Survival Kits? (Anchorage, Fairbanks, Nome: environment, relocating, travel)

[Tarina]

I will be Relocating to Alaska with my family, I hear alot of people say you should always carry a survival kit in your car with you because of the long cold highways between towns. What do they consist of? Also what internet service,cable\satalliteTV and cell phone providers are available in the Anchorage- Mat Su area? I'm sure I will have more questions..lol and thanks to everyone for the answers.
sooo Looking forward to getting out of this HEAT & HUMIDITY?

[mal_flisk]

Most people carry a certain amount of survival gear, but that is usually for winter environments. A car safety kit will normally suffice for summer time. Survival kits are not bought in toto, but put together with basic requirements for living in an arctic environment. At a minimum, some freeze dried food, matches in a waterproof container, arctic gear (sleeping bag, clothing), signal mirror (used up cd works wonders), knife, signal flares. Added items include a tent, collapsible shovel, fishing line, hooks, etc. These are mainly for people expecting to do some outdoor winter activities away from the road system.

Having qualified things for winter and summer, remember, the weather is changeable and as you move further north, the survival kit becomes a possible necessity even in summer months. If you plan on doing any hiking, dress in layers, and carry survival items with the weather firmly in mind as an adversary. If you are not planning to get off the main roads, much of what I said is not a sure necessity, but remember, the unforeseen is what survival kits are about.

[Arcticthaw]

Things that should always be in your car.
Good spare tire, working jack and a tire iron that fits.
3pack of flares, good for signaling or starting a fire if needed.
jumper cables,
tow strap,
folding shovel (the WWII GI shovel is great, or a avalanch snow shovel for winter)
Spare fan belt, buy a new one and put it on yourself, keep a set of tools in car to replace if needed, save the old one as a spare. This way you know you have thr correct one and it is broken in so if your somewhere at -30 and need to change it the belt wont break when started up. This happens lots on new belts and -30 and colder.
A couple quarts of oil,
Some even carry some antifreeze.
roll of 3M #88 electrical tape
partial roll of duct tape, with the two you can temp patch a hose to limp down the road.
Wool blanket or two. Keeps you warm even when wet.
Water
pencil and paper
Disposable lighter
Flashlight Lithium batteries prefered (yes they are expensive but store better and work in the very cold. Ask the dog mushers!
Bug spray or pump style dispenser. I prefer products with DEET, not always recomended for children. Deepwoods Off or Repel have been decent also.
If you have an old cell phone with a good battery and can keep it charged in the car. You can call 911 with out a service plan. So for accidents and such.
DO NOT rely on cell service as your back up. Though pretty reliable and convienient, Murphy's law states something like when you need it the most is when you wont have coverage.

Everyone should dress for the expected weather.
Pack a snack and water.
Longer trips more gear.

I am sure otheres have more good ideas too!

[Rance]

Toilet paper!
Extra socks!

[Arcticthaw]

Originally Posted by Rance

Toilet paper!
Extra socks!

OH YEA! Girls are traveling too!

So did this come from your list of things to bring on the roadtrip with Sweeden?
I hope you two have a great time and the weather cooperates! Chandalar shelf and mountains should be beautiful this time of year!

[DannyL]

Also get a CB radio for your vehicle.
The most important part of any "survival kit" is that gray blob between your ears. Study up on climates, and HYPOTHERMIA. The causes of it, the effects, and the treatment. It happens to all of us, myself included.
Packing around a bag of stuff may make you feel better, but learn how to use it. Otherwise, it's just dead weight and taking up space.

[mal_flisk]

Danny

Great reply (must spread points around before.....)

[bearcreekcamp]

Another very useful item to have is a HAM radio. Satellite phones are a great addition but at $1500-$2500 a pop, the $130 HAM is an inexpensive reliable alternative). There is a test you have to pass but if you study seriously for a week, you should be able to pass it. There are several good HAM clubs in the greater Anchorage area. HAM radios can be extermely useful in the bush where cell phone coverage is lacking. I live in Nome and out here our search and rescue teams rely heavily on these radios. I've also heard that getting rated for a high frequency radio and having one in your vehicle gives you a waiver for having to buy those tabs for your license plates.

Originally Posted by Tarina

I will be Relocating to Alaska with my family, I hear alot of people say you should always carry a survival kit in your car with you because of the long cold highways between towns. What do they consist of? Also what internet service,cable\satalliteTV and cell phone providers are available in the Anchorage- Mat Su area? I'm sure I will have more questions..lol and thanks to everyone for the answers.
sooo Looking forward to getting out of this HEAT & HUMIDITY?

[Xa'at]

Maybe I missed it, but I didn't see anyone mention having a good quality first aid kit? That really can make the difference, and also you know how kids are- a tiny cut and they NEED a band-aid! Having that kit could save your life... or your sanity.
Make sure it has all manner of gauzes, antibiotics, painkillers, etc. Don't forget a hack saw, just in case you have to do an on-the-spot amputation!

[Arcticthaw]

Ham radio is a good addition to the survival kit, but EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW HOW TO OPERATE IT'S BASIC FUNCTIONS! If you don't know how to change frequencies or memory channels then it becomes worthless.

I will try to compare a VHF Ham radio to a cell phone to give you an idea of advantages and disadvantages.
Typical cell phone is line of sight and produces about 3 to 6 tenths of a watt. Cell sites are normally along road systems and offer some coverage perpendicular to a highway but is limited by your 6 tenths of a watt. External antennas help both. The system automatically transfers you call to the strongest cell site. No liscence required, just a monthly bill of around $60 +/-.

The Vhf Ham radio normally has from 1 to 5 watts in a handheld radio with capability of external antenna (recommended to have for trips) The local Ham clubs have most roads and areas covered and linked via repeaters (similar to cell site but not as smart). See the club pages below.

Any person knows how to dial a phone and you can recieve a call easily with a cellphone.
A VHF ham radio by design requires another ham operator to contact you, thus no incoming calls are available to the average user. There are repeater sites that allow you to access a phone line (called autopatch) with this feature you can bring up a repeater and dial a phone number to the party you desire. Note there are very specific rules about what the subject matter is. Emergency traffic is allowed of course. Remember our on a party line. Possibly everyone in the state can hear you!

The bigest drawback of hamradio is having to change frequencies when you move from one repeater coverage to another. the way we overcome this is to program several channels into the repeater and with a published frequencies with the radio you can get on the right channel to get help as needed.

Now you do need a liscence to use a Ham radio, so contact the local club in your area for help. Most offer classes and are very helpful.

Also check out
http://www.arrl.org/
http://www.kl7aa.com/ Anchorage Ham Club
http://www.kl7kc.com/ Fairbanks Ham Club

As for cheap liscence plates, think again. Yes you can get them free if you meet certain requirements. If your into the hobby then this is just another reason to put HF radio in you vehicle. If not then your talking about a $1000 to $2000. investment into the vehicle for it to qualify, you also have to be liscenced in General class or higher. I would suggest you start with the Vhf and above then decide on HF or not. the sate of AK dmv has good information along with the clubs.

Good luck.