Hunner's Outfit, Armor, Tools and Spare parts, and Weigh

edited some 10/29/11 after my trip to Yellowstone. Trying to see what can be cut. I was a bit heavy, again. Nobody has guessed how much gross weight was. I add 200lbs, guess too much Moose Drool micro beer and Elk burgers?

"In progress"
I hit the high spots not all the individual personal items.

This stuff is either bolted on are carried all the time, not an option to be removed.

64 lbs Brush guard winch mount, rollers
124 lb Rocky Rails
34 lb UCP + some new plates
28 lb Hi Lift with big base for soft ground or sand
3 lb? Shovel (scale did not read)
56 lb Rola roof rack with extension
3 cross bars
17 lb Hunner skids
115 lbs Warn Power Plant
10 lb Computer mount
2 lb Toshiba 12" laptop
5 lb Tail Light guards
458 lbs total
need to add over spare rack, loaded and unloaded
This stuff is either bolted on are carried all the time.

Recovery Gear Bag

2" strap
3" strap
-Jerk strap with fittings
tree saver strap
4 shackles (Trail Duty)
Warn snatch block (2)
Cable gloves
cable end shackle
Thimbles and cable clamps

Total aprox 44 lbs.

Ready Bag

First Aid Kit
Gloves
3 size flashlights
head gear light
winch control
air hose and chuck (I have a Warn power plant winch/compressor)
tire gauge
Off skeeter repellent hi deet
fire ext 2
2 ratchet straps
fire stick
night scope (to watch for the enemy) (or help)
Total 17 lbs

Stuff Bag

Limb saw
trailer wire adapter
trailer to 12v accessory
20 penlight batteries
4 D cell
4 C cell
FRS radios and charger
spare ralley light covers (law in some states)
spare head light bulbs

Total 14 lbs

Large tools and parts Bag

Crow bar (to pry gas tank shield away from drive shaft and in field body work )
1/2 torque wrench
serpentine belt
2 inner 1 outer tie rod (I don't use them but somebody might)
I have an option should I tear up a Heim or other failure of the BP components these could be fitted.
set 1/2" drive deep sockets
set open/box wrenches some duplicate and ratchet ends
large up to big really big wrenches for steering
1 long extra rack hyd line
1 modded short flex line
2 extra rack brackets and bushings
steering gear rack
two quarts power steering blood
12 pipe wrench (for tie rods)
5qts oil,filter, funnel (for water crossing!) just in case
spare air filter (they don't work well when wet)
Edit to add in weight of CV shaft spare. Two actually, so I can share.
2 jugs Dex cool

Total aprox. 53 lbs

GRAND TOTAL APPROX 586+
Just shows how fast "stuff" adds up. In years past in other vehicles all of that was either needed by me or someone else or is projected to be needed to return to someplace if more help is needed.

I took off on the last trip
85 lbs extra winch
80 lbs second spare and rim
150 lbs passenger
5 gallon fuel can
5 gallon water

My black Tool Pak is full of standard and not standard H3 specific tools and multi-purpose compact tools that has developed over many years of "what works" and covers most repairs. The bigger tools for tie rod repair and steering and suspension adjustment I only carry on out of town trips.
I will post the contents of the Tool Pak someday in all my spare time It holds an amazing assortment in a soft bag easy for storing.








This rides on the front when I go alone or with one other vehicle into unknown places, especially where there are no trees, like the Mojave. Sometimes I carry two aprox. 16 lbs. each need to add that in as needed
That is considered the heavy artillary instead of tools and spares, like the rear winch. Ya don't know whatcha don't know. I have not walked out of anywhere...........yet? I have some sand bridges I can use but thought that might be overkill after reading up on the Mojave.


I guess if you count heavy stuff the 1 extra battery in the dual battery set up could go here also.


I need to add weight of Hutchinsons and rock rings and Cooper 315's total pkg 135 lbs each of course minus what any wheels and tires would weigh anyway. Just a reference.

