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-   -   Safety gear everybody should have! (https://vansairforce.net/community/showthread.php?t=80429)

flion 12-27-2011 04:15 PM

That's why I mentioned a water bag carried in the vest. Again, if you have to grab something, it probably won't be with you in an emergency. But a bag can be stashed on your person and can be filled with cold water or snow and kept near your body to warm it up (and also cool you down as you exert yourself).

Berchmans 12-27-2011 04:25 PM

Survival Gear
 
All of this is great gear. Everyone should decide what they need and place it all on the kitchen table in front of you. Then get yourself a multi pocket vest with built in CO2 cartridge inflatable floation. Load your vest with the bare minimum you need to make it. Put the rest in a pack, not a duffle, that can be reached quickly. The pack is for comfort (a relative term) the vest is what you must have. If you not wearing it, it's camping gear. I have been there and done that on this one. Plane crashed, and sank within seconds. Wife and I had floation on and it made all the difference. All other gear went to the bottom of the lake.

On my person I carry:
1. Matches in water tight container, Water Proof Lighter, Magnesium fire starter and tinder.
2. Knife, a good one
3. Parachute cord
4. Space Blanket
5. 1 large gause bandage
6. Pocket flares (2)
7. Smith & Wesson 500 with extra ammo in sholder holser under vest.
8. Whistle
9. Laser flare.

This will all fit in a Sterns vest and when inflated you can still float...I have done it...

KC10Chief 12-27-2011 04:28 PM

I carry a hikers cook set and stove with me. I didn't mention this because I felt that most pilots would think it to be not necessary. I do some overnight hiking trips here in Alaska. Basically, I carry everything with me in the plane, that I'd take on an overnight hiking/camping trip. Including my tent. I carry my down sleeping bag, sleeping pad, cookware, food, etc. If I went down somewhere and was able to get all of my gear out of the back, I'd be comfortable for days if I had to wait. The only thing I don't bring along, is my actual backpack. I put everything in a big stuff sack instead. If you look at REI.com, they have all sorts of great gear. All of the gear I take flying with me, is about 35 pounds. If I take my 12ga, that's another 6 or 7 pounds with the ammo. Hiking gear is designed to be tough and light weight. REI sells real good stuff. I love REI. Here's the cook set I have. Everything shown, fits in the bag. They make smaller ones as well. It's about 5" in diameter and 6" tall. Weighs about one pound.
http://www.rei.com/product/798275/gs...ualist-cookset


Here's a stove similar to the one I have. It fits in the bag with the cook ware.
http://www.rei.com/product/653565/ms...-piezo-igniter


If I had to do it over again, I'd probably go with a Jet Boil. I'm thinking I'll go ahead and get a Jet Boil for this coming year's hiking season. It's $100 and comes with everything you need but the propane canister.
http://www.rei.com/product/791308/je...cooking-system


For food, I like the Mountain House meals. They can be found at REI or even Wal-Mart. It's freeze dried food, basically. Some of them are actually pretty good. They store for a long time. You'd heat the water in your cook ware and then just pour it into the bag that the food is in. Shake it up and let it sit for about 10 minutes. Then, it's ready to go! They pack down small and are very light weight.

scard 12-27-2011 04:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Berchmans (Post 610269)
you can still float...I have done it...

My favorite part. Real life data with enough gusto to prove it. Thanks for the comments. I like this thread. I need to do better.

scard 12-27-2011 04:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KC10Chief (Post 610271)
I carry a hikers ...

Woah, image police! Where is a moderator when you need one :).

KC10Chief 12-27-2011 04:42 PM

And obviously, you want to cater your survival gear for the area in which you fly. Things I carry in Alaska, wouldn't be needed in Arizona. It's up to you, what to carry and what you think you'll need. There's a lot of remote areas out there, even near big population centers. Go out and hike through the woods sometime. Not on a trail. Just through the brush. It's definitely not easy. A few years back, a couple buddies of mine got lost down on the Red River in southern Oklahoma while out hog hunting. They spent the night out in the woods and got hypothermic. They couldn't find their way out and were only a couple miles from I-35! The sheriff's department found and rescued them.

KC10Chief 12-27-2011 04:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scard (Post 610275)
Woah, image police! Where is a moderator when you need one :).

Sorry about that. The first images I linked to turned out huge! I fixed it though. :D

aerhed 12-27-2011 07:19 PM

[quote]I have practiced these skills on the NOLS course in the Wind River Mtns[quote]
I used to work for NOLS. If you can survive 30 days in the Winds on NOLS cheese I think you're good to go. I've seen those kids gather brookies with a towel and eat 'em like smelt.

P.S. I'm pretty sure a 500 smithy would sink me like a rock.

Jimboscr 12-28-2011 08:17 AM

I have one of these
 
An interesting thread and very useful with some sound lifesaving tips. The requirements as KC10 Chief says, vary with where you are. Here we fly over a lot of very dry country, that can be stinking hot during the day and then freezing at night. (It can also be boiling hot at night as well depending on the season)

However one item I carry no matter the season is a spirit stove made by Triangia. The pic below is the unit all packed away




This is how it looks assembled




The unit only weighs about a pound and it is very good for all of your cooking needs
I don't like carrying Propane cans, I feel better with a small container of Methylated Spirits. The unit will boil water in a few minutes. I can also fill the spare space in the assembled unit with most of my basic survival gear.

I use to do a lot of bushwalking (hiking) and have had my unit for years. Always worked well and have had many a meal and hot cuppa produced by it.

One of the main things I think about is water. You don't need to be in a desert to have problems. Here in summer a lot of the streams etc in normally quite temperate areas dry up, and there is no surface water for many miles. In severe heat you don't last long without water, so I carry at least 2 litres spare water. Hopefully you will be found quickly if you activate your PLB. (I won't fly without it)

P.S. I heard this story a couple of years ago and can't swear to its truth..but.

There were some aviators in a C206 who had a forced landing in central Western Australia. They got down in one piece on an old dirt road. However they did not have a beacon and decided that the best way to attract attention was to light a fire and make some smoke. (A local "cockie" an Ozie term for a farmer) will always investigate any smoke on their property. So they lit a fire, using a little petrol to get it going. However it got going far too well, due to them failing to clear the undergrowth around the fire. Soon the fire had consumed the aircraft and several hundred acres of scrub. Mind you it did help them get found!

cheers

Jim

bkthomps 12-28-2011 08:25 AM

you guys are forgetting a kitchen sink

geez


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