View Full Version : Safety & Survival Gear/Supplies
After running across a potentially bad accident while riding in the McKenzie highway area a few weeks ago, I started thinking about what I carry with me. Fortunately, this incident did not require much and I could help out.
I have always carried what I felt to be the essentials that would be needed to be out longer than planned and react to a few scenarios - although I would not be very comfortable. I am now reassessing what that entails.
What do you take with you when you go out? Do you think it is enough? Does it depend on where/how you are riding? I am really interested in your thoughts an experiences.
Ben
cbrew325
01-24-08, 07:02 AM
It's always nice if somebody in your group has a shovel. My buddy keeps one strapped to the back of his sled. It tucks up underneath his seat. We also both carry sno-bunjees.
I would always carry a cell phone, GPS, flashlight, some food (energy bars, etc).
We ran across some guys a couple weeks ago who were broken down and needed a washer, so it may not be a bad idea to take some basic hardware for a quick repair. (nuts, bolts, washers, zip ties, etc)
Make sure your toolkit is complete.
-Vince
I also carry some rope for towing out non-polaris sleds and a siphon hose for "borrowing" fuel from my girlfriends sled.
I always carry a saddle bag with me. Here is what I keep inside it:
8-10 King Size Snickers (depending on how many get raided before riding)
Army Surplus Compressed Fuel Cubes (Trioxane)
Army Surplus compact tin stove (really small)
2 Lighters
Candles (For light and heat)
Stainless Steel Cup - for liquids
Roll of electrical tape
Length of duct tape
LED headlamp
Fleece hat
Gloves - I wear thin ones riding
Small roll of TP
Sunscreen
GPS
Compass
Leatherman
Knife
Whistle
Spare batteries - for headlamp and GPS
4 Cylume light sticks
4 space blankets
2 carabineers
4 chemical hand warmers
This seems like a lot, but it fits in a fairly small bag.
I also have a small pack that I carry or strap on to the back of the sled. It has:
Shovel
Extra gloves
Extra socks
Extra fleece jacket
Extra thermal top
In the sled storage compartments:
25' rope
10' of rope webbing
Tubing for siphoning gas
Spare plugs
Basic tool kit
Spare belt
On my Person:
Cell phone - fully charged
ID
Car keys - hopefully
Things I have been thinking about adding:
Matches
Sunglasses
Flagging
Pencil/Paper
Other food
Collapsible water bag
Sports drink mix
First aid kit
Emergency bivy sack
I have also been looking replacing my shovel with one of the ones that has a good size saw blade in the shaft. The new GPS emergency locator devices look pretty cool, but with the yearly service they can get expensive.
Any thoughts or suggestions on this list?
I'll post later on my First Aid kit I am building.
Ben
.....it may not be a bad idea to take some basic hardware for a quick repair. (nuts, bolts, washers, zip ties, etc)
Make sure your toolkit is complete.
-Vince
Zip ties - good call. I'll add to my kit. Tools is an area that I am probably exposed. I only carry the little one the mfg gives you (basic screwdriver, spark plug wrench and misc). I also have my leatherman.
Anyone have a good list of basic tools?
Ben
......We also both carry sno-bunjees.
Care to share your experience with the sno-bunjees?
Ben
Oregongirl
01-26-08, 01:31 PM
I have alot of the same stuff that Ben's does in my backpack/sled/etc. Some differences....
I have a muff-pot, so that doubles as my tin cup.
Zip ties
Various sizes of bungie cords
Tampons (good fuel starter...dip into tank and light on fire)
Matches and a small lighter
emergency candle
hand warmers
crank flashlight
spare contact lenses
Camera
I always have food in the muff pot when we leave, and a spare "meal" on board. Not to mention trail mix, fresh fruit, water, energy/hydration powder mixes, and whatever else sounded good to throw in before we left. With me along on the ride, no one will starve! :)
OK - I added zip ties, paper and pen, bungee cord, and plastic ribbon flagging (for marking a trail) to my kit. I also need to come up with some other food/drink options as well.
I do want to look at a an emergency Bivvy sack, as that could make the difference during a cold extended stay. The Garmin Rhinos are also a great idea, even better if others in the party have one too.
