Think of all the things you probably should take every time you go snowmobiling. If you're like us, your list of what you should take and what you actually take on your snowmobile ride are two entirely different lists.
So why is that? Part of the reason could be it can be kind of expensive to gather and buy all those things you think you need to make your snowmobile outing safe, especially if you end up spending the night on the mountain. And the thought of carrying all that stuff is none too appealing, either.
Even some basic necessities can feel like you're carrying way too much to have fun-that is until the fun stops and you're scrambling to figure out how you're going to make due for a night on the snow.
How much and exactly what does a snowmobiler need to carry with him on his sledding trips? That list varies from person to person but we'd probably all agree we need some basic survival things to take along on our trip.
There are some companies, like Ready Freddy, that have done the work for us. The Ready Freddy emergency pack has most, if not more, of what any snowmobiler would need in case of an emergency on the snow. In fact, there's more stuff in there than you really need.
Not only does the Ready Freddy have all sorts of emergency items to get you through a tough spot, it's all compartmentalized in a backpack. There are five different bags of emergency items stuffed into the backpack.
For example, the Light/Power/Communications bag contains a shaker flashlight (just shake it and it works), cell phone charger (it uses a crank), Dynamo radio and lantern, 48-hour emergency candle and waterproof matches. Then, in the Tools/Supplies/Food/Water bag there is a multi-function tool, emergency food supply (includes enough food for one person for three days or three people for one day), emergency water supply (six pouches of water to last one person for three days), work gloves, duct tape and rope. As for the Protection bag, included are two emergency blankets, a 4-function signal whistle and some other items a snowmobiler probably won't need like five dust/particle masks. The First Aid bag is like a mini-medical center with just about anything you can imagine from bandages to finger splints to examination gloves to an instruction booklet-and everything in between. Finally, there is the Personal bag, which includes a pen, pad of paper, pill organizer and a deck of cards.
The backpack with all its contents weighs about 13 lbs. The backpack is water resistant but not waterproof and is claimed to be very durable and suitable for low temps and snow.
Highmarks
Like we said before, it has more than any snowmobiler might need for an emergency situation. It's all put together in a neat and tidy package and each bag is clearly marked so you don't have to rummage through a bunch of stuff to find what you need.
It's a bonus that the items like the flashlight, radio and cell phone charger don't need batteries or other external power source.
Even if you thought it was too much to carry along with you on a snowmobile trip, the Ready Freddy would be a handy-and smart-emergency pack to have around your house in case of an emergency there.
Tumbles
Thirteen pounds doesn't sound like much but when we carried the Ready Freddy around on one of our rides, it felt very heavy. Probably had something to do with the weight of all that food and water.
The bags are full of those items we mentioned and that leaves no room for anything else in the pack, like your shovel and avalanche probe. Those are as important to have along as all the emergency items. You can remove some of the things you don't really need, like the Personal bag, and that would leave room for the probe, but the shovel is another matter.
Finally, although it wasn't a problem the day we rode, the water-resistant only backpack could get even heavier if you had some precipitation to deal with.
Those are all minor problems you could deal with if you were convinced the Ready Freddy could save your life or make a night on the snow that much more tolerable.
How To Get A Hold Of Ready Freddy
The Ready Freddy retails for $149.95. Log on to www.readyfreddy.com or call (800) 731-2860.