What to carry in your sled for survival

Some friends asked me the other day, "What should I carry with me in case I have to stay the night while snowmobiling"?
I told them what I carried and then I thought I should write this down and put this info on my Blog..

First off you need to make sure you have a couple of different ways to start a fire.
I pack a good wind proof lighter along with a magnesium striker.
Matches always seem to break up and are worthless if it's windy.
To start the fire I carry "Fire Paste." This comes in a tube like toothpaste and is easy to carry. Put a little on some sticks and light it. It's as easy as that.
To keep warm I always carry the shake hand warmers, which work great to warm your fingers back up when you have your gloves off to start the fire.
As for space blankets I use "Heatsheets" I carry the Emegency Bivvy and the Survival Blanket.
The Bivvy is similar to a sleeping bag and you can get into it. These will hold up to 90% of your body heat.
As for the blanket, I would use this for either a roof or a floor depending on what I may need it for.
Candles, If you either make a windproof shelter or end up in a cabin it's nice to have light.
A saw,  A lot of today's shovels have a saw inside connected to the handle and they work great.
A multi-purpose knife... Leatherman..
A small flashlight.
A signal mirror. If you need to signal someone the mirror works great.
A whistle.
An aluminium cup to melt snow if you run out of water.
I went to Sportsman and I spent less than $50.00 on all of this.
Make sure you pack all these items in some kind of protected bag or case.

On extra clothing I like to carry 2 extra pairs of gloves and an extra hat.
The experts suggest also another pair of socks.
Food, Snacks and water. I always carry a big bottle of water and a small bottle of Gatorade.
On snacks I like to always keep a snickers bar a couple of trail bars, ie.. Cliff bars, Granola bars,
and lots of beef jerky.
You need to remember that the beef jerky is loaded with salt and will dehydrate you so if you are stranded you may not want to chow down on lots of jerky if your water supply is limited.

Radios are a must with big groups. My group uses the Rhino 120's. These have the GPS functions, so if I can talk to them the GPS will show me where who ever I am talking to is on the monitor.

You can never have enough equipment to ensure your safety for any situation but with this info you should be able to survive a few of the things that Mother Nature may throw at you.

I am not an expert survivalists.
But I do believe in being as prepared as possible.

If you have any questions you would like me to address send me an email.

Thanks for reading, and happy sledding!
David

15 Questions with Karst Motorsports newest team member David Chadderdon

Name,  David Chadderdon

Age,   44

Family.. Wife Rachel married for 15 years 2 boys Griffin 14 and Reegan 9.

Years riding.. 35

How many sleds have you had?   WOW.. hmm  I think 15

What did you ride last year.. an 08 Yamaha Nytro with an Impulse race kit turbo and 174" track

What kind of horse power was that capable of? ..  oh 350  I would guess.  More than you need most of the time. (laughter)

Favorite riding place.. The Sierra Madres

How long have you ridden the Sierra Madres?    Let's see I started going down there in 1995, So 15 years

Any secret spots..  Now they wouldn't be a secret if I told you..  I may have one or....two? (laughter)

Best day of riding?  It was 2 years ago and we were in the Sierra Madres on a Wednesday after it snowed 2-2 1/2 feet the night before and we decided to stay another day and when we woke up and started to head up the mountain to the parking lot we were pushing new snow with the bumpers of our trucks. We had to play leap frog with each other to break trail We had our heads out the windows trying to find the road...
So needless to say when we finally got unloaded the sky was blue and the new snow was honestly 5 feet deep!!
It took us 4 hours to make it 10 miles to the top of the peaks.. That was some serious fun.

Hero's in snowmobiling?  .... Hero's..  hmmm I would have to say my group of guys I ride with first off. They all are a blast to ride with. Secondly I would say I have one "Hero".
Bart Butcher. He has pushed me to be a better rider every year. He seems to have the no fear and some of his lines are just out of this world. Bart still claims a chute down in the Madres as the only one to make it over the top. Maybe this year!! (laughter)

What's this years sled?  I am going back to Polaris and riding the new Pro RMK 163.  I can't wait!!

Any mods?   I may have to see how a turbo would do..(laughter)  I have a problem with boost. (laughter)

Goals for this snowmobiling season.. I am looking forward to working with Karst Motorsports and helping them in promoting their business.
I have plans on having organized rides at least once a month maybe more if need be, To take their cliental down to the Sierra Madres and show them everything from basic side hilling to the more advance carving and how to control your sled like never before. I also want to show people what the new Pro RMK is capable of doing and let them get on my sled and see for themselves and feel the improvement that Polaris has made on this years mountain sleds.
I also want to take the groups to the chutes we climb and see if anyone wants to tackle the likes of "Turbo Chute" "The Wall" or my favorite "Grande Huevos"
I plan on having a hot lunches and prizes to give away on each of these rides. I know everyone will have a blast and I think they will fill up fast.
Who knows I might even give up a "secret spot" (laughter)

Thanks David for your time. We at Karst Motorsports are looking forward to this year with you on board with us and riding the new Polaris Pro RMK!