Days Planned vs. Supplies Planned

[tsteb112]

Hey everyone, so after reading a thread on how many days most people go on excursions for, it makes me wonder how many days do you bring supplies for.

From personal experience I've had one trip in particular with very limited cell service, in a remote location, on a mountain and I had planned for it to be a three day trip. Unfortunately there was a hurricane on the way and knew our home would get hit. We decided to leave a day early and just make the most of the weather. Well after it past, all roads home were closed due to flooding. All in all, our three day trip turned into 10 days of tent camping through about every weather condition possible. Luckily I have a Yeti 65 cooler that held ice for those entire ten days and kept our food good.

So with that being said, I always plan for the worst now and hope for the best.

 

[ArmyofMike]

This question is location specific too. If you are in a place that has foods, services, fuel available within a 50 mile range, you would want to take maybe an extra 2 days food "just in case." Yet, if you were overlanding in an environment where it was challenging to get to the destination and foods, services, fuel were 100+ miles away and not readily accessible, I would say at least another 4 days of food, water.

Your philosophy of hope for the best, plan for the worst is a good one to have. Not all think that way...until knowledge turns into wisdom and they actually experience an unplanned, challenging situation.

 

[maxfederle89]

Hey everyone, so after reading a thread on how many days most people go on excursions for, it makes me wonder how many days do you bring supplies for.

From personal experience I've had one trip in particular with very limited cell service, in a remote location, on a mountain and I had planned for it to be a three day trip. Unfortunately there was a hurricane on the way and knew our home would get hit. We decided to leave a day early and just make the most of the weather. Well after it past, all roads home were closed due to flooding. All in all, our three day trip turned into 10 days of tent camping through about every weather condition possible. Luckily I have a Yeti 65 cooler that held ice for those entire ten days and kept our food good.

So with that being said, I always plan for the worst now and hope for the best.

Good story! Excellent thing to share and an excellent reason to always plan for the worst. I hate it when people look at me like I'm insane for wanting to take that little extra precaution. Sometimes it could be life saving!

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[tsteb112]

Good story! Excellent thing to share and an excellent reason to always plan for the worst. I hate it when people look at me like I'm insane for wanting to take that little extra precaution. Sometimes it could be life saving!

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We lived off of water and chocolate chip pancakes over the fire 2 out of three meals on that trip. They were the best pancakes I’ve ever had. Haha. A box of pancake mix goes a long way, can be stored anywhere and doesn’t take up much space.


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[maxfederle89]

We lived off of water and chocolate chip pancakes over the fire 2 out of three meals on that trip. They were the best pancakes I’ve ever had. Haha. A box of pancake mix goes a long way, can be stored anywhere and doesn’t take up much space.


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Chocolate chip pancakes!? That's fun survival! Haha But on a serious note, could you give a little extra background on your situation? You mentioned hurricane and road closures. What area were you in? What storm and time of year was it? The more I thought about it, the more curious I am.

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[OffroadTreks]

I actually rotate in an out a survival pack. I usually don't pack past what's expected, but always take the survival pack which has about 5 days rations and extra water.

But I'm not bringing 50 cans of beans.

Plan for the worse, hope for the best.

 

[tsteb112]

Chocolate chip pancakes!? That's fun survival! Haha But on a serious note, could you give a little extra background on your situation? You mentioned hurricane and road closures. What area were you in? What storm and time of year was it? The more I thought about it, the more curious I am.

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October in 2016. I live in Greenville, NC. Maybe it was hurricane Matthew. I can’t remember for sure. There are a lot of rivers on this part of the state and all became flooded and went over roads. There’s pictures online. The DOT created a map of impassable roads and basically from the center of the state eastward was closed or impassable. We were camping in Black Mountain. It’s about 3000 ft in elevation (if I remember correctly). We saw snow on Mt. Mitchell, hurricane force winds, rain and sun all in those ten days. The rain and wind was a front coming from the west. It was fun but it could have sucked bad if we weren’t prepared or blew through our food in 3 days. The road getting to our campsite was 14 miles of switchback gravel/dirt roads. I had a flat tire on the one too. The views were awesome though. Right along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

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[Billy "Poserlander" Badly]

I like to eat, so my food supplies are always ample... some would say excessive. Because of that, I don't necessarily pack "extra days" worth, I just know I've got enough for more meals than I have planned. In addition, I've got 48 hours worth of emergency food in delicious brick form in my rig at all times, along w/ a Lifestraw.

 

[Road]

I always have more food with than days planned. I typically bring along extra non-perishable stuff like Miso soup packets, canned goods like Chicken ala King and ravioli, jars of peanut butter, and other stuff that doesn't go bad quickly like raisins and nuts, unopened boxes of Triscuits, unopened blocks of cheese, just all sorts of stuff that can be used in camp or returned back home but that could come in very handy if stuck back country longer than planned.

