Tips sought for riding solo

[Mike-AK]

I haven't tried it but I'm told that a flare will start a fire even in wet wood. You could easily zip-ty it to your fork leg......

Hey Tinken...when's the ZipTy fork leg flair kit going to be available?

 

[reveille]

Pre orders begin tomorrow...LOL The bikes battery will start a fire easy too especially with a bit of fuel or oil mixed in the tinder.

 

[Cosmokenney]

I haven't tried it but I'm told that a flare will start a fire even in wet wood. You could easily zip-ty it to your fork leg......

I carry one of these: http://dx.com/p/magnesium-fire-starter-survival-tool-with-scraper-black-246384
They're so cheap I bought several of them. One is also in my fly fishing pack and camping gear as a backup if my cigar lighter gets wet.

About a year ago, my son and I went through some trial and error with the survival fire starting methods. The flint sticks are almost useless unless you have some sort of prepared tinder, or just happen to find something that is of just the right material of an extremely flammable nature -- while out in the woods that's not going to happen. Dry leaves don't catch fire from flint sticks as easily as we thought. We tried scrapings of various materials, nothing worked. Out here, we have 100+ degree temps all summer. You'd think that grass and leaves would go up super easy. But they don't. The best thing to carry is one of the magnesium sticks, and a double zip-locked bag of dryer lint. Yep dryer lint. That'll start up just by the sparks on the flint bar. And then the magnesium will follow it up with an extra kick of heat. Those two things will get just about anything to burn.

 

[dave lindsey]

I have a SPOT, but it is unreliable in canyons and forestry canopies. I will be upgrading to the Inreach. I also carry a 2m radio, cell phones are pretty worthless out of range. Rope, water, space blanket, my .45 on occasion, tools, tubes, flash light, fire strtr, ziptys, epoxy stick and rations.

.45? Put it in your backpack?

 

[Husky24]

I would suggest joining a dirtbike club. I used to ride alone, but with all the illegals out here in the Arizona deserts, you never know what could happen. Injuries or breakdowns could be possibly fatal. For instance...I joined TRS, Trail Riders of Southern Arizona. Made a lot of new friends, and get a lot of good advice. Fun rides and we even sponsor a sanctioned race. Just a thought

 

[Mike-AK]

.45?

.45, .46 whatever it takes.

 

[Big Timmy]

I would suggest joining a dirtbike club. I used to ride alone, but with all the illegals out here in the Arizona deserts, you never know what could happen. Injuries or breakdowns could be possibly fatal. For instance...I joined TRS, Trail Riders of Southern Arizona. Made a lot of new friends, and get a lot of good advice. Fun rides and we even sponsor a sanctioned race. Just a thought

Husky24, where are you in Southern AZ? I'm in Douglas. I maintain the US/Mexico boundary Fence for Border Patrol. If you want to ride some heavy traffic illegal trails let me know. We may be able to follow the daily parade. Or lead the daily parade.

We have a little group "Cochise dirt riders" but hasn't been much activity on our Facebook page with our little BP group because we all have different work schedules I guess. I'm a civilian employee, so I have a regular work schedule with out changes and all holidays off.

PM me if you want to maybe get together. I have a few buddies who may be interested in a change of scenery also but its been a bit hot so am waiting for the Monsoons which are just getting going.

We ride the Mule mountains, Rucker canyon, Half moon valley north of 80 between Douglas and Rodeo NM. San Bernadino mountains. I ride local trails for fun also, ditches and river beds of the Whitewater draw etc. Lots of Mules and Coyotes. 2 legged that is. Snakes, Mule deer, Javelina's, Bobcats, Mountain lions, Lynx, even Feral domestic goats. If it wasn't for all these other animals I've listed that I see. I would only see Coyotes and Mules. Sometimes the Coyotes are the 4 legged type though, I forgot about them.

.40 cal works for me, Mike. I carry it in a hip/thigh pouch. Sometimes my .45 but 2 or 3 -.40s equal a .46,
LOL

 

[coleman1495]

I have a SPOT, but it is unreliable in canyons and forestry canopies. I will be upgrading to the Inreach. I also carry a 2m radio, cell phones are pretty worthless out of range. Rope, water, space blanket, my .45 on occasion, tools, tubes, flash light, fire strtr, ziptys, epoxy stick and rations.

You Americans are lucky being able to pack your pistols.

Last time I went out for a ride I ran into a bear bait station. About half an hour later I ran into a black bear who wanted to cross the trail in front of me.We played chicken for a couple of seconds. It eventually turned and ran back into the bush.

 

[bigmo]

You Americans are lucky being able to pack your pistols.

Last time I went out for a ride I ran into a bear bait station. About half an hour later I ran into a black bear who wanted to cross the trail in front of me.We played chicken for a couple of seconds. It eventually turned and ran back into the bush.

