What should we carry with us?
Since every person has their own list of things they like to carry
with them when they go for a day/weekend trip, this list is by no means
"law" as to what should be carried with you. It is up to you to decide
what is important to you, for the trip you are going on and how much
room you have while on your journey. Some people have multiple cargo
areas on their machines, while others have limited space. Each trip also
carries it's own needs. Travelling on 150 kilometres of logging road
means different gear, to an extent, than the trip consisting of 60
kilometres of untraveled bush trail. Some of the basics you should try
and carry while riding in the north are:
-
First Aid Kit
Kind of a self explanatory thing....
-
Small Tool Kit
Most Atv's now come with the "essentials". Make sure you bring it
along, and haven't left it on the deep freeze when you used it last
time to change your spark plugs....
-
TIRE REPAIR KIT
I am putting this in large letters as it is very important to always
have on of these in your daily kit. Some important people have
decided that it takes 8 hrs to walk 1 hr of traveled ground by a
quad. When you take into consideration a quad traveling at a speed
of 20 kilometres an hour, I can see why "they" say this. Kit should
consist of several plugs (more the better) and some patches. A
tire plug tool should also be part of this kit. Knowledge on how to
use these tools/plugs is also very important and can save you quite
the walk.
-
A small Air Compressor
Canadian Tire sells a small inexpensive 12 volt air compressor called "The
Airman" that can be found for less that $40.00 (as low as $16.00 if
you can find it on sale) which fits inside a small pouch or cargo
box and makes it nicer and faster that "hand pumps". Tire pressure
should be checked before each ride and inflated to proper psi as per
the manufactures instructions.
-
Tow Rope
A tow rope is a valuable part of the kit to have as many (if not
all) winches are not manufactured to "tow" with the winch cable. A
10 - 12' tow rope is plenty for most cases, and can be used to
extract yourself from a mud pit when you find you are just a few
feet way from that tree that will support the weight. A Tree Saver
is also a good idea to carry as this saves damages to trees. DO NOT
USE A CHAIN.
-
Fire Starter Materials
These days numerous companies make a "Fire Starter Kit". These
generally consist of a large thick compressed sawdust/fuel mixture
stick with a match head on one end. The idea is to strike the match
on the supplied box, and then use this self burning device to start
the smaller kindling to get a fire going. If you are stranded for
the night or during cold weather, this device is nice to have.
Matches and kindling will work just as good, but these new types are
easy to use and fairly cheap to purchase. Which brings us
to.....
-
A Chainsaw
As mentioned above, if you are doing a lot of trail riding, carrying
a small chainsaw is worthwhile. It can wreck a good day of quading
if you find your favourite trail blocked by a downed tree. Only
slightly worse is when a tree falls across your path on your way
home. This can add quite a bit of frustration to what would have
been a perfect day.
- Communication devices
While cell phone coverage may excel in the Kamloops/Kelowna area,
coverage in the North is spotty at best. It is still a good idea to
carry a cell phone "just in case" coverage is there, but when
traveling into further remote areas such as Christina
Falls/Redfern/Wilderness it is a good idea to carry either a
Satellite Phone or a Spot
Satellite Messenger. A sat phone can be rented for a short
duration (by the month) but cost generally runs into several hundred
dollars a month and may not be easily available. Spot Satellite is
cheaper to purchase($169.00), and coverage can be purchased for a
yearly basis of around $100.00 per year. This gives you 24/7/365
days a year coverage.
- Food (extra)
While packing a lunch for the day is a good idea, if a situation
arises where you will be stranded overnight, having a bit of extra
"munchies" is a good idea. Injuries or accidents can happen
anywhere, and sometimes we are not the ones it happens to, but being
prepared for an overnight trip is a good idea.