asa wrote:

Zzz wrote:Still pondering the mystery of Ol Gil.

Ol Gil AKA Zane trying to get new sponsorships...

Hey, that's not a bad idea... Next up... "check out my Nike survival tennies."

SOOO,
Thank you everyone for the responses. Sorry for not responding sooner. I am a pretty busy guy (full-time job, part-time rafting guide, new baby, military reservist, gym time, grad school, etc).

I appreciate all the feedback and it gave me a lot to think about. I wanted to update you on the past year.

So does feel better having extra supplies with me. I did some longer trips and a camping trips where the kit actually came in useful. Once, it was a warmish/hot day and I landed for a break. My older daughter, 6, was thirsty and I had failed to bring enough water but the kit had some.

Another time, we had flown out for a $100 hamburger. It was breezy and there weren't any tiedowns in the plane (club plane). Some paracord from the kit to the rescue.

I chatted recently with a couple of very experienced full time backcountry pilots at my club here in Idaho. They saw my kit and were poking around in it. They liked it but did stress to keep some items on your person.


After speaking with them, reading comments on here and having the kit for a year, here are my thoughts on things I will be changing:

Probably go to a backpack instead of the pelican case. I can seperate things out into pockets and probably save some weight over the pelican case. The case might be fine if I were leaving in the plane all the time, but since I rent, I am constantly luggng it and my other bag(s) around. It also feels like hard case like that would not be ideal in a crash in case I forgot to strap it down.

I realize that while it is good to have a "survival" kit. BUT having a kit that also encourages me to stay put somewhere overnight for something like bad weather is just as important. I will probably add some basic hand tools in there as well. I will probably ditch a few things like the magnesium fire starter and put in a small sleeping pad as well as get a PLB in addition to my SPOT.

On another note:
Our club has a backcountry program where you can get signed off to land at backcountry strips in the area. Unfortunately, flying these past couple years makes me realize that I am not flying enough to stay profiecent enough to take on that kind of challenge. Due to time and budget limitations, I only fly about 3.5 hrs. a month. I will still carry a good kit as I do have to fly over some rugged terrain to get to some airports.


Thanks and happy holidays,

Gil

Cleaning out my survival vest and thought I'd post a picture of what I carry. I keep a handheld VHF radio and water bottle close and some other stuff in the plane. But, I got into the habit of wearing this on every flight so I am used to it. First rule of thumb is "dress to egress." When I lived at higher latitudes I flew with a guy that refused to use heat in the aircraft. "If you need heat you aren't wearing enough clothes." I don't necessarily ascribe to that philosophy but I get where he's coming from!

The ziploc bag in the bottom left contains a gallon-size ziploc with a few water purification tabs. Short of sticking a bottle of water in my vest, I think that's the best solution I've come up with for hydration. Maybe I should look at one of those straws? I'm also a little skimpy on first aid supplies.

Snacks are sort of a non-essential survival item, but I eat 'em periodically while I'm flying and then replenish! Maybe it's a morale booster overnight. Pocket knife has a seatbelt cutter and a windshield breaker on it. That's in addition to the leatherman that's usually in my pocket. Orange spray bottle is bug spray.

slowmover wrote:

Cleaning out my survival vest and thought I'd post a picture of what I carry. I keep a handheld VHF radio and water bottle close and some other stuff in the plane. But, I got into the habit of wearing this on every flight so I am used to it. First rule of thumb is "dress to egress." When I lived at higher latitudes I flew with a guy that refused to use heat in the aircraft. "If you need heat you aren't wearing enough clothes." I don't necessarily ascribe to that philosophy but I get where he's coming from!

The ziploc bag in the bottom left contains a gallon-size ziploc with a few water purification tabs. Short of sticking a bottle of water in my vest, I think that's the best solution I've come up with for hydration. Maybe I should look at one of those straws? I'm also a little skimpy on first aid supplies.

Snacks are sort of a non-essential survival item, but I eat 'em periodically while I'm flying and then replenish! Maybe it's a morale booster overnight. Pocket knife has a seatbelt cutter and a windshield breaker on it. That's in addition to the leatherman that's usually in my pocket. Orange spray bottle is bug spray.

