Emaergency Survival Kit; Hoping For Your Comments

[Honu]

everyone who has some really good experience is trying to help you out and you seem to shut down everything and think OH that wont matter to me oh that does not apply oh what so stuff happens etc...

and your nice clean perfect check list wont be saving you
hate to tell you emergency crap aint a nice perfect check list !!!!

sorry to sound harsh but you seem to be stuck in your idea that being rescued is just press a button and wait while you are nice and comfy ?

your truck in a wash ? flash flood ! that will never happen to me !
roll over ! that will never happen to me !
having something happen to your main water ! that will never happen to me !
needing some medical knowledge ! why I can press a button and be rescued !

but that said will give you a couple thoughts and hope

my basic thing is put together your kits and try it out when you got camping some time ?
this is not perfect but will give you a good idea of a few things try to eat the food drink the water etc..
it makes a fun camping trip to practice

every time you go camping making a fire with your fire starter kit
for fun pretend to do stuff you might have to do with one leg or one arm in the sense you broke that arm or hand or something ? and I am sure you will say OH I dont plan on that !!!! but could you climb up to all those boxes with a broken leg easy ? could you open them with a mangled up hand ? or worse two broken legs ?
this above thing alone can really save your life you might find out your kit is strapped in a way you cant do it with one arm or one hand etc.. or certain things you cant do like get your 5 gallons of water or get the lid off even ?

15 years I taught scuba and did underwater photography ? yeah nice job working with tourists mostly on Maui and in the Caribbean lucky my background was good in medical(fireman/medic for a few years) its amazing how many accidents happen on tourists not planning on things
its really insane how much stuff happens to people on vacation just planning a nice safe holiday that is the STUFF HAPPENS ! how many go vacation on Maui with the idea of dying or breaking their back loosing a finger or just getting cut up really bad or breaking a arm
lucky I have only had two dead bodies mangled hands twice and a few fingers but lots of broken bones when waves pick up and near drownings almost weekly and way to many cuts requiring at least a few stitches the worst was 53 stitches that was a pretty bad wound !

pretty much every single one of these was avoidable ? you know how if they just listened to someone a moment before and they thought no thats not going to happen to me !
even a few I had said dont do this or dont do that dont swim there etc. but they did not need to listen to me they knew what was going on !!!! nothing like that was going to happen to them !!!!! again this is tourist on vacation !!! accidents happen and they usually never happen the way you want them to

and while what we do in overlanding is quite safe we can take precautions and being prepared for the UNKNOWN is much better than only one narrow minded scenario

and as said mental preparedness is HUGE and really as others have said can make or break you

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

On a different 4WD-oriented forum that I used to frequent, there was a real case of someone off-road in California that broke their leg and activated their SPOT PLB. The first problem was that no emergency services of any kind were monitoring for PLB's. The second problem was that even when someone who was monitoring his PLB status (a friend or family member, don't remember which) contacted the appropriate emergency authority nearest broken leg's position, they didn't have the knowledge necessary to locate the victim from lat/long coordinates provided (indirectly) by the SPOT. The situation was eventually successfully resolved without the intervention of any emergency services. So, it wasn't that the Sot PLB failed, just that it did not directly result in any help or rescue. I'll see if I can find the original reference and post a link here.

From a SPOT owner and user a SPOT is not a PLB. Two different types of response protocol and signaling. Both have good points IMO but the poster(based on his purchase price) is using a PLB. A 406MHz PLB does not track and needs to be activated by the user for a rescue. No activation no rescue is the problem I have with a 406MHZ PLB. A SPOT can track your progress and anyone can see location of the carrier at all times.

Relying on 406MHZ PLB to save your life is bad choice IMO......Your vehicle rolls you are seriously injured and cannot find or get to your PLB to activate YOU DIE.

At least with a SPOT if you are in track mode someone can possibly see your position off the cliff and that you have not moved from your position in a given amount of time. With info from the SPOT one checking your progress could make a decision and start a rescue. The main reason I carry a SPOT.

