Backpack Survival Essentials?

[Brett Slagle]

Hello All:

My brother and I grew up snowmobiling together and last week we began discussing the need to improve our survival backpacks/snowmobile essentials. We both ride with backpacks, or strap them on our sleds. I am curious to hear what everyone has strapped to their sleds or backs. My thoughts:

Shovel
Saw
Waterproof matches
Flint
Small Camping Pot - to boil water
Extensive First Aid Kit
Pain Killers
Space Blanket
Glow Sticks
Granola bars
Leatherman
Basic Tools
Tow Strap
Extra Plugs
Extra Belt
About 15 feet of good rope
Zip ties
Extra socks
Extra gloves
Warm Beanie


We do not ride in the deep stuff enough (and don’t have the $) to justify beacons... I've never had a pole with me, perhaps that needs to come soon. No air backpack either.

Not a better group of sledders out there to start this discussion with. Situations can get nasty real quick and I want to make sure I am prepped for the worst. I ride in the Sierra Nevada’s if that helps explain my terrain.

What other items would you all suggest? What about food?

Hopefully this helps everyone put together a "worst case scenario" bag.

Thank you

 

[CascadeXP]

Good list, but here's a couple for you to think about

Toilet paper, I keep some in a ziplock bag, can be used for its original intent or as plug for a wound.
Thermal top, put it in a ziplock bag, sit on it to get the air out. If you get wet, at least you got a chance to keep your core warm
Plastic vegetable bags from the grocery store. The tubular ones work well for when your boots get wet. You put your dry socks on and into wet boots you get wet and cold feet. Put the plastic vegetable bags over your dry socks then back into the wet boots and you can make it to the truck.

Last winter we had a new rider dump his sled into a crick, he got tossed into 3' of water on his back. He said it was an incredible experience feeling the water come up inside the helmet and over his face. It was a sunny day, we got him back ok, out of what we all were carrying extra, but I came up with the vegetable bags after that one.

 

[newmy1]

SPOT Messenger

 

[ripnit]

I would add polar weight long johns(them overnights get alittle cool around 4am), also I carry an MSR pocket rocket stove with a small fuel canister(isobutane-propane fuel). As for food I take along Power Bars, Cliff bars, Mountainhouse Granola and Blueberries, and Mountainhouse spaghetti. As far as no beacons I repeat what was told to me "If you can afford a $x,ooo dollar sled you can afford a $250 beacon. Whats your life worth???? What are you going to tell you buddies family when you can't find him????? BUY A BEACON!!!!!" Just trying to help.

 

[giddyup]

pack

i think if you looking in the alaskan area of forum you will find some great information, we talk about this every fall and everyear i come up with new things, this year will be house cleaning, buy spring i was carrying way to much

 

[MORSNO]

Yep, the Alaska area of the forum has tons of great info on safety and survival equipment...every trip out is to remote backcountry up here.

 

[Prairie Dog]

Try ichiban noodles. You can get them in packages and even if you can't boil them in water you can still bite off chunks and it will soften in your mouth. They're easy to carry and seeing as you're going to be breaking them up with your teeth it doesn't matter if they break apart while you're riding.

It's pasta and you can get a variety of flavors

 

[xrated]

all good things. This doesn't take up much room and has the basics for a backup or a backup backup

http://www.tmru.org/kits/description.php

 

[volcano buster]

Road flare.

Find a way to keep it from getting abused and keep it dry. Some guys are using a Seal-a-meal to seal it up, I use a pvc tube with a screw on cap. A group of us tried to build a fire one wet day and the fire took a lot longer to get going than we anticipated. We tried it again last year with a flare and let me tell you, if you have a cold wet member of your party, they will feel tremendously better hearing the fire instead of a bunch of guys swearing at wet fuel.

 

[zr600cce]

Your gonna laugh but they are handy at starting fires, tampons. They are great for getting gas out of your fuel tank to start a fire and they aren't a hassle to carry. This way you don't have to sit there and burn up all your lighter fluid and matches at trying to get a fire started.

 

[ripnit]

I'm sorry dude but I'll sacifice a sock or other clothing before I'd carry a tampon with me. Not at all sayn it wouldn't work.