Any other thoughts?
Ben
Snowlover
02-01-08, 01:50 PM
I have two bags that fit on my snowmobiler. One is a soft side cooler and the other is my emergency kit. I always pack a lunch and bring extra food just in case. In the emergency kit I have many of the items already listed plus:
freeze dried food
mirror (to reflect to draw attention)
baggie of dryer lint
I have heard (although I haven't tested it) that dryer lint makes for great fire starter. Although now that I have read about the tampons from Oregongirl, I think that would be a better idea.
I always pack a lunch and bring extra food just in case.
I never bring enough food.... Snickers only satisfy to a point. I also don't drink enough water either. Evidently you lose up to 10% of your energy if you aren't properly hydrated.
i wear a camel back to get me hydrated, but I never pack enough grub. sad thing is I got a new cool pack to mount on me sled, but I have yet to mount it yet. i know I know, bad me.
it is fully pakced though with enough stuff to be safe for quite a while.
as for gps's. most of the people that I ride with including me have the garmin 530's. I love it. there si nothing like being able to see where everyone that is on your channel is, and not only that but getting a direct route to them. i just got mine for xmas, so I still have so much to learn about it. but I would recommend people getting one. well worth the money.
if anyone has any tips or tricks for the garmin please let me know, maybe we shoudl start a new thread for that though, so there is no thread jackin going on.
i wear a camel back to get me hydrated, but I never pack enough grub. sad thing is I got a new cool pack to mount on me sled, but I have yet to mount it yet. i know I know, bad me.
it is fully pakced though with enough stuff to be safe for quite a while.
as for gps's. most of the people that I ride with including me have the garmin 530's. I love it. there si nothing like being able to see where everyone that is on your channel is, and not only that but getting a direct route to them. i just got mine for xmas, so I still have so much to learn about it. but I would recommend people getting one. well worth the money.
if anyone has any tips or tricks for the garmin please let me know, maybe we shoudl start a new thread for that though, so there is no thread jackin going on.
I was thinking about starting a Maps/Navigation forum. Do you think w should? Would there be enough interest?
Ben
chuckkiiee
02-02-08, 04:40 PM
I was thinking about starting a Maps/Navigation forum. Do you think w should? Would there be enough interest?
Ben
I think It would be great. As a rookie, any nav aids would be helpful.
i agree... fully. i would love to learn a bunch of secrets about how to map my routes and setting points and all the good stuff.. if anyone has seen the manual to a Garmin they can understand why I dont want to read it. :)
The 530 is great only your buddies know where you are at while riding...but post secret info on here??!!
The snowbundgee broke several small bones in my foot on a ride to diamond lake from annie..a stuck buddies simmons broke the tip off after the sled shot up in the air, the tip hit my little toe knuckle area like a Elk rifle!!He rode on I went home! Use them as a last resource with care and all gear on.
Me and two buddies produced the USFS map of Annie Creek and Lake of the Woods, The USFS sells it now. We used their fire Maps and cut them down to size. The GPS coords are on there. We want to add all the "area's" they would not let us for safety reasons such as Pelican Bowl Then have it as a club map. Something like that downloadable to the 530 makes sence..less my super secret hot spots!!
Lots of great ideas on these posts. Also check out the OSSA (Oregon State Snowmobile Association) http://www.oregonsnow.org/ look under the "safety" section.
that si the first time that I have checked out the OSSA site.... there is a lot of cool stuff on it...especially the safety stuff.... thanks for the link... and the info...
sumptersam
02-08-08, 08:46 AM
......We also both carry sno-bunjees.
Care to share your experience with the sno-bunjees?
Ben
Hey guys, from my experience with sledders up here in Sumpter, even though I can't ride, I am surprised at how many come up here with all our powder and don't carry a shovel! The rest of the items listed are great and just common sense....but I would also add that someone back home should know what trails you intend to ride each day and you should communicate with someone when you make it back from riding each day then, if you get lost or god forbid, something worse happens, i strongly urge you to stay put! if someone calls us to say you're lost and tells us what trail you are riding we can find you relatively easy! We've already had 1 boy life flighted out to boise when he and his dad were lost....but he is okay as far as i know...the weather is very unpredictable up here so i would always come prepared to survive a night in the woods!
