Snowmachine broke down 30 miles from Nome last month, changed my whole view on spare parts

I was running my usual trap line near the Kougarok River when the drive belt snapped. Had a spare but it was the wrong size because I grabbed one for my buddy's machine by accident. Walked 6 hours back to town and my neighbor laughed at me for not double checking. Now I keep a second belt taped to the tunnel and label everything with a paint marker. Anyone else keep backups for stuff you never think will fail?

3 comments

3 Comments

margaretrivera2mo ago

Walking 6 hours is the real lesson in preparedness, not the spare parts issue.

caseys301mo agoTop Commenter

Respectfully gotta disagree. Walking 6 hours is rough but it's not a replacement for having actual spare parts. I've been stuck on a trail before where a simple belt snapped. No amount of hiking fitness is gonna fix that. You need both - the physical ability and the smart packing. Preparedness isn't just one skill, it's the whole package.

finley_bennett282mo ago

Walking 6 hours doesn't seem that wild to me.