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I didn?t read every response so if this was covered - sorry.
Space blankets are tiny, light weight and WORK! Have 3 means of making fire. Wear a paracord bracelet - gives you means of tying things. Have a good knife. Water purification or filtration and something to hold the water. LifeStraws work reasonably well and are small/light. A compass, whistle and mirror take up little room. This is not comprehensive - just some thoughts. Now, dose of reality. I grew up homesteading in AK. I can survive with a toothpick and fishing line (joking). But how many non-military (or even military) pilots would have a clue what to do with a signal mirror, compass, spool of fishing line and a hook? Be real. Most of my pilot friends would snag their eyeball while tripping over a tangled mess of fishing line. They would walk in giant circles while holding their compass, never understanding why they seem to be going east but keep coming back to the same spot. A compass in your hand in the woods is NOT the same as a compass mounted to your panel while flying through unobstructed air. Bottom line is to carry gear that you know how to use. For some, it?s a spool of fishing line, bare hooks, flint and steel, signal mirror, etc. for others it?s a candy bar, cell phone and a tiger-print snuggy. Maybe a lighter and couple of cigars for smoke signals. I know guys that carry 35 lbs of gear everywhere they fly and wouldn?t have the first clue on how to use it. On the other hand, I believe I could survive most situations with the equipment that is in my pockets when I fly. Last thought. Someone wrote that survival equipment is area specific - YES!! Arid, tropical, arctic...what are the risks and hazards? Tailor your gear to the specific flight. Are you over water, desert,etc.? Winter or summer? Great conversations to have with your local EAA chapter. |
Excellent advice.
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Two things I would add: 1. Mosquito netting / cover. 2. Solar phone charger |
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As for the "if it's not on you, you won't have it" theory, I fully subscribe to that myself. I have survival vests for both seats. Over the vests I have CO2-inflatable personal flotation devices. In the Canadian climate one needs far more survival gear than one can carry on oneself, hence the desire to get my "aircraft survival kit" into a bag that's very visible and easy to extract from the airplane... if enough of the airplane survives the crash. |
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Most of my flying thus far has been on east coast where, while you are not guaranteed of a quick (that day) rescue, if you can survive the crash and the day or two afterwards, you will be in pretty good shape if they can actually get to you. Hence I fly with ADS-B, OzRunways (IPad app) tracking enabled and have a GPS-enabled PLB. To that end, most of the things in my vest are geared towards immediate life-saving first aid and location aids. You only have to look at a recent M20J crash near Coffs Harbour that shows the benefits of ADS-B in an emergency, it's that final 5000m you often need to address that says "I'm over HERE!" |
Survival water container and stowage ?
What are some recommendations for container(s) and how/where to stow them?
I suspect whatever your favorite brand of water is, the bottle will not survive an impact. If you have a large container,...it only gets harder to locate, keep in place, and survive a high G/ impact with structure, event. |
Gatorade bottles are very tough and have a wide opening. They will survive any crash you do. Carry it unopened and you get some calories to boot.
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Plastic baggies, ziploc style, seem a good idea for carrying liquids post-crash.
One of my recurring nightmares is in the post-crash scenario I see the very last of the gas leaking from the airplane and have no way to capture it for use as a fire starter. Of course I've crashed in an area where all fuel sources are soaking wet so that gasoline is badly needed as an accellerant to start a fire and dry out the wet wood... Yup, gotta add some more ziplocs to my survival kit! |
might want to test the ziplocks reaction to gasoline first. They might melt.
I have a vest with: PLB (this goes on my parachute harness if I'm only wearing the chute) handheld radio and extra battery pack mirror line laser whistle fire starter and Bic lighter large trash bags - multiple uses (can also be used in the water (get in it) to protect against stings and hypothermia) Foil water packs Zip lock bags manual inflatable life vest when flying over water Kabar knife in sheath mounted to the side skin by my left knee (also keeps unruly passengers in check) What I wear depends on the mission and if I am flying solo or with other planes. My goal is to make finding me fast and easy. I don't want to make a fire with two sticks, I want to sleep in my bed as soon as possible! |
Canopy tool
I didn't see mention of specific canopy break tools. What is a compact option that can fit into a vest pocket?
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