Go Back   Winnipesaukee Forum > Winnipesaukee Forums > Snowmobiling
Home Forums Gallery Webcams Blogs YouTube Channel Classifieds Calendar Register FAQDonate Members List Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 01-29-2016, 06:32 AM   #1
Winopt
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 100
Thanks: 76
Thanked 50 Times in 19 Posts
Default What's in your bag? It may save a life!

I would rather be sledding on tons of snow, but with our exceptionally mild winter, I decided to do an inventory of my sled. Granted, I have the type of sled with side storage, but, I have well over 30 items related to emergency/safety. I am always looking for small items that can easily travel in my sled and hope that I never need most of them.

To start, I'll show you three items. Running out of gas can be a major issue, so a siphon can be super handy. An emergency whistle takes up almost no room. Warmth is critical, so waterproof matches are small and a must.

What's in your bag of tricks?

Name:  IMG_1496.JPG
Views: 1477
Size:  26.2 KB
Name:  IMG_1498.JPG
Views: 1348
Size:  23.1 KB
Name:  IMG_1501.JPG
Views: 1322
Size:  31.0 KB
Winopt is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-29-2016, 06:53 AM   #2
2islandboy
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 11
Thanks: 1
Thanked 3 Times in 2 Posts
Default Ice Picks in Jacket

If you're on the ice, what ice - maybe in Quebec, always keep ice picks or screw drivers in each upper jacket pocket, to claw your way out. Then ROLL away from the hole. Saved me several times. Hard to crawl out of a hole in the ice, especially with boots, down jacket and shaking like crazy.
2islandboy is offline   Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to 2islandboy For This Useful Post:
VitaBene (01-29-2016)
Old 01-29-2016, 06:57 AM   #3
ishoot308
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Gilford, NH / Welch Island
Posts: 5,907
Thanks: 2,279
Thanked 4,924 Times in 1,906 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by 2islandboy View Post
If you're on the ice, what ice - maybe in Quebec, always keep ice picks or screw drivers in each upper jacket pocket, to claw your way out. Then ROLL away from the hole. Saved me several times. Hard to crawl out of a hole in the ice, especially with boots, down jacket and shaking like crazy.
You went through the ice several times??.... Might be time for a new hobby! . Once was enough for me!

Dan
__________________
It's Always Sunny On Welch Island!!
ishoot308 is offline   Reply With Quote
The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to ishoot308 For This Useful Post:
BroadHopper (01-30-2016), VitaBene (01-29-2016)
Old 01-29-2016, 07:04 AM   #4
Winopt
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 100
Thanks: 76
Thanked 50 Times in 19 Posts
Default

All the guys we ride with have them on or at least in their pocket. You can buy them online for 8-10 bucks. If you have never seen them before, the pick stays enclosed and comes out with downward pressure. The rope can go over your shoulders and through your sleeves down to your hands for emergency use.

Name:  IMG_1519.JPG
Views: 1395
Size:  26.7 KB
Winopt is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-29-2016, 07:14 AM   #5
2islandboy
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 11
Thanks: 1
Thanked 3 Times in 2 Posts
Default These are the BEST picks

YES, this is the BEST way to save yourself. Under your jacket, down to your wrists, then outside secured with rubber bands. When you go through, everything goes crazy and your thinking is skewed. I'm going to buy two sets of these online NOW, thanks!
2islandboy is offline   Reply With Quote
Sponsored Links
Old 01-29-2016, 07:24 AM   #6
VitaBene
Senior Member
 
VitaBene's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Moultonborough
Posts: 3,527
Thanks: 1,561
Thanked 1,599 Times in 820 Posts
Default

Thanks for posting this! I try to bring up ice picks every year here. The ones you have are great- I love how they go on thru your coat.
VitaBene is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-29-2016, 10:11 AM   #7
Winopt
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 100
Thanks: 76
Thanked 50 Times in 19 Posts
Default

Ok, I'll give you another one. You never know when you will need it, but you sure will be smiling that you have it! Keep your TP dry in a plastic bag.