A buddy of mine packs a chick gun (like a 32 or a 380) whenever we are in the backcountry...says it is for big cats or bears. I asked him if he understands that a little chick gun is just going to piss off the animal... He replied "It's not for the bear - it is for you. I shoot you in the knee and then walk away...".

I am not 100% sure he was joking!

 

[ray_ray]

Last time I went out for a ride I ran into a bear bait station. About half an hour later I ran into a black bear who wanted to cross the trail in front of me.We played chicken for a couple of seconds. It eventually turned and ran back into the bush.

Coleman, you are a bear bait station also ... Take note and don't be the guy being interviewed after some event saying "I never thought that would happen" ...

 

[coleman1495]

Coleman, you are a bear bait station also ... Take note and don't be the guy being interviewed after some event saying "I never thought that would happen" ...

Yeah theres not much you can do about it though. Stay home I guess. I pack a short barrel 12g in my backpack (surprisingly we can own a 13 inch shotgun with little restriction). Problem is that when you need it its in your backpack. It does come in handy though if someone breaks down and you are forced to leave them till you can bring parts/a vehicle to haul them home.

Since I have already derailed this thread a little I figure I might as well tell another bear story. A buddy of mine in BC went out riding in a large group. His XR200 broke down on the way home. They hid the bike in the bush well off the path. They were worried that loggers may find it and steal it. He rode home on the back of a quad. The next day some of his logging buddies agreed to pick the bike up on their way home (they were in the area anyways). When they found the bike it had been torn to crap. The handle bar grips,seat and gas tank had been chewed up by something. There was actually a hole in the bottom of the gas tank where your knees would normally go.It looked like something had chewed on where ever there was residual sweat.As the loggers were leaving they spotted a grizzly sow in the area.

Anyways so I am a little paranoid about leaving anybody out it the bush.

 

[ray_ray]

Yeah theres not much you can do about it though. Stay home I guess. I pack a short barrel 12g in my backpack (surprisingly we can own a 13 inch shotgun with little restriction). Problem is that when you need it its in your backpack. It does come in handy though if someone breaks down and you are forced to leave them till you can bring parts/a vehicle to haul them home.

Since I have already derailed this thread a little I figure I might as well tell another bear story. A buddy of mine in BC went out riding in a large group. His XR200 broke down on the way home. They hid the bike in the bush well off the path. They were worried that loggers may find it and steal it. He rode home on the back of a quad. The next day some of his logging buddies agreed to pick the bike up on their way home (they were in the area anyways). When they found the bike it had been torn to crap. The handle bar grips,seat and gas tank had been chewed up by something. There was actually a hole in the bottom of the gas tank where your knees would normally go.It looked like something had chewed on where ever there was residual sweat.As the loggers were leaving they spotted a grizzly sow in the area.

Anyways so I am a little paranoid about leaving anybody out it the bush.

wowo -- That's a bear story!

--
Bears are one animal that would make me want a gun around when in the woods ... GPNF in WA might have bears but I think they were at the higher elevations from where we rode but I still slept in the truck when we camped out there ...

 

[Skyrooster]

Yeah theres not much you can do about it though. Stay home I guess. I pack a short barrel 12g in my backpack (surprisingly we can own a 13 inch shotgun with little restriction). Problem is that when you need it its in your backpack. It does come in handy though if someone breaks down and you are forced to leave them till you can bring parts/a vehicle to haul them home.

Since I have already derailed this thread a little I figure I might as well tell another bear story. A buddy of mine in BC went out riding in a large group. His XR200 broke down on the way home. They hid the bike in the bush well off the path. They were worried that loggers may find it and steal it. He rode home on the back of a quad. The next day some of his logging buddies agreed to pick the bike up on their way home (they were in the area anyways). When they found the bike it had been torn to crap. The handle bar grips,seat and gas tank had been chewed up by something. There was actually a hole in the bottom of the gas tank where your knees would normally go.It looked like something had chewed on where ever there was residual sweat.As the loggers were leaving they spotted a grizzly sow in the area.

Anyways so I am a little paranoid about leaving anybody out it the bush.

I think bears chew stuff up out of curiosity. Many times I have seen where they take a bite or two out of a 4 wheeler seat or a bulldozer seat.

 

[Alberto]

I think bears chew stuff up out of curiosity. Many times I have seen where they take a bite or two out of a 4 wheeler seat or a bulldozer seat.

Thats right, and the same thing could happen to ones leg, arm or entire body LOL. Animals are beauty and we never have to harm them until we are in a situation that is your life or the bear's.. but, bottom line is, try to stay away from a bear as much as you can. I dont have the privilege to have bears on my country, but we have big cats and big venomous snakes. So, whenever you are in the middle of the jungle, you have to be careful.

Let me tell you a story: One day in the mountains of Costa Rica, with some buddies, we passed a river, then a steep muddy rocky and technical hill. At the top of it, in a plane spot, when the first guy was able to sort it out, took off the helmet and went down to try to help the others. When everybody was up there taking some minutes of air before going forward, the first guy got his helmet and was about to put in on, and another guy yelled at him and said hey throw that helmet far from you!! to make story long short, one rattle snake was rolled inside that guy's helmet. Luckily, the other guy spotted the snake's tail on time, if not, the story would end different..

