Should you pack fluids on the trail?
- Thread starter kmac5130
- Start date
I have used these "tall" 50cal cans in a few builds. One is just fluids, funnel and some blue towels. Gear oil, engine oil, trans fluid, brake fluid. They all stand upright and I tend to check the caps whenever I am in the can. No leaks yet, even if there was, the can is sealed good. The other can has parts. U-joints, yokes, air tube, bag of bolts, quick epoxy, stop leak, silicone, etc.
Brake fluid is hygroscopic by design which means it absorbs water so it is 100% compatible. Won't hurt a thing to use it, there is just the problem of the low boiling point. Flush it as soon as possible to limit corrosion and it won't be an issue.
Anytime we carry brake fluid, it is new unopened sealed pints. Open and use it on the trail, it goes on the shelf and gets replaced with another new pint.
Hey and don't forget a 5 gallon bucket/lids or some extra used dog food or rice bags and your favorite oil absorbing medium...be it kitty litter or PIGG mats.
I have a lot of heavy duty plastic feed bags... already have cable ties and a shovel...so I keep 5 or 6 of those and a half dozen PIGG mats under a seat.
Don't be that person that dumps their oil pan and doesn't clean up the mess.
-Mac
I have a lot of heavy duty plastic feed bags... already have cable ties and a shovel...so I keep 5 or 6 of those and a half dozen PIGG mats under a seat.
Don't be that person that dumps their oil pan and doesn't clean up the mess.
-Mac
Is it better to build a spill kit or purchase one? I build my first aid kits, seems you get much better stuff and what you need. What about spill kits?
Good question...love to see some answers. I used to borrow PIGG mats from work...was looking at purchasing them and damn they are pricey.
-Mac
I've read El Dorado gives them out on the weekend at the Rubicon trail. I wonder if that's a good kit?
Water, water and more water. It replaces coolant, brake fluid and it helps you survive the heat here in the desert. I have only manual jeeps but ATF works for power steering fluid also.
For local running I bring water, hand tools, gorilla tape, epoxy putty, bailing wire, oil, electrical stuff and a tire repair kit with valve stems. I do not want to add too much weight and all but the tools fit in a milk crate. Now if I’m running down in Baja that’s a different thing and I load up. While I do not go crazy like some, shit happens. I was running about 200 miles south of the border down in Baja and hit a piece of shale on the trail and put a hole in the oil pan and I hammered a stick in it and it lasted until I got to a place and had it welded. The weld is still there today.
The main thing to remember is don’t panic and figure it out. Like Blain did use whats available to you. Using water for brake fluid or coolant will get you home and thats the main objective.
For local running I bring water, hand tools, gorilla tape, epoxy putty, bailing wire, oil, electrical stuff and a tire repair kit with valve stems. I do not want to add too much weight and all but the tools fit in a milk crate. Now if I’m running down in Baja that’s a different thing and I load up. While I do not go crazy like some, shit happens. I was running about 200 miles south of the border down in Baja and hit a piece of shale on the trail and put a hole in the oil pan and I hammered a stick in it and it lasted until I got to a place and had it welded. The weld is still there today.
The main thing to remember is don’t panic and figure it out. Like Blain did use whats available to you. Using water for brake fluid or coolant will get you home and thats the main objective.
I've always had the opinion that there should be a purpose built very sturdy cardboard box that has an auto bottom, nice flaps on top, folds flat and has a couple of very heavy wall oil proof plastic bags made to fit with a nifty leak proof closure system.
Need a drain pan on the trail? Pop it open, punch the auto bottom down, fold the sides of the bag out over the flap, nice little drain pan that takes up very little space.
I bought them here and added the soft window mount.
https://undercoverfab.com/trail-doo...kets-don_t_add_soft_upper_attachment_brackets
Added the GenRight prp door bags on the inside.
Carrying the unopened containers of brake fluid is the ticket. I just don’t use the volume of brake fluid I use to anymore. I guess if I did put opened bottles at home I could motivate myself to change the brake fluid out on my motorhome and daily driver.
$12 at U.S. Hose in Ontario, so cal.
He has dog food size bags too. Same stuff but these little bags seemed just right, small and really light, not much too them.
http://www.biomatrixusa.com/
I carry a bag of this. It's 1:1 absorbent. Oils, acids, fuel, any hydrocarbon.
Do you think the one I found today is the same type? It was unreal light. I have never seen that type before.
Yes. I watched the whole thing and I’m probably going to start using it around the shop. The vid was impressive.
I like the bio matrix not absorbing water. I’m not a tree hugger but I certainly don’t want to be destructive. The vid makes it seem enviro friendly.