I have an old briefcase that sits atop the spare ti(y)re
and is secured with bungee cords. Among the usual items
like a full socket set and a full set of box/open wrenches,
plus assorted screwdrivers, I have:
1. Hemostats in various sizes and lengths. The best
"third hand" I've yet encountered. Most highway patrol
troopers think they are used for smoking pot, though.
2. ViseGrips (tm) in the three standard sizes - needlenose,
small and large. Another good "third hand".
3. Two adjustable Cresent wrenches ("Georgia socket set")
4. Carpenter's punch awl (good for lining up bolt holes)
5. Small light that plugs into cigarette lighter (boy, can
it ever get dark alongside Hwy 12 in the middle of no where)
6. One spark plug, distributor cap and rotor, one spark plug
cable
7. Alternator belt
8. One size fits all radiator hose (cut as needed)
9. Spool of soft "bailing wire"
10 Roll of duct tape (Frost King brand - accept no substitutes)
11 Collapsable plastic container (for carrying water from
nearest faucet, ditch or pond)
12 Two 20-dollar bills, rolled up inside spare distributor cap
13 Small bottle of asprin
And, believe it or not, a old cavalry man's tool that belonged
to my grandfather. This is a combo hammer and horseshoe nail
puller. I've never used it, but my grandfather carried it for
years as a young man when he drove a horse-drawn wagon, and
kept it when he moved on to be an engineer for the Southern
Railroad. Marked "Tredegar, Richmond" I suspect it's fairly
old as the Yankees burned Tredegar Iron Works in 1865. It's a
nice reminder that sometimes the best plan is to slow down
and think things through.
Ken Strayhorn
Hillsborough NC
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