freya-007@hotmail.com

One of posts above mentioned letting the engine warm up. Modern diesels do not need to be run for any appreciable time to either warm up or cool down. By the time you are to the highway the engine is warm enough, and if you pull off the freeway into a rest area, by the time you are are the parking spot the engine will have cooled sufficiently to be shut down. The only reason truckers sit with the engine idling is to keep the electricity running for the air conditioner, etc. (since they don't have a generator). Also, associated with the air brakes is a governor, which can rust and stick. This will prevent air pressure from building.

I depends upon where you travel and what first aid knowledge you have. It's one thing if you are never too far from emergency care, and another if you go into remote areas (especially if you do hiking where you may be a day or more away from emergency help. And all the equipment in the world is useless if you don't know how to use it. I generally think the store bought kits are expensive, and especially the cheaper ones don't really have much in them other than bandages, over-the-counter pain meds, and antiseptic wipes. You can often make up your own kit with items you already have in your medicine cabinet at home. I would recommend the book "A Comprehensive Guide to Wilderness and Travel Medicine," by Eric A. Weiss, M.D. It includes an appendix on emergency kits.