What else is on your sled?

Name:  IMG_1527.JPG
Views: 1667
Size:  22.8 KB
Winopt is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-29-2016, 10:30 AM   #8
HellRaZoR004
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Litchfield/Gilford
Posts: 828
Thanks: 233
Thanked 224 Times in 131 Posts
Default

Flashlight. Just bought this one and love it. Little pricey and you can certainly get away with much cheaper ones.

HellRaZoR004 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-29-2016, 09:41 PM   #9
Winopt
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 100
Thanks: 76
Thanked 50 Times in 19 Posts
Default

HellRaZoR004, light is essential and I am going to check out this brand. Did you purchase it in a store or online?

I currently carry two light sources. The head light is LED and allows your hand to be free. I keep the batteries out of the light, but taped to the strap to assure battery freshness. The smaller flashlight is tiny. In the extreme cold it will have limited value, but taking up no space makes it worthwhile.

What else do you all carry?

Name:  IMG_1493.JPG
Views: 1595
Size:  25.9 KB

Name:  IMG_1495.JPG
Views: 1514
Size:  20.7 KB
Winopt is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-29-2016, 10:21 PM   #10
Winopt
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 100
Thanks: 76
Thanked 50 Times in 19 Posts
Default

I either ride in the lakes region or in Pittsburg. What do you do in the event of a real emergency? Pittsburg does not have cell service and even if they did, would a phone call really help emergency personnel find you? What if you are 25 mile out and there is a true emergency? I hope I never push the button, but I carry a GPS homing device in my upper chest pocket. Anywhere in the world if it were me or someone I came upon we could be found.

Name:  IMG_1517.JPG
Views: 1322
Size:  26.5 KB
Winopt is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-30-2016, 12:35 AM   #11
Winnisquamer
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Winnisquam
Posts: 408
Thanks: 72
Thanked 115 Times in 73 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Winopt View Post
Ok, I'll give you another one. You never know when you will need it, but you sure will be smiling that you have it! Keep your TP dry in a plastic bag.

What else is on your sled?

Attachment 11457
TP can be used for a lot more than the average person would think, and of course, the main reason it's used I never leave home without it if I'm going out to where I could get stuck
Winnisquamer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-30-2016, 10:23 AM   #12
HellRaZoR004
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Litchfield/Gilford
Posts: 828
Thanks: 233
Thanked 224 Times in 131 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Winopt View Post
HellRaZoR004, light is essential and I am going to check out this brand. Did you purchase it in a store or online?

I currently carry two light sources. The head light is LED and allows your hand to be free. I keep the batteries out of the light, but taped to the strap to assure battery freshness. The smaller flashlight is tiny. In the extreme cold it will have limited value, but taking up no space makes it worthwhile.

What else do you all carry?

Attachment 11458

Attachment 11459
I bought it on Amazon with Prime free shipping. I also have a headlamp for hands free when needed.
HellRaZoR004 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-30-2016, 11:37 AM   #13
DickR
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Moultonborough
Posts: 734
Thanks: 4
Thanked 254 Times in 166 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Winopt View Post
....
I currently carry two light sources. The head light is LED and allows your hand to be free. I keep the batteries out of the light, but taped to the strap to assure battery freshness. The smaller flashlight is tiny. In the extreme cold it will have limited value, but taking up no space makes it worthwhile.
I found out the hard way last fall that headlamp batteries ought to be removed when the light is not in use. We did think to get the headlamps ready for use while there still was daylight, and that's when I found out my mistake. I had to rely on a backup hand-held flashlight, plus light from a fellow hiker's headlamp for the rest of the way down in the dark. When I got the headlamp home, it took some disassembly and cleaning to remove corrosion and a resoldering of a wire to restore it to use.