 

[bdoe22]

i too carry a couple of the womans tampons and pads...they work great for starting a fire as mentioned above or absorbing fluids if you have an injury. one of the most important things you are forgetting (in my opinion) is a roll of duct tape...get the good stuff (nashua) or similar. so many uses.

 

[RMK SeVeN]

One idea to keep survival clothes and food dry is to put them in a food saver bag and suck all the air out of it. Perfectly sealed and will stay dry.

SPOT Messenger is a must have behind a beacon.

 

[KFD070]

A couple of things I would add or adjust.
First of all DO NOT use toilet paper to pack a wound. TP breaks down with exposure to moisture. This will only make one heck of a mess and will not be effective in maintaining pressure and stopping bleeding. Instead use proper pressure dressings held in place by triangular bandages. These take up very little room and also the triangulars work well for holding splints or shoulder sling, tourniquet plus. plus!

-I carry about 4 different methods of starting a fire. Tampon is one, windproof lighter(2 of them), flint, candle and "Burner" fire starter packets, these work well, available at WalMart. Gettin a fire going can be the biggest determining factor of whether or not you survive your situation.
-Don't need to carry a whole role of duct tape. I wrap about 10 ft. around a pill bottle which contains other good stuff.
-Space blanket...the good one. Not those cheap crap ones that fold into a 4"x4" square.
-40 to 60' of small cord rope. Not for towing but helpful for a lot of situations like shelter building.
-Sno-Bunje. I swear by mine. Always with me.
-GPS. Uses go without saying. No matter how well you know the area you're in, a whiteout can change everything! Compass to back up GPS.
-Chemical pouch hand or foot warmers.
-Crazy Glue. Amazing for closing wounds in emergency situations. I'm no Rambo. I can't do my own stitching!
-Flashlight with head strap. So helpful to allow use of both hands while working in the dark.
-Tin foil and tin soup can. For melting snow for drinking water. As far as water goes I always carry a couple bottles of Gatorade as well.
-Radios. At least the long range FRS ones. Let people know which channel you are always on so as they look for you they may get within range to contact you. Rhinos are the best but big money.
-Cell phone. May not get signal but they can search for you by the signal your phone emits.

Okay that's long enough. I know I've missed stuff though:beer;

 

[Brett Slagle]

Awesome feedback. I will check out the Alaska input. Keep the ideas flowing here. It is a huge help!

 

[Snowlover]

I try to put a note on my dashboard that tells what radio frequency I will be on. You could choose a different frequency if you wanted more privacy with your group, but for emergency communications, you should go back to your 'base' frequency.

 

[KFD070]

I try to put a note on my dashboard that tells what radio frequency I will be on. You could choose a different frequency if you wanted more privacy with your group, but for emergency communications, you should go back to your 'base' frequency.

Good idea with the note on the dashboard with your radio frequency, but I prefer to leave it with my family or whoever may report me overdue. Search and Rescue then has the frequency right away, they don't have to find my truck first to get it. I'd likely forget to leave it in my truck as I already have enough to think about with all the other stuff I carry and always in a hurry to hit the powder. With all the channels available on the FRS radios and numerous sub channels there's pretty much no way you should get much chatter from other users on your same frequency....unless you pick 9.11, 0.07 or 7.11 like everyone else who picks those for ease of remembering. Be original like 3.02 or 7.28.

 

[Rprecision]

I started one of these threads in the avalanche and survival section a while back...........

Truth is, I didnt relize how many sledders just dont invest in basic survival ! Its rather sad.........................

Guess having the best mod, bling -bling is of greater importance. Those who have expirenced how brutal winter can be to survive in will never make that mistake twice !

I just realized this was my # 999 post.............wierd ?

 

[m_beeson]

-Chemical pouch hand or foot warmers.

Finally, there it is.

You start walking in the snow, and get your feet cold, it's too easy to get frostbite.


One other thing that I haven't seen is avy probes.



I carry coffee, first aid, a little food and water, gps, cell phone, and survival gear. It's kind of tricky getting enough, without getting too heavy.

 

[whtmboy]

I have seen it too many times here in northwest Montana that people head into the mountains with no survival gear, very little tools and don't know how there beacons work. It's scarry.