I ride in the Southwest of the United States. There are lots of open spaces, not a lot of trees and shade, and hardly a drop of water. When way out in the boonies by myself, I usually have the whole camping set up. But sometimes a day trip has just a tank bag and a tool stash. I've done some research into what I would want to have on me if the bike broke down or if Mother Nature conspired to trap me in the wilderness.
Worse yet, what if I or a riding buddy was seriously injured and could not ride out? I would like to be prepared until help arrives. ( Note - I stole / borrowed this image from an Austrailian ride thread...to make a point.) EDIT: NUMBER 1 ON THE SURVIVAL LIST- LEAVE A ROUTE LEAVE A ROUTE WITH A RESPONSIBLE PERSON. ( Definitely not one of the drunks on ADV. Maybe your wife or someone who will miss you when there is no one to change the channel or the cat box . ) If you do fall down and go boom, some poor schmuck is going to have to come find and get you. As we have found out with that Malaysian flight, it's a big world. Once you leave LA, you could be anywhere between Ocotillo, Vegas, or the Avenue Of The Giants. Leave a detailed route with an ETA. So after some research, I can fit most of what I hope is needed into a Wolfman Explorer Lite. It weighs 9.5 pounds. Not small, but not that unwieldy. Water is packed seperately and not accounted for in this weight.
I crafted a homemade divider to keep everything from turning into a gear stew. And there are always things that one wants to keep at hand day to day.
So here is everything packed away. So here is everything I like to keep on the bike, close to hand ( along with quotidian boring items.) Top row, left to right: Datrex 3 day survival ration, Surefire flashlight, Tikka headlamp, rain cover for the tank bag. Next row, l to r: seatbelt knife with glass breaker, magnifying glasses, tire gauge, foam ear plugs, ESS googles with extra shield, spare set of gloves, bag. Third row, l to r: face shield cleaning wipes, first aid kit, emergency bivvy blanket, Israeli bandage, Sam splint, Visine etc, ace bandage, shemagh. Bottom row, l to r: phone charger, jacket cable lock, multi tool, pistol lock ( used as a helmet bar lock - damnit Los Angeles is a jungle someways!)
The Adventure Medical Kits are small but mighty. I have added a few things to beef it up. You could go whole hog here and carry a M.A.S.H. Unit on your back. I don't know how to intubate a person. I'm not starting any IV's. Just like the tool thing, it's a matter of training and expertise. But yes, a small first aid kit for scrapes and minor discomforts can save a whole day's riding. On top of that, I carry my own personal puncture kit. I bought a couple Isreali bandages. The Quick Clot single use pack is another addition - although I hear it's an absolute last ditch. It burns and creates a massive amount of scar tissue. Beats dying but creates a mess which cannot be restored afterwards. A SAM splint - what's the most common MC injury after ankles? I would say broken fingers and sprained wrists ( of course if your brains are oozing out what is left of your face shield, different scenario.) A pair of EMT scissors, which are actually pretty inexpensive. Ever try and cut anything neatly with a folding knife? You can cut up the SAM splint to fit a finger, or the jacket away from that nasty cut, or the duct tape to hold the SAM splint. Try cutting duct tape with a pocket knife with one hand. It sucks! Or try coming after someone,who is bleeding badly already, with a knife, clumsily hacking away at their jacket? That's usually when they lose it and start freaking out. Some extra safety pins never hurt. Forceps for splinters, cholla cactus spines etc. Gloves. No I don't think you have AIDS. But I don't want your filthy, motor oil, burrito fingers in my eye socket either. And you are not wasting my beer trying disinfect your personal nastiness. Can't be done. Burn gel. Exhausts, motors and the California sun are wicked hot.
Blackhawk Tsunami camelback / backpack WATER: In the water department, I found a camelback is the best way to not get dehydrated in the first place. How ever much extra you carry is up to you. I have some also in a military canteen with the metal cup and 'stove' thingy that all nests together. Stash some purification tabs in the cover. But I can't think of the last time I saw water out on a ride in California. I carry some Esbit fuel tabs as well. The Starbucks Via are tiny to carry and make a heck of a cup of coffee. Brew a decent cuppa if you need a pick me up or are half frozen. Coffee or hot chocolate on a stranded night is a huge morale booster. Even if you are just waiting for a long distance tow and not a Life Flight chopper. Fire starter stuff packed with kit: flint striker, cotton ball squished in Vaseline ( blue packet ), Esbit tabs in Altoids tin.
Wow, pretty cool and well thought out. I also ride in the desert a lot. I think two things are at the top of my list for remote riding by myself: water and a EPIRB of some sort. Water gives you the ability to work on your problem or walk/wait for help. The EPIRB allows you to call for help when the situation looks hopeless. By the time I take my tubes, tire irons, wrenches and bike tools and associated hardware I have a 8 pound tool bag. Then add a 3 liter of water. Then add some foul weather gear in case I have to spend the night, then toss in some snacks..then all of my riding gear...it adds up to a lot of crapÂ…before you know it I am looking like this (below) with a giant loop to boot. photo compliments of Fabless on the SDAR site. I like the kit you put together. DD
If you fall down and go boom or your buddy does and you can't ride out- what will kill you ( if the fall didn't) is exposure. I don't care how awesome you think you are. If you are immobilized by a broken ankle or leg and a light rain is falling just as it gets dark- you are soon in real trouble. Your sweat drenched clothes are a liability . The high desert is pretty F'n cold most winters. The crinkly survival foil blankets are pretty useless. They crinkle loudly so you cannot rest and you also cannot hear help looking for you. They are too small. They hardly hold any heat. REI has an emergency bivvy bag which they sell in the aisle with the first aid which is more robust. Packs bigger but actually is more substantial. Sharpie for size comparison. Hey, Sharpies come in handy! Throw one of those in too. A wool watch cap for the colder seasons and high elevations is a must. A sweaty helmet or a ball cap is no bueno when trying to stay warm. A nice sun hat is a must during hot weather. The desert sun is brutal DUH when fixing a flat, etc. This hat is made by Columbia. Pricey but is cool to wear, lightweight and packs flat as a sheet of paper.
