AKCub’s survival gear

Here’s what I take in the woods, whether flying, hiking, rafting, or boating. Here is what I carry in my pockets:

Signal mirror – It seems like an overlooked piece of equipment, but I think it is very handy for survival because it doesn’t require batteries.

Space blanket – A must have item.

Photon flashlight – I use a small Inova microlight. I have used Photon lights too, which are a little better quality. Inova has held up for the last couple of years.

Firestarter – The best firestarter for packability and ease of starting a fire are cotton balls dipped in vasoline packed in a ziplock bag. Starting a fire fast can be important in late Fall river trips or spring winter trips where I have taken unexpected swims. 

Windproof matches

Bic Lighter – I like having a lighter. Bic is cheap. In the winter, you have to keep it warm or it’s useless. There are better, more expensive lighters but this does the trick. 

Flint – Fire is essential, that’s why I have a couple ways to start a fire if I need to.

Compass – I like the Suunto A-30L compass. The color and print make it easy to read, as well as the the luminescent bezel is a nice feature. It is very accurate. 

Whistle – I have the SOL Rescue Howler, which is small. It isn’t as loud as some other whistles but I liked the size. It is very flat. 

Leatherman – I’ve got a couple different leatherman’s I use, just depends on which one I can find. I like the file and saw attachments. The Wave is a nice Leatherman.

Ka Bar Becker Necker BK11 – Why are two knives essential? I’ve used a leatherman to fix things many times, but you also need a knife for driving and splitting wood. This is a nice strong knife for that.

550 Cord – Many uses, including snares and shelter. I cut my pieces in 10 – 10’ sections, then daisy chain them together. The 10’ sections are perfect for shelter and makes it so I’m not constantly cutting the 550 cord into smaller and smaller pieces.

Small roll ducttape – I either have duct tape wrapped around a water bottle, or these small rolls.

I also carry some food which varies. I like to bring high calorie food, like peanut butter, energy bars, and almonds.

Here is what I carry in my pack:

Pruning saw 

Candle

Spoon

Headlamp

Canteen cup

Empty platypus

Garmin Foretex

Fishing Tackle

Fire starter

Flares

Sil Nylon Tarp

Sleeping bag

Beanie hat

Wool gloves

Aqua mira water purifying drops

Snaring wire

First Aid kit – guaze, SAM splint, wrap, tape, super glue, ibuprofen, nitrile gloves, sutures

Duct tape

Ziplock bag with wipes

Blue shop towel squares

Hand sanitizer

Write in the rain paper and pencil

Heavy duty sewing needle 

  
Winter 

Snowshoes

Heavy mittens

Down parka

Thermarest pad  

-25F Western Mountaineering or -40F marmot sleeping bag 

2004 Tundra oxygen sensors

I needed to replace my upstream oxygen sensors. It was a simple process that saved me some money (around $300).
My 2004 Tundra check engine light was on. I checked the codes and got P0135. This is the driver’s side left front sensor. Since once side needed done, I decided to do both banks. 

  
Oxygen sensors were ordered from Amazon Denso 234-4169 for $41.85 each versus the local autoparts store price of $80 each. Make sure you use Denso sensors, like Toyota did. The Bosch will continue to throw the code. The Denso part referenced also is NOT universal meaning you don’t have to splice the wires.

Parts:

Denso 234-4169 $41.85 Amazon

Oxygen Sensor Socket 7/8″ $10 Autoparts Store

PB Blaster or WD40

Codes: 

P0135 Driver Side Bank 1 Sensor 1

P0155 Passenger Bank 2 Sensor 1  

Finding the Sensors:

There are upstream and downstream oxygen sensors. Downstream oxygen sensors are after the catalytic convertor. If the codes are above, then the sensors are upstream. Find the exhaust and you will see the front crossmember. The drivers side is behind the exhaust flange.   How to Fix: 

1. The upstream sensors are on the end of the exhaust manifold, behind the front crossmember. 

2. Soak the sensor with PB Blaster or equivalent

3. Unplug the electrical sensor connection. This was by far the hardest part, since you can only reach one hand. I wedged a small screwdriver in the tab to disconnect.

4. Remove the sensor using the socket. My engine has 150,000 miles and this wasn’t difficult. Some sensors have seized in, but I got lucky.

5. Apply anti-seize (supplied with Denso sensors)

6. Install new sensor and torque 32 ft/lbs (Toyota Service Manual)

7. Connect electrical sensor connector

8. Disconnect Negative terminal of battery to clear the code.

   
 

Driving a shallow well

It’s amazing how much you appreciate water when it’s not readily available or drinkable. Having a clean water source is important for remote cabins. We usually haul 5 gallon jugs of water for drinking and dishes. We would pump river water for showers. Drilling a well has been on the list of things to do for several years to simplify our cabin experience and allow us to stay out longer. We are next to a river, so water is shallow, however  we drove the well below the low water mark of the river. 

 

Tools

• (2) Quality pipe wrenches 
• Extra length of pipe for breaker bar or 48″ pipe wrench 
• Jack hammer with 2″ attachment 
• Water pump
• Air compressor and hose

Supplies

• 5′ sections of 2″ well pipe 
• 2′ well pipe for height of pitcher pump
• 2″ couplings 
• 2″ Gravel point
• Thread lubricant for wells
• Pitcher pump
• 2″ to 1 1/4″ adapter (pipe to pump)

Cost $465

• 2″ galvanized pipe $35 x 3
• 2″ couplings $20
• Well point $75
• Thread lubricant $5
• Pitcher pump $75
• Adapter $5
• Jack hammer rental $180 (weekly rate, lower daily but cabin is remote)

A friend helped provide “well prospecting” expertise. We used 3/4″ pipe shown below, with an adapter to a water pump. We pumped water from the river to push the pipe down and kept adding sections of pipe. Using hydraulics helps easily find the best spot for drilling without having to drive the 2″ well pipe. 

The basic idea of using the 3/4″ pipe is to find water. Water goes down into the ground and flows back up. When you hit gravel or something that holds water the water won’t flow back up. If it can take water then it can (usually) give water. We went about 18 feet (3 5′ pieces then the well point) which is below the low water of the river. We hit gravel at 12′.   
Once we found the location, we readied the well pipe. We cleaned the threads and applied thread lubricant and attached the drive couplings. Many of the rental companies have the jack hammer with the attachment for driving 2″ pipe. We used a sacrificial piece to drive the pipe. 

Once the pipe was driven, we used the same T setup we used with the water pump. This time we changed the fittings to attached to an air hose and compressor. Every 15 minutes or so, air pressure is applied to help create the aquifer and get rid of some of the large sediment. 

  After the aquifer was created, the pitcher pump was attached. The pitcher pump is an older pump, so I soaked the leathers overnight.  
The time to drive the well was under 2 hours. I may use a 1/2hp pump in the summer for water.  A 1/2hp electric pump can be driven off a 2000w Honda or Yamaha generator. The pitcher pump is the best for the winter because it can be used even when it’s -40F. I like the pitcher pump because of this, and the simplicity.