OB Approved Spill Kits

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Captain Chaos

Captain Chaos

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Trail side repairs can be a messy situation. TreadLightly and other environmental concerns makes carrying a spill kit a sound idea. More and more groups are making the carrying of a spill kit mandatory equipment on all trail events. I put one together very inexpensively and it fits into a 5 gallon bucket. I have less than $20 in mine. I do not have pig mats in mine yet, but most groups require either pig pads or a floor dry type material.

Here’s what you need to put one together.
1. A cheap tarp, I got this one free at Harbor Freight
A Walmart shower curtain works well also. Put this
before making a trail repair to make clean up easier.

2. Pig Mats to place on a spill or leak. These are a fabric
diaper that soaks up fluids.

3. Absorbent. I use Coco Absorb, you can use a clay
based absorbent if you wish. Most floor dry and kitty
liter is clay based. Coco Absorb absorbs 9xs it’s weight.

4. Garbage bags to put the cleaned up spilled mess into.

5. Disposable gloves. Keeps your fingers clean!

6. A broom and dust pan makes clean up easier. A shovel
work well also.

7. Something to store your spill kit in. A 5 gallon bucket
works well because you can put the garbage in it after
cleaning up the spill and then seal it with the lid so no
oil or coolant drips in you rig.

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There are spill kits available commercially also, but building one yourself will save you some money and can be more satisfying.

Happy trails! Captain Chaos AKA the Lorax

https://www.cocoabsorb.com/
https://www.newpig.com/pig-absorbent-mat/c/5001?show=All
 
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Kent R

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Awesome! Thanks
 
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brien

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This is great, thank you for the write-up!
 
madcratebuilder

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I've seen fuel tanks, oil pans, transmission pans and diff covers damaged on the trail. You need to plug those leaks asap. A product called "Plug N Dike" from PND corp seals those holes, tears, punctures really quick.
 
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Marc Simcox

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I wonder if some of those Flex Seal patches might work for some, I would imagine that for petroleum based spills it might not, but I’ve never seen them to know what their makeup is. Might be good to place on something OVER the Plug N Dike seal for a little extra help.

EDIT: Nevermind, just looked it up on their site and they do not recommend it for things that I was thinking it might be good for

Q: Can I use it on my radiator hose?
A: No. We do not recommend using Flex Tape on radiator hoses.

Q: Can I use it on a tank used to hold gas or oil?
A: No. We do not recommend using Flex Tape on a gas or oil tank.
 
madcratebuilder

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The thing that makes Plug n Dike great is it seals while the leak is leaking.

My major concern is my fuel tank, it has a plastic cover but that is not much protection. There are a couple of skids out now but they add more weight. Want the see the AEV skid.
 
Roam_CO85

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Being a trucker i always carried a spill kit in the truck and keep stuff in the tool box of my pickup. Had a fuel tank get hit by a blown tire (gator) and used a bar of soap to fix it by rubbing it into the abrasion. Dad was a gas and diesel hauler and gave me a few tips for the kit. Oil spills and gear oil spills get gross fast. Its a good post to see here! Been out on the trail and a oil pan got hit once. Wasnt fun but was able to keep it clean.
 
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Corbet

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All trail leaders at Cruise Moab have carried spill kits for a long as I can remember. I used one once on Metal Masher when a truck broke a diff cover.

I like the 5gal bucket approach but simply don’t have that kind of space to dedicate on Overland trips.

I do carry a pair of nalgen type water bottles full of oil dry. As well as a cheap painters tarp and trash bags of course. While I can’t deal with a big spill I’m equipped to handle something moderate. One can always use sand as additional absorbent and pack it out.
 
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WAYAWAY

WAYAWAY

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Really great writeup. I'd feel like such an ass if I made a big toxic mess out there and didn't have anything to clean it up.
 
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