By Russ Dickman on Unrecorded Date: Edit

I just purchased an ARGO BigFoot and was wondering what tools I will need to carry with me for emergency repairs in the field.

Thanks in advance for the info.

Russ
Chilcoot, CA

By dakota on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Russ , I live here in Sparks NV , not to far from you . I don't carry very much with me at all. i carry a 12v air compressor , in case i knock a tire off the bead . which doesn't happen very much in the dessert. spare plugs and a plug wrench , I have found that if i keep up on the pm's and give the machine a pre trip inspection , I have never broken down . i do have my winch and strap in case I get stuck , but some reason I'm always pulling out quads , and the occasional small car. I too have an Argo bigfoot , e-mail me if you ever want to go out for a ride

By Bud on Unrecorded Date: Edit

I carry a multi-tool, CO2 inflator, plug kit, and tire gauge in a small bag velcroed to the rollbar of my Max II. A couple of tow straps in a bag netted in the cargo area rounds it out.

A cell phone is nice to have as well.

By Dave Johnston on Unrecorded Date: Edit

I LIVE IN RENO and have done the Rubicon and some of the other crappier stuff around here. If you plan on only going WALKING distance, then don't worry too much about break downs. BUT if you are going to go really into the boonies, PREVENTION Is the best way to stay out of trouble...While the tires on the BIGFOOT are good, the rims are weak. Talk to DON at Argo World in Carson City about getting steel rings welded into your rims...inside and outside...that will greatly reduce bent rims and flat tires. You should carry a pump. Either a battery powered one or one that runs off 12 volt. Did you put in a cig lighter so you have an easy tap for power? If you DO not weld in the steel rings...then carry a hammer to hammer the rims back into shape when they bend. A 'possible bag" of various nuts, bolts, washers, screws, springs, and anything else you can think of is a good idea. That way you are more likely to have SOMETHING to fix a breakdown. A full tool kit is also a good idea. If you plan on hitting water, make sure you have the RIGHT grease in the axles. WATER is a biggie. I carry at least 3 GALLONS per person, just in case of a break down. Also cell phone, CB radio and those universal walkie talkies that you see at the stores...

By shane forsythe (Shanefor1) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

dave j,
just to add to that,
how to "get" water.
every school kid in australia knows you can get water out of trees.

all you do is cary a big clear plastic bag and some insilation tape.

wrap the bag over some tree leafs in the sun (or part shade ) you don't have to cut them off the tree.
the leafs will sweat out clean water in an hour or so you can fill a cup by usiing only one bag 2feet x 2feet square.

don't use poison trees.
we use gum trees ( eucalyptus species )
so you would have to find out what trees you could use that wern't poison.

i don't know if this will work in snow but you can just melt the snow there.
shane

By Bill cripe (Bcripe) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Problem is that in Nevada (and most of the SW) there arent many trees if any. Up high you might find some bristlecone pines but I doubt you would get water out of them. Only dried grasses and sage in the low country.

BC

By Kevin Percy on Unrecorded Date: Edit

For water in desert type country what about the clear plastic, 5 stones and a cup trick. The idea is you dig a shallow hole in the sand and put a cup in the bottom, then cover the hole with a piece of clear plastic holding it in place with 4 stones. Put the 5th stone on the plastic over the center of the cup. Any moisture evaporating out of the ground condenses on the plastic and runs down to where the plastic is lowest, over the cup and it drips in. I don't remember if I saw this on "The Flight of The Pheonix", on in a survival manual, or both.
With the snow I seem to recall that you have to be careful and as was said it should be melted, don't eat it because it may lower your body temperature in extreme cases.

By barryhh3f on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Winter survival tips:
Don’t eat snow directly. The top layer most likely is dehydrated and a crystalline form that will dry you out and put you into hypothermia. We used to demonstrate this in our survival classes. Don’t eat yellow or red snow. Yellow snow comes from you guessed it. Red snow is a poisonous fungus. If you must melt snow always start with a little water in the cup or pot, that will keep the snow from burning. Yes burning, you can’t burn water but snow isn’t water until you melt it. For an quantity of water production find and melt ice. Once melted water is at least 32 degrees, ice and snow will as cold at the ambient temp.

