Making a Survival Kit for Your Offroad Vehicle

It is always important to remember that even though we feel we have a capable vehicle for our trail rides, one can never know when the worst may befall them. There are some easy things that can be kept in your vehicle for a survival kit at all times that may come in handy and don’t take up much space.

The most important thing to remember is a capable tool box. There will always be times when a simple fix can get you out of a sticky situation. For starters, keep a multi-tool and a flash light in your vehicle at all times. They make a lot of flash lights now that do not even require batteries so when ever you may need it, it will work for you. Also, some spare belts and zip ties can come in handy in bad situations.

Let us not forget in our tool bag either some fix a flat or a bottle of slime, along with an inexpensive plug kit to get you home when that dreaded bush finds your tire at the wrong moment. For those of us who are not equipped with on board air, a simple air compressor that plugs into your cigarette lighter will easily do the trick.

As for your survival kit to keep you going on a day when you are really stuck, held up by weather, or just plain lost while having a good time. There are many simple affordable things that can help immensely. In your camping section at your favorite store you should be able to find all that you will need.

Survival blankets are cheap and a very compact way to ensure that you will never be left out in the cold. You will also never want to forget your trusty flint. For those of us that are not smokers and constantly equipped with a lighter this may be just what you need to start up a small fire.

Also, you can buy water purification tablets. These tablets usually purify a liter of water. These are well worth the little bit of space they consume to have with you at all times. As a precaution I usually keep an entire case of bottled water in my vehicle. I have the back up of the water tablets but you never know what you may run across. Better to be safe than sorry, ya know.

Make sure that you have an adequate first aid kit as well. These can also be found at just about any store you go to. It may be worth it to get more than just the basic. We are offroading and may have people working on cars which can sometimes cause a slightly more serious injury. I even keep a suture kit in mine, just in case.

Now that we have covered the basics of water and heat you may be wondering what you will do when the snacks in your ice chest run out. Well, this is easier than you think.

Many companies now make protein bars that are packed full of calories and fat to keep you going through a rough night stranded. Also, you can find survival food bricks. These you may need to look for online. They are popular for earthquake kits and such but, I keep a few in my vehicle too. The bricks last for years so it is very rare that you ever have to worry about replacing them.

If you want to be a real planner you can even pack MREs in your vehicle. These can be found at any army surplus store along with the heating packs for them. These usually don’t’ taste very good but neither do the survival bricks or the protein bars. Hey, beggars can’t be choosers, we are surviving here.

It is always smart also to make sure that before you every head out on your favorite trail that you have at least one change of clothes with you. No matter what the weather may feel like at the time make sure you bring that jacket with you also. If you are only planning on taking a day trip you should have enough extra room for these items.

While it is never advised to go out alone let’s face it, it happens. There have been those days when a nice gentle trail ride is just what the doctor ordered. Friend or none to go along with you, we are all guilty of this at some point in time. A well equipped survival kit could be just what you need on a day like this.

My survival kit has also saved me at times I would have never imagined it was needed. Those trips where the traffic gets long and the kids are starving. The nights when we were headed home and the highway shut down due to fires or snow. There are a million things that this can help you with.

Having a survival kit with you in your offroad vehicle will initially take some planning and a few extra trips to the store. This survival kit may never be something that you have to get into, we can hope. But, if you keep it stocked and keep an eye on your expiration dates it can really save you in a pinch.