Life Sustaining Off Road Supplies - What would you / Do you Carry?

[Daless2]

Life Sustaining Off Road Supplies - What would you / Do you Carry?

I was chatting with a friend last evening about what Emergency, ?Life Sustaining/Protecting? supplies we carry when going off road.

By Life Sustaining I mean things that really would be needed to sustain life, or protect life if left stranded off road.

Obviously different terrains may require different things, but I am looking for your thoughts on what you would or could carry as a ?Minimum Life Sustaining Package?

I would like to put some bounds around this as follows.

1. This would be a ?Do Not Touch Package? to be used only in an emergency, meaning stuff in this package should not be counted on to be used during a Jeeping trip. It should be left in place, unused and available to sustain life in an emergency only.

2. Package contents should be able to sustain or support the lives of 2 adults for 2 days and nights.


Here is what I routinely carry to sustain life. I cannot honestly say I keep my hands out of it.

Water - 2 one-gallon store bought, sealed plastic bottles.

Power Bars ? 4 Prepackaged Power Bars

Peanuts ? Two Peanut Roll Packages

Space Blankets Two

Rain Gear ? two super thin and cheap rain gear outfits ($4 at Mart-mart) To keep dry and prevent larger problems.

Fire ? Two packages of water proof matches and one Bic Lighter

Light Sticks ? Three Chemical Light Sticks. The kind you bend to activate.

Compus

Candles ? 2 candles to use for heat and light at night

Sterno ? 2 cans for heat or cooking

Knife ? Multi-function (leatherman type.)

Mirror ? Stainless Steel Mirror to be used as a means of signaling

Water Purification ? tablets to help make questionable water biologically safe to drink.

Duck Tape and Bailing Wire ? I have used these two items for so many things over the years I want them available to me in an emergency. Never leave home without them.


What else folks. What would you carry, or do you carry in some type of kit in your Jeep to sustain your life and that of another is you had to?

Let?s flush this out. If you think about it, everyone can benefit from this. We spend $$$?s on so many things on our Jeeps. Perhaps a little focus here might be a worthwhile investment as well.

Frank

PS: It is a give that some type of First Aid Kit will be in the Jeep. Let's leave those contents out of this for the time being.

[StealthTJ]

AnaKit, or EpiPen..
Firearm and ammo...




Fred

[Scott Hill]

A large plastic tarp 7x7 or so. It can be used for shelter, a place to lay to fix your jeep, or water gathering.


Scott

[Jim M]

I carry less water initially, but I do carry two Nalgene two quart containers and a pump type purifier with tablets. I use the bottles as waterproof storage for other items then plan to use them as storage for purified water.

In addition to most of the items you listed I also take along:

- sturdy fixed blade knife
-4 bullion cubes (chicken flavor)
-2 MREs
-Candle lantern with 3 8 hour candles
-Cell phone and car charger

I do carry much more when the snow falls and I take the F250 out. I can live in there for about a week on the supplies I carry.

[DanB98TJ]

Best thing to take? Another Jeep....

I don't wheel alone, so I don't carry as much as I would if I were out by myself, but still take a few things:

*Tarp
*MREs and granola bars
*CB and cell phone
*Duct tape
*Water
*Matches in sealed container and butane lighters
*Poncho
*Combat Tupperware (my Glock)

I also have a small tool kit and bag of miscellaneous tools (including jumper cables and the stuff to change a D35 axle shaft) along with spare fluids, 12-volt impact wrench, hand cleaner, small folding shovel, a roll of paper towels, toilet paper - can't forget that (there ain't no leaves to substitute for TP in Arizona - everything has stickers or spikes ) - all of this stays in the Jeep, all the time.

With the spare tire in the tub, space is pretty limited in my Jeep, so I try to keep things to the bare essentials.

[Jerry Bransford]

I don't care what I have so long as I have more than the amount of water I think is necessary. Water will keep you alive for weeks, nothing else will. You can live a long time without a bite to eat so long as you have water. In fact, consuming food... any kind of food... ups the amount of water required to survive.

All the other stuff is nice to have... but it doesn't mean crap if you don't have enough water. I carry 5 gallons at a minimum when I'm in the desert.

