travelytrain
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hey guys, what you consider essential to pack for off roading. such as shovel, rope, health kit, etc? thank you for the help
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need advice, essential kit for off roading
- Thread starter travelytrain
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The list can be as long as your arm and very subjective to where you are travelling / doing - e.g. miles / days away from any help - are you traveling alone etc. Whats your plans?
One thing for sure, and something which breaks my heart to see - off roaders who have broken down with no mechanical knowledge - if you dont know your truck to the last nut and bolt then a service manual and a good tool set at the very least.
One thing for sure, and something which breaks my heart to see - off roaders who have broken down with no mechanical knowledge - if you dont know your truck to the last nut and bolt then a service manual and a good tool set at the very least.
On your own suggestion, a shovel and rope would indicate you going somewhere less firm than a stone track.
If you going near deep mud, and particularly if you're alone, then you should have a winch. Then, you need some winch-associated equipment, such as a snatch block (at least one), winch line blanket (or use a heavy piece of carpet or such like) spare rope (always useful) a tree protector (a rated 2 meter or more length of webbing with stitched eyes at each end), a number of rated shackles, more rope (rope is useful to stabilise a vehicle if it's perched at a crazy angle in danger of rolling over or sliding. Tie the thing to a bloody tree, attached to as may points on the vehicle and as many trees as your rope permits).
I carry a 3m length of chain which has proved useful, and when alone out on open mountain, I've taken to carry a ground anchor (only because I sweated for 3 hours one time, with one rear wheel sunk up to the top of the tyre in a deep hole, with the other 3 wheels on wet grass and not a tree, bush or anything stronger than a thistle as far as the eye could see).
On that occasion, I escaped using the main bar of my hi-lift as a giant tent peg, which I hammered into the ground. So I recommend a BFH (that's not a small hammer).
As Roger says, you could go on for ever with lists. I've got on-board air, but any type of air pump is useful, it's easy to pop a tyre off a bead, so you need some means of re-inflation.
Carry drinking water and some foodstuffs, anything that will aid survival if something goes wrong. That can be a simple roll-over or at worst a fire. So, a coat of some sort, and something waterproof such as a tarp or even just a plastic sheet will assist survival in an emergency, as well as the obvious fire extinguishers and first-aid kits etc.
And so on, ad infinitum....
If you going near deep mud, and particularly if you're alone, then you should have a winch. Then, you need some winch-associated equipment, such as a snatch block (at least one), winch line blanket (or use a heavy piece of carpet or such like) spare rope (always useful) a tree protector (a rated 2 meter or more length of webbing with stitched eyes at each end), a number of rated shackles, more rope (rope is useful to stabilise a vehicle if it's perched at a crazy angle in danger of rolling over or sliding. Tie the thing to a bloody tree, attached to as may points on the vehicle and as many trees as your rope permits).
I carry a 3m length of chain which has proved useful, and when alone out on open mountain, I've taken to carry a ground anchor (only because I sweated for 3 hours one time, with one rear wheel sunk up to the top of the tyre in a deep hole, with the other 3 wheels on wet grass and not a tree, bush or anything stronger than a thistle as far as the eye could see).
On that occasion, I escaped using the main bar of my hi-lift as a giant tent peg, which I hammered into the ground. So I recommend a BFH (that's not a small hammer).
As Roger says, you could go on for ever with lists. I've got on-board air, but any type of air pump is useful, it's easy to pop a tyre off a bead, so you need some means of re-inflation.
Carry drinking water and some foodstuffs, anything that will aid survival if something goes wrong. That can be a simple roll-over or at worst a fire. So, a coat of some sort, and something waterproof such as a tarp or even just a plastic sheet will assist survival in an emergency, as well as the obvious fire extinguishers and first-aid kits etc.
And so on, ad infinitum....
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I feel yiur pain...ffs
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I've been stranded in places as remote as Cardiff , Manchester and Liverpool just because i lost my phone and with it several hundred phone numbers . I have since made a point of memorizing just one number so i at least have a link to my former life if it happens again .