An added note the OP may not be interested in, sorry--It is agrued that a 406MHZ PLB can "get out" better then a SPOT. FWIW I have logged over 10K miles on the SPOT with flawless performance.

 

[RusherRacing]

My main thought would be some sort of heat or blankets/sleeping bags etc..

I broke down in subzero temps one time and it took 3hrs before someone reached me. All I can say was glad I was bringing home dirty laundry home from college!


I keep an Aluminum Scoop Shovel, Sleeping bag, Spare gloves and stocking caps, tow Rope (30' - 3" jerk strap), boots if not already on my feet - in my "truck" during the winter months, and I have had to use each of those items more than once. Winter can strand you easily for days in this neck of the woods, but Summer time I guess I am not to worried about it where I travel - i can walk to the nearest phone in a day if need be and I keep a liter or two of water in the car all the time regardless of the time of year. My wife also like to keep a bunch of granola type bars in the center cubby so I have those also to munch on. Normally there is something within a couple miles and people are always willing to help.

 

[Christophe Noel]

honestly I think quite a few here dont have a scenario they plan for the worst and dont have some preconceived notion a rescue is going to be sit in your jeep with your comfort things waiting at the most 3 days for rescue ?

Good points. I'm of the opinion that emergency preperations should include essentials for two scenarios. One, the wait for help. Two, the trek to find help. Usually, staying put is the best strategy, but not always. If I'm in a jam and have a vehicle with me, I'm stoked. I'll eat brauts and drink beer until help arrives. If I have to hoof it out....that's another thing entirely. Been there. Done that.

 

[Karma]

HI flounder,
For me there is only one scenario - vehicle based. I sit and drink beer and wait.

 

[Karma]

hope your fridge is strapped in really good and you have a good tie down over the top !!
not sure how long you have been wheeling ? but you ever been in a roll over ? I KNOW YOU DONT PLAN ON IT SO IT WONT HAPPEN

honestly I think quite a few here dont have a scenario they plan for the worst and dont have some preconceived notion a rescue is going to be sit in your jeep with your comfort things waiting at the most 3 days for rescue ?

I have met (and rescued) quite a few people who did not plan on being in trouble and the trouble surely did not fit THEIR SCENARIO !!!!

you have to realize your problem the second you need to be rescued becomes someone elses problem

HI Honu,
Been wheeling since 1964. However, with my Wrangler only since 2000.

Never been in a roll over, thank God! I do have a full roll cage just in case. You should look at the link I provided for my vehicle profile so your assumptions carry more punch. I am a careful trekker.

ARB fridge/freezer is fully strapped down and not with bungee cords but with ratchet straps. Also, it's bolted to the floor of the Jeep. It's going no where. Also, every thing inside the Jeep that could become a missile in an accident is also strapped down. Please, you insult my intelligence.

From what I can see in this thread, many folks do not have any plan at all. A bad idea but that's the way people are. I'm not that way. I always have a plan. That's the way I am. And I'm good at it. That's why I question the ideas that come up here. I always feel I'm better at planning than most others. When I meet someone better than me, I listen carefully.

It's Search and Rescue's job to rescue. You can't guilt trip me into admitting that they are being put out. It's what they do. And they usually do it well.

Sparky

 

[robert]

Wow. I skimmed through most of this thread and like some of the others here I have gone through more than one survival course including offshore survival and SAR training (yes, it's all related because it gives you skills and options and makes you think). I will reiterate what they've said, PLBs and EPIRBs have on occasion failed for various reasons but with no underlying health issues there is no good reason you shouldn't be able to survive a week or so with what you've got short of being injured.

Like you I travel alone most of the time. In order to improve my chances I've tried to look at any situations I may find myself in and situations that I (and others) have been in. I know you don't want to turn this into a vehicle thread but I'm going to mention it anyways since staying mobile usually eliminates the need to call for help. I skimmed through your vehicle posting and didn't see it mentioned if you have a second battery or not. Having that second battery can eliminate one of the top reasons folks get stranded. Preventative maintenance and having a couple of important spares such as a spare serpentine belt and fuel filter knocks out a couple of the other top reasons. You have a winch and a pullpal, have you got a shovel and a hi-lift?