Looks pretty good...I like that you haven't stuffed so much crap into the vest that you won't wear it...a common pit-fall. A few things I'd consider adding or replacing:

Replace one of the lighters with a case of lifeboat matches. Lighters have a nasty habit of loosing gas during storage and aren't as effective as water/windproof matches for starting fires.

Consider adding a (good) flashlight with lithium batteries and a strobe function. The strobe is a very effective signaling device, day or night. I've found them to be more effective than the green laser signaling devices sold for the purpose, plus you have a flashlight.

I'd highly recommend replacing the folding knife (you don't need a seatbelt cutter or windshield breaker in an airplane) with a decent fixed blade knife. A Mora Companion can be had for about $20, and it probably weighs less and definitely works better than that folder. It also comes with a hard plastic sheath that offers very good blade protection, even in a crash.

For water: add a compressed sponge. It can be used to scavenge dew and other water sources too small to be of any use otherwise. Scott O'Grady said it was the single best thing he had with him when he was shot down over Bosnia. Don't get in too much of a worry about water sterilization...you're not going to get cholera or typhoid fever in North America, and the rest of the things you might get aren't nearly as dangerous as dehydration. Purify water if you can, but don't get too worked up if you can't.

For first aid supplies you might add a Israeli Bandage and some Norco. Maybe some sunscreen sachets and chap stick, or better yet petroleum jelly, which will double as a fire tinder.

Good luck!

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dogpilot wrote:... They taught us a lighter is ultimately more useful, why one would think? Well even if the lighter runs out of fuel the stricker is actually mighty handy to start a fire with some cotton lint. ...

Have you ever actually tried doing that? I have...not impressed. It's difficult under ideal conditions, and next to impossible under any conditions where you really need a fire. Without a highly flammable fuel like gasoline or denatured alcohol, it's not going to work for most people, most of the time.

Stormproof matches provide 20+ seconds of hot flame regardless of wind or moisture or ham-fisted handling. You can light one, stick it in the mud and then stand on it, and when you pull it out it'll still be burning. Hell of a lot better fire source than a Bic when you really need a fire.

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Here's my two cents. You can take or leave it as you like.

I agree with the posters that say ditch the pelican and use a bag instead. My survival kit is kept in a daypack. That way I have a useable pack for carrying things if I need to move. The first rule of survival is to stay put, but you will need to move around a little to set up camp, collect water, signal search and rescue, ect.

Second, a survival kit should be as small as possible so that it will always be with you. A well equipped kit with sleeping bag, matress, booze, food, ect. is useless if it is back home because you needed the room it took up in your bird. A 1 pound kit that is with you is worth much more that a 5 pound kit back in the garage. Go through everything in your kit and think about how you would use it. Then think about if there would be another way to do the same job and if you really need it.

Third for good survival skills training go down to your local boy scout troop. Any scoutmaster or Eagle scout will have a working knowledge of survival skills and should be able to point you in the right direction. Then go camp. The more time you spend outside the more you get used to figuring things out and improvising.

Last, a few notes on your specific gear:
Most crash survivors are rescued within 3 days so plan your kit for three days. With that kind of time frame food becomes a comfort item, not a necessity
Get and learn how to use a signal mirror and ditch the laser, the mirror will be lighter and no batteries or electronics to fail
I wouldn't bother with many spare batteries unless they go in your PLB/ELT a AA powered led light will last months with intermittent use.
Have at least 2 ways to start a fire. I keep a cheap butane lighter and a magnesium block fire starter. Both can sit in a kit for years and still work 100%

Lastly, have a survival kit and a camping kit. Your camping kit will be larger and have comfort items. Your camping kit gets loaded when you plan to stay out or there is a risk you could get stuck out in the boonies. your survival kit is ALWAYs in the plane as insurance for suprises.

This is a long thread, and I’m sure it’s been said; but I think this advice a friend once told me might be worth repeating.

Survival gear is what you have on your body.
Camping gear is what is in the plane.