Last time was 6080 lbs. gross weight is supposed to be 6001 lbs. I'm going to have to figure out what it weighs now and trim some fat!!! I think it was about 5620 actual curb weight before I started modding.
I exceeded that on my Yellowstone trip even after cutting some stuff.

To be continued and updated.......

Did you forget the rear rack?
Also, where did you get those black tool bags? I like! I want! I need!

Yeah I need to add that rack. I will be checking on the new prototype I hope, Monday he has something to show me. Then I would have to add 5 gallons fuel and water and ice chest with stuff. It's looking bad for saving any weight!
Here is the bag. You can cram almost more than you can carry in there!

http://www.toolpak.com/

Who make these? They look very durable!!! I was recently looking @ North Face bags that look like these, but looking for other options also.

I got those bags at Academy Sports in the boating section. They had several styles. I liked the ones with a fold over top and the zipper all around three sides for easy access. They have a semi rigid bottom that is padded. There were some with a center zipper and then that parts opens up. The others are easier to lay open. They are fairly good at shedding water as I use some on my open boat and it keeps things dry.
I found them on sale but don't remember how much now.

Well heck! I thought I was doing good. I put most all of that in there, left off the anchor, extra winch, fuel can and water can and only took the small ice chest. I got so busy I did not weigh until I got almost home from Yellowstone. I had a half tank of gas. Any guesses what the Hunner Edition Whale weighed? No wonder it did not like Pike's peak. It was better after I changed to the 87 octane program and burned out that crappy 85.
I will pop this in here. I had a new paper element and ran it most of the time. I wished I had put in the K&N going up the Peak, but forgot I had it. I got home and was checking for loose parts, ha ha and noticed that silly air filter element sensor had all red showing. The filter is white and clean. I don't see much about it in the book. I tripped it and will run a couple of days and see what it does. I wonder if it was sucking so hard in the high elevations it prematurely indicated dirty???? F5?

The dirty ones always suck hard. Those are called keepers. :wink:

I guess I was the straight guy on that line. I knew I was leaving that wide open but could not figure out how else to say it. I think I will go with the clean one and not risk getting anything dirty that I want to keep.:no:

Hmmm duplicate post, my computer is haunted!

Sorry for going a bit off topic here ...

Regarding your anchor you use, what would you recommend(as getting a land anchor(pullpal) this side is bloody expensive and hard)

I can get the following:
* 5kg(11lb) Bruce for R330 ($44)
* 10kg(22lb) Danforth for R420 ($56)

Topic? What topic? ha hah
The Danforth is no good for this application, in my opinion. They lay flat with a good length of chain and pulled down on in sand the flutes will dig in only if the shank is angled up a bit or the flutes angled down while setting, then the chain allows it to then lay flat so it is harder for it to pull loose, which is good for boats. However they will not dig down good on land because the flutes are not angled enough or strong enough in the mid size. There are several brands of the "Danforth" design. One brand, the Hooker (far right) when hung up on rocks can be broken to retrieve it and re-welded. Not sure that was a design feature?
Of course "big" is better, whatever you can deal with, and you will get lots of questions from on-lookers. A really big Danforth style could work if dug in first.
Oh and watch for alligators, really.

I prefer the Bruce or CQR for land anchors.
The Bruce on the left really digs good. It has winglets that add more surface area. It has a fixed shank. If needed you can start it by using a shovel. I tried mine several ways and the use of a remote control for the winch is great so you can use your foot to get it started. In really soft stuff it could pull out if you don't get it dug in. I have used two in what's called a "Bahamian moor" where you place two at a 45 degree angle to get the grip you need. Getting stuck in a 80 acre soybean field or rice field is where I learned to either bury a spare, lots of work or, or used an old plow shear welded to a length of steel tubing.
The CQR has a pivoting shank to allow for a boat to "swing" on the anchor due to shifting winds or current and not pull out as easily. In our use if the vehicle starts to slide some one way or the other it will stay engaged better.
So for me, in extreme situations, both a Bruce and CQR, but then that is also because I already HAD both. I only carry them when I know I could be in situations where there is nothing to winch to. When I'm alone I try to avoid areas like that. Of course, some day I will attempt or need to cross some area and not have them with me. Bummer

Used anchors in boat yards can be had cheap. I did not buy most of mine. I dredged them up with my anchor in popular anchorages or while diving to check the set of mine.
Let us know what you decide on.