Getting away from the vehicle prep and moving on to your survival kit (since that's what most of us are interpreting your question as), I will tell you some of the things I carry to help myself in the event of a problem. First off I keep food and water in the cab with me within reach from my seat. I also keep extra clothes (including fleece gloves and hat), a wool blanket and a sleeping bag in the cab. If I run off the road and get stuck in the truck I don't want to freeze. Remember you can get hypothermia at temperatures well above freezing, especially if you get wet or have alcohol (a vasodilator) in your system. I carry a tarp to provide shade in the summer but it could be used to cover a broken window for example. There's an Israeli dressing stuck in my door pocket as well as in my first aid kit. I carry multiple signalling devices including but not limited to flashlights (I like LEDs for their long bulb and battery life), road flares (also a great fire starter for wet wood, etc), a mirror, a flare gun (yep, I've carried one in my truck at times and I always have aerial flares in my kayak bags and one in my pfd) and a LED strobe. The strobe has a magnetic base so it can be stuck on the roof of my truck. Carry extra batteries for everything that uses them. Rubber, such as your tires, burns hot and very smokey (take them off the truck first ). I have a whistle in my pack and my truck has a horn. I carry aluminum foil for cooking but it could be used to cover the hood or roof of my black truck if needed or make a signal panel. I do not carry a gun for signaling. Each of my bags has at least two methods to start a fire; a Bic lighter and a flint and steel don't take up much room. I know multiple ways to start fires, but a Bic is still one of the easiest ways (a road flare is probably the easiest). There is a Write in the Rain pad (waterproof paper) and pencil in my bag in case I have to leave a note(s). It sounds like a lot, but most of it serves multiple purposes and I can use it as emergency gear if needed.

A ham radio and a GPS or good map can also bring rescuers right to your position, if you can get out with it.

 

[Honu]

Good points. I'm of the opinion that emergency preperations should include essentials for two scenarios. One, the wait for help. Two, the trek to find help. Usually, staying put is the best strategy, but not always. If I'm in a jam and have a vehicle with me, I'm stoked. I'll eat brauts and drink beer until help arrives. If I have to hoof it out....that's another thing entirely. Been there. Done that.

So true and why no preconceived but maybe better to say whatever fits ?

Not aimed at flounder more speaking to OP now

So stay with vehicle only ?
You are two miles off main road ? Do you still stay or know its a 2 mile hike to a main road
Or make rescuers come get you ?

Some here might hike if your leg is broke will change things

40 miles from nothing stay with the car !

40 miles and you were in a wash and got stuck now it's raining a day later ? Still going to stay in your vehicle ! Not me no way time to get to better ground hope I can easily carry my supplies and have shelter

So this is why it's nice to be prepared for whatever it's nice to have ideas like can I stay with the vehicle or not can I be close
If I stay with my vehicle but it's not capable of providing shelter anymore for unsafe reasons being say 100 or more feet from your vehicle what would your shelter be if you only planned in being in the jeep ? Now what

Again breaking down you have no choice or control where when how it happens
Be prepared for anything and everything

 

[Karma]

Welcome to the Internet, where people don't answer the question you asked, they answer the question they wish you had asked.

Good for you for rejecting feature creep. You have a specific situation you are interested in. For your scenario, I'd look at HAM instead of cell phones. More water. Maybe a solar charger (sized depending on what you plan to run of course). Signal mirror. Replace the tent with a simple tarp (unless you already have a tiny tent.). I forgot, was there a hand held GPS on the list?

You might think about your situation in terms of specific risks. "Vehicle immobile, engine works", "Vehicle dead, engine dead, main battery dead", "Vehcile dead in unsafe location, must abandon". All scenarios with and without minor/major injuries - think in terms of your mobility and ability to exhurt yourself.

