no ARB or WARN or HILIFT or any other offroad prep tool will save you from this guys

REDROVER

Explorer
ok now most of us have excellent trucks, with many excellent modifications that will make as go places that many cant even walk. but that brings another problem to spot light that is not cool, but its part of the game.

SNAKE BITES , how do u prepare to deal with that being in remote places? summer is coming and that means rattle snakes . i would love to know what do u guys have in ur truck against those unwelcome guys

thank you

ERIC
 
D

Deleted member 9101

Guest
1.Avoid the places where they are
2.Have a evac plan
 

UK4X4

Expedition Leader
leave them alone- enjoy watching from a distance

Insure your co-pilot is capable of driving your vehicle competantly

Know where the nearest hospital is.

Take it easy and relax as your driven back.
 
Snakes don't go out of their way to bite people. Rattlesnakes are probably the ones I'd be worried about the least. I used to catch alot of snakes when I was younger, and the Cottonmouth and Copperhead's are far more aggressive. Just use a long stick to coax them out of the way. Some people prefer to just kill them and if they are near your house and you've got kids that's what I'd suggest. Out on the trail just leave them alone if you can avoid them. Most snake bites happen when people mess with the snake or startle it.
 

LR Max

Local Oaf
As mentioned before, situational awareness and if I get bit, STAYING CALM. Fortunately in North America, we don't have Black face swelling super death snake so you have time before you are completely screwed. Not like, "oh lets stop and get an oil change" time but enough time to get out of a remote area and to help.

Also I would think a snake would see my rover coming along and say, HOLY CRAP THAT IS BIG AND LOUD I SHOULD LEAVE. Seems like most animals don't hang around noisy, smelly trucks.
 

fishEH

Explorer
Saying "leave them alone" or "my Rover will scare them away" is laughable. I was in Arches NP on Oct 2010. I was walking down a well traveled crushed limestone path and Bam there was a rattlesnake. Had I not been alert I could have stepped right on it. I spent 4 hours that morning scrambling and climbing in the Fiery Furnace, putting my hands in all kinds of blind cracks and literally crawling on my stomach at times. I count myself very lucky I didnt get bit in there because nobody would have came looking for at least 24 hrs.
Just last week I was in Myrtle Beach, SC on spring break with my family. We hiked a short and well worn trail at Myrtle Beach SP. Right in yhe middle of the path was a Copperhead. I was VERY lucky one of my 3 kids didnt step right on it.

What I'm saying is that the "just avoid them" plan doesn't work when the damage is done and soneone has been bit. I'll be putting together a bite kit very soon here for myself.
 
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REDROVER

Explorer
i had many close calls, and trust me non of your rovers is as loud as my old 6.2 diesel, diamond back rattle snake doesn't care,

last summer when i was testing my rover one night, we drove at some of the fire trails,and we stopped at some point to have a beer, i got out of the rover to go open the trunk ,as i walked my friend was having a hard time opening his seat belt,, that's what saved him from the bite,snake was less than 2 ft away from his door, snake didnt even move, he would of step right on it, over 3ft long diamond back

i never kill them so i ended up using tree branch to push him away ,he wasnt happy.

and the other problem ppl forget is that, it may not kill you, but venom will start eating your flesh and with in hours if not reached on time it may need amputation. i would better have some kind of anti venom items than try to drive down the mountain with no phone signal and rover brakes down.

what do ranges use does anyone know?

those are the snakes came close that didnt move from the road :)
 

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Mbogo

Observer
What I'm saying is that the "just avoid them" plan doesn't work when the damage is done and soneone has been bit. I'll be putting together a bite kit very soon here for myself.

Snakebite kit? Do NOT attempt to cut the wound and suction the venom out. That does nothing to mitigate the systemic spread of the venom, neither does applying ice or tourniquets. All you will do is waste precious time and create more trauma to the wound site. Your "snakebite kit" should contain a cool headed partner and communication (cell phone, 2 meter, sat phone, whatever would be appropriate to the area you intend to be traveling). Leaving snakes alone is a good strategy; however keep in mind that with many pets and children, curiosity often trumps common sense. Keep an eye on them at all times! Many venomous snake bites treated are on intoxicated people or amateur herpetaculturalists (people who raise/breed reptiles), basically people who are messing with the snakes. The first step is prevention. If you are walking through deep vegetation in known snake habitat, wear snake boots or snake chaps. If you are scrambling on rocks, wear heavy leather gloves unless it's a more technical climb. In that case, don't worry about it; snakes can be good climbers, but not THAT good. Know the area and the possible dangers presented by the flora and fauna. If snakes are a concern, learn to identify the native reptiles in the area you intend to visit. Each species has unique venom that acts on the human body differently. Knowing the species that bit you will help responders administer the proper antivenin. Also, some species, such as the Mojave Rattlesnake have bites that appear as a dry bite (about 25% of venomous snake bites are dry), no symptoms until you go into respiratory arrest. If you get bitten by any venomous species, even a baby sidewinder, seek medical attention immediately. In the meantime, stay calm, avoid physical exertion, and keep the limb elevated above the heart as much as possible. And if you see a snake first, simply avoid it. There is no need to destroy the animal. Snakes serve a vital function in maintaining ecological balance. Without snakes, the rodent population in many areas would soon be out of control. Consider this: a Diamondback Rattlesnake reaches sexual maturity at 2 years old, a field mouse in 4-6 weeks! Start killing too many snakes, and you might as well get used to rodents routinely overrunning your camp.
 

