Getting There, Getting Back And What To Bring Along

Dakota Slim · Getting There, Getting Back And What To Bring Along

I'm sure most of you have had some problems with your vehicle at one time or another and have considered yourself lucky to have gotten back from a remote location without having to walk out and call a tow truck. I would also guess that many of you have driven to places where a tow truck couldn't make it to and I'll bet some of you weren't so lucky.
Being able to make emergency repairs in less than ideal conditions can make the difference between walking and driving out. I carry tools, a tire plug kit and a compressor and always make sure my spare tire is in good shape before I head off to prospect and I'm still adding things as I learn more about my Samurai. One good thing about a Samurai is they are simple, straight forward and fairly easy to work on. Another good thing is the izook.com forum. With all the trail riders and rock crawlers driving Samurais and participating in that forum, one can find detailed information about anything that can possibly go wrong, with a Samurai and how to fix it.
One thing I hadn't been carying in my Samurai is a U joint. A few days ago I drove up to the Blackbird Mine in the Eugene Mountains. The road was decent but it was a long uphill climb and on the way up I noticed a strange vibration which seemed to be coming from the rear end. I couldn't stop because it was too steep and the road was too narrow to turn around so I kept going until I found a place that was level. I took a look under the Samurai and couldn't see a problem so I continued on up to the mine where I was able to turn around.
I was cautious as I drove home and took another look at the rear end and the U joints. They all seemed to be OK. The next day I had to go to the post office and as I pulled into the parking lot the noise came up again but this time it was apparent that it was coming from the front end of the drive train. I took a look and sure enough the front U joint was disintigrating. I limped the Samurai back to the RV and located a U joint at the closest NAPA store which was about 25 miles away. I also checked the izook forum and found that many of the trail riders a carry U joints with them.
I didn't dare drive the Samurai any further so yesterday I drove the RV to get not one but 2 U joints. I replaced the bad one and I now have a spare. I'll admit, I was very lucky that this U joint lasted until it did. Had it failed on my trip to the Blackbird Mine I would have had a long walk, an expensive tow bill and could have damaged more than just the U joint.
Some of our fellow beepers have had little, if any experience in desert travel. I'm sure that the kind folks in this forum will add a few things to this list but I strongly suggest anyone going out in the desert to metal detect bring along at least:
1. Plenty of water
2. A spare tire
3. A jack
4. A couple short pieces of 2 x 4 or 2 x 6
5. A tool box with tools (Throw in some electrical tape, duc tape, glue and wire)
6. A shovel
7. Appropriate clothing (think hot AND cold)
8. A cell phone
9. A first aid kit
10, Their beeper, headphones, etc.
11. A pick
12. A plastic scoop
13. A heavy magnet
14. A GOOD map
15. A compass
16. Jumper cables
17. A GPS unit
18. A sharp knife
19. A tarp
20. A chain or a tow strap
21. Matches or a butane cigarette lighter
22. Extra gas

* If you have a flat tire and do not have a plug kit and a compressor, put on the spare and go straight home or straight to the tire store. Murphy's Law #16 is: Flat tires tend to come in 2's.

Goldfinger

Good post... In spite of all the remote locations I went to by myself- I was fortnunate enough to never have had an incident like you did. But I always had plenty of supplies- just in case....

Steve

wes

A CB radio is also a good idea to have. I just added one to my rig since phones don't work around most the places I'v been to.

Mr. McGoo

I have a Yamaha Rhino and also carry extra fuel filter, fuel pump, spark plug, CDI, hand axe, and 44 mag.

RexB

I always carry all the more common fluids for the vehicle of course (power steering fluid, oil, brake fluid), and the usual things such as a
spare,
tire patch kit,
jumper cables,
a jack,
first aid kit,
emergency blanket (looks like a foil sheet, reflect up to 80% of radiant body heat-a garbage bag will work similarly although smaller),
dress in layers,
sleeping bag rated to at least 0 degrees F
an inverter that plugs in the cigarette lighter,
cell phone,
mace,
loud whistle,
XD-40 sub-compact,
sks rifle,
pocket knife similar to a leatherman tool,
delorme maps,
gps unit,
plenty of food and water,
matches,
magnesium block for starting fires
hand sanitizer,
mess kit,
paper towels
sunscreen spf 40 (even though my skin is not sensitive to the sun)
hat,
sunglasses,
ETC.