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You could buy a pencil Shayne...
In a roundabout way that's what i am saying mate but even a pencil is no good if you get back to camp and your truck and all it contains is gone .
travelytrain
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Good stuff!
pyemaster
Member
As mentioned above it depends on the type and duration of trips you plan on doing. I have certain kit I always keep in the truck, should I come across an accident or need to help move a vehicle. This includes fire extinguishers, first aid kit, survival blankets and recovery gear.
I then have one case with tools, torches, straps, zip ties, fluids, duct tape, etc in, which is the sort of kit you might need to bring for a light field repair on a short trip.
I also have another case in my workshop in which I keep the gear you might need on a longer expedition, such as repair kits, spare parts, portable shower, electrical components, etc.
The most important thing to surviving remotely however is knowledge - and that doesn't weigh a thing. It's not just basic vehicle maintenance and how to use your first aid kit and recovery equipment, but how to survive in the wilderness, proper navigation, how to get your bearing, etc. Knowledge of bushcraft is important if you like exploring.
Owen
I then have one case with tools, torches, straps, zip ties, fluids, duct tape, etc in, which is the sort of kit you might need to bring for a light field repair on a short trip.
I also have another case in my workshop in which I keep the gear you might need on a longer expedition, such as repair kits, spare parts, portable shower, electrical components, etc.
The most important thing to surviving remotely however is knowledge - and that doesn't weigh a thing. It's not just basic vehicle maintenance and how to use your first aid kit and recovery equipment, but how to survive in the wilderness, proper navigation, how to get your bearing, etc. Knowledge of bushcraft is important if you like exploring.
Owen
Gary820
Well-Known Member
I carry a fairly comprehensive tool kit, spare drive belts, wheel bearing kit, fluids/greases, hub studs, Jump leads, multimeter.
The usual cable ties, tape etc for temp repairs. Plus whatever else is in there.
That all lives in the 80 all the time.
I have recovery straps of varying length, shackles, snatch block plus the winch to go with it, hi lift Jack, an axe, a couple of knives, a shovel, bag of lime.
I have a spare set of clothes in a vac storage bag, spare fleece jacket, water proofs and in winter I have spare boots (York floods and can end up wet)
I've got a couple of those hand warmer gel packs too, handy in winter.
First aid kit, life hammer (the ones to break glass/cut a seat belt) a tub of hand cleaning wipes.
There's a tarp in there, on board air, fire extinguishers, when out laning usually have food and drink with us. Do a lot of solo vehicle laning so try to take the common sense too.
After that the wife as she knows everything.
The usual cable ties, tape etc for temp repairs. Plus whatever else is in there.
That all lives in the 80 all the time.
I have recovery straps of varying length, shackles, snatch block plus the winch to go with it, hi lift Jack, an axe, a couple of knives, a shovel, bag of lime.
I have a spare set of clothes in a vac storage bag, spare fleece jacket, water proofs and in winter I have spare boots (York floods and can end up wet)
I've got a couple of those hand warmer gel packs too, handy in winter.
First aid kit, life hammer (the ones to break glass/cut a seat belt) a tub of hand cleaning wipes.
There's a tarp in there, on board air, fire extinguishers, when out laning usually have food and drink with us. Do a lot of solo vehicle laning so try to take the common sense too.
After that the wife as she knows everything.