roverrocks

Expedition Leader
I think a lot more about potential dog attacks and dog bites than I do about snake bites in the great outdoors. I've come across rattlers in a number of western states plus on my father's Nebraska ranch decades ago. You watch where you are going, watch where you step, watch where you put your hands, check out your campsite plus any where you might sit your fanny down and the odds of a rattler bite go down to near zilch. I had my boot bitten as a ranch kid a long time ago when I came across a prairie rattler snoozing in the shade of a fence post. I ran one way and he slithered off the other way after we both scared the hell out of the other. Snakes just want to be left alone. We are immense giants to them and if startled will assume a defensive posture which appears to be aggressive but is not in reality. Just be careful in potential snake country.
Many dogs on the other hand are very aggressive in nature on hiking trails, camp sites, or near vehicles. While the vast majority are well trained there are many others who assume the nature of their owners, vicious/aggressive/bullying. I've had a lot more trouble with unpredictable dogs in the great outdoors than snakes be they large vicious breeds or small "rat" dogs trying to bite you from behind. Much, much better to be prepared for potential dogs bites then snake bites in the great outdoors. I've never remotely wanted to kill a snake but I've surely thought about it in regards to some dogs and their owners I've come across. You need to enjoy seeing snakes as they are one of the wonders of nature. They are pretty predictable in how they act/react and where they may be encountered. The odds of a snake bite are very low.
 

gm13

Adventurer
This info from the Outward Bound Wilderness First Aid Handbook. The antivenin for pit vipers-- rattlers, cottonmouth and copperheads is the same, Coral snakes require a different antivenin. That snake is the only one in the US that needs distinguishing, others will show fang marks. The Coral with its short fangs, needs to do a bit of chewing before enough venom is introduced, so yank him off quickly, its venom may not display symptoms for several hours. The advice is to splint the limb to prevent movement but only if it won't delay evacuation time. Remain calm, keep the heart rate from soaring and pumping that stuff around quicker. In preparation for swelling remove anything that may constrict, jewelry etc. Apparently nothing has been proven to be effective other than antivenin. No compression, no icing, no tourniquets, no slicing and suction etc for pit vipers. A compression wrap between the bite of a coral snake and the heart MAY be helpful in some cases, as you're dealing with a pretty potent neurotoxin(isolating its circulation might do something)as opposed to tissue toxins of the pit vipers (with the exception of the Mojave rattler which contains a systemic neurotoxin as well)

Basically, walk out slowly if that's your mode. There is some time as others have said. Antivenin can apparently only be given at a hospital due to rare cases of extreme allergic reactions. It's best to inform the closest hospital asap if possible so the proper antivenin can be acquired by the time you're there(it may have to be flown in from somewhere). I can't locate the source for it but I think keeping the bite lower than the heart is the idea, gravity working to keep the venom in the extremity(if it's in an extremity). Someone may know better. Apparently, fatalities in the states are extremely rare.
 

tommyd

Observer
Snakebites are extremely rare. You're more likely to die from a bee sting or lightning strike. If you are bitten, stay calm, walk back to the vehicle and drive (or hopefully have someone else drive you) to the nearest hospital. Once you're within cell phone range, call 911. Antivenom (the term antivenin is no longer used) should only be administered in a hospital setting for the reasons stated above. A healthy adult is unlikely to die from a snake bite in the U.S. with proper treatment. Watch where you step and put your hands and feet. Do not attempt to use any sort of snakebite kit, including the popular suction-type devices sold at some outdoor stores. They don't work, and in fact may do more harm than good.

PS - the first three snakes pictured are southern Pacific rattlesnakes, very common in southern California. The last is a prairie rattlesnake, from somewhere other than California.
 
Snake bite kits are only serve to provide a false sense of security. If your looking at a several hour trip to the ER a tourniquet may save a life but cost a limb. If your treating someone for snake bite the best thing to do is keep them calm and comfortable.
 

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