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This Winter Wilderness Survival Gear Can Save You and Your UTV

By Kavan Wright | Behind The Wheel on January 19, 2022
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A campfire in the snow

There’s never a bad time to head out into the wilderness on your ATV or UTV and have a great time. Winter especially has a certain allure that can be hard to resist. The way the snow morphs the terrain and the absolute quiet it brings with it are the ultimate antidote for the grind of everyday life.

Also the ultimate antidote for everyday life: getting lost and freezing to death in a blizzard.

If you want to enjoy your next winter ride to the fullest, make sure you’re prepared with the proper winter wilderness survival gear! Whether bad conditions catch off guard or your UTV just breaks down, a fully packed kit will save the day when your weekend plans get put on ice.

Here are the top 8 pieces of gear you need to bring on your next winter adventure.

1. A Battery Jumper

When the temperature drops, vehicle batteries can be up to 50% less effective. A cold, aging battery can leave you dead in the (frozen) water in a number of ways:

  • If you’re camping overnight and leave your ride out in the cold, you’re stuck
  • If you take a long lunch break and explore a little bit on foot, you’re stuck
  • If you take a little too long in nature’s outhouse, you’re stuck

To reiterate, these situations are much more likely to happen to you if you have an older battery in your machine, but they can happen to anybody if the conditions are right.

That’s why a battery jumper can be the most important winter wilderness survival gear in your kit. If you can avoid this simple breakdown, you may not need anything else on this list.

2. Extra Warm Clothing

Everybody knows to wear warm clothes when you’re out on a winter ride. You probably even know exactly what jacket and thermal underwear you would pull out of the closet if you were heading out the door right now.

But when the going gets tough and you’re stuck out in the cold, you want to make sure you have some extra gear to put on.

Pack extra gloves and hats, and make sure you have some kind of eye protection to avoid going snow blind.

You can even invest in a emergency jacket that’s super compact but provides boosted wind and waterproofing when you slip it over your regular jacket.

3. Fire Starting Kit

When you first realize that you’re going to be stuck out in the cold for a while, fire is your best friend. Of course, you’ll want to bring waterproof matches or a lighter, but those can be challenging to use if there’s a storm whipping around you.

For tougher conditions, you can’t go wrong with a magnesium fire starter. Magnesium burns at around 4000°F so it has a better time igniting damp kindling than matches.

Matches on a split log
Don’t head into your frozen weekend ride without waterproof matches, a lighter, or a magnesium fire starter in your tool kit. Fire is one of the most important pieces of winter wilderness survival gear.

4. Basic Survival Tools

You’re going to have a hard time making a fire and shelter if you don’t have some wood and kindling. And you’re not going to get those things without some basic survival tools.

Make sure you have:

  • A machete or hatchet
  • A multitool
  • Paracord

Machete or Hatchet

It doesn’t really matter whether you go with a machete or a hatchet—you just need an effective cutting tool that you’re comfortable using. Either one makes it easy to gather branches for a fire or to clear brush for a shelter.

A Multitool

A good multitool complete with pliers, knives, and more will fill in a lot of gaps in your survival kit.

Need to repair your ATV? A multitool can remove nuts, bolts, and wiring.

Need to open a can of beans? Your multitool has that covered too.

It’s also especially useful when paired with paracord.

Paracord

Paracord is the trendiest piece of winter wilderness survival gear out there for good reason. It’s durable, versatile, and compact. You can use it to make shelter, catch food, and more. Paracord’s usefulness is only limited by your ingenuity.

Every winter wilderness survival gear kit needs paracord.
Paracord doesn’t take up much space, but it can be used for a whole bunch of different tasks. It’s helpful for making impromptu shelters, catching rabbits, and fishing just to name a few.
Photo by David J. Fred / CC BY-SA 2.5

5. Food and Water

If you’re truly stuck without a ride back to civilization, you’ll be glad to have food and water. Packing lunch is easy, but you have to take special care when you’re trying to keep your food from freezing.

Dry food is obviously long lasting and freeze proof. Trail mix, granola bars, and jerky are all great options. Canned food and soup are good options too, as long as you have a fire to heat them up.

If you’re looking for something a little more substantial, pack a few survival rations or MREs. These are generally balanced meals that are very calorie dense—ideal for any cold-weather expedition. Many include a chemical heater or Esbit stove to heat your meal up.

In fact, it’s a good idea to bring some kind of stove with you to heat up canned food and retort-pouch meals.

Water is always the most important resource, and that’s still true when you’re surrounded by snow. Pack your water in insulated bottles or coolers to keep it from freezing.

A small Esbit stove is an ideal piece of winter wilderness survival gear.
If you have a way to heat food like this pocket-sized Esbit stove, you can prepare just about any non-perishable food that would otherwise be too cold to eat.

6. Overnight Shelter

The prospect of spending the night outdoors in a freezing forest can be daunting. With the right winter wilderness survival gear, you and your ATV or UTV can weather it without becoming a popsicle.

Bring a sleeping bag and a tent or tarp. If you rode in on a UTV with a cab enclosure, that can fulfill your shelter needs.

You can also bring along a bivouac sack or thermal blanket. These items won’t take up much cargo space, but they can add some much needed wind protection and insulation to your sleeping bag.

Staying warm is a challenge at night, but so is visibility. Pack a powerful flashlight and headlamp so you can find your multitool when you drop it and warn wild animals that you’re there.

7. GPS Device, Physical Map, and Compass

If you’re in a situation where you can’t call for help, your phone isn’t going to be much help as a GPS either. Instead, bring a standalone GPS device with updated trail maps to avoid getting lost.

Sometimes even the most straightforward gadget can let you down. That’s why we recommend bringing a paper topographical map and compass with you as backup. Be sure to bring a little orienteering skill with you too.

A topo map and compass are key for winter wilderness survival
With a topological map, a compass, and a little know-how, you can keep your bearings and keep from getting lost in the winter wilderness.

8. First Aid Kit

Last, but far from least, bring a dang first aid kit with you! This is true regardless of when, where, and how you ride. It’s especially true when you’re riding in the dead of winter where small problems can become big ones when it’s zero degrees outside.

Win Winter with Wilderness Survival Gear

Winter is an awesome time to ride despite the brutal conditions. Sliding through slushy snow in your side-by-side or exploring cross-country trails on your ATV is peak wheeling. Just make sure you have winter wilderness survival gear you need to make it home again.

RELATED CONTENT: cold weather9 preparation18
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2 Comments

  1. Avatar for Bruce McColley Bruce McColley says:
    February 20, 2022 at 8:04 am

    Thank you for the timely reminder and advice, I’ll be sure to use your ideas in building my emergency kit.

    Reply
    • Tyler Mingione says:
      February 22, 2022 at 4:13 pm

      That’s what we’re here for. Thanks, Bruce!

      Reply

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