diggerdave
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I go quite 'light' really compared with some. I don't have a winch and tend to avoid deep mud, especially if we're out on our own
This is my normal laning kit for day trips in addition to food/flask/waterproofs/boots:
Shovel and mattock - these have got me and others out of sticky spots a handful of times. Probably most useful when trying to escape from deep ruts, both to create a ramp and to fill up the rut. I dig as part of my job so I can shift plenty of soil when needed
One long and one short strap and three shackles - it's usually me doing the pulling out so I made decent recovery points that attach to the rear chassis legs and I've got two Toyota hooks up front. I've never used the short strap, but I always thought it might be useful if a strong or oblique pull was ever needed to spread the load between both recovery points
Waffle boards - The cheapest ones, which I then cut a few centimetres off so that they fit on the boot floor crossways. I've only ever used these on a couple of occassions. Once to level off an alarming sideslope (probably more psychologically helpful than anything!) and once to help escape from deep ruts, although digging is normally enough
Rope - 25m of old climbing rope that I happened to have around. The sort of thing that would be really useful if things ever got awkward, so it's nice to know it's there even if I never use it. Climbing rope is very strong. It's not ideal for recovery becuase it stretches but it's better than nothing and it packs up quite small
Compressor - I keep a decent compressor in the rear footwell in case I ever need to let down the tyres to escape a situation. Never used it in anger and a footpump would do
Jump leads - heavy duty ones that I keep under the drivers seat. Just a handy thing to have and I've got people started a few times over the years - If jumping a modern car I would be nervous about ECUs and other delicate electrical devices though (a P38 range rover would probably explode)
Torch - if you need to do anything under the car, you'll need it. I've been in situations where I've helped out otherwise very well-equipped people who needed to repair something underneath their land rovers but realised they couldn't see what they were doing! I've got two: an LED one that fits into the cigar lighter socket and a wind up one in the glovebox
Tool kit - Just some spanners and ratchets, tape, cable ties, spare headlamp bulbs etc. I makes sure that there's enough to remove a propshaft if something catastrophic happens to a diff but really the cruiser will limp to the nearest road if needed, and if it's so badly damaged that it can't then I'm unlikely to be able to fix it myself! It's mainly for running repairs. Once my windscreen wiper spindle came undone so the driver's wiper stopped working, so I've never been without at least an adjustable spanner since
£100 in cash - In a worst case scenario I can pay someone to help with a tractor or JCB. Help may not be cheap, especially if the landowner/farmer is hostile. A friend from a farming family once suggested that a bottle of decent whiskey would also work. TBH I usually don't have that much on me, but SOME cash at least
Maps - realistically there are very few places in the UK where you will be so isolated that you can't walk to the nearest road or settlement for help (assuming that you're able bodied)... but only if you know where you're going
Two bottle jacks - you can potentially do much more with two jacks than just one
This is my normal laning kit for day trips in addition to food/flask/waterproofs/boots:
Shovel and mattock - these have got me and others out of sticky spots a handful of times. Probably most useful when trying to escape from deep ruts, both to create a ramp and to fill up the rut. I dig as part of my job so I can shift plenty of soil when needed
One long and one short strap and three shackles - it's usually me doing the pulling out so I made decent recovery points that attach to the rear chassis legs and I've got two Toyota hooks up front. I've never used the short strap, but I always thought it might be useful if a strong or oblique pull was ever needed to spread the load between both recovery points
Waffle boards - The cheapest ones, which I then cut a few centimetres off so that they fit on the boot floor crossways. I've only ever used these on a couple of occassions. Once to level off an alarming sideslope (probably more psychologically helpful than anything!) and once to help escape from deep ruts, although digging is normally enough
Rope - 25m of old climbing rope that I happened to have around. The sort of thing that would be really useful if things ever got awkward, so it's nice to know it's there even if I never use it. Climbing rope is very strong. It's not ideal for recovery becuase it stretches but it's better than nothing and it packs up quite small
Compressor - I keep a decent compressor in the rear footwell in case I ever need to let down the tyres to escape a situation. Never used it in anger and a footpump would do
Jump leads - heavy duty ones that I keep under the drivers seat. Just a handy thing to have and I've got people started a few times over the years - If jumping a modern car I would be nervous about ECUs and other delicate electrical devices though (a P38 range rover would probably explode)
Torch - if you need to do anything under the car, you'll need it. I've been in situations where I've helped out otherwise very well-equipped people who needed to repair something underneath their land rovers but realised they couldn't see what they were doing! I've got two: an LED one that fits into the cigar lighter socket and a wind up one in the glovebox
Tool kit - Just some spanners and ratchets, tape, cable ties, spare headlamp bulbs etc. I makes sure that there's enough to remove a propshaft if something catastrophic happens to a diff but really the cruiser will limp to the nearest road if needed, and if it's so badly damaged that it can't then I'm unlikely to be able to fix it myself! It's mainly for running repairs. Once my windscreen wiper spindle came undone so the driver's wiper stopped working, so I've never been without at least an adjustable spanner since
£100 in cash - In a worst case scenario I can pay someone to help with a tractor or JCB. Help may not be cheap, especially if the landowner/farmer is hostile. A friend from a farming family once suggested that a bottle of decent whiskey would also work. TBH I usually don't have that much on me, but SOME cash at least
Maps - realistically there are very few places in the UK where you will be so isolated that you can't walk to the nearest road or settlement for help (assuming that you're able bodied)... but only if you know where you're going
Two bottle jacks - you can potentially do much more with two jacks than just one
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These are the thingies on the "Must-Be-In-The-Car-At-All-Times" list, the one my drivers are supposed to abide by - under penalty of being cussed and yelled at and name-called whenever we need some. They get that quite often, I must confess. Anyways...