Squash wrote:Survival gear is what you have on your body. Camping gear is what is in the plane.

That's what motivated me to put together and start wearing a vest. I think it is good advice.

Good tips above. I will look at replacing a lighter with some better matches and adding to the first aid kit. Sponge is a good idea. On the compass, I'm a fan of being able to talk a rescue asset onto my position with the VHF radio I have handy... even if I can't see it I could say "fly heading XXX" or whatever.

Strobe on a flashlight is a good idea too. I have one of those right by the door post that I use for preflight. I also carry a headlamp in my bag. One of my favorite night signaling devices is a "buzzsaw," which I am set up for. Light stick on a 4' piece of cord, swung around in a circular pattern over my head. It is an unnatural shape, will not be mistaken for a reflection, and stands out great.

slowmover wrote:.... On the compass, I'm a fan of being able to talk a rescue asset onto my position with the VHF radio I have handy... even if I can't see it I could say "fly heading XXX" or whatever.....

Seems like a GPS with a lat/long display would be ideal for determining your location.

My survival kit has a base load and then depending on a trip, I may take more or less. I leave a sleeping bag in the plane in the winter months and I also have a first aid kit that is in reach of the pilot's seat. This all fits in a little flat backpack used in most Army aircraft called a skram bag. Also not pictured is a 406 PLB that is in the cockpit with me.



3 1000 calorie food packs
10 4oz water packs
Survival knife
Survival blanket
50ft 550 cord
Water purification tablets
Duct tape
3x fire starters (lighter, fire steel, and some self striking tinder)
Strobe
Mirror
Bug spray
Chapstick
Handwarmers

A USGS (terrain) map of the area...

Jacqueline

This thread has me rearranging my survival kit... again.

Hammer wrote:
Ditch that (gerber?) and pick up a proper woods knife.

What do you consider a proper woods knife?

Thx.

You may want consider looking at Bark River Knives, Esse, or Ontario’s Knife Company (OKC). That’s just off the top of my head. Lots of different opinions out there. However, those are good knife companies with solid reputations and won’t bust your budget.

I had an incident a couple months ago that made me think I may have needed to hike out, (resolved, flew out an hour later) and only then did I realize I didn't have a way, short of using one of the big garbage bags (shelter, rain gear, capturing rain etc., maybe even picking up some trash) I always carry, to conveniently carry what I wanted to take with me on my hike out. You vest wearers have that handled already...... turns out I already had exactly what I needed in the shop, a super light weight/duty daypack I got for free from re-newing my sub to Air & Space magazine, which is printed right on it so it looks cool also! It compresses into nothing, so it's now permanently on board, at least until I join the vest club.

I love the compressed sponge idea.

Every one seems to have preferences on knives. I will add mine... go to a physical store and handle what you've got your eye on. It saves a ton of potential hassle.

I recently splurged and got a Benchmade Hidden Canyon Family locally as a first line fixed blade. I had my eye on the one two sizes up (hunter) but once I held them in my hand, I realized the small blade was darn near perfect. The sheath is garbage but that's an easy fix with a piece of Kydex and 'borrowing' the toaster oven from the kitchen.

Oh, one more piece of advice. Use them often. The more confident you are in your knife skills, the easier it'll be in a jam.

Love the sponge idea, I’m going to have to add one to my vest. As far as seat belt cutters on a knife go…..has anyone ever tried to use one?? I bought a few after waking up in cold sweats after several nightmares about getting the kids out in a hurry. Long story short, I had some belts leftover out of my old Jeep and set up a test. Come to find out none of them would cut their way out of a wet paper sack. I even rigged up one with a razor blade and still no dice. Finally gave up and just carry a sharp folder for incidentals and plan on using the buckle release if the fan ever stops.

I'd like to stress the importance of some kind of shelter, I see several kits and lists that are lacking a decent shelter. It doesn't need to be a big tent, a simple nylon tarp makes an excellent shelter and packs up small and light. I'm told by people that are smarter than I am that your survival expectancy can be as little as 3 hours if you can't get out of the wind and rain.