Try and eat well every day and be well before you are stressed. I have a high metabolism and will snack on any damn thing at hand. It is hard for me to have to have a cache of food that I will not end up eating. So, for when I might really need it, I have stashed a Datrex "lifeboat" style ration in the tank bag. For emergency food, MRE's come packed with too much crap in that huge baggy. And the kicker is- in high temperatures the shelf life plummets to a matter of months or weeks, not years. Yes, during the war they sat out in the Arab sun and folks ate them. But they got eaten. They were not a long term stash of emergency rations. Heat kills MREs. Datrex bars seem to be a solution for me. Each one is about the size of a fat Klondike bar and has about 2500 calories. Stand up well to broiling in the sun for years on end. Don't need the Chiclets or the matches or the ingenious origami TP. Hey wait a minute. My grand pop got smokes with his C rations. WTF?
Map and an old school compass, not just a gadget with batteries that die. Compass has a mirror to signal with. Easy.
Love my Surefire. Carry it on the bike. Could be used a spare low beam headlight, but...Holding a Surefire in your teeth blows. Trying to get anything done with a light held in the crook of your neck blows. Dropping it for the third time and hearing the bulb blow... The Tikka headlamps are a little pricey but it directs the light directly at what you are looking at, keeping your hands free.
I got a hat just like that for cheap, prob at a thrift store. It is DPC, says handmade. Got to love thrift stores. A few other essential survival list items is honey(powerful antibiotic, and food, Epsom salt(powerful antibiotic and food), Iodine, Shea butter(wound dressing, sunblock, worst case survival food. Comfrey, the magical healing plant. Needle and thread so you can sew yourself up. Don't overlook the amazing things nature provides for us, lots of things we buy are modeled after natural products.
Fire's cool! I guess you could light your bike on fire if you were in a real pickle. I have a couple payments left on mine so I carry a little fire starting material on me. A Bic lighter is good for soooo many things. Zip tie it if it is a long term storage item. Otherwise, the constant jostling will leave you with a useless bit of plastic and flint. Sometimes at altitude or in the freezing cold they suck to light. Especially if you injured either hand. They also blow out pretty quick in a gust. Cotton balls swished around in petroleum jelly are nasty little tinders and flame up nice and long. Petroleum jelly is kinda water proof and it does not evaporate. At least not as fast as fuel from a Zippo that is stashed in a top box. The old dryer lint trick used to work. I tried new fangled lint made of man made fibers and it did not work so hot as it used to. Hah get it! Not so hot. Potato chips are pretty good tinder too. Who knew? A striker flint does not take up much room and throws a white hot spark. Set your bike on fire in no time. Your bike. Not mine.
Cell phone service can be spotty up a hill. SPOT trackers are a great idea but require a subscription. And some folks are reporting malfunctions. I have not sprung the $400 bucks or so but I am leaning towards an EPIRB beacon. It only transmits a 911 message. However, the reliability seems to be close to 100%. One promising looking device is the "Rescue Me PLB 1." Transmits on the 141 Mhz I believe. Make sure you get the land based version. The marine version transmits a different signal type for the flat horizon the ocean provides. This marine version does not work well in a hilly environment.
Absolutely. And just like tools, you can split up the weight and not have both having to carry an entire kit. Makes the whole damn ride better of course!
I would like to thank the Boy Scouts, the US Army and old man Winter for teaching me some important lessons ( and sparing my life and limbs.) Recently some of the best information I've come across has been from a couple sources. Two really good websites: For the basics, Paul Kirtley walks the woods of Northern Europe so what he carries has to be small and essential. http://paulkirtley.co.uk/2010/essent...ess-equipment/ The next website is authored by an Alaskan bush pilot who is responsible for not only his life, but the lives of his passengers as well. This is an exhaustive list of everything a pilot or sailor might carry. There are awesome gear reviews. Gear written about runs the gamut from cheap to military contract $$$. The best part is it is NOT a survivalist / prepper sight. No yammering about black helicopters or Obama. http://www.equipped.org/ Ride on, ride safe and have a blast!
Honey is for sure, a prepper's delight. They found some in the pyramids that was supposedly still good!
i have always been of the mindset that i cant repair EVERYTHING that could break on the bike out on the trail,,,, so i carry just the basics for minor trail fixes. i have always carried a small "survival" pouch with me, so i am always ready to walk out or hunker down till help arrives. both kits each are the size of a quart oil bottle, so, basically i carry two quarts of oil with me at all times, plus water, snacks and a few choice items i may grab depending on the condition or area i will be. i always look for items that can have multiple uses so, instead of the SOL bag i carry a military poncho,,,, i can wear it or unsnap it and use it as a small tarp/shelter.