 

[Cosmokenney]

Thats right, and the same thing could happen to ones leg, arm or entire body LOL. Animals are beauty and we never have to harm them until we are in a situation that is your life or the bear's.. but, bottom line is, try to stay away from a bear as much as you can. I dont have the privilege to have bears on my country, but we have big cats and big venomous snakes. So, whenever you are in the middle of the jungle, you have to be careful.

Let me tell you a story: One day in the mountains of Costa Rica, with some buddies, we passed a river, then a steep muddy rocky and technical hill. At the top of it, in a plane spot, when the first guy was able to sort it out, took off the helmet and went down to try to help the others. When everybody was up there taking some minutes of air before going forward, the first guy got his helmet and was about to put in on, and another guy yelled at him and said hey throw that helmet far from you!! to make story long short, one rattle snake was rolled inside that guy's helmet. Luckily, the other guy spotted the snake's tail on time, if not, the story would end different..

Wow!

 

[HuskyHumper]

Obviously in Australia we have a lot of venomous snakes, one day me and one of my mates were riding out in the middle of nowhere (out of mobile phone reception and about 1.5 hrs hard riding from the closest town) on a reasonably hot summers day. We rode up a steep hill, and then at the top I stopped and put my foot down on the left side. I felt something hit my boot. I looked down and I had put my boot on a 6 foot eastern brown snake (second most venomous snake in the world), and in about 1 second it had struck my boot about 10 times. there was a trickle of venom running down my leg, which would've killed me in a couple of minutes if I wasn't wearing my MX boots. Lucky I was wearing MX boots and not just normal shoes and shorts as you do when hiking or whatever.

 

[ray_ray]

That's a pretty good snake story ...With it being an Eastern Brown, its gets bumped up to the wowo status! ... My boots stay on my feet out on the trails ... I'd ride without a helmet (almost ) before I rode without boots ...

 

[Duct Tape]

Reviving this thread since it's a good one, and to add two comments.

1. Rescue kit - when alone (and sometimes on remote rides) I carry a small rope, a couple of pulleys and carabiners and some webbing. I've used it twice to pull others back up onto the trail. The entire pack only fills a small area of my backpack. About the size of a rolled up lightweight jacket.

2. PLB's vs Satellite Messengers - do some research on these and decide what you need. For many of us in remote western areas PLB's make a lot more sense. They are more powerful at 5 watts and have dedicated rescue satellites. The send is continuous for up to 24 or even 30 hours after activation and thus usually goes through, and usually mich more quickly than SM's. Plus all messages go through Langley AFB with immediate action. Search and rescue is immediately notified.

Spot (400 miliwatts) and InReach (1.6 watts) are much less powerful and have more reported send failures. Calls go through a call center and then are routed to a 911 unit in the local area.

SM's require monthly or annual subscriptions unlike PLB's which are a one time payment.

PLB's are emergency use only with no messaging capability, so don't offer text and emergency response features of inReach and maybe new Spot?

In regard to the "rich" comment earlier, an ACR ResQuick is around $275. Is the cost of three tires worth it to you, you decide based on your ride habits?

 

[Cosmokenney]

Reviving this thread since it's a good one, and to add two comments.

1. Rescue kit - when alone (and sometimes on remote rides) I carry a small rope, a couple of pulleys and carabiners and some webbing. I've used it twice to pull others back up onto the trail. The entire pack only fills a small area of my backpack. About the size of a rolled up lightweight jacket.

2. PLB's vs Satellite Messengers - do some research on these and decide what you need. For many of us in remote western areas PLB's make a lot more sense. They are more powerful at 5 watts and have dedicated rescue satellites. The send is continuous for up to 24 or even 30 hours after activation and thus usually goes through, and usually mich more quickly than SM's. Plus all messages go through Langley AFB with immediate action. Search and rescue is immediately notified.

Spot (400 miliwatts) and InReach (1.6 watts) are much less powerful and have more reported send failures. Calls go through a call center and then are routed to a 911 unit in the local area.

SM's require monthly or annual subscriptions unlike PLB's which are a one time payment.

PLB's are emergency use only with no messaging capability, so don't offer text and emergency response features of inReach and maybe new Spot?

In regard to the "rich" comment earlier, an ACR ResQuick is around $275. Is the cost of three tires worth it to you, you decide based on your ride habits?

Every time I read about spot or inreach I remember I need to get one. Then I look at the monthly charges and think maybe next month. Then I forget all about it. I should probably just get a PLB and be done.

 

[Duct Tape]

I forgot to mention, the ACR ResQLink requires a battery change at 5 years which must be done by sending it in, so there's a $20-30 annual cost amortized over 5 years.