In the last couple of posts (CDT Prep Part 1: Fuel Planning, CDT Prep Part 2: Communication) I talked about my planning for the Continental Divide Trail trip I am going to take in the very near future. While planning this trip, I found a video by Coyote Works on YouTube called “My Jeep JKU is on fire right now! – LIVE” and I began to think about what that would look like for me on the CDT. What struck me most was that he talked about how he only had what he could grab and throw out of the Jeep as it was on fire. Here are some things I have put into effect since seeing that video:

The only real change in my setup for emergency situations, aside from the inReach, is my survival kit setup.

I have always had some sort of survival kit with me since I started driving and trying to be all “tacti-cool” with a prepared mindset. This originally involved a range bag full of misc. cheap survival gimmicks that probably would have helped me in a survival situation but definitely would not have been all I needed. Since those early days, I have updated my kit several times and constantly make changes to it. I’ll try to cover the contents of my kit in a future post. Most recently I grabbed a few of ITS Tactical’s Gizmo Bags and organized my kit in a way that allows me to change out what gear I carry in my pack by simply pulling one bag out and replacing it.

ITS Tactical Gizmo Bag

Along with the organization of it all, I decided to ditch the range bag setup and put all of my stuff in a pack that I could carry some distance if I needed to. This meant having something with a hip belt to take the load off my terrible back and two shoulder straps to add stability. I also adjusted where I kept the kit. For normal day-to-day driving, I keep the kit in the back of my Jeep but after watching the Coyote Works Jeep go up in flames, I have decided that it needs to be more easily accessible should I need to grab it and run.

I’m now keeping it behind the driver’s seat with nothing else around it other than a military sleep system. If I need to get out fast and grab one thing, it is there for the taking and unobstructed.

There are more things in the bag than just the survival kit and here are some of the other contents. In another Gizmo Bag, I have a set of military Gore-Tex that could serve as regular clothing should I need it. I also have a hat, a pair of gloves, and a ranger roll that has a pair of socks, underwear, and undershirt in it. It also has a bivy cover for the pack to keep it dry in the event it is raining. Right now the kit has light-weight Gore-Tex but as this trip will likely take place in the mountains, I will probably swap that out for a insulated outer layer that will keep me dry and warm.

So that is pretty much it. I have a lot of electronics that I plan on using as part of my emergency communications so I also plan on having a USB external battery plugged into the Jeep but living in the survival kit. I want to have this setup so that if I grab the kit in a hurry, the plug will come undone and leave the battery in the kit. That should provide enough power for devices to get some help.

Speaking of having a plan to grab my survival kit and run, I plan on practicing this so I have practice grabbing things from the cabin like the inReach and my cell phone before jumping out. Those things are useless if I forget to get them out and they burn up with the Jeep.

I’m interested to hear if any of you go to these lengths when thinking about emergency situations and if you have ever had to execute your plan. What am I missing?

Be safe and get out and explore!