What gear do you bring?

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HanniBill's picture

Bill Caldwell
Chemainus
What gear do you bring?

I was looking through my rig today and it got me a bit curious as to what everyone else is carting around with them. I am running a jeep YJ with some lug tires and custom bumpers. Depends on the time of year, but during hunting season I have a .30-06 and a 12 gauge Mossberg 500 pump plus I carry the usual array of tools, a spare UV joint or two, a couple of blankets, a Hi-Lift jack (its on the front bumper, so I grease and clean it weekly), a CB radio, a small trenching shovel on the quarter panel, and my fly fishing gear as well as a coat. I also have a rather large field knife that does double duty as a hatchet for removing small to medium logs and brush from trails. So what do you guys carry? I always wonder if there is some other piece of gear that I just cant live without and dont know it. I am thinking of picking up one of those SPOT GPS locater/messenger dealies because I spend a lot of time in the woods alone.

theshanergy's picture
Admin

Shane
Alberni Valley

I usually bring tow rope and shackles, a chainsaw, full toolkit (sockets, wrenches, screwdrivers, etc), axe, hatchet, cb radio, frs radio, SPOT gps, Garmin gps, 12 gauge Winchester, buck knife, hiking boots, extra clothes and jacket, and a backpack full of water and MRE's (in case I ever need to walk out or camp unexpectedly). I usually also bring a cooler and rubbermaid for food/snacks/drinks as we often stay out over night.

I've removed my back seats and perfected my storage system so everything has a particular place and I can still lay out a full bed in the back (4runner) to sleep on.

HanniBill's picture

Bill Caldwell
Chemainus

Thanks for the reminder! i also have rope and maps as well as GPS and a kit with some fat wood, waterproof matches, a couple of lighters, and some wire.

Trackick's picture

Simon
Duncan

Sounds like you have mostly everything you would need. I bring about the same. Rope, come-a-long hand winch, hatchet, tarp, full tool kit, spare fluids (Oil, coolant, auto trans fluid, what have you), jack, backroads mapbook, air compressor, 12 gauge remington, shovel, gps, bag of blankets, chainsaw, few water bottles, sometimes my water filter for drinking creek water if needed, and my fishing rod.

If I plan on going camping at the same time I usually bring more stuff but without a roofrack its hard to fit alot of stuff in my tiny rig, so I try to keep it minimal when I can.

BeRadical's picture

BeRad
duncan

I am gearing up for a good season, in my camping pack i have;
a tent
sleeping pads
water
dried fruit
rain gear for wife and I
orange blankets for visibillity
a hammok
tin pan and pot
trail marking tape
emergency lights
teas/ nutella packs
tinder and paper in a double wrap zip zag
saftey light/wistle
sling shot
flolding shove
and rope,
I will also have my kayak and fishing gear out on the lakes fishing this summer. but I will be doing it safely
I want to add a water filter pen for when you need it and a few cubes of that fire starter shit a compass and map book but besides that I think I need to finnish joy and go hit up a lake for the weekend to field test it all out
for recovery gear I pack one tree saver strap 1.5" wide
half dozen shackles
another 15' strap 2" wide
a snatch block or 2
a little come along,
need to aquire a farm jack.
GOOD GLOVES
and lastly my winch controller. now I have a remote winch control as well, WARNING do not use a remote winch control to take up the last five feet of cable! do not use it for situations where finesse is nessisary! WARNING!!! all recievers are set to pull for a full second when it recieves a signal! via the remote!
I also have a socket/ wrench kit that is purpose built for my rig! being able to change an axle or drive shaft, much else than that and you probably shoulda left it in the drive way. Get to know your rig! if you dont need a full set of tools this can save you some weight! especially for you 4cylinder guys! or guys like me who pack too much!

for getting around I primarily will run my tablet with back country navigator pro, havent finnished the over head console it will sit in yet. picks when its done.
A mini cobra cb radio for communications between vehicals.
and working on geting my certification for vhf radio for emergency purposes

lots of time (years) and money (thousands) into all of this, and no Im not going to trash on it. what would be the point. I just dont want natural barriers to be in my way when it comes to making a trip from kinsole to port over a week without seeing a single paved road.

a chain saw is nice till it becomes a projectile in an accident, I prefer to take one when I know I'm going to be up to no good opening up deactivated roads, as fallen trees across the road is common on old roads(I would like to take this time to say I dont agree with cutting down gates with a gas axe, look at the train tracks in port! gas axe asshole) or going around a gate. neither of which happen often.
hope I have shared with you some usefull pieces of information here, I really do encourage every one of you to get out and enjoy the spectical, just be safe about it cause if something bad happens enough times out there every one will be locked out permanently.

know your limit play within it.

