Hey Gang,
I would like to talk to you about the importance of tools, namely the Pioneer Kit.
While this classic kit has taken many forms and includes different variations of the same basic ideas it remains the same. It is the bare tools needed to build shelter, move rocks and dig holes. You can get a fancy surplus kit like in the photo above or pick the tools up one by one at yardsales, flea markets and hardware stores. How ever you do it you need to have these basic tools in every car or truck you own.
What has got me thinking about this is that today by a twist of fate my coworker and I had to dig out a Dodge Minivan. It was warm today and we had people in the river bottom that were planting willow trees so we thought it would be nice to take them some cold water and see a different road at the same time. These folks were from out of town in a rented minivan. Not only were they lost but they had no clue how to act, they had no tools, no water, no food, no cell service and no hope of being able to get out on their own.
Dude had driven 5 miles down an unmarked dirt road and when he gave up hope that it would bring him back out he tried to turn around. When his front drive wheels hit the soft sand on what passed for the shoulder he sunk to the sub frame. When we found them they (son with downs, wife and himself all over weight and AARP card holders) had been sitting for 3 hours and hadn't made a move to find cell service but had stuffed a pitiful amount of brush under the tires trying to get some traction.
Although I have a 5 ton winch, four wheel drive and a 460cid I couldn't get between them and the fence to get a good pull so it was shovel time.
It took us an hour and a half of joking, sweating and cursing to get him dug out but it made me think "what would have this dude done if we hadn't come by?"
We had to pull a foot of dirt and gravel road bed out from under his van all the way past the tranny leaving a hole about 8'x6'x1'. Would he have done that with his bare hands? Could he have done that with his bare hands?
Reaver has mentioned this before, get a fucking shovel and put it in your car!