Key items in addition to water... but leave at home if it's a choice between them and water...
Signaling mirror
Silver tarp
knife
3-4 ways to start a fire
Hat, sunscreen
Hiking boots (not sneakers)
Flares are nice to have

And when stranded in the boondocks with your Jeep? Don't leave the Jeep, you're easier to find if you stay by the vehicle. I've been USAF trained in SAR and did it regularly... finding someone hiking, sitting under a tree or bush, or sprawled on the ground is practically impossible. But if you stay by your vehicle, you're gonna be found... so long as you told someone where you're going and your intended route.

[Jim M]

The difference in terrain and space betwen east and west is obvious throuh the list of items. Water is of little concern to me, but clean water is important. There are streams and ponds everywhere here so I only worry about getting the water potable. I can't imagine a place where there is no water since I've never been to a desert.

Additionally, it's hard to be lost in the north east for too long; there simply isn't enough space to do it. The most likely survival scenario for me personally is to be snowbound, not lost. The off road parks in this are all require check in and check out and are so limited in size that an overnight adventure is about the worst that could happen. Even in my days as a deer hunter in the western Maryland mountains I could ony walk for maybe several hours in one direction without finding another person. I was always taught that if lost, walk in one compass direction until
I came to water. Then follow it downstream and I would find civilization in a short time. I never tested it, but it sure made sense to me.

[Daless2]

Originally posted by DanB98TJ
toilet paper - can't forget that (there ain't no leaves to substitute for TP in Arizona - everything has stickers or spikes )

Another great example of how differing terrain creates differing requirements!!!

Frank

[mrblaine]

Originally posted by DanB98TJ
a roll of paper towels, toilet paper - can't forget that (there ain't no leaves to substitute for TP in Arizona - everything has stickers or spikes ) - all of this stays in the Jeep, all the time.

You got rabbits and a Glock. They're soft and furry, right?

[Tumbleweed]

I carry what I call my "Survivor's Bag". It is actually a Kayaker's waterproof duffle bag. It is filled with enough crap for me to exist on for 5-10 days providing I can get water. Or two people for 1/2 that. I carry 3 gallons in the vehicle of potable water-Always! It is kinda large, but it gets tied down where ever. It is not used unless absolutely needed-read almost never!
I have taken most items and put in vacuum packed bags. Used one of those home type freezer set ups for doing vacuum packing.

Along with the above mentioned items from others, I carry-
Whisperlite backpackers stove and nesting cookpot. Small, light weight and works!
Wire rope saw, the one with the rings in the ends for your fingers.
Hatchet
Whetstone, tiny one
utility razor knife and spare blades
Parachute cord
Two pair of socks
Two bandanas
Fleece gloves and stocking cap
Leather working gloves
Mini mag light and batteries
1 dozen, Ziplock freezer bags, in the one gallon size (these can carry water, carry food-berries, be a dish, pick up 90 wt messes, hold parts, and more.
1 tube Superglue-can fix damn near anything
Sharpie marker

[TJRON]

Tools, cell, spare parts, and some more tools, water and the most important......CIGS!
If I can't walk out I'll just die there and call it a good ride.

[StealthTJ]

Blaine, I about broke a rib when I fell off my chair from laughing so hard !!!

I carry a Glock also, but I guess I'll have to "tone" mine done, if I expect to actually use the furry rabbits.... 10mm





Fred

[Hellbender]

Originally posted by StealthTJ
Blaine, I about broke a rib when I fell off my chair from laughing so hard !!!

I carry a Glock also, but I guess I'll have to "tone" mine done, if I expect to actually use the furry rabbits.... 10mm





Fred

You need to learn to "bark" them when all you have is a big gun, just shoot directly under them and the dirt/rocks/bark will "shotgun" them....sometimes kill, but usually stun them long enough to finish them off.

We do this deer hunting when we want a squirrel to eat and all we have is a deer rifle.

[Tim]

all good suggestions. mines very exstensive.

i plan on adding a dirty magazine and a nintendo gameboy.

[mrblaine]

Originally posted by Hellbender


We do this deer hunting when we want a squirrel to eat and all we have is a deer rifle.

What do you do when all you have is a squirrel rifle and all you see are deer?

I thought I was the only one who knew how to bark a squirrel.

[DanB98TJ]

Originally posted by mrblaine
You got rabbits and a Glock. They're soft and furry, right?

Kinda reminds me of a joke about a bear and a rabbit.....