More water.

For food, if weight is not an issue (staying with the vehicle), canned foods like beef stew would be a good choice. Don't forget a can opener. Pick something you would eat cold.

HI Thom,
Finally, someone who understands the need to limit the scenario. Thanks. I'm definitely feeling like the Lone Ranger. I think people ought to be listening to me rather than going off on their own rant. They might learn something. Is that hoping for too much?

Why more water? I carry 5 gallons - for three days. I think that is plenty even in the blazing desert sun. I do carry a small tent that would be used for a shade as well as a tarp. Check out my list. BTW, I never remove the water or gas cans from the vehicle once they are filled. I use self-priming siphons which work great.

Food: Weight is not the issue. It's storage space. This is just an itty bitty Jeep.

If I have to abandon, it's OK. The PLB will be with me and that's where Search and Rescue will look. Injuries are the major concern. But, as I said above, if I can stop the bleeding, I can out last anything else for three days. If not, well, then I die. Oh well.

Mobility is not a problem. I'm staying put. I do not consider walking out an option with my PLB. Walking out of some of the places I go is simply not an option.

Mechanical issues I can usually deal with. I carry plenty of tools and spare parts. But, if I can't fix the beast, I push the little button on the PLB. Help is on the way. No problem. I have zero egotistical problems with just waiting. John Wayne I'm not!

I am looking into ham 2 meters. I'm not convinced though. Repeater coverage is not perfect especially in wild places. Neither is cell coverage. But the PLB has great coverage.

No need for a solar charger. I have a dual battery system in my Jeep. Also, what would I be using that would require power? Oh, the Serius NFL channel. Yes sir!! I'm serious!!

I have a small Garmin GPS on the dash that will double as a hand held unit. But why bother? I'm not going anywhere. It has internal batteries. It is normally interfaced to my Panasonic Toughbook navigation computer. Both normally run off vehicle power. But in a survival situation, it would be powered down. I can live without the internet for three days. But it will be difficult!! The PLB has its own GPS receiver and transmits the rescue location to the saviors. It also has a low power homing beacon that S&R can use for radio direction finding. This will pin point the rescue location.

Signal mirror? I own one but I find them to be really hard to use. Did you notice on my list the portable air horn? No one has mentioned it. I have never seen one on other lists. It seems like it is good idea. Those suckers are LOUD. It's to help Search and Rescue in case they pass me by.

Is anyone reading my list?????????????????

Sparky

 

[Karma]

HI Robert,
You sound serious. Why no PLB? If you reread the vehicle profile you will discover I do indeed have dual battery system and high lift jack. I'm well prepared. Have you read my list. You should then reply with more knowledge. I want to hear what you have to say.

Sparky

 

[Honu]

HI Honu,
Been wheeling since 1964. However, with my Wrangler only since 2000.

Never been in a roll over, thank God! I do have a full roll cage just in case. You should look at the link I provided for my vehicle profile so your assumptions carry more punch. I am a careful trekker.

ARB fridge/freezer is fully strapped down and not with bungee cords but with ratchet straps. Also, it's bolted to the floor of the Jeep. It's going no where. Also, every thing inside the Jeep that could become a missile in an accident is also strapped down. Please, you insult my intelligence.

From what I can see in this thread, many folks do not have any plan at all. A bad idea but that's the way people are. I'm not that way. I always have a plan. That's the way I am. And I'm good at it. That's why I question the ideas that come up here. I always feel I'm better at planning than most others. When I meet someone better than me, I listen carefully.

It's Search and Rescue's job to rescue. You can't guilt trip me into admitting that they are being put out. It's what they do. And they usually do it well.

Sparky

Not guilt tripping ya at all on the others problem comment did not mean it like that more the idea of kick your feet back hit the button when you could have hiked a mile ? Or maybe not thinking the only way I will be rescued is to sit in my jeep

No worries though did not mean its guilt ?


