Birding takes us to beautiful and remote locations, ranging from the Tetons to the Badlands and beyond. Be prepared and be aware as you enjoy road trips and local birding opportunities.

Whether you’re going on a field trip, road trip, or birding near home, you will always have the basic birding equipment with you – binoculars, field guide, camera, maybe a spotting scope. But what happens when a problem or simple emergency comes up? Are you prepared? What’s in your backpack, or the trunk of your vehicle? You probably don’t need to be reminded to bring your smartphone and charger on any field trip, and a backpack or birding–photo vest is often helpful in keeping everything in one place. But obviously, there are other things to keep in mind too.

Depending on the season and your location, you should always have some level of an emergency kit. Road safety is important, but vehicles break down: Tires go flat, batteries fail, keys get lost or locked in the vehicle – you know the possibilities. When we’re driving down the road, we sometimes forget about or overlook some variables that may arise. Not to conjure up a list of worries, but it’s important to be prepared, and then you don’t need to worry again – you’re ready for any unforeseen situations.

When I work on corporate field projects, we often spend hours or days in advance of any fieldwork to address safety and emergency topics, having worked in areas varying from mountains to deserts to uninhabited islands, so I’m pretty aware of the importance of safety concerns. Let me share with you the contents of a road trip safety kit that I use, just in case I have a problem, and you can pick and choose what you think might be ample equipment for you. Over the years, I’ve found these items helpful to keep comfortable and return home with a minimum of lost time if I do have a vehicle problem.

I divide the list into extra clothing, just in case, and some basic vehicle fix-it and safety equipment. In fact, I use a tote container to house my “just in case” clothing, and another to keep my “hopefully don’t need” vehicle equipment.

You may have your own preferences, especially depending on the season and locale, but in my clothing tote I keep work gloves, warm waterproof gloves, a warm fleece pullover, a winter coat shell with a hood that sheds rain and breaks the wind that I can wear over the pullover; rain pants, rubber boots, comfortable hiking boots, a pair of warm socks and a pair of anti-blister socks; a warm stocking hat that’s big enough to pull down over my face, and a sun hat.

Because I live in a northern clime and take regular trips to the Rocky Mountains and northern forests, I have a lot of cold weather gear, but a winter storm in southern California can be just as wet and chilling, even though the temperatures may be 50 degrees warmer. You will know what you need for your region through the seasons, and you can always add or subtract things for a vacation drive or road trip.

I also keep a little first aid kit in my clothing tote with simple first aid supplies stored in a small plastic container – the ready-made kind you can buy at a recreation store or drug store – or one you prepare from supplies you keep in your bathroom. I include sun screen, insect repellent, and an anti-itch cream for when you do get bug bites; an antiseptic, aloe vera, a couple band aids, some gauze, tape, and a small scissors.

In my vehicle equipment tote I have a large flashlight and a headlamp with extra flashlight batteries, plus extra batteries of all sizes; jumper cables, a vehicle 12-volt battery charger, a tow strap, a plug-in tire inflator, a can of flat tire fixer-inflator, and a few tools (side-cutting pliers, a crescent wrench, flathead & Phillips screwdrivers, a hammer, and regular scissors); duct tape, a length of nylon cord or rope, and a couple large plastic garbage bags, along with the usual spare tire, tire wrench, liquid wrench, and a small floor jack, which I prefer over the jack provided with a vehicle. I also include many energy bars, and a couple gallon jugs of drinking water (these can also be used in case you need radiator water, or one can be emptied to use to transport a gallon of gas in a pinch).

Keep your gas tank as full as possible; many rural gas stations only operate from 8am to 5pm Monday through Saturday and don’t have a credit card option. It’s also a good idea to keep some extra cash stashed in your vehicle in case you need it. Be sure to keep an extra ignition key in a separate pants pocket, and a blank bank check in your billfold or purse, and another blank check in the glove compartment, just in case you lose or misplace your billfold – it happens. I also keep a printout of telephone numbers in the glovebox, in case you forget, misplace, or lose your cellphone that has all your telephone numbers stored in it.

The above equipment and other stuff is not unique for birding safety; it really provides a basis for any vehicle’s safety equipment. When I work on corporate projects, they tend to provide fire extinguishers, which I probably should add, and you will probably have other thoughts and ideas.

Because I live in a remote location, and travel to more remote areas, during extreme winter weather there’s always the chance of getting stuck in snow or mud, sliding off the road due to icy conditions, or disabling your vehicle by accidentally hitting a deer, elk, or moose that crosses the road in front of you. That can be life-threatening after dark when other people don’t often travel – for safety reasons – and where inhabited farmsteads and ranches are few and far apart. Also, traveling to different countries and continents lends itself to being prepared and bringing some first aid, appropriate clothing, and equipment options, although on a much smaller scale than what I carry in my vehicle – just in case.

Aside from all that, you always need to keep alert to potential local hazards that may vary from poisonous snakes, killer bees, grizzly bears, polar bears, lions, tigers – you get the idea. So just as we are alert for the next bird or birds, we need to be aware of other animals and environmental conditions. I have learned to watch every step, and watch the ground ahead of me, not only for animals, but for plants, vines, sticks, rocks, or holes I might trip on or cut myself on. That’s all certainly not to scare you away from your interests in birding beyond your neighborhood, but again, these safety concerns aren’t singular to birding – they are more part of being prepared day to day.

Of course, you will have your own safety interests, but the above thoughts and lists should give you the incentive to look beyond the obvious binoculars and field guide for your birding sojourns. In short, be safe, be prepared, and enjoy all your birding endeavors!

Article and photos by Paul Konrad

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