The inflatable snowshoes are intriguing and I carry a small air pump to recharge the air horn already. They could be real fun on the down slope as well.

So I sourced a set of snowshoes today, good folding saw and got back to thinking about starting a fire. It seems this is a clear skill thats a must or do I just carry along some of the "liquid" starter in the wings and a bomb proof container for some good old matches

akgreg wrote:This is also a handy item to keep close

I used to be a dealer for Greatland Laser. Good stuff, but I now carry a five dollar GREEN laser pointer. The human eye is much more sensitive to green than to red.

Mapleflt wrote:So I sourced a set of snowshoes today, good folding saw and got back to thinking about starting a fire. It seems this is a clear skill thats a must or do I just carry along some of the "liquid" starter in the wings and a bomb proof container for some good old matches

Sometimes it's amazing how difficult it is to start a fire, even with an "accelerant" commonly found in the wings of our airplane. So, basic fire building skills are essential. And, of course, there's always a chance that accelerant won't be available, for a variety of reasons.

The key that a lot of folks miss is taking your time to properly prepare your fire-to-be.

Fire building IS an essential skill in my opinion.

MTV

There's a well written article in the "knowledge base" section that I intend to read multiple time and practice as many

What about the classic “To start a fire” by Jack London? Two versions, 1902- where he goofs up and lives, and the 1908 one- where he (spoiler) goofs up and dies.

PapernScissors wrote:

flylow wrote:I’m sold on skis over snowshoes. I’ve been using the Altai Hoks - fat skis. They are faster than snowshoes to pack down an area.

Where do you carry them? In the cabin or strapped outside as an external load?

External. Tape or some thin foam on your strut/jury strut will help so skis won't chip paint.Bungee wraps around front and rear strut. Ski tails forward.

How many of you add specific items to your survival kit for Winter ops, for example I just purchase a set of light weight snowshoes and snow gaiters


I fly in Ohio so a moderately warm sweater?

I did the same and a light weight collapsing shovel

Huskytracks wrote:How many of you add specific items to your survival kit for Winter ops, for example I just purchase a set of light weight snowshoes and snow gaiters


I fly in Ohio so a moderately warm sweater?

When you’re flying, whether winter or summer, but especially winter, you should be dressed to survive in the country you’re flying over. Now, having some additional clothing isn’t a bad thing, but you should be wearing everything you NEED.

MTV

Huskytracks wrote:How many of you add specific items to your survival kit for Winter ops?

This gets added or changed in my stash. If I have a passenger, these items double.

Change from +20 sleeping bag to a -20
Snowshoes
Telescoping aluminum shovel
Down jacket
Extra gloves
Extra headlamp

I forgot to add ice screws to the list. Not that we need them with the weather we’re having. Set of floats would be a better option right now.

Ah man, now I need to research headlamps !!!!!!

Mapleflt wrote:Ah man, now I need to research headlamps !!!!!!

Here you go: https://www.surefire.com/illumination/h ... dlamp.html

Ya, I know...$200. But they're worth it, and here's why: you can dial it down from 300 lumens to 5 lumens, and it's that low-end that's so valuable. It means you can use it as cockpit lighting while you're flying if you need to. It also means you can choose a brightness level for any condition that won't blow your eyes out...especially valuable in the snow or while pre-flighting.

The lithium C123 battery is very cold-resistant, has a ten-year shelf life, and they're light and cheap. The rechargeable version has (much) more performance, but the utility of lithium batteries is worth more to me than the performance of the rechargeable in this scenario.

My wife and I have been using this headlamp (well, the predecessor of it) for over a decade. It's one of those pieces of gear that just works. To me, the reliability and utility of it makes the price a non-issue. I think I've purchased seven of them so far...two for us and five for gifts. I think they're that good.

Mapleflt wrote:Ah man, now I need to research headlamps !!!!!!

How else are you going to see that gnarly wound you have from using the ax(e)?

While perhaps a tangent to the thread, one of the things I added this winter was a proper C0 detector. I found a crack in my muffler recently...not under the heat shroud, but it got my attention. Since the heater is full-on all winter, I figured this was worth the money. When tripped there is an audible alert, flashing light, and the unit vibrates. I clip it to the shoulder of my vest next to my neck.



With the "hibernation case" to store it in it's certified for three years, or about $33 per year, which seems pretty reasonable to me.

Trusting those C0 dots that stick to the panel seems about like trusting a piece of scotch tape to hold down the handle on a grenade.

I really love headlamps. I now have quite a collection of them. Seems I will misplace one, look for hours, buy another. Like on my last trip to South Africa. I keep a set of camping gear there, found my long lost headlamp in the foot of my sleeping bag. I'm sure I have a score of them cleverly hidden in other spots.

Really up here in the high country, winter summer in matters little on seasonal survival equipment. It gets really cold at night all seasons. I have a small down liner bag I toss in the back, which also doubles as a comforter as well. Fire starting, there are these little tabs of flammable solid that where used to heat up canteen cups for coffee and the like. They light up easily and will encourage wood to burn if placed with some light fluffy stuff. They are available from surplus places for cheap. Storm matches and a couple of lighters help as well.

Really you don't need all too much. At SERE School, which we did outside of Bangor Maine in February, we only had what we wore, a sleeping bag, highest tech for WWII, and a metal canteen and cup. Spent a week in the woods and amazingly none of us died. We melted snow by using body heat, fun. Nothing much to eat except for the layer between the bark and inner core of pine trees, yummy. They did give us snowshoes, which was comical. Only four of us had ever been on them before, so the other 96 spent the fist day falling flat on their faces, repeatably. Snow caves actually work, provided you have enough snow. A small shovel goes a long way in creating one. Fires would have been super, but we where not encouraged to build any, lest they would find and capture us. Then your stay in the Hanoi Hilton would be extended. It gave you an edge on memorizing "Boots." Anybody that went, know exactly what I mean.

Really, you don't need much. Warm clothes and a bag of some sort. Something to make fire and a digging utensil. Your biggest threat is shock. There is a pretty good chance you will be injured, or one of your passengers. Keeping warm is the first thing you need to achieve. Those space blankets don't do much, but they are, I suppose, better than nothing. Tell somebody where you are going, FAA, wife, intelligent dog. Spot gizmo or its equivalent is super, but all those techy devices never seem to work in a pinch. Your milage may vary on that. SAT phones are cool, but I had fits with mine in Borneo, deep valleys, so your view of the sky limited you to perhaps 3 minutes of SAT view. Get one with a texting capability, voice can be problematic.

If you ever get the chance, go to some kind of survival training. There are tons of little things to learn you may have never considered. For example, you will be more successful catching squirrels with safety wire than a firearm. Make several nooses in a spiral pattern on a large stick and lean it against a tree with squirrels. They will hang themselves on it. They will almost always defer to a stick leaning up to the tree than straight up the trunk. Or, if you can't stomach insects and grubs, make a soup out of them in small bits. And so on...

Sorry dogpilot but you're waaay off. Every millennial knows that survival is all about having the right gear.

^^ that's a recurring joke between my wife and me. So much worse with kids.

All the gear and no idea.

Huskytracks wrote:
How many of you add specific items to your survival kit for Winter ops, for example I just purchase a set of light weight snowshoes and snow gaiters


I fly in Ohio so a moderately warm sweater?


When you’re flying, whether winter or summer, but especially winter, you should be dressed to survive in the country you’re flying over. Now, having some additional clothing isn’t a bad thing, but you should be wearing everything you NEED.

That's the joke. Down here in Ohio we don't go fly in bitter cold. If I am flying then it is sweater weather (for a former Alaskan).