Be Prepared

Winter is here and with that, many outdoor activities have begun. Today we'll talk about the sport of snowmobiling and what you'll need to have in the event of a breakdown.

1. GPS/Phone -Obviously, to know where you are and navigate to a road or point, however if you were able to use a phone or at the least send a text for help you can give you coordinates.

2. Portable Phone Charger -they sell for about $20

3. Compass-$5.00

4. Whistle-Much better than screaming with little effort, in the middle of the woods a whistle is distinct -  $3.00

5. Fire Starter- Lighter, water proof matches and small fire starter blocks. The blocks are 2 inches by 2 inches and can burn for 30 minutes, they are $5 a piece and are amazing for starting a fire (dry twigs may be hard to find if there is snow on the ground.) Another fire starting idea is you can disconnect your gas line and use a small amount of gas to start a fire.

6. Small Multi Tool-with knife, pliers etc....$10.00 

7. Water Bottle- preferably a metal one which can be used for multiple purposes.

8. Optional but worth it, I use SPOT, its a Satellite emergency beacon. SPOT has GPS responder built in, in case of emergency you hit the button, it notifies search and rescue and 5 pre-determined friends with your GPS longitude and latitude coordinates. It sells for $149.00 and the first years service is included  If needed its priceless.

9. Solar Sleeping Bag-$7.00, the size is about 6 inches by 4 inches and will save your life, reflects 90% body heat, you will not be toasty warm but you will live!

10. Snacks- things that last, don't really freeze and can be easily rationed and are in small portions- beef jerky, nuts, cashews, grain bars.

11. Map- topo map of the area you are exploring.

12. Two Way Radio- Cost about $30, for the five to 10 mile range, if people are looking for you, you maybe able to catch them on a channel.

13. Tow Strap-$15

14. First Aid Kit-$10.00 Small kit, either you or a buddy could get hurt and any of the items might make a difference.

15. Flashlights -$20.00 A head lamp, being hands free key. A small handheld will be good also, preferably the wind up kind or shakeable with no batteries needed.

16. Sharpie Marker to write on any surface, a few sheets of paper in a ziploc bag.

17. Gas Tank - a portable 2 gallon gas tank will save the day.

 Have a fun and safe season...brrrrrrp!