On the no plan agree bad idea my post above says more many of us have no plan but many plans I don't think of them as much as plans but good practiced knowledge from experience one draws on
We know one day here can go from hot to freezing and dry bed to raging river
The idea you were half mile from a area that would be much safer to be rescued at and seen etc...

Say you are in the woods in a canyon pretty much no way to see you from the air and hard to hike into and the trail/bed you came in on is now a rive rbut yet half mile back was a nice large meadow open area
Yes unlikely but I think you see what I mean
It would be better for me and the rescuers to do their job and find me and recue me safely for them and you
Maybe that is more my point we can do things that help the rescuer which helps us be rescued
Maybe that makes more sense ?

Example planning a 3 day trip I tell my nice neighbor and a few friends and they know give me a extra day or two I can spot message them also but again stuff happens what if my spot did not work ? What if I did roll and damage was in such a way I could not get to my spot or plb ? Would planning on dash mount have been better ? Or it was dash mounted and why it's now broken or lost etc...
Again experience and balance of planning and to me planning is not as much playing through every scenario but having a good base line to draw from like at camp starting a fire with emergency kit then when you need to its easy can you do it with one hand ?
Eating that bar and finding out gives you gnarly cramps better to find out before and have one that works


Hope all those thoughts make sense
I would rather head back to the meadow area

 

[Karma]

HI Honu,
Come on, get serious. Besides injury two miles from a major trail is a no brainer. You get will much further with me if you don't treat me like an idiot. In fact, acting like you are tends to make me think that your ego is so large that I must treat all your suggestions with a grain of salt. I know that is not what you intend. But in truth you seem to be more concerned with being the big honcho than actually helping me. It's not appreciated.

Sparky

 

[Quill]

Seems like you have it under control. Survival kits are for emergency. Prepare for the worst and hope for the best. I will agree that you need a grab bag close by. Although you have never been in a roll over, you need to prepare for it. Think of it as outfitting your Jeep with proper equipment. You don't need a signal mirror as you have mirrors on the Jeep. You can make up food pouches fairly cheaply from the grocery store. Plenty of places on the net for the info. Youtube has instruction videos. Just practice with what you have.

 

[Honu]

On the list thing downloaded looked at it some seem checked some not etc.. Maybe we the wrong list ?

Anyway I am sure you think this also but my kit would change in season my needs with two kids are dif my experience is dif so my things would be different so I would never say I have one kit but tend to travel prepared
Going to the mtns for the day with the kids extra food and water and warm stuff for them

And idea of hiking out with kids would be very limited so that also puts me more like you stay with rig or at least close to it but also prepare for being away if need be


Don't take this wrong but sounds like the typical engineer developer type You said you did or do for a living
Each type person thinks dif And mostmengineermtypes I know are much more pull out the flow chart and list than the take it as it comes
The lists the nice layer out packed rig and not saying it in a negative way nice rig nice lists etc...

Take that Cody guy from AZ bet he does not have a list it's more what you have on you and not saying don't be prepared just saying if we need to be rescued something went bad and that bad was not planned so again I would rather be stranded with Cody and his one knife than someone with no experience and a bunch of things on them
If we had to survive

 

[Honu]

HI Honu,
Come on, get serious. Besides injury two miles from a major trail is a no brainer. You get will much further with me if you don't treat me like an idiot. In fact, acting like you are tends to make me think that your ego is so large that I must treat all your suggestions with a grain of salt. I know that is not what you intend. But in truth you seem to be more concerned with being the big honcho than actually helping me. It's not appreciated.

Sparky

Chill man you seem to have such a narrow idea of what works with you As you kept saying I am sticking with the vehicle to everyone ? Just saying would you still in those cases did not sound like it earlier ?
again just thinking out loud that's all

Since you seem to know more than anyone and asked I am curious why you asked if you had all planned out already ?

Did not mean it as a ego ? Again seems like you kept saying no way would I leave my rig but reality you might have to ?

Did not mean it any other way meant it with the best intentions