Trackick's picture

Simon
Duncan

Now that's a list

IslandExploration's picture

Chris
Nanaimo

Well; tow straps are a must. A come-a-long also. I have two large plastic bins that fit nicely in the back of my XJ. I carry: A first aid kit, saw and hatchet, a few sticks of dry fire wood, fire starter, waterproof matches and windproof lighters, jack, tool kit with all the basics (big hammer included - if only I could count the number of times I've used this), emergency blankets, survival kit with long life water and food, 18L water jug full, extra oil and brake fluid, flashlights, super small tent just in case of unplanned camping, GPS, hand warmers, feet warmers, large wool blanket in a sealed plastic bag and a small tarp, electrical tape, duct tape is a must, small bin of random nuts and bolts, pry bar, gloves, boots and a complete change of clothes (socks - the whole works) and of course twice as much food and drink as I would ever plan to eat / drink.

BeRadical's picture

BeRad
duncan

Lol were on the other side of the world, too bad my tab doesnt translate.

theshanergy's picture
Admin

Shane
Alberni Valley

Good call on the fire starting stuff (waterproof matches/lighter/etc). Think I'll add some of that to my kit as well.

Fatty's picture

Fatty
Nanaimo

When you guys talk about bringing firestarter some of the absolute best firestarter you can find is all around you in the douglas fir forests on the island. When I worked in the bush we called it "Nookie Wood" but another name is Fatwood. You can find this stuff in the center of old rotted out fir stumps and is identifiable by a hard spire of wood sticking out of the top of a mostly rotten stump. It will be very solid because it is almost entirely pitch and when you cut the wood it will have so much pitch it looks like smoked salmon and will be the strongest christmas tree smell you can find.

Just a few shavings will ignite and burn with great intensity and will allow you to get a fire going almost anywhere. If you are in an old growth fir area, use the thick bark from a fir tree and if in mostly cedar area look for a downed cedar and cut the underside that has become extremely dry. Also the goats beard lichen can help to get things going or even find a fir tree that is pitching out from a wound on the trunk.....with this all you need is one match.

I know this isnt neccesarily a "what to bring" item but sometimes you need to "find" stuff. I carry a small stick of the nookie wood in my truck for emergencies.

theshanergy's picture
Admin

Shane
Alberni Valley

I'll try that next time I'm out Fatty. I had pretty much resigned to just freeze to death if I ever needed a fire.. in months like these around here everything is so waterlogged, it's impossible to start a fire. Bringing dry wood from home is a usually a necessity for good camping. FattyWood™ to the rescue! ;)

Fatty's picture

Fatty
Nanaimo

Haha I think trademarking that is a good idea.

A good nookie wood and fir bark fire went a long way on this -12C day in the bush.......couldnt even get near it and didnt need my jacket lol

some great tips! one thing i dont leave home with is my winch. hand power winch kit. its only a 3000lb n 50ft spool. its in a small case. its worth 150 new. case, jumper cables and hook are custom. but simple to make. all the imports have the metal eye to hook to. i use a tree neck too. this unit means i can take any one of many vehicles into the woods with some kind of confidence even a 2wd!!!!!!

I pack light:

emergency medical supplies. includes anti inflammatories and allegic reaction. and some type of food. alcohol. splint kit. bandages.
a small thing of tools which includes odds and ends and hay-bail wire, duck tape. hose clamps, hammer
tire chains, shovel, twist jack (best kind to run over).
machete or an axe,
lunch.
blanket,
winch kit
tunes.
tooth paste, brush, hand cream. napkins.
shades.
Mylar ground sheet.
binoculars.
telescopic rod.
tow leader.
1l oil, 4l gas n water.
tie downs and bungees
marking paint. my own colour.
crazy glue in the med kit

i have a day pack that has a knife, lighter, flash light, compass, candy, gum, trail mix, just nuts or peperoni. overalls, jacket, gum boots, extra socks, belt.

some things are always supposed to be in any vehicle:

sunglases
gloves
gum
tail mix
flash light
fuses
car blanket
jumper cables
jack
spare tire
tire bar
hidden key
napkins

the two white plastic containers : tools and odds, the other is medical supplies.
winch kit is in the grey case
netting hung from the roof is used to keep things clean: jackets blankets etc

Trackick's picture

Simon
Duncan

This threat is definitely a must read. Some gold in here

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