[sethmark]

Literally the only thing you NEED to survive is proper shelter and water. Virtually any break, cut, contusion, or normal health issue can be dealt with with improvised supplies. But ya can't get warm without proper clothing/ heat supply and if you run out of water, your gonna die.

Everything else is unnecessary. (there are a few exceptions, such as allergies, but they're case specific)

Seth (5 years of Wilderness EMT and SAR experience. Never found a dead person with water)

[Allen]

Wow.

I'm underprepared.

Water.
Mirror. (For my hair.....must look good when rescued!) Ok, for signaling.
Zippo.
Knife
Cell phone/CB/GPS
.357 Magnum

Allen

[mrblaine]

Originally posted by Allen

.357 Magnum

Allen

What, you need TP also?

[mrblaine]

Originally posted by sethmark
Never found a dead person with water)

What were you using to find them?

[sethmark]

All the finds we ever made were by air scent dog.

[Allen]

Originally posted by mrblaine
What, you need TP also?

No.

My **** don't stink.



Allen

(Yes TP and those wet wipes are nice)

[Allen]

Originally posted by T.Dome
i plan on adding a dirty magazine and a nintendo gameboy.

Maybe you'd rather not be found right away?

Allen

[Stu Olson]

There is a small compartment in my storage box (the one that is bolted into the TJ) that holds many of the previously mentioned items. It has two dehydrated meals (serves two people each with more than ample water to rehydrate), butane stove (for heat, cooking, and boiling water), matches/lighter, TP (seems that one keeps coming up pretty often in this thread), small first aid kit (for minor issues and not serious injury), knife, self powered flashlight, a space blanket and a regular blanket. That is the DO NOT TOUCH section of the storage box.

Elsewhere in the vehicle or storage box is another stash of water bottles and a several other things that were previously mentioned, such as duct tape, etc. Most of them are always in the vehicle since the storage box is always there.

One thing I have that no one else mentioned was a 100 watt HF radio. With it, I feel quite confident that I could contact someone, somewhere, and thus relay what ever info is required to effect a rescue of myself and those with me. However, I don't count it because it runs off of 12V and we all know the vehicle's battery can die.

I am going to PM Tim and find out what dirty mags he recommends.

[Hellbender]

Originally posted by mrblaine
What do you do when all you have is a squirrel rifle and all you see are deer?

Depends on how hungry I am!

[Hellbender]

Originally posted by Stu Olson


I am going to PM Tim and find out what dirty mags he recommends.

You should clean your mags a least once every few months, more if they're really dirty.

[Daless2]

Thanks for your reply. I am going to try and pull all of this together over the next few days. Perhaps in a checklist or excel file format. a Pick and Choose to make your own "DO NOT TOUCH Survival Kit.

Keep the ideas coming folks.

Frank

[Daless2]

Hi folks,

To start with I want to say thanks again for everyone?s ideas.

I don?t think there is any one right answer here yet I do think discussions like this are valuable and keep these thoughts somewhere in our minds.

When I started this I wanted to know what folks would carry to sustain life in an emergency situation for 2 adults over a period of 2 days. Needless to say there are lots of ideas.

My thought was to develop a package (box, bag, cubby hole, ect.) for my Jeep that would remain there at all times, undisturbed.

In other words, a package that would never ever to be used unless I had an emergency. Something that would represent the Minimum Survival Gear that I could ALWAYS count on having available to me, regardless of whatever else I carry in my Jeep.

Give this would be a ?Do Not Touch Survival Kit? (Maybe I should call it The Al Gore, similar to Social Security Lock Box Survival Kit!?) I don?t think I would be putting in the kit some of the higher priced items such as Firearms, or CB Radio, etc.

Those items I should/could have in my Jeep outside the survival kit. I certainly wouldn?t want to have them restricted to a ?Do Not Touch Kit?.


As I look at this, the make-up of any type of kit like this, it is obvious that some items will vary depending on what area of the country or season of the year a Jeeper would be in. Yet it is equally obvious that there are three elements each of us need to address to determine the make-up of our own survival kits.

The three elements are;

What Items will be carried
Why do you want to Carry this Item (What Function/Use will it perform)
How Important is each Item to Perform each Function. (Is it Vital?, Merely Critical? Or Just Important?)


Throughout this thread there are numerous ITEMS listed. Some we are in full agreement must be carried, like water. Others we have differences of opinions on.