Besides having a second light source to use in an emergency when the primary light fails, it also becomes very useful when the batteries in the primary go and you'd otherwise be fumbling in the dark to replace them. How many of us could locate spare batteries and replace the old ones in the dark, solely by feel? I did practice that once, but I'm not sure I'd want to have to do so out in the middle of nowhere in the dark. Presumably we wouldn't be out in the wild alone, but as pointed out, a backup light takes up so little space and weighs next to nothing that having one along seems prudent.
DickR is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-30-2016, 11:50 AM   #14
salty dog
Senior Member
 
salty dog's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Beverly Cove, Ma
Posts: 356
Thanks: 287
Thanked 147 Times in 81 Posts
Default

I don't sled but I'm sure I would have enjoyed it if I'd taken up the sport. I enjoy reading all the threads on the forum no matter what they are about. I came across this item awhile back and carry one in my Expedition. The old saying about having and not needing vs needing and not having...Anyway, for nine bucks, it's just possible it could be a life saver in the right situation. Thought some might be interested.

http://www.amazon.com/SE-EB122OR-Eme...ct_top?ie=UTF8

More effective than the old space blanket.
__________________
I'd rather be relax'n at Winnipesaukee

Last edited by salty dog; 02-26-2016 at 04:21 PM.
salty dog is offline   Reply With Quote
The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to salty dog For This Useful Post:
KPW (01-30-2016), Winopt (01-30-2016)
Old 01-30-2016, 09:19 PM   #15
Winopt
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 100
Thanks: 76
Thanked 50 Times in 19 Posts
Default

I once asked the Captian of the Pittsburg Fire Department what the most important things needed in a medical emergency. 1) We have to be able to find you. 2) Keep the person warm.

Salty dog, I carry a sleeping bag very similar to the one that you posted except it is for two. If truly stranded, body heat from another person may be life saving.

Name:  IMG_1508.JPG
Views: 1078
Size:  29.5 KB

I also carry the "space blanket" that has grommets so that you can make a tent or a wind breaker out of it. Bungee cords may be helpful to secure it.

[ATTACH]Name:  IMG_1509.JPG
Views: 1126
Size:  30.3 KB[/ATTACH]

What's in your bag?
Attached Images
 
Winopt is offline   Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to Winopt For This Useful Post:
salty dog (01-30-2016)
Old 01-31-2016, 07:32 AM   #16
Winopt
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 100
Thanks: 76
Thanked 50 Times in 19 Posts
Default

True story. It was early November and our last day of the season to be on the boat. It was a cool brisk day and it seemed like we were the only ones on the lake. Beautiful. I noticed a floating beer can. Drives me nuts and there is no way that I can just leave trash on the lake. I slowed and maneuvered the boat toward the can. My wife leaned over to grab the can and we both witnessed are only set of car keys disappear into the deeps. Are you kidding me? Since then we have the inexpensive magnetic key holder for the car. I don't want to ever finish a day of sledding and realize I have lost my keys.

Name:  IMG_1523.JPG
Views: 1069
Size:  23.0 KB
Winopt is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-31-2016, 07:33 AM   #17
PaugusBayFireFighter
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 837
Thanks: 361
Thanked 674 Times in 264 Posts
Default Think outside the box

Out on the trails? Feel a little chest pressure? Far from emergency services?

In this very possible scenario the single best thing you can do, besides staying calm, is to chew a couple baby aspirin. IF you are having a cardiac event, such as a heart attack, this intervention may, and probably will, save your life. Out on the trails the 'golden hour' passes quickly. Heart attack survival is all about early intervention.

Taking (chewing) aspirin at the first sign of a heart attack increases survivability and reduces heart damage. With a complaint of any chest pain the first two drugs you will always receive from emergency personnel are oxygen and two baby aspirin.
Attached Images
 
PaugusBayFireFighter is offline   Reply With Quote
The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to PaugusBayFireFighter For This Useful Post:
wifi (02-01-2016), Winopt (01-31-2016)
Old 01-31-2016, 07:36 AM   #18
Winopt
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 100
Thanks: 76
Thanked 50 Times in 19 Posts
Default

PaugusBayFireFighter that is an awesome tip and not one that I ever thought of. I actually have a blood issue and cannot take aspirin and therefore never thought of carrying it. I am buying it and adding it to my war chest of emergency items. Thanks!
Winopt is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-01-2016, 12:32 PM   #19
Winopt
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 100
Thanks: 76
Thanked 50 Times in 19 Posts
Default

You never know when there you might need to remove a tree. It could be sled that has shot into the woods or a tree that has fallen into the trail. I purchased this at Lowe's, was not that expensive, is very compact, has multiple blades and is razor sharp.

