've got them wired up in such a way that we have multi cables coming off of those and we can charge two or three devices at one time.
B
We even have an inverter in our car.
A
We do carry that.
B
We can actually put a plug in charger if we need to.
A
Yes, we can. But we also carry those backup battery banks. Of course, the power rock was the first one that I was familiar with. And when we make our road trip, there'll probably be three of those in the vehicle. Sure, they do help. We can charge up things if we need to. But also be sure you carry the charging cables for your devices that you're going to need to charge.
B
Yeah, I still have to carry two, an Apple and a USB C. But you still got some mini Cs.
A
I think that I've got some of the USB mini plugs, but I've also got a cable over here that has three different heads on it. This particular one will do. The USB cable, the USB mini, the C cord and the Apple all on this one cord. So I tend to carry this one in my EDC bag for that very reason. A lot of people like to have offline maps downloaded.
B
Right. Okay.
A
And that way if you get stopped at a wreck and you wound up getting detoured or something. You have those maps you can find your way around. I like a good old paper road atlas.
B
Yes, agreed. And you do need to have a current one for 2026 because many times this will now reveal new roads, new routes or closures. You have to be current, you know,
A
which reminds me, ours is not a 2026.
B
Ours is probably 1978.
A
I still have that old Carter craft
B
back in the 1900s, you know.
A
Yes. But I think ours is probably five or six years old. And it's time to update. Here goes something else on the list. Speaking of list, an emergency contact list in paper form.
B
Yes. That's just part of your prep.
A
That's just part of it. Have it in your bag, have it in your glove box, have it wherever. But you need a paper list of those emergency contacts. Let's talk about some comfort and convenience.
B
Well, the first thing that's going in the car before Mark puts anything else in the car is a fresh filled thermos or two of coffee.
A
Hey, there's priorities here.
B
And he's got that old Stanley. And you ought to see this battle worn thing. I mean it is scarred up, scratched up, works like a champ.
A
Yep. But coffee, in my case, I do enjoy it and I prefer to take my own than buying it on the road.
B
That's true.
A
It's overpriced and a lot of times it's not great.
B
Not as good as homemade.
A
Another thing you want to put in there for sure is some non perishable snacks.
B
Yes. So think heat resistant, for example, like trail mix, raisins, dried cranberries, dried cherries, nuts, almonds, walnuts. You get the picture. What we're going to tell you though is don't have anything meltable in your trail mix. We found out the hard way we like to have some chocolate chips in our trail mix. Well, that's fine as long as it never gets hot.
A
Makes gigantic clumps.
B
Oh, it's nasty. So if it's got chocolate chips or butterscotch or anything peanut buttery or white chocolate, anything that you can hold in the palm of your hand and it'll melt. Don't have that in your trail mix and you won't be sorry.
A
But if you want the chocolate in there, go ahead and get the one with the M and M's.
B
Well that's not. Yeah, it melts in your mouth, not your hand.
A
We used to make our own trail mix a lot. We would mix in the M&M's.
B
Smart. That's see That's. That makes a lot of sense.
A
Trash bags comes in very, very handy. Now we tend to use a back floorboard behind one of the seats as a trash bag while we're traveling. And then when we get to the next fuel stop, we'll clean that out.
B
Right.
A
But we carry trash bags in there for a lot of other reasons as well.
B
Sure.
A
I mean, and we did an episode involving trash bags a while back. I mean, the things. You can make ponchos out of them if you need to, or if you
B
got, you know, dirty muddy shoes or something and you knew you could be able to clean them at your destination, throw them in a trash bag, put on different pair of shoes, and then clean them when you get where you want.
A
Same thing with wet clothes, right?
B
Exactly.
A
But wet wipes and hand sanitizer. I used to carry a bottle with me all. And I've gotten away from that to some degree. But we keep wet wipes in the car. We keep a roll of paper towels in the car.
B
Yes. And that is handy.
A
That comes in very handy. And it's not necessarily a prepping thing. It's just. It's really handy.
B
Well, you know, the last time we pulled the roll of paper towels on a road trip was. And this happens to us more than once. We go to a drive through, we pick up some burgers, we get halfway down the road, we open the bag. No napkins. What's the deal with the napkins? Is that happening to you? Because that's happened to us more than I cannot believe.
A
You had one job, put the right
B
stuff in the back and. And no straw. That really hawks me. I have kept a stash of straws in my glove compartment box and plastic cutlery as well. Little forks and knives and things. Because a lot of times you order a salad, you know, and I'm eating on the road while you're driving. No fork.
A
Yep.
B
I hate that.
A
Yeah, she got mashed potatoes one day with no fork, no spoon, no knife.
B
Someone I was supposed to do eat like a dog. Anyway, back to the show.
A
Now here's some just in case extras.
B
The JIC.
A
I like that. JIC just in case extra.
B
Everybody's got some JICs. And your list may be different, but here's what we're going to tell you need. How about some rain gear?
A
Oh, yeah, you may have to change a tire in the rain.
B
I mean, it rains like a beast down here in the south. When it wants to rain good and hard, it is toad strangling rain.
A
And there are Areas of the country that have monsoon seasons, they have floods and everything. So rain gear is really great to have. Poncho if you need it. I like a rain suit if I'm having to change a tire or something.
B
Yeah. Have y' all ever heard of Frogg Togs?
A
Frogg Togs?
B
You know, frog. I never heard of frog togs.