Wow, thanks for the wealth of info Hunner :thumbs:

I don't have any experience with these type of anchors, thats why I was asking before I just bought something that would turn out to be useless :gaah:

Think I should see if I cant get a decent second hand one somewhere (but I have tried searching online, and they are as scarce as chicken teeth). But as you said, i will rather get two decent ones just in case

o ja, at least i got the corded and wireless remotes with the Warn 9.5 XP ( I almost bought the wireless one seperate when I ordered the winch, glad I didnt) :thumbs:

:corn:

I love this thread. Hunner you are the definition of prepared.

Thanks for commenting. I hoped with this thread I might save somebody being stranded, but I bet someday the one thing I need, I left at home. Missing one socket could make or break a repair. (like the guy at Badlands in the Cherokee that had a wheel come off and did not have a thinwall deep socket to get his spacers off) Hey it happens! I have cut most of the fluff but when you are 10 hours from home in Podunk USA with the nearest dealer many miles away I always hope to be able to at least get it rolling if I have to.

Every time I do some sort of procedure like changing the steering knuckles or removing a CV shaft I use the stuff I need from my shop tool box. Then I buy an extra of all of that to carry with me. No way I would remember all of the details if it is not in one of those bags. I seem to have a harder time remembering all the stuff I have to keep up with between the Hummer and sailboat restoration and repair tools. Most of the "work" stuff stays in my old Dodge truck or trailer so I use the same policy there. If I needed it once, I will probably need it again. So, yeah I end up with three or four of some things but have a "little" piece of mind, ha ha very little.

I had some time to prepare all of that and go thru it before my Yellowstone trip, not knowing but what being alone I might get into some trail I could not resist or even drop down to Moab I just went ahead and took it all.

Grand total at the CAT scale on the way home was 6600 pounds. (I felt that on Pike's Peak) So I need to trim more if I can justify what goes. I can probably cut out the chains for most trips and the battery jump pack with inverter, combo and just carry an inverter. I have mentioned I use that for running an AC impact to save the old back. Luxury, sure but not having a nagging back ache for the rest of the trip, priceless. I tried the battery powered ones and it always seems to be dead when I need it. I did have a small Makita that had a DC charger but no good for lug nuts. So for a big DeWalt or some kind of battery driven half inch drive I would need an inverter to charge or see if there is a DC charger available.

I guess for some, just run nekked and trust you will have cell phone or ONstar coverage and somebody eventually might be able to get to you before your time is up, or depend on otheres. I don't always find that to be convenient.

I had 10 hours to think of the things I hoped I remembered to put back in on the drive to Attica Badlands.
Besides, what else do I have to do???:shifty:

Hunner, do you have a model number or the rated weight for that Bruce anchor?

