I am in the lower 48 trapping an area of about 508,000 acres of trails/2tracks with very limited maintained roads. What do you all carry in terms of survival kit to keep yourself going if something happens (break down ect)

Last week I was out and my 4wheeler quit on me several miles from the road I dropped the truck on. Fortunately it is still warm down here making it a pleasant walk back not the -20 to -40 it will be in a few short months, and I was at the top of my line not 15-20 miles down further..this event has given me some pause as to what I keep with me.

More important than any tool is to have the clothes readily available to withstand the worse weather you can possibly encounter. Then I'd argue 2-3 means of lighting a fire, The mini road flares are awesome. A mora knife, a 2 quart pot, first aid kit, some cordage and a synthetic sleeping bag.

I like Mors kochanski books. He was a Canadian cat and has the cold dialed in pretty well.

well said

#1= means of communication.
#2= means of communication.

#3= fire-making tool.
#4= water that is not frozen.

The rest will depend on your situation and problem. Your machine of choice should ALWAYS carry basic tools and parts specific to that machine.
A small shovel, (those folding ones can do a lot of work and take up little space), and some jerky or pep sticks stay good if wrapped properly, and are usually in a pocket of mine, anyway.
Again, the most important tool you can carry is a reliable way of communicating with somebody that can help.

Road flares are an excellent firestarter, I've never seen the mini ones but have packed the regular ones for years. A spare set of dry clothes is something I packed for years on the snowmobile and need to get back into the habit of. Shovel, winch or ropealong to get your machine unstuck or back upright, and an ax. A chainsaw is great, but an ax is more reliable, if I figure on needing to cut blowdowns out of the way I carry a saw, but an ax is a permanent fixture on my snowmobile. Not sure where you are and how much snow you have, but if there is enough to run a snowmachine you should have a pair of snowshoes strapped on it.

Everyone's situation is different. You need to taylor your kit to you and your surroundings. Let's use your last adventure as a base. You said you had to walk a couple of miles back to your truck. What would you want with you on that walk back? Put it together.

Now, like you said, what if you had to walk 15 miles back to the truck at -20 below with a 20 mph wind. What do you want with you on that hike? Put it together with the other stuff.

Now, what do you want when you get to the truck? Put a truck kit together. Put in a Hide-A-Key, it's a magnetic key holder.

Lastly. Fill your pockets with whatever you think is necessary for your walks out. Sometimes all you have is what's on you. I suggest at least 3 ways to make fire. Compass and blah, blah, blah.

My kit for trapping will look a lot different than yours. Mine is taylored to riding a snowmachine without cell service. My compass works and so do my zippo lighters inside my parka. That and a working brain that doesn't panic and does not give up will get you back to the truck.

If you still are not sure what to pack. Spend the night in your backyard under a tree with a pad and paper. You will have a great list by morning. One or two of them written over and over. Pack those.

Get rid of all the comfort stuff. You are not camping. Want to read about other people failures. Read "To build a fire" by Jack London. Might help you pack your kit.

Good advise there !

"Put a truck kit together. Put in a Hide-A-Key, it's a magnetic key holder. "

NOT a Hide-A-Key!!! I can't count the number of those I have found over the years walking along logging roads, and most of the roads I'm familiar with in Wyoming are rough, a magnetic Hide-A-Key won't last two days on them before it bounces off. What I do is use duct tape and tape a spare key up underneath the bed rail on the pickup, or on a flatbed (or if you aren't using a pickup or have a locking canopy, etc.) wire a key somewhere on/under the truck. That way it is still there when you need it.

Otherwise Super Wide's advice is spot on, and the advice to have a spare key hidden on the truck is excellent. I have helped a number of people "break in" to their rigs over the years when they either didn't have a spare key, or it wasn't there when they went to get it. You can break into most modern rigs with the radio antennae much easier than you probably think, but it isn't something you want to do after a long day when you are cold, wet, and tired.

^^^^
This.

I carry a ACR Personal Locator Beacon, they cost about $250 and will save your life in a dire emergency, a helicopter will be there pretty quick after you deploy it. They are monitored by NOAA and have no subscription fee. Also carry something like a Garmin inReach for less extreme emergencies.
AND, let someone know approximately where you are going and when you will be back.

Sounds like you can rescue yourself? You will need to keep hydrated, energy snacks, a small pair of snowshoes, have to be in reasonable shape. Even at 2 miles an hour 20 miles is only a ten hour walk. Remember, keep hydrated you don’t want to end the walk vomiting and disoriented. That kind of sucks.

Hopefully that is not the voice of experience we hear there, Dave?!!!

Pete

The nausea makes it tough. The vomiting is low volume. Coffee is not water. Overflow is.

I don't know a lot about Cold weather but I carry 2 knife's bic wrapped with duct tape I like clear one better to be able to see the fuel and then my dad carries a get home bag for most situations and then the other Best thing to do is learn more in your mind.

Bic doesn't work well with cold fingers. I always carried a Zippo.

The last death march I was on was something like 8 hours long the water bottle I was packing froze shut at the screw on top I ended up shooting it so I could get some fluids into me
Things I didn’t have then that I have now
In reach they weren’t a thing then all I had was a handheld VHF and was too far out for anyone to hear me
Water in a thermos ya a bit heavy but they don’t normally freeze shut I fill mine with like warm water and put it in my box daily
There are of course all the normal things fire source, food , on
My long line I carry a tote with sleeping bag , extra socks gloves hat and other stuff to help me through a night out
My short line is only 70 mile round trip and if Im not home by 5 the calvary is called and they will have me and be home by 9

O-man,

Another thing you have now that you didn't then.... is a few more years on you! Lol! Hang in there.

Pete

One of the things I learned the hard way (on a 26 mile Death March after breaking a drive axle on a snowgo...) was that having an expensive goose down parka for an outer layer when you walk out, is a liability, not an asset.

On that particular night, I soon was dragging the down parka on rope behind me. It was worthless as insulation after being sweated up.

Like Otterman, that was a long time ago (50-ish years) and I'm much smarter now!

Pete

Something very small and light to pack is a space blanket. I packed one for years and often thought, "why am I packing this chunk of tinfoil? It can't possibly keep a guy that warm." But I've since used them a couple times to spend the night out. I won't say it was a comfortable night, but I spent one out in brisket deep snow (snowshoes back on the snowmachine) in a hemlock patch with no good firewood and a space blanket. While the road flare would light wet hemlock and I had a smudge fire, it just wouldn't put out much heat, the space blanket on the other hand kept me warm and although it snowed a foot on me that night I was never either miserably cold or worried about being in danger. It was a good reminder to pack snowshoes with you though, even if it is almost vertically steep when you leave the snowmachine.