Perhaps a process could be developed that will enable each of us to go through our own thoughts to identify and enable each to develop the appropriate ?Do Not Touch - Life Sustaining Survival Kit? for ourselves.


Here is what I have come up with to enable this thought process and relate the three elements in an easy to visualize and hopefully understand format.





This is a first cut at a decision-making matrix using a spreadsheet.

After I receive input and constructive criticism I will make changes and then make the spreadsheet available for anyone to download and use.



Survival Items

Take a look at the left side column labeled Survival Items. This Blue Shaded area represents a pretty good list of ITEMS (things, stuff, ect. ?) many folks recommend to be carried in a ?Do Not Touch Survival Kit.

This list is by no means all-inclusive and could be changed by anyone at any time. It is a representative starting point..



Survival Use

The question then becomes ?Why would I want each item in my survival kit?

Each item should be carried if and only if it performs a specific and important Survival Function.

Look along the top of the chart and you will see what I consider to be the eight (8) key survival functions that need to be addressed.

They are:

Heat
Hydration
Light
Navigation
Nourishment
Shelter
Signaling
Other

Every ITEM in the left column should be there because it performs one or more of these Survival Functions.



Importance

The third element to be taken into consideration is just how Important each Item is in Performing a Survival Function.


I like to use the following scale to rank importance:
1 = Vital
2 = Merely Critical
3 = Just Important



Determining Survival Kit Contents

Using the spreadsheet and the three element of Item, Survival Function performed, and Importance go over each line and plug in your numbers.


Let do an example using Canned Peaches.

I find Canned Peaches in the left hand ITEMS column and work my way across the Row through each Survival Function Column.

As I do I make my own judgment for each function as to just how IMPORTANT Canned Peaches would be to me in Survival Mode.

First column is Heat.
Nope! I place no value on Canned Peaches to supply me with Heat so I leave that column blank.

Next Column is Hydration.
Yes! I can use Canned Peaches for Hydration. But how important is this? I will give it a 2 for I think it is Merely Critical. When I type a Number 2 in that column, the cell will turn Yellow in color.

Next column is Light.
Nope! I don?t think I place any value on canned peaches providing me light.
Leave it Blank.

Navigation?
Nope! Blank again.

Nourishment?
YES! There is a considerable amount of nourishment to be had from a can of Peaches. I?ll give this a 1 for VITAL. Nourishment is the primary reason I would carry canned peaches.

Shelter?
Nope! Blank.

Signaling?
Nope! Blank.
(I just had another thought. Why couldn?t I use the can as a signal reflector. Obviously this new thought is not reflected in the spreadsheet above.)

Other?
None that I can think of right now. Blank.


So, for the ITEM ? Caned Peaches I have two uses or functions that it can perform. The most important is to provide Nourishment, and a secondary use is to provide Hydration.

Did I explain this properly?



It sure did take a lot of words for me to explain what is shown on a single row of this spreadsheet concerning caned peaches. And that my friends is the point.

Take each line, each ITEM and KNOW why you are carrying it.

Know what Function you expect each Item to Perform, and assess how IMPORTANT that Item will be in Performing the Function for you, given your unique requirements.



Take a look at Matches Item.

Matches (in my view) can be used to perform various functions in varying degrees of Importance;

*Heat (light something on fire),
*Light (light a candle),
*Nourishment (cook the rabbit you killed cause you raided the peaches from your Survival Kit last weekend. Shame on You!)
*Signaling(starting a signal fire for rescue worker to find you.)


Please note; the spreadsheet is set up to change the Color of a cell based on the Value you place on an Item to do certain Function.

1 is Red
2 is Yellow
3 is Green


The idea is to take each Item, line by line and decide for YOURSEF how important the Item would be in performing each of the Eight Functions. This is your call.

The spreadsheet is only provided to help organize your thoughts and the volume of information involved in making these considerations.

I believe it has significant value to ensure you are addressing all 8 Survival Function by at least one or more item. It will also assist in preventing carrying items not needs because the function is provide by something else you have in there.




Let me know what you think.

I can add or subtract ITEMS, and would be open to expanding the SURVIVAL FUNCTIONS if I have left something significant out that can not be addressed by those already provided.


After collecting your input and thoughts and making any needed changes I will put this up on the Web somewhere. Folks who might have an interest can then pull it down as an Excel Spreadsheet to use for themselves.


Frank