A
It's a name brand rain suit.
B
Oh, it is. It's pants and a jacket and it's. It'll keep you dry.
A
I've got a set now they are very much too large for me.
B
Are they the ones that have the reflective tape lines on them as well?
A
You can get them that way. But these are not. This is a black set.
B
I gotcha.
A
That I have. But they're too large for me for this reason. I bought them to go over my uniform, including my gun belt and your external carrier. Even over my duty jacket if it was cold weather.
B
Well, that's good thinking.
A
So. But they will definitely keep you dry. And we have no affiliation with them.
B
I just like to say Frog Tom.
A
Yeah, she likes to say Frog Tom.
B
And also have an umbrella and I mean maybe two or three. I've got a small personal umbrella and then we've got an umbrella that's like a golf umbrella. It's big enough to put 10 people under.
A
I can't get 10.
B
Don't 10 real skinny small people.
A
Yeah. Don't know 10 that I like enough to be under the umbrella with me. But there are a couple of golf umbrellas in our car and that's for getting Krista to the door dry.
B
That's right.
A
You know where the priorities come.
B
That's right.
A
A multi tool and or pocket knife.
B
I guess that's just a part of your edc.
A
It's a part of my edc.
B
Okay.
A
But not only do I have them on my body in the bag I have an additional multi tool, an additional knife.
B
Two is one and one is none.
A
So actually I've got three or four multi tools.
B
You are practically prepared.
A
I just get an extra one. I throw it in the bag.
B
Hey, here's what you're going to need in the South.
A
Bug spray, definitely.
B
Oh yeah, man, those mosquitoes, they chew me like an apple. I mean they bite me all the
A
time in Florida and Louisiana have some mosquitoes that seem to be the size of crows.
B
Oh, they call them the state bird. It's true.
A
But have that bug spray if you are going to have to be outside the vehicle for some period of time
B
and you know when they're worse after a bad storm.
A
Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.
B
So think about that.
A
Another thing we carry is a small tarp.
B
Yeah.
A
I think there's an 8 by 10 and an 8 by 6 in the car that we carry those. We always carry some emergency cash and small bills.
B
Yes, Ones, fives, tens and twenties and
A
a pen and paper.
B
You might have to leave a note. Take some of that duct tape and stick it on a door or something. If you're checking on someone and they're not home, you need to let them know. If power's out and you can't call them, let them know with a note that you were there.
A
Or if you need to get a message to someone, you can write down a phone number and give that to someone else to make the call.
B
A park ranger or somebody like that.
A
Police officer.
B
Police officer or something. Somebody like that. Yeah. Now, today's cup of coffee comes from Heidi. Now, Heidi is a brand new supporter of our podcast and we welcome you, Heidi, and we thank you so very much for your support. So, hey, friends, how about you? Did you learn something from the podcast? Have you gotten some new ideas or maybe received some kind of value from our show? Would you help by giving back just a little? Go to practicalprepping.info support and you'll find ways that you can support the show. And that would include, like, our friend Heidi, a coffee membership. It's only $5 a month, but it really helps us offset the expenses of our show. That's practicalprepping.info/support.
A
We do appreciate you being here today. We appreciate you taking your time and choosing our podcast when you could listen to anything else in the whole wide world.
B
Because we're going on the road. I just can't wait to get on that road again.
A
But we do appreciate you being here today. And as Krista always says, stuff happens.
B
Have a great road trip, but stay
A
prepared and we'll see you next time.
Hosts: Mark & Krista Lawley
Date: May 18, 2026
Mark and Krista Lawley focus on practical, no-nonsense preparations for hitting the road this summer. Drawing from personal experience and decades in emergency response, they walk listeners through creating a comprehensive vehicle readiness plan—covering pre-trip checks, essential gear, comfort tips, and handling unexpected delays. The episode is rich in practical advice, relatable stories, and a healthy dose of southern humor.
(Starting at 01:36)
“That’s going to include things like tire pressure, including the spare. Don’t forget that.” – Mark (01:55)
“I want to be wearing a headlamp so I can operate hands free.” – Mark (03:59)
“When our tank amount reaches the halfway point, we go ahead and fill back up.” – Krista (04:20)
(05:01 – 08:33)
"I actually like the jump box because I can operate that all by myself." – Krista (06:17)
“Two is one and one is none.” – Krista (27:12)
(10:17 – 12:38)
“My left arm is darker than my right arm from years of having that left arm up in the window.” – Krista (11:21)
“I would always carry those in my patrol car and I’ve wrapped them around several patients to keep them warm.” – Mark (12:55)
(13:13 – 16:09)
“I was literally on the empty symbol on my gas tank, praying the whole time… please let me get to the gas station.” – Krista (15:14)
(18:14 – 21:25)
“A lot of people like to have offline maps downloaded… I like a good old paper road atlas.” – Mark (20:36)
(21:43 – 24:56)
“We get halfway down the road, we open the bag. No napkins. What’s the deal with the napkins?” – Krista (24:12)
(25:02 – 28:09)
Mark and Krista deliver their advice in a warm, relatable tone—blending real-world stories, expert know-how, and plenty of humor. The core message: Thoughtful, realistic prepping isn’t about paranoia or “end of the world” scenarios; it’s about being comfortable, capable, and able to help yourself and others when the unexpected happens.
“Stuff happens. Stay prepared.” (29:39)
More resources & full checklist available at:
practicalprepping.info/555