Both of my anchors I selected for my boat. It's a 27 foot 10,000 lb sailboat. Those are the sizes recommended.
Bigger can be better, I went with multiple styles and lighter weight for managing them by myself in rough weather.
The Bruce is 5KG or about 11lbs. The next one up is 16.5 and would be a good choice for off-road without much more size.
The CQR is 15 lbs.
On the boat with about 15 feet of 5/16 chain to make the lay down on the bottom and 150 feet of 1/2 nylon twisted line when properly set they will hold a bouncing 10,000 lb boat in hurricane force winds, ask me how I know, 8 times over plus squalls very often. I usually have to move the boat over them while taking in line and pull them up.
I never had a windless on the bow so I had to let the weight of the boat with a taught line pull them up or back down with the diesel.
Same thing happens when you winch on one offroad if it really gets down deep.
I think for wheeling deployment is key to get them to dig in. A wireless remote have made that easier for someone by themselves to stand on the anchor while winching to get it to dig in. A starting hole sometimes helps this process. The more cable you put out the better it pulls low to the ground. Some chain would help even more but I don't always carry that. Syn of course being lighter may not lay down as well with less weight.
Just for fun this shows the mass they can hold

and the conditions in which I sometimes had to deploy them when it was possible to stop later in the day or maybe had to keep going running from the weather!!
Either way they are impressive devices not gimmicks that fold up and come apart.

I see the wisdom of your choice. Thank you.

Any experience with these in mud / dirt vs. sand?

The terrain here is basically all mud - it's quite rocky as well so I'm not sure how effective an anchor would be.

For off-roading in vehicles I have used them more in mud than sand here. We have some loamy sand areas but not many. My use has been in mud in rice fields that are flooded and bean fields where there are no trees. If you are in soupy deep mud with no solid bottom then you may have a problem getting a hold good enough to pull the H3 if it is buried. Usually off to the side where vehicles have not made deep ruts when going on muddy roads some more resistance can be had.

Using a boating technique called a Bahama moor you can place two at about a 45 degree angle and get the vehicle some assistance going forward. These are extreme cases and before attempting areas like this I would first reconsider the necessity to go forward or have another vehicle along to help, or cause twice as much work!! Hence my additional rear winch, retreat and live to wheel another day.

Rocks in the mud can help. The old bury the spare is a real chore but can be added to assist if desperate.
Here if it is rocky in the mountains, it's not muddy. In the bottoms and farm land it's sticky gumbo mud and even huge 4 wheel drive tractors will at some point be stopped.

I have been stuck in 4 inches of slimy mud and used the anchors to get moving, sliding to a place I could get traction or prevent me from sliding off a levee.
Your ingenuity to fully use the capabilities will be challenged at some point.

Thanks Hunner!

I'd like to have something like this "just in case" - I often go for drives with the family that end up in some exploration of trails we find along the way. Knowing that I could be out on my own this would make me a lot more comfortable.

So these are just regular boat anchors?

Yeah boat anchors I already had so they got pressed into service.
Years ago on the farm we just welded brackets on old middle buster plow shears and used them to get tractors and combines out of the muck. We had trucks with PTO winches but had to anchor them to pull the other stuff.
That is sort of what those pull pals are, just an old idea with shiny paint and a different name.

Hunner, where did you get those tool bags, they look very convenient, looks like basically every thing, sockets, wrenches, pliers all fit in there. I have been looking for a good way to store my tools, and all i have come up with so far are the roll up bags.

I love mine. I can put more in there than I can carry comfortably so I got two and split them up. They are great instead of a hard tool box. No way I could carry mine now on my back! I filled mine with some custom made specialty tools and every time I find a compact tool I try to include that to get the most use out of what I carry.
I mention that because I try to carry things that I have used in the past to speed things up.
Because I have the need for both SAE and Metric in my work plus on the Hummer I carry the Metrench kit and lots of extras I have bought over the years. That reduces the amount of weight quite a lot.

http://www.toolpak.com/
http://www.metrinch.tv/
Shop the Metrench tools hard and you can get good deals.

Hunner I had a similar issue with weight on my truck when I was loading it up with everything for camping especially with mutliple people tagging along. If you can cut the weight enough then more power to you but if it comes down to taking essential or peace of mind gear vs overweighting the truck a trailer could be an option. I ended up building up my own with a 3500lb axle. I figure taking the weight off my truck and moving it to the trailer will decrease the chance of something breaking significantly as well as increase handling.