We've never had the pleasure of being stranded in our cars, relying on our dormant Order of the Arrow skills. Turns out, though, you only need $25 to ensure your co-pilot doesn't turn into a giant pot roast before your eyes. The resourceful folks over at Backwoods Home have given considerable thought to the possibility of riding out a stranding and coming out of it well-fed, clear eyed, and rested.

You'll only need to spend $25 at your local grocery store on foodstuffs to hold you ten days , and a few extra dollars on ancillary supplies. You could go nuts and head to your local camping supply store and get some fancier survival gear, but you can find everything you will need at more common shopping locations. You'll be eating a lot of reconstituted "just add water" meals, but that doesn't mean it won't be yummy. Packing ten days worth of food that will stay stable in your car isn't that tough -- it all fits in a small cooler, along with your Sterno heat source, matches, cup and a few extras like plastic, the ever-handy duct tape, and seasonings to make those MSG-laden delights more palatable. The plan has been laid out really well, and the supplies don't take up much room in the trunk of a car or behind the seat of a pickup truck. Even if you never use it, it's cheap insurance to have a few gallons of water, some food and a sleeping bag (government surplus mummy bags rock) to help you weather a bad situation by merely keeping your wits about you and chilling for a while. Plus, it's small enough that you can bring it with you should you need to leave the shelter of your car. It almost makes us want to go camping. Almost.

[Source: Backwoods Home]