Road Tripping? Prepare for Anything With This Emergency Safety Bundle

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Charging and using Uncharted Supply Co.’s Zeus Pro jump starter

Photo courtesy Uncharted Supply Co.

There’s no convenient time for my truck’s battery to die. That said, it tends to happen at the least convenient times – when I’m by myself, without someone around to give me a jump start. This problem is now relieved thanks to the Zeus Pro. At its core, its a portable jump starter that I keep in the back of my Tacoma in case I need it. It charges via USB and can deliver up to 20,000 mAh when jumping a vehicle, more than enough power to flip the switch on any private passenger vehicle. I charged mine at home overnight before taking it on the road and its upheld multiple road trips without needing to recharge. The device flashes its battery level and lets you know when it’s time to top off. Jumping is easier than with traditional jumper cables becaue you only have to connect one pair of jumpers. Then, make sure the Zeus Pro is on, give it a moment to connect and transmit, and start your engine. Easy, peasy.

What separates the Zeus Pro from traditional jump starters, and why I’ve come to love this brand as not only a frequent road tripper but also a remote worker, is that it also functions as a portable battery. The Zeus Pro has a USB-C port that can charge stuff like cell phones, laptops, and other small electronics. The brand claims 10 full iPhone charges on one charge of the Zeus Pro – I haven’t been stuck in the wilderness long enough to need 10 charges, but I’ve used it to charge after long days on the trail where I’ve been draining my phone battery by using a GPS app to mark my journey. I do a lot of random pullovers and campsite sessions on the laptop to fire off emails or work through a story edit, and knowing that I can keep my MacBook Pro charged through longer sessions offers excellent peace of mind.

You can, if necessary, use the cigarette lighter adapter to charge larger stuff like power tools or machinery, effectively making the Zeus Pro a micro version of the two-way batteries becoming increasingly common in electric vehicles like the Ford F150 Lightning.

A first aid kit that’s more than I bargained for

Photo: Tim Wenger

This is just one side. Photo: Tim Wenger

I’ve kept a first aid kit in my car since high school and have used it to bandage small cuts to clean up spills. Not until Uncharted Supply Co.’s First Aid Plus, however, did I feel confident in my ability to actually repair gear or treat an actual emergency. The kit comes with a flashlight to a stainless steel multi-tool complete with a Phillips head screwdriver, needle nose pliers, serrated tooth saw, a knife, a glass breaker, and pretty much anything else I could need to fix my snowboard bindings, wrench on my bike, or rig up a shelter (there’s duct tape and a mylar space blanket, after all). I’m also certain that with this kit I could break into a building if the need arose.

Extract the Extractor tow strap from its wrapper before use. Photo: Tim Wenger

On the medical side, it’s got the standard stuff – a CPR kit, triple antibiotic cream, multiple sizes of bandages including pressure and triangular bandages, gloves, Hypo-allergenic medical tape, shears, and a guide to walk through basic procedures. I never leave home without storm proof matches, and this kit re-upped my supply for at least the next year. I’d never before seen chem lights, but the kit came with two in case of a nighttime emergency away from camp.

I keep all three of the items in The Auto Bundle in a milk crate in the bed of my truck. When we’re camping in the bed, I move the crate into the cab, no problem. It’s an easy and affordable addition to a road trip setup that, even if you don’t use often, is worth its weight in peace of mind.

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