OB Approved Spill Kits

  • HTML tutorial
Captain Chaos

Captain Chaos

Rank VI
Launch Member

Traveler III

3,402
No
First Name
No
Last Name
No
Trail side repairs can be a messy situation. TreadLightly and other environmental concerns makes carrying a spill kit a sound idea. More and more groups are making the carrying of a spill kit mandatory equipment on all trail events. I put one together very inexpensively and it fits into a 5 gallon bucket. I have less than $20 in mine. I do not have pig mats in mine yet, but most groups require either pig pads or a floor dry type material.

Here’s what you need to put one together.
1. A cheap tarp, I got this one free at Harbor Freight
A Walmart shower curtain works well also. Put this
before making a trail repair to make clean up easier.

2. Pig Mats to place on a spill or leak. These are a fabric
diaper that soaks up fluids.

3. Absorbent. I use Coco Absorb, you can use a clay
based absorbent if you wish. Most floor dry and kitty
liter is clay based. Coco Absorb absorbs 9xs it’s weight.

4. Garbage bags to put the cleaned up spilled mess into.

5. Disposable gloves. Keeps your fingers clean!

6. A broom and dust pan makes clean up easier. A shovel
work well also.

7. Something to store your spill kit in. A 5 gallon bucket
works well because you can put the garbage in it after
cleaning up the spill and then seal it with the lid so no
oil or coolant drips in you rig.

2F09B73E-F679-44E1-8896-D449920CBDF9.jpeg46C45D65-F6EA-44B2-821C-EF1D22A2FEE7.jpegC2BF2C13-2035-4B6C-B12C-72F28519F3ED.jpeg

There are spill kits available commercially also, but building one yourself will save you some money and can be more satisfying.

Happy trails! Captain Chaos AKA the Lorax

https://www.cocoabsorb.com/
https://www.newpig.com/pig-absorbent-mat/c/5001?show=All
 
  • Like
Reactions: TexasGMG, DzrtShamrock, RoarinRow and 10 others
Kent R

Kent R

Executive Director
Staff member
Mod Team
Moderator
Member

Pathfinder III

5,200
El Dorado, Ca
First Name
Kent
Last Name
Reynolds
Member #

1632

Ham/GMRS Callsign
K6KNT
Service Branch
Retired Firefighter
Awesome! Thanks
 
  • Like
Reactions: Captain Chaos
brien

brien

Sonoran Space Program
Staff member
Moderator
Member

Off-Road Ranger I

3,402
Tucson, AZ
First Name
Brien
Last Name
Wankel
Member #

3553

Ham/GMRS Callsign
K7XPO
This is great, thank you for the write-up!
 
madcratebuilder

madcratebuilder

Rank V

Pathfinder I

1,685
Pacific Northwest
First Name
Steve
Last Name
Claggett
Service Branch
U. S. Army
I've seen fuel tanks, oil pans, transmission pans and diff covers damaged on the trail. You need to plug those leaks asap. A product called "Plug N Dike" from PND corp seals those holes, tears, punctures really quick.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Corbet and Captain Chaos
M

Marc Simcox

Rank III
Launch Member

Enthusiast II

766
Newport Beach, CA, USA
Member #

16430

I wonder if some of those Flex Seal patches might work for some, I would imagine that for petroleum based spills it might not, but I’ve never seen them to know what their makeup is. Might be good to place on something OVER the Plug N Dike seal for a little extra help.

EDIT: Nevermind, just looked it up on their site and they do not recommend it for things that I was thinking it might be good for

Q: Can I use it on my radiator hose?
A: No. We do not recommend using Flex Tape on radiator hoses.

Q: Can I use it on a tank used to hold gas or oil?
A: No. We do not recommend using Flex Tape on a gas or oil tank.
 
madcratebuilder

madcratebuilder

Rank V

Pathfinder I

1,685
Pacific Northwest
First Name
Steve
Last Name
Claggett
Service Branch
U. S. Army
The thing that makes Plug n Dike great is it seals while the leak is leaking.

My major concern is my fuel tank, it has a plastic cover but that is not much protection. There are a couple of skids out now but they add more weight. Want the see the AEV skid.
 
Roam_CO85

Roam_CO85

Rank V
Launch Member

Influencer I

2,914
Johnstown, Colorado, United States
First Name
Casey
Last Name
Barch
Member #

14176

Being a trucker i always carried a spill kit in the truck and keep stuff in the tool box of my pickup. Had a fuel tank get hit by a blown tire (gator) and used a bar of soap to fix it by rubbing it into the abrasion. Dad was a gas and diesel hauler and gave me a few tips for the kit. Oil spills and gear oil spills get gross fast. Its a good post to see here! Been out on the trail and a oil pan got hit once. Wasnt fun but was able to keep it clean.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: madcratebuilder, Retinens803 and Captain Chaos
Corbet

Corbet

Rank V
Launch Member

Pathfinder I

2,055
Durango, CO
First Name
Corbet
Last Name
Hoover
Member #

1204

All trail leaders at Cruise Moab have carried spill kits for a long as I can remember. I used one once on Metal Masher when a truck broke a diff cover.

I like the 5gal bucket approach but simply don’t have that kind of space to dedicate on Overland trips.

I do carry a pair of nalgen type water bottles full of oil dry. As well as a cheap painters tarp and trash bags of course. While I can’t deal with a big spill I’m equipped to handle something moderate. One can always use sand as additional absorbent and pack it out.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Roam_CO85
WAYAWAY

WAYAWAY

Rank V
Launch Member

Member III

1,473
San Diego, CA
First Name
Joe
Last Name
P
Member #

20487

Really great writeup. I'd feel like such an ass if I made a big toxic mess out there and didn't have anything to clean it up.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom