I know survival gear has been talk about a lot I found some great threads on it already:
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=1248
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=4339

but

A few weeks ago we had a meeting at CAP about building our own survival gear. We had our squad's ground team leader come and demo a vest and suggest some items to put in it. He then later in the wee sent our an email of what he talked about. It is a great list and thought I should pass it along.

The vest he demoed I though was a little big, bulky, and hot (to fly in the summer in AZ) I got most of the thing to fit in a fanny pack that is much more comfortable to wear in the cockpit.

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Dear AZ 305 Air Ops;

Thanks to everyone for an excellent training and discussion on aircrew survival equipment. This is just the beginning of your survival training. Ground Ops is looking forward to working with the aircrews to help provide the training. A summary of the ideas discussed includes:

Planning to survive an unintended incident during a flight is part of the flight plan.

Dress to Egress. Polo shirts, polyester slacks, and loafers are not field gear, therefore are not flying gear.

The CAP aircraft have one of the best survival kits in the industry. (We will look at them in detail in the near future) However, the survival kit will not be available to you in the majority of crash situations.

You will most likely be limited to the equipment you have on your person when you egress. Plan very carefully what you carry in your pockets. Survival vests are not required, but are highly recommended. It seems to be common sense; CAPs ES mission is Search & Rescue of people in distress. We should know better than anyone that something could go wrong and be prepared for it.

There is not a standardized vest. People are highly opinionated concerning what to carry and how to carry it. Despite the discussions of varying ideas of vests and bags, there seems to be complete agreement concerning what you carry needs to be on your person, not just in the aircraft.

Your survival equipment should be as small and light at possible. Items should have multiple uses.

The equipment list has items to cover all the categories. Its not much, this is minimums. Remember this is survival, not camping. No one is saying you will be comfortable. With the will to leave, a problem solving attitude, and a minimum of well selected equipment; at the end of the day you will be cold, wet, dirty, tired, hungry, thirsty, bruised, beat up, grumpy, and ALIVE TO BE RESCUED.

The survival equipment falls into the following categories:

Medical
Shelter/Environmental
Signaling
Navigation
Water/Food
Personal Equipment

Here is the information on the equipment we talked about:

VEST - Search Gear International http://www.searchgear.com SAR Vest #3360 with or w/o back compartment and camelback. Approx $85 w/o and $125 with the back panel.

Poncho - Militiary Grade Orange Poncho - rainponchos.com RP54 adult xlg florescent orange $29
800-658-1008 or 817-749-3121 (florescent orange comes in XL only. Don't get regular orange.)

Lots of neat outdoor and surplus stuff is avaliable at http://www.cheaperthandirt.com
web gear, tactical vests, survival equipment etc.

SIGNALING (day & night):

Mirror - Rescue Flash by AMK (Adventure Medical Kits). $12 Best mirror on the market. Recommend this or the official Air Force mirror if you can locate one. Be very, very careful of the chinese immitations of the Air Force mirror. The sighting hole does not work. (Bass Pro, REI, Sportsmans Warehouse).

LIGHT STICKS - Green 12 hour type $1.50 each carry 3-4. Carry with a few nylon wire ties to attach the glow sticks to you or hang them from a high spot. Also 3 feet of cord to tie to a glow stick to the cord and spin it like a propeller. Very effective at night. Watch the expiration dates on the glow sticks.

WHISTLE - Plastic RESCUE whistle with no BB inside. Recommend the orange Acme NATO whistle used by the militaries attached to life vests, life rafts, etc. We would have to order a box of these. Or the AMK Fox 40. A little smaller and yellow. 2 in a package for $9. (Bass Pro, Sportsmans Warehouse, REI).
Keep on a lanyard. Wear one around your neck and hang one on your vest. Suggestion; hang a LED key chain light on the lanyard with the whistle.

FLARES - 3 ORION rescue flares. (You guys are the pilots, you tell me where to get them.)

SMOKE - Mk4 Smoke Grenades (Same comment. If you know of a source the Ground Team Leaders need more also.)
we found flares and smoke you can buy at West Marine

FLASHLIGHT - AA LED Recommend the new Mini-Maglite LED

NOTE ON BATTERIES - STANDARDIZE ON AA FOR FLASHLIGHT, GPS, RADIO, ETC AND CARRY AN EXTRA SET.

SHELTER/ENVIRONMENTAL -

PONCHO - Described above - Rain gear, tent, streacher, and florescent orange signal panel.

DISPOSABLE EMERGENCY PONCHO - .99 at Wal-Mart - Quick temporary use, wrap your equipment in, or give to your partner who didn't bring a poncho. (remember outdoor etiquette; don't share. Everyone only has what they brought. There is no place to get more. Don't ask someone to share something they only have one of. Bring you own.)

STORM SHELTER - Mountain Rescue Assoc - $5 REI, pocket size yellow tube tent. Easiest way to make a shelter under stress and fits in a sandwich bag. There is no reason to be cutting down trees