Compulsory:
- Spade/shovel
- Pickax
- Hoe
- Panga (machete)
- Tow straps, 3-4 of them, with D-shackles
- Ropes (natural fiber, not poly) and bits of rubber from old tube, to tie things with. You can fix lotta things with that, including bust bushes...
- Hi-lift
- Bottle jack
- Two spare wheels
- Comprehensive tools (set of spanners, ratchets, hammers, pliers, screwdrivers, etc), enough to actually take an axle or gearbox out, including Voltmeter and electrical tools and spares
- 20 lt of fuel
- 20 lt of water, PLUS 3 lt per person
- Dry food (dried meat, crackers, dried fruits, etc.), possibly a few odd tins
- BIC lighters
- Baby wipes
- A couple of blankets
- Flashlights (real ones, LED 800-1000 lumens)
- Jumper cables
- A healthy mix of bolts, nuts, washers, hoses, pipes, clamps, and assorted bits and pieces
- Superglue (very useful to stitch people together when they cut themselves)
- High quality epoxy
Now, we operate off-road for weeks at a go, in areas that are remote even by African standards. We have to get ourselves out of almost anything, and have to be able to manage two nights out on our own in case things get really stuck.
One thing that is very useful when winching: a log or piece of timber, 3" x 6" x 2-3'.
Trees are not always where you need them, and cables come from the factory just a couple of meters short of what would get you to an anchor point. Then you take the pickax and dig a trench across your front, tie the winch cable to the log and bury it. That will get you out of the hole...
Compulsory:
- Spade/shovel
- Pickax
- Hoe
- Panga (machete)
- Tow straps, 3-4 of them, with D-shackles
- Ropes (natural fiber, not poly) and bits of rubber from old tube, to tie things with. You can fix lotta things with that, including bust bushes...
- Hi-lift
- Bottle jack
- Two spare wheels
- Comprehensive tools (set of spanners, ratchets, hammers, pliers, screwdrivers, etc), enough to actually take an axle or gearbox out, including Voltmeter and electrical tools and spares
- 20 lt of fuel
- 20 lt of water, PLUS 3 lt per person
- Dry food (dried meat, crackers, dried fruits, etc.), possibly a few odd tins
- BIC lighters
- Baby wipes
- A couple of blankets
- Flashlights (real ones, LED 800-1000 lumens)
- Jumper cables
- A healthy mix of bolts, nuts, washers, hoses, pipes, clamps, and assorted bits and pieces
- Superglue (very useful to stitch people together when they cut themselves)
- High quality epoxy
Now, we operate off-road for weeks at a go, in areas that are remote even by African standards. We have to get ourselves out of almost anything, and have to be able to manage two nights out on our own in case things get really stuck.
One thing that is very useful when winching: a log or piece of timber, 3" x 6" x 2-3'.
Trees are not always where you need them, and cables come from the factory just a couple of meters short of what would get you to an anchor point. Then you take the pickax and dig a trench across your front, tie the winch cable to the log and bury it. That will get you out of the hole...
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