Hey guys, from my experience with sledders up here in Sumpter, even though I can't ride, I am surprised at how many come up here with all our powder and don't carry a shovel! The rest of the items listed are great and just common sense....but I would also add that someone back home should know what trails you intend to ride each day and you should communicate with someone when you make it back from riding each day then, if you get lost or god forbid, something worse happens, i strongly urge you to stay put! if someone calls us to say you're lost and tells us what trail you are riding we can find you relatively easy! We've already had 1 boy life flighted out to boise when he and his dad were lost....but he is okay as far as i know...the weather is very unpredictable up here so i would always come prepared to survive a night in the woods!
Good advice. I always leave a note or voicemail with someone letting them know the general area I am going and when to expect me back. I also leave the channel my radio is tuned to as well. They don't have the best practical range, but even a half mile radius is enough to contact a chopper or crew that is in your vicinity.
It was interesting to note that some of the groomers monitor channel 15.
Ben
I thought I would update this list for this year:
Sled Bag:
8-10 Snickers
Army Surplus compressed fuel cubes (Trioxane)
Army Surplus compact tin stove (really small)
2 Lighters
3 Candles
Stainless steel cup
Electrical tape
Length of duct tape
LED headlamp
Extra Gloves
Small roll of TP
GPS
Compass
Leatherman
Knife
Whistle
Matches
Sunglasses
Flagging
Pencil/Paper
Spare batteries - for headlamp, GPS, SPOT, etc.
4 Cylume light sticks
4 space blankets
Emergency bivy sack
2 carabiners
4 chemical hand warmers
25' rope webbing
50' utility cord
Tow strap
Webbing loops
Zip Ties
Bungee cord
Small first aid kit (Nitrile Gloves, Sunscreen, Advil, Benadryl, Asprin, Tums, Band-Aids, Alcohol Pads, Neosporin, Gauze, Sports Wrap, etc.)
Trail map
Clear glasses
Spare key
Backpack:
Shovel (With saw blade)
Water
Energy snacks
Camera
SPOT Locator
Probe
Extra socks
Extra fleece jacket
Extra thermal top
Sunglasses
Fleece hat or balaclava
Extra hand warmers
Sled storage compartment:
Spare plugs
Basic tool kit
Spare belt
On my Person:
Cell phone
ID
Car keys
Beacon
This seems like a lot of stuff, but you would be surprised how compact it all is. The sled bag is just a small bag from Sled Solutions packed well. The pack is the Nac Pack from Klim. This is probably the minimum that should be packed, and experts would advise taking even more.
I added an Adventure Medical Kits Heatsheets Emergency Bivvy to my bag. I think it is basically a sealed heat blanket that you crawl inside of. It is small and lightweight, and would probably be welcome if you had to sit tight for awhile for some reason. Pictures below.
Ben,
With all this stuff, your Dragon will weigh about the same as a Stock Cat now!!!!
Actually, great post to revive. It's getting me to think about putting new batteries into the SoS device and get my pack together.
Kilroy
Ben,
With all this stuff, your Dragon will weigh about the same as a Stock Cat now!!!!
Actually, great post to revive. It's getting me to think about putting new batteries into the SoS device and get my pack together.
Funny...
It's weird, you would think all this stuff would be huge and heavy. It is all in a normal sized tunnel bag, and would say weighs less than 10lbs. I was going to weigh it today but forgot. I keep thinking I will narrow it down some, but I have used a lot of it and would be afraid to get caught without some of the other stuff.
If it fits, keep it all!!! You'll still be hi-marking with the best of em, and a tad bit of weight will smooth out the suspension on the whoops! I'm thinking that anybody would be glad they had all that stuff just as soon as you were in a survival situation, which could be around any corner for any of us.
Kilroy
joeynboo
10-23-10, 12:37 PM
Ben - Thanks for bringing this info back up.