Who is going to get your broken down sled stuck out I the middle of nowhere? A tow strap can help with that as well as many other things.

Do you carry anything that can be helpful when things go wrong?
Attached Images
  
Winopt is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-01-2016, 01:00 PM   #20
SAB1
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Tuftonboro
Posts: 1,162
Thanks: 182
Thanked 297 Times in 220 Posts
Default

Lot of good suggestions. Trick is to find room for all the gadgets.................
SAB1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-01-2016, 02:16 PM   #21
Winopt
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 100
Thanks: 76
Thanked 50 Times in 19 Posts
Default

When I started this thread, I thought that it would be wildly popular. Now, I am realizing that the limitations of space on the average sled make taking many of these items impossible. The point of the thread is to have us all think about what we can take that will be beneficial so that we have it when we need it. Many of the items are small that anyone can take and many of the items we may already own. For example, as PaugusBayFireFighter said, take aspirin. Or, how about a Leatherman.

Name:  IMG_1529.JPG
Views: 921
Size:  25.9 KB
Winopt is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-01-2016, 07:17 PM   #22
nhcatrider
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 167
Thanks: 19
Thanked 29 Times in 27 Posts
Default

I carry 2 light sources, waterproof matches, firestarters, extra gloves, a knife, a small first aid kit, and a small tarp and bungee cords all wrapped together in a backpack. Also a couple of bottles of water and some snacks (peanuts, trail mix, etc) and have never had to use any of it in an emergency. Ice picks are in my pockets, but I tend to avoid lakes after putting a sled through the ice many years ago.
nhcatrider is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-02-2016, 11:41 AM   #23
dpg
Senior Member
 
dpg's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 2,559
Thanks: 149
Thanked 229 Times in 166 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by HellRaZoR004 View Post
Flashlight. Just bought this one and love it. Little pricey and you can certainly get away with much cheaper ones.

How many Lumens is that? Nothing like a super bright flashlight for anything, walking the dog, around the house, etc...
dpg is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-02-2016, 11:45 AM   #24
HellRaZoR004
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Litchfield/Gilford
Posts: 828
Thanks: 233
Thanked 224 Times in 131 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by dpg View Post
How many Lumens is that? Nothing like a super bright flashlight for anything, walking the dog, around the house, etc...
1000 Lumens, the thing is intense. By far the brightest I've owned and it has really great light concentration at long distances.

It was expensive though (~$90) on Amazon).
HellRaZoR004 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-18-2016, 11:58 AM   #25
dippasan
Senior Member
 
dippasan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Hooksett NH and Sleepers Isl
Posts: 380
Thanks: 272
Thanked 160 Times in 73 Posts
Default

I completely agree (as mentioned in previous posts) with the following as I have been snowmobiling for many years and have used these items the most:

Tow straps (Especially if you ride with Ski Doo owners ha ha)
A high quality flashlight
A saw
Leatherman Wave is a must!!
Siphon
Small tool kit
Toilet paper (ahhhhhhh)
My favorite item is an "instant on" blow torch and small propane bottle. It may be a bit on the bulky side for some but easily fits in most seat trunks or saddle bags. The last thing I want to do is to try to use matches in -10 degrees with a 20 mph wind to get a fire going.
Nothing like a 2,500 degree flame the wind can't blow out to get a fire going quick, to melt snow around nuts and bolts or to loosen a frozen track.
__________________
Luck is when preparedness meets opportunity
dippasan is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 02:07 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.

This page was generated in 0.34669 seconds