ZUKIWORLD Online | Suzuki 4x4 Editorial and Forum
ZUKIWORLD Discussion Forum => Suzuki 4x4 Forum => Topic started by: r3cc0s on December 01, 2004, 04:31:38 AM
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as we have some bad winters here in wpg
I'd like to help some people out who get stranded
currently I have a tow strap, a hand come-along winch
just generic stuff like shovel, big ole jerry can marker hazards, flashlights and insta heat stuff
I dont' have lockers yet so i'm not sure if I can get through thre real deep stuff and now just lifted 2" body and 1" suspension w/ 235 a/t tires
I was thikning of buying a battery boot unit/air compressor and a set of tire chains
how good are chains in the worst possible road conditions? and what do you suggest?
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there is a reason chains/cables are suggested on slippery roads and thick snow. They plain and simple work! They also help you stop as a normal tire will not grab as well as chains will. They suck when the conditions keep changing though.
Sounds like you already have the back full so I won't suggest anything else! ;D
Oh ya, first aid kit. I have used that more than anything else in my rig.
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Couple of items additional:
water (couple of small bottles would be fine), candy (chocolate preferred), some trail mix (peanuts, crackers, and such), gloves (leather, wool), wool hat, wool socks, wool scarf, old jacket, newspaper, card board, matches, road flares, flashlight, hand mirror, fix-a-flat, hand tools (SAE/Metric), cross-bar lug wrench, tire chains, roll of tp,
Strap shall only have loop ends, no hooks. Use clevis/d-rings to attach or loop itself through.
Water will tend to freeze, but rarely will the plastic crack and leak. Soda will make you more thirsty. Candy for energy as well as filling. Same for the trail mix. Wool clothing when wet will still hold body heat. Newspaper for easy starting a fire. Card board to block the air across the radiator, this keeps the coolant a little hotter. Mirror to flash sunlight if/when necessary. One time use fix-a-flat is good to help, but may cause damage to the tire/wheel. So careful consider use on it. Other tools are self explanatory. Cross-bar is a lot easier to use than the stock lug wrench.
Other things like letting someone know where you are going, carrying a cell phone (old phones can be used for emergencies only |removethispart|@ no cost. Dial 911 (US) for help.) Roll of tp is self explanatory.
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FIRE EXTINGUISHER!! ;)
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As much as I can fit in the little Booger ;D
Its better to be over prepared then under prepared.
Something to live by.
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FIRE EXTINGUISHER!! ;)
Quoted for truth :-X
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I know zuk's don't break, but I also carry a small tool box,jumper cables, and a couple of blankets, and a pocket lighter for starting a small fire,I also carry a small solar cell for the desert in the summer time.
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Doesn't anyone else have a satelite phone ??? Jeesh, you guys are being way to hard on yourselves ;)
Brian
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I have a cell phone, but if I want to talk off of a sattelite I would use my ham radio, it's free 8)
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All sounds pretty good , couple to add, one of those foil blankets that they give to runners after a marathon.
They are always good for keeping warm
And maybe one of those cig lighter kettles so you can heat up that frozen water and mae a hot drink .
If you after recovery as if we get snow here theres cars stuck all over the place. I found a long long tow rope as once you recover the car they have a habit of hitting you in the back as they cant stop in the snow. doh
Also With the long rope you aren`t going to end up stuck your self
Lastly prep your own car for winter , anti freeze etc
Can we pics of any rescues carried out??
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A shovel and a girlfriend ;D ;D ;D
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I carry a bunch of stuff, but one thing that becomes very handy is a shovel. I'm not talkin about a flimsy plastic snow shovel, but rather a steel coal-type shovel. They come in handy for trying to dig through the hard-packed plow ridges that line almost every road. I have one of those silver foil emergency blankets, as well as a fleece blanket and fleece-lined sleeping bag. Jagular laid out a pretty good list above, but add to that a thick candle or two. If you're stuck in the middle of nowhere, a candle can add up to 10 degrees to a small enclosed environment, like the cab of the zuk. Just be sure to have a candle holder of some kind and of course be extra careful around open flame. The electric kettle idea is also a good one, be sure to melt snow before eating or drinking it because it takes a lot of energy that you might need for your body to melt it, plus it speeds the way into hypothermia. The 4-way lug wrench is also a good idea, because you might need to use it on someone else's rig with different sized lug nuts...
Tire chains do work very well in deep snow. The ride is interesting to say the least in these little trucklets...
in snow, the best type of lockers to have would be selectable(meaning so you can turn them OFF). That way the truck will handle so much more predictably and feel much more stable running around with open diffs, then when you get stuck, you can lock the diffs to get out.
Also, keep in mind the limits of your rig. It's a 2500 lb little thing. If you want to run around helping everyone out of the ditch, buy a 4wd tow truck! LOL! I say that because pulling people out can be really hard on your trucklet, causing any number of problems. It's actually harder on your trucklet than offroading is(all things being equal, like tire size, etc). Take it easy on the clutch and make sure you attach the strap to a very secure, centered part of your front or back end. A hitch is perfect.
Also don't forget the golden rule: the one who got stuck in the first place should be the one to lay on the cold, wet ground hooking up their end!
BTW: I always let the other person hook up their end of the strap to their vehicle. That way if it causes any damage to their vehicle, they have no one else to blame but themselves!
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A shovel and a girlfriend  ;D ;D ;D
(thinking to self) sleeping bag too right ;)
stu
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(thinking to self) sleeping bag too right ;)
stu
Well theres also a good rope, the winch and the high lift. I don't carry usually many tools but most of the people I drive with have much older vehicles so they do :D. If I'm going away then I'll take a couple of driveshafts some UJs and a spare alternator - all that deep muddy water clogs the brushes and spare bulbs, belts and plugs.
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" I dont' have lockers yet so i'm not sure if I can get through thre real deep stuff and now just lifted 2" body and 1" suspension w/ 235 a/t tires "
I was running the 3" suspention lift with 235's a few year ago when we got around a foot of snow. It closed everything down.
I was able to get around really good (completely open diffs). The only time I got stock was when I stopped at my sisters to check in on them. I ended up sitting on top of the snow when I was done and the tires barly touched.
After digging out from underneth the truck, I took off and made sure I didn't stop in the deeper parts.
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I would add about 3 or 4 MREs.  Some instant coffee, and a 12 volt coffee heater mug.  They are great! ÂÂ
Plus a couple of folded up disposable or military style ponchos.  ÂÂ
I have used my jump start box and compressor to help a number of motorists and found that to be the best item I carry.  It is amazing how many breakdowns along the road are folks with dead batteries!  And when you need a jump nothing else will do except a good samaritan with cables or a jump box!
A good first aid kit with a major wound type dressing could be a life saver. Add a CPR mask. And a multi tool or multi knife.
Oh yea a good portable light too.