Just for info: a few things I do differently for my Search & Rescue packs is instead of the space blankets I bring a tarp, it's also a good substitution to the Bivy. (though I have a nice OR gortex bivy I bring if the weather is really bad)
I bring a Jet-boil instead of a cup/stove/fuel, takes up a little more room, but when it's really nasty, it's nice to cook up some Ramen noodles or something like that.
And bring more water than you think, you need more water when it's cold out than the summer.
If you break all of this stuff up like you do in various bags, it's really not that bad - and it could save yours or someone else's bacon.
Thanks again!
snowmuchfun
11-24-10, 07:24 PM
Along with all of my other survival gear, For a fire starter, A road flare is what I carry in a chunk of pvc tubing. Will burn hot for at least 15 minutes. Wants to burn no matter how wet or cold. And easy to light even with cold hands not functioning well. I hope to never need it.
Oregongirl
11-06-11, 07:30 PM
I just repacked my gear today. Here's what I'll be carrying this year:
Nylon webbing (not sure how long it is)
Nylon rope (not sure how long)
2 space blankets
Gerber saw with two blades
Firestarters and matches
Hand-crank flashlight
Waterproof over mittens
Dry socks
First Aid kit and a bottle of vicodin
Battery operated flashlight
Multi-tool
Whistle
Candle wrapped in duct tape
Headlamp
4 emergency glow sticks
Bungee cords
Sunscreen (faces only 70 spf)
Pink Strap
Extra 2-way radio with fresh batteries
Elastic hairbands
Tampons
Zipties
Ace bandages
Extra googles with clear lenses
Extra gloves
Extra balaklava
Lip balm
Garmin GPS 2-way radio
Muff pot
Extra belt
Some tools
Ningxia Red nutrition packets
Emergen-C packets
Insulated beanie with polar fleece neckwrap
Avy beacon
Shovel
Probe
Cell phone
Camera
Water
Need to get/replenish: handwarmers (they do expire, check yours), extra batteries, emergency food (non-perishable), 2 carabiners
I also washed all my gear and my helmet. Note to self....don't use your sledding helmet for dirt riding!! It's sort of disappointing that all my gear is fine shape too. I was itching to buy something new. SHOOT!!
I just repacked my gear today. Here's what I'll be carrying this year:
Nylon webbing (not sure how long it is)
Nylon rope (not sure how long)
2 space blankets
Gerber saw with two blades
Firestarters and matches
Hand-crank flashlight
Waterproof over mittens
Dry socks
First Aid kit and a bottle of vicodin
Battery operated flashlight
Multi-tool
Whistle
Candle wrapped in duct tape
Headlamp
4 emergency glow sticks
Bungee cords
Sunscreen (faces only 70 spf)
Pink Strap
Extra 2-way radio with fresh batteries
Elastic hairbands
Tampons
Zipties
Ace bandages
Extra googles with clear lenses
Extra gloves
Extra balaklava
Lip balm
Garmin GPS 2-way radio
Muff pot
Extra belt
Some tools
Ningxia Red nutrition packets
Emergen-C packets
Insulated beanie with polar fleece neckwrap
Avy beacon
Shovel
Probe
Cell phone
Camera
Water
Need to get/replenish: handwarmers (they do expire, check yours), extra batteries, emergency food (non-perishable), 2 carabiners
I also washed all my gear and my helmet. Note to self....don't use your sledding helmet for dirt riding!! It's sort of disappointing that all my gear is fine shape too. I was itching to buy something new. SHOOT!!
Holy Crap! Do you have to pull a trailer? I just grow lots of hair and bring a little food, good to go. Maybe you can just skip shaving your legs for the winter.:rolleyes: I bet Tedd will love you for it. I might have a few more things but lots to list.:cool:
Oregongirl
11-06-11, 09:45 PM
I knew I could count on Master for some smart-alec comment. ;) But, to answer your question....NO, I do not pull a trailer. :o It's all packed in ziplocks and thrown in my tunnel bag, in my backpack, on my person, or under the hood. I've been part of too many emergencies to be caught empty handed. Luckily I've never had to stay out overnight!!
Shaving my legs??? **** - I knew that I forgot to do something!!