Emergency Plan for Mechanical Breakdowns in the Bush - What is yours?

[moosey]

This question applies especially to solo hunters, or solo vehicles. I was wondering what plans, options, or stories people have when their vehicle breaks down, gets stuck etc. deep in the bush.

[pconpcs]

Hi Moosey,
Sorry no good stories here, but for me it's just being prepared:
- Spare tire (obviously!). But also always make sure there's air in it. And do a change every couple years. lugs can get seized, etc, so it's good to know all the equipment works.
- Extra gas. I always go in the bush with spare gas in case.
- Prepare for over night. Always assume you won't come home that day. blankets, food, water...basics. The extra gas also helps if you have to run the truck for heat.
- InReach ... best investment for emergencies, so if you're out of cell range, you can still communicate with home.
- I haven't personally done this yet, but would like to. Get your radio license and have one in the vehicle. Might be able to reach other people nearby on parallel FSRs or something.
That's about it... hope that helps a bit :)

[HarryToolips]

I tell my wife where approximately I'm going and when approximately I'll be back, if I don't return she gets ahold of ppl....I also have a SPOT that I can sent 'assistance needed but not a medical emergency ' messages...

[Ghilliesuit]

InReach #1, a good mechanic so you don't breakdown and a good driver so you don't get stuck.

The further into the outback I go, the less I'm inclined to take risks. Walk the obstacle before you drive it, how deep is it REALLY, can I turn around or do I have to back all the way up?

[MOOSE MILK]

Hunting partner is good mechanic, good walking boots, overnight kit. Bottle of Scotch bribery for tow job.

[Rayne]

I had this problem last weekend. Went to chase a bear left my lights on with my wife and kids by the vehicle. When she went to start it I had killed the battery. Got lucky and found someone to give us a jump.(I didn’t even have cables)
So needless to say I went home ordered an emergency kit with cables. A noco battery booster. A tire repair kit. And a compressor. I now have the basics covered. I always bring along a tool set just in case. Luckily I still had service but help would have been a couple hours out at best. Always go prepared even if it’s just a quick hunt.

[WaterFowlin]

+1 For the inReach. I don't care how mechanically inclined you my be, sometimes you just need parts.

I often try to leave the wife with a general area, but plans change. And I don't mind spending the night, but she is not OK waiting for me not knowing the circumstance.

[Dour]

Don’t buy a ford ;) I bring spare parts. The number one thing you need is a pair of linesmen pliers and a new roll or tie wire. It’s gotten me out of the bush a few times. Once a wash out took our road out. I had no choice to drop in and winch out !!! and I snapped my rear track bar off Haha I just backed up a hill lined the rear axel up and lots of wire. I made it back home from Lytton . After some more hunting. Great stories on that trip !!!!! Anyways. Tie wire keep it in your rig

[RICKADY]

X 2 and stay off the booze when your driving!

[RICKADY]

Ya tie wire your Dodge and Chevy, BUY A FORD! LOL, its all good men, always be prepared,

[Cdog]

Mini compressor and plug kit. Could have used one last weekend after getting screw in tire. Had to drive back to town with tire hissing.

[sky-gunner]

Prep before hand with basic essentials, IE tire repair kit, spare, jack, rope, shovel, chainsaw and tool kit. If all this fail to rectify the situation, hiking boots and a short barrel 12g for the hike out. Always have a first aid and survival kit with as well.

[Squamch]

My truck holds the following when in the bush:

Spare tire
High lift
Tools, from a multimeter to a 1/2" breaker bar, to vicegrips and tie wire
Chainsaw, gas, bar oil, files
Axe
Shovel
Viair compressor, plugkit, tire patches, rubber cement
Tarp, line, water, pocket stove, freeze dried meal
Spare fluids-gas, oil, coolant, brake fluid, ATF
Winch, straps, snatch block, shackles.

Most importantly, me, with a knowledge and experience using all of the preceeding items.


Now, I have also fixed a blown coolant line with a nickle for a screwdriver, and refilled a rad with creek water using an empty beer can found on the side of the road. I had foolishly assumed that other people would be as prepared as I.

[warnniklz]

Got a vehicle - there's your shelter
Need a way to start a fire
Then just need some water

However my most recent situation was just this weekend. I had a rear brake piston break on me. Well grenade actually. Tire iron, a rock and twigs as chopsticks to unlock everything and clear the carnage to get to town. Could have been a bigger issue. Luckily keeping calm and assessing the task at hand, I was back headed home within an hour.

[walker1985]

Had a flat this weekend in the bush but good thing my buddy had a tire repair kit with plugs and a compressor.

[Joegle]

This past weekend, got back to truck after 3 days and vehicle didn’t start. Had wife on inreach talking to bcaa who couldn’t find my fsr. Managed to get vehicle started, hobbled 60km back to a town, 180km tow and $350 taxi ride to get back home on my 3 week old bcaa membership. Still trying to process the trip and what I learned...

[Squirrelnuts]

A tire plug kit, a bottle of Slime and a cigarette lighter compressor. All cheap and easy things to take along. A second spare in a perfect world.