By shane forsythe (Shanefor1) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

bill cripe, kevin percy, barry h,
bill try the trick kevin said this even works in the desurt,
kev just remember to seal the sides of the plastis to the hole by putting sand on the sides to stop that evaporation from getting out.

and don't forget cacti are full of water just gotta know the safe ones to use.

barry h, i didn't know that about snow / ice thanks.
yellow snow, well if somone drank it they would have to be sick allready.he he.

red snow didn't know that.

of course you would heat it.
don't forget as you get higher up mountains it takes longer and more fuel to boil water.

so boil water in a valley.

i seen a show once some scientists tryed an experiment to boil water at 4000 feet in the andes mouintains and it took 20 square metres of grass and 4 hours to get a cup of coffee.

and they tried gas in another pot and it took allmost as long. i forget the show.

i'm collecting info on what plants to eat if you'r stranded somewhere ,
if anyone can help with edible plants of the americas that would help us all.

i can give a small list for u.s.a. but not many.

i can give a big list for australia if anyone is interested. plants, weeds and thair edible parts.

i have over 500 edible plants in my property.
i been collecting this info over 14years.

oh well that's my 2 cents.
shane

By shane forsythe (Shanefor1) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

bill cripe,
only grasses in nevada,
grate, the kalahari bushmen in africa never have a pool of water ,

they just suck the dew of grass early in the morning, just enough to survive.

and don't forget the downed u,s, airman who crashed in cosavo ( or serbia can't remember where exactly )
he collected water from dew in his socks and dojjed the serbian army for 2 weeks.

it might not sound grate but in a servival situation it's better than nothing.
shane.

By Russ Dickman on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Thanks everyone who responded. I'm really having a blast with the Argo Bigfoot! I have a 12v pump, a small tool set, hammer and plugs. I throw in a small shovel for winter. Been stuck twice and winched out, no problem.

Thanks again,

Russ

By shane forsythe (Shanefor1) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

russ,
emergancy blanket, normal blankets (the desert gets cold at night)
a torch, food tins, a pan to boil water,

a fire extinguisher ( a bottle of coke shaken up works too) it has co2 and water.

something to write a big s,o,s, sign with ( any suggestions here?? ).
shane

By David Keeso (Argomag) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Shane, use a stick for the sos. Write it in the sand. Or make bubble letters in the dirt with the MAX or ARGO or whatever you have. Surly you can find something even around your house to construct an sos sign with. What about those children tents that they play in. The poles that hold them up are plastic and have that elastic string in them so that when you pull the joints apart, they stay attached but they are not all together. Just shape them to the sos, and they store easily in a little bag.

By Steve on Unrecorded Date: Edit

I can add to this:
A heliograph, that is, a mirror with a hole in the centre for signalling aircraft
A flare
A plastic whistle
A fluorescent orange sheet

All these are available at your local boat shop. If you want survival gear, they are the place to go.
A plastic heliograph costs only a few dollars.

Steve.

By Dave Johnston on Unrecorded Date: Edit

SHANE,

Beg to differ. IT does not take longer to boil water at altitude and it does not take more fuel. Consider, the air pressure at a higher altitude is less. Water boils at a lower temperature as a result of the lower air pressure so less fuel is needed. The LONGER part comes in when you are trying to cook food. Since the water boils at a lower temperature, it takes LONGER for the food to be completely cook. (Look at a cake mix box, they often say more time is needed at higher altitudes.)
IF you do not want to wait forever for something to cook, you use a pressure cooker. That raises the total pressure so the temperature needed to get the water boiling is higher and that reduces the cooking time. But back to the wilderness, the concern is that since the water does not get hot enough at altitude, you can not be sure boiling the water will make it safe to drink. Best to melt the snow, then use a filter, just to play it safe.

By Dave Johnston on Unrecorded Date: Edit

SHANE,

Beg to differ. IT does not take longer to boil water at altitude and it does not take more fuel. Consider, the air pressure at a higher altitude is less. Water boils at a lower temperature as a result of the lower air pressure so less fuel is needed. The LONGER part comes in when you are trying to cook food. Since the water boils at a lower temperature, it takes LONGER for the food to be completely cook. (Look at a cake mix box, they often say more time is needed at higher altitudes.)
IF you do not want to wait forever for something to cook, you use a pressure cooker. That raises the total pressure so the temperature needed to get the water boiling is higher and that reduces the cooking time. But back to the wilderness, the concern is that since the water does not get hot enough at altitude, you can not be sure boiling the water will make it safe to drink. Best to melt the snow, then use a filter, just to play it safe.