How to Prepare an Onboard ATV Safety Kit

The more riding experience you gain, the more youA flashlight is a good item to have on hand so you
learn that the unexpected can happen, and at thecan make your way through the dark, or signal for
worse possible moment! Whether a perfectly goodhelp when rescuers arrive to the area. There are
riding trip will turn into a nightmare, can simply be theflashlights now made available for kits that need no
difference between having an onboard safety kit orbatteries and take up very little storage space.
not. It is definitely best to be prepared in case of anIn the event of a vehicle breakdown, it is a good
emergency or vehicle breakdown.idea to have a multi-purpose tool kit on board. These
When considering an onboard ATV safety kit forkits come with all the basic tools that you could use
your vehicle, consider that it is better to be preparedto get your vehicle up and running. They are
and not have an emergency occur, then to becompact, contain multi-purpose tools and could be
unprepared and have one take place. If you arejust what you need, if you are stranded out in the
stuck out on the trail and have to wait for help tomiddle of nowhere.
arrive, an onboard safety kit can be a real lifesaver.It can become a real problem signaling your location
Here are a few suggested items to include with yourto emergency workers, and this is where a whistle
onboard ATV safety kit.would be really helpful. The human voice can easily
One of the first items to consider is emergency food.get filtered through the trees and underbrush in the
The items can be as simple as a few whole grainwild, but a whistle can carry for a much greater
bars, maybe some chocolate or trail mix. Thesedistance.
contain enough nutrition and sugar to keep yourTrying to signal to those attempting to assist you
strength up, if need be. They will also store well iffrom the air during the day can be a real challenge,
kept in sealed-waterproof bags.but a mirror is a simple yet effective device for doing
Another important item to contain in your safety kitthis effectively. They take up almost no space in the
is water. You will want to include at least 8oz ofkit as well.
water. You cannot be certain that where you areMany times an emergency can involve some kind of
riding there will be drinkable water available. Youinjury, and this is where a basic first aid kit comes
won't be able to rely on brooks and streams, as theyinto play. There are pre-packaged first-aid kits
can make someone very sick because of theavailable, which are compact, inexpensive and contain
bacteria they may contain in them.all you need to treat most basic injuries.
If you have to spend some time in the woods duringIncluding an onboard ATV safety kit as part of
the night, a blanket can come in real handy. Therestandard gear can help you and your riders respond
are packaged, lightweight blankets available that canto many types of emergencies that can occur, while
keep a person warm, well below freezingriding in the wilderness. Once you have a kit onboard,
temperatures. They are compact and take up littleyou can install it and forget about it, until you need it.
room in the kit also.