[northernguy]

I always park my manual transmission rig pointed down hill when I leave it in the bush...I can always "roll start it" if needed when I get back. A simple trick I learned when I was young and couldn't afford a new starter for my truck for a while:-)

[drift6969]

Just wait till someone shows up, good excuse for the wife to stay in the bush longer :D

[Redthies]

I have a $40,000 camper on my truck, so I don’t get too crazy with off-road driving, but it does go along way from pavement. I just save the gnarly trails for my 4Runner if I tow it to a base area. I keep cables, fluids, tools, compressor, recovery gear and a fridge full of food and cold beer. Some of my spots are a 4 low crawl into, but not for any great distance. Leaving the house with a solid vehicle to start with is the best plan. I recently went from a new Ram 3500 Cummins to a 2005 Dodge 3500 Cummins. The $40,000 I got back from selling the new truck paid for a ton of new parts in the ‘05. It’s now as reliable as the new one was with only 25% of the money tied up.

I have had to fix fairly big holes in tires with multiple plugs, and last year I jumped in my apprentices Tacoma and left the truck and camper in base camp for a snowy day of whitetail hunting. We spent a lot of time getting his truck out of the bush after his fuel pump died. We managed to coast it down from the top of the mountain to the KVR and then walked 8 km with big packs and extra guns back to my truck. His truck stayed out overnight with an ATM in the back. (Doesn’t everyone go hunting with an ATM strapped in the box of their truck?). The next morning we managed to get his truck going and drove it out.

*Tip for those who have an in-tank fuel pump die on you... bang on the top of the gas tank where the pump bolts in (if you can get to it, we used his jack crank). Sometimes if you give it a bang or two it will start to pump again. He made it from Rock Creek to Kawkawa Lake before it died again, and then BCAA got him to his folks place in Mission.

[weatherby_man]

Didn't see it so sorry if someone mentioned already but along with all the other stuff listed which I carry most of, I also always carrying a spare fan belt.

[bruce44]

I had a friend who broke down just south of the Yukon border. He was at camp and his truck battery was dead. He had to ride his ATV to find other hunters. He helped them pack their moose out and gave him a jump. They managed to drive until the next gas station, where the battery died again. The alternator was not working. Luckily they got another boost and made it back to fort nelson and got it fixed.

It depends on what kind of mechanical breakdown you're talking about. Where I hunt, there are lots of gas wells that send out cellular reports, so it's rare to find no bars on my phone. I set maximum distances between myself, my atv and my truck. 5kms from my atv max, incase I twist an ankle and have to crawl back. 20Kms from atv to truck max, just in case my atv breaks down. If my truck breaks down, I'll just ride my atv to a the nearest highway or until I find another hunter willing to help.

[bruce44]

I also have lots of tire plugs, a spare tire, tire inflator, cans of sardines in my day pack that I don't touch just in case I get stranded, and a first aid kit.

[carnivore]

Does anyone have any experience with the services of BCCA in off road or FSR situations?

[vladthepes]

Well...i am 62 years old and i always hunt alone. Since I have a wife and child, i bring the following with me. A Spot GPS, a coffee can with tea candles in it (in case i must sleep in the car in sub-zero temperature), some food, warm clothes, sleeping bag and pillow, bottle jack and shovel, towing straps, light sticks. (oh, and i forgot...booze) :)

[mike31154]

2018 on a shared Moose LEH well south of Vanderhoof we had a few unexpected issues prompting long unplanned trips back to civilization. A group of 3 we had sufficient vehicular inventory to get us out of kaka. You just never know. In no particular order, wheel bearing on quad, belt on quad (doh, really should have had a spare), some sort of switch problem on quad, driveshaft on truck. The driveshaft was the biggie. Hunting buddy had departed up FSR one evening to contact significant other after I had found cell coverage at about Km 13. Dark by the time he headed back. As he was making u-turn the rear driveshaft dropped at the diff. He had a VHF but was out of range so we had no clue. I was on supper duty & was telling buddy #2 if he doesn't show soon, it's chow down time. About the time we considered going out after him, a faint crackle, broken tx comes on the VHF. ...driveshaft.....back..... hour..... So we continued to wait & the radio tx became stronger so knew he was on his way. He had strapped the driveshaft up to keep off ground & drove back with front drive on the 4x4. Took a long time since he stopped every 100 yards or so to ensure the driveshaft wasn't going to hit the dirt since it was spinning, driven by the xfer case. Long trip back to the 'hoof in my Taco with his driveshaft & were lucky to find a shop with parts to fix. Later in the week his battery in the truck croaked....

[Joegle]

Does anyone have any experience with the services of BCCA in off road or FSR situations?


BCAA free tows only count on pavement. Drivers go up logging roads but it’s at their discretion, and on your dime. Also not allowed in cabs right now, so you got to walk out until you can get a taxi to pick you up... maybe the operator will feel bad for you or you can try and to bribe them at least until there is pavement. On my taxi ride home last weekend, the cabbie said the tow truck driver charged $450 to pull a wrangler out of a mud puddle he got stuck in down a fsr. They try their best to locate you, in my instance my wife and the call centre couldn’t find my fsr even though they had my gps coordinates. They instructed my wife that the tow truck would be in contact with her when they were back in the service area to see if they could locate me.

[CR CRUISER]

I didn't see it mentioned, a jump start battery pack. I haven't had to use mine for myself but have jumped 2 other trucks with mine.