What to do when you’re stranded on Idaho highways: my step-by-step planWaiting for “luxury” roadside assistance is like watching paint dry, but colder and with more tumbleweeds. I swear by ...
I’d second the reflective vest—visibility is everything, especially with those long, dark Idaho stretches. On the snacks front, I learned the hard way that jerky and granola bars survive the summer way better than chocolate. Also, a tire pressure gauge is underrated.
I’m still not convinced about the reflective vest—feels a bit overkill, but I get the safety angle. I’d add a cheap power bank for your phone. Also, I never thought about snacks melting... good call on skipping chocolate.
I used to think the reflective vest was a bit much too, until I had a flat on a foggy stretch near Twin Falls. I was changing the tire and a trucker actually slowed down and yelled out that he almost didn’t see me. That got me rethinking the whole “overkill” thing. I keep one in the trunk now, just in case.
Power bank’s a solid call. I’ve had my phone die on me once when I was stuck waiting for a tow—never again. As for snacks, I learned the hard way about chocolate melting. Left a couple of granola bars with chocolate chips in the glove box last summer... what a mess. Now I stick to nuts and dried fruit. It’s funny how you don’t think about these little things until you’re actually in the situation.
Reflective vests seemed like overkill to me too, until I saw someone nearly get clipped on a dark shoulder outside Boise. For the price, it’s a no-brainer—cheaper than a hospital bill. Power banks are great, but I always wonder about those little hand-crank chargers. Anyone actually tried one in a pinch? As for snacks, I’m with you—melted chocolate is just a disaster waiting to happen. I keep some peanut butter crackers and jerky in the glove box now. Curious if anyone packs water year-round or just in summer?
Power banks are great, but I always wonder about those little hand-crank chargers. Anyone actually tried one in a pinch?
Tried a hand-crank once out of curiosity—honestly, it felt like a gimmick. Maybe if you’re desperate, but you’d be cranking for ages just to get a few minutes of phone power. I’d rather keep a charged power bank or even one of those solar panels if you’re out for long stretches.
On the water thing, I keep a couple bottles in the trunk all year. They freeze solid in winter, but at least they’re there if you need them. Better than nothing if you’re stuck for hours in the cold. Summer’s obvious, but dehydration can sneak up on you in the cold too.
Snacks—totally with you on the chocolate. Learned that lesson the hard way after cleaning up a melted Snickers mess last July. Jerky and crackers hold up way better. I throw in some trail mix too, just avoid anything with chocolate chips.
Reflective vests seemed silly to me until I had to change a tire at dusk on US-95. Cars don’t slow down, and being visible is worth the minor hassle.
