Boliva? Where the heck is Boliva? ???
Great links but they leave me with some questions -
First - Cost! Do I ship my atv there or buy a new one or rent? Again ... cost?
No speak spanish eh. Any chance a Minnesotan wid a Fargo accent could make the trip there then eh?
How many miles via ATV? What brand quad would have the most service/parts options in Boliva?
Can we ride 2up? There are new 2up machines coming to market - or 2up on a 1up ok?
What are the risks? Bandits? Theft? Political Upheaval?
Whats the best beer?
Will the single guys find the love of their life in Boliva?
Extridition laws?
Should we bring weapons? Big ones or Little ones?
What laws/customs should we be aware of in advance?
Internet? Theres GOT to be internet - I could die... I have internet alert bracelet....

 

MuddHound-

OK - Then your one I could ask - is there a good reason to learn how to field suture? It seems that many of ithe njuries I've seen on the trail that need immediate medical attention have something to do with sewing up a laceration. I have for years wondered if there was a way to field dress a serious gash until a hospital could be reached. Maybe I’ve watched too much MASH. A minor cut shouldnt shut down the whole trip. Wheres Rambo when you need him?...

Some flight training? Cool – what type aero machine?

 

Sutures in the field are a bad deal, sutures require a sterile field and the chance you might be closing the tissue up over a more serious problem or embedded debris is too great.

A good pressure dressing wont require anything more than 4x4s and Kling. First make sure there is no obvious debris in the ound then if necessary (in the event of an avulsion) replce the flap of skin to the wound, make sure the wound has been cleansed as best it can while avoiding blood loss, next apply a couple of 4x4s to the wound and hold direct pressure on them until the bleeding stops or nearly stops, if necessary apply additional 4x4s to the dressing for absorbtion (don't remove any), once bleeding is controlled wrap the 4x4 dressing with Kling to maintain pressure making sure to not get the wrap too tight and restrict blood flow. Continue on for further medical intervention if necessary.

I was never hired on by an agency so my training was generic, mainly based on LZ skills, dos and don'ts in the aircraft, trauma transport criteria, and advanced pre-hospital trauma/ cardiac life support.

I have got a little seat time in a Cesna 182 for ASAR though.

 

I too have thought about how ATVs can leave you in a jam with just a mechanical failure and have put some thought as to what my course of action would be. I ride a "sport" quad and have to choose wisely as to what goes and what stays, I enjoy the fast paced riding and it would just suck to have a tack box full of stuff on the back of the bike. Now here is the kicker... I often ride alone. Sometimes quite a few miles from any support. A bad crash or a mechanical failure and I could be in trouble. So what goes with me?

1. T-shirts or sweatshirts (depends on the weather)
2. a BIC lighter (I got gas)
3. tape
4. cell phone (not that it ever seems to have signal)
5. food (trail mix, candy, etc)
6.water (camel back)
7. lounge strap (used to extract the bike by wrapping it around the rear axle and attaching to a tree)
8. tire tools (plugger, CO2)
9. a small pocket knife

This is all carried on my back in a pack. The key to making this safe for long rides is that someone who likes you knows where you are going and when you'll be back. I also leave a note on my truck that reads something like "If this truck is here past 5:00pm on Oct 14th I"M IN TROUBLE I'm on an atv and went for a ride east of here at 12:00pm and should have been back already! Please call for help! Rule #1 stick to the flight plan[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img] I have never had a problem and I have had people wait around by my truck when I have cut it close. I thanked them for their concern. I also never ride at more than 75% when I'm alone.

 

This has been the best topic ever brought up in any of these forums. We have a trunk that has about 90% of all the items listed above, but I obviously need to add a few things. My friends tease us that we carry so much stuff. Our daughter crashed one time and the "big" first aid kit came in handy. Broken bone and a bad cut that bled lot, we had everything we needed that time. We were lucky. It looks like the most important thing we left out was the first aid book, any recommendations? I might need a bag or small trunk for the front, and soon may need a trailer (I hope we never carry that much!)

Are you guys carrying any extra clothes? Gloves or handkerchiefs. I find the CO2 cartiges work great for flat tires and don't take up much room. Maps and compass?

Thanks again, and be prepared.

 

In real life we find the facts to be stranger then anything we could imagine.

So we go out riding on the state trail. 7 miles into the ride we stop, and I gather the group and explain that we are going to now simulate a bad injury. Mom has a broken leg and a facial injury - can't drive out nor is willing to be carted out behind me as the terrain is rough.

Options are, 1) send the 18 year old for help - who has never been on this trail, likely does not know the way out and hardly knows how to operate the quad at all, will have to deal with a 1ton truck with 16 foot trailer attached and drive 15 miles to the nearest cell phone signal 2) The 13 year old is freaking out (even in explaining the fake injuries) and doesnt want to leave her mother nor is of much value in staying to assist. 3) Or leaving my wife and children on the trail for me to go get help.

Thats the way it was! Those were the real on-the-ground options. As best I could think of them then.

After 20 minutes (while we ate lunch) no other riders came along. Once back at the truck (all safe and sound) I noted that the other rigs previously parked at the trail head had departed - no help to be found there.

I figure it would have taken maybe an hour to get to the truck (at best effort speed) and get out to a phone. Another 30 minutes for rescue to get organized and maybe another hour to get a chopper or other extraction vehicle into the forest to get started for the hospital. At 3:30pm this would put the paramedics in place by 6pm. That puts my wife and kids alone in the woods for up to 2 1/2 hours.

The Satphone is looking better then that new set of chrome wheels. With it, the rescue resources would have been on site in half that time.

 

Update - Sat Phone works really really good. I was so impressed I became a dealer myself. Soon I can help other riders get into this technology.

On the down side - don't give your boss the phone number.

 

Good deal here

Better than wood

I didn't see TP anywhere on the lists [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

Added a few since last post.

We carry just about everything listed plus a bar of soap and about five feet of 1/2" fuel line to use as a siphon hose. Instead of a compressor, we carry 12 co2 cartridges and an inflator. For kindling wood, we lined the bottom of our Tamarack trunk with wood door shims. Registration, proof of insurance, and a tire gauge. CB and FRS radio. And a very large handgun, 100 rounds of ammo, and a permit.

We also carry extra clothing (sweat shirt and pants) and extra socks (ice socks).

 

I have one thing that everyone should carry on their quad that seems to get overlooked and that is a FIRE extinguisher. You can buy fancy chrome plated ones or I use what is called fire kill. It is an arousal can that loggers are required to carry in the woods when logging. Very inexpensive and could save your quad or better yet the area were you are ridding .