 

[tsteb112]

I always have more food with than days planned. I typically bring along extra non-perishable stuff like Miso soup packets, canned goods like Chicken ala King and ravioli, jars of peanut butter, and other stuff that doesn't go bad quickly like raisins and nuts, unopened boxes of Triscuits, unopened blocks of cheese, just all sorts of stuff that can be used in camp or returned back home but that could come in very handy if stuck back country longer than planned.

Peanut butter is a great idea. Especially now that our dog will be coming with


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[basecamphawk8984]

Dehydrated meals are perfect to bring along. No need for refrigeration, the sky's the limit. We bring dehydrated food when we go backcountry kayak camping, and in that scenario we pump and filter water from the lake were on using our katadyn vario.

2016 Cherokee Trailhawk OB#8984

 

[maxfederle89]

October in 2016. I live in Greenville, NC. Maybe it was hurricane Matthew. I can’t remember for sure. There are a lot of rivers on this part of the state and all became flooded and went over roads. There’s pictures online. The DOT created a map of impassable roads and basically from the center of the state eastward was closed or impassable. We were camping in Black Mountain. It’s about 3000 ft in elevation (if I remember correctly). We saw snow on Mt. Mitchell, hurricane force winds, rain and sun all in those ten days. The rain and wind was a front coming from the west. It was fun but it could have sucked bad if we weren’t prepared or blew through our food in 3 days. The road getting to our campsite was 14 miles of switchback gravel/dirt roads. I had a flat tire on the one too. The views were awesome though. Right along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

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Beautiful area!

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[maxfederle89]

I like to eat, so my food supplies are always ample... some would say excessive. Because of that, I don't necessarily pack "extra days" worth, I just know I've got enough for more meals than I have planned. In addition, I've got 48 hours worth of emergency food in delicious brick form in my rig at all times, along w/ a Lifestraw.

Hey that's a good idea. What about changing vehicle Temps, especially the heat? How do you store it? I want to stash some of those brick rations and just bottles of water (semi) permanently with my tool kit. I have the spare tire area where I stash tools and gear. I'm thinking food and water should go in as well.

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[tsteb112]

Beautiful area!

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Yes it is! Are you close by?


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[maxfederle89]

Yes it is! Are you close by?


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Unfortunately no. I live in Eastern Nebraska.

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[Billy "Poserlander" Badly]

Hey that's a good idea. What about changing vehicle Temps, especially the heat? How do you store it? I want to stash some of those brick rations and just bottles of water (semi) permanently with my tool kit. I have the spare tire area where I stash tools and gear. I'm thinking food and water should go in as well.

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I'll rotate it out at some point I guess (have to double check the exp), but honestly, I don't worry about too much. In an emergency, it should still get the job done, and even though it won't taste very good, I don't think it'll be dangerous.

I store it in the in-floor storage compartment in my Xterra, along the lifestraw and a couple emergency water pouches.

 

[Rubyredfozzy]

I think a good idea is to have a rationing plan as well. Whatever supplies you have may be good enough for your planned trip, but as you run into the unknown planning out your rations is needed. For instance dropping down to two meals a day and planning water intake. And having a resupply plan as well. On x day we will move to x location and restock. If that is not an option we move to plan b which is rationing.

Also like the gentleman stated above, planning your location to be within a reasonable distance of some civilization may work as well.

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[AZ WANDERING BEAR]

Interesting thread. Coming into overlanding from a bushcraft/survival background, I use the Rule of 3s to guide some of my decisions. And normally I am overlanding in the Southwest. Obviously shelter is pretty well covered on an overland trip. Water becomes a high priority issue quickly, food slightly less so. I carry a minimum of 3 extra days of both food (largely dehydrated) and water along with a water filter to take advantage of any water supply I find. I freeze plastic gallon jugs as block ice for the cooler -- extra water when it melts.

If fuel is going to anywhere near close, the jerry cans get filled. Never know when a closed trail you force you into a longer route.

In the US most SAR units operate out of the county Sheriff's office. If they have any clue at all where you are, you can figure a maximum of 3 days before help arrives. That assumes you left a good plan wit someone reliable or have used an InReach or PLB type device.

Cool thing is having planned some extra gives you the flexibility to extend your trip for fun too.

Luckily we haven't had to ride out a hurricane. Dang good story though.

 

[tsteb112]

Unfortunately no. I live in Eastern Nebraska.

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Wow that’s way out there lol. Lots of cold weather?


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[maxfederle89]

Wow that’s way out there lol. Lots of cold weather?


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Lots recently, yeah. And zero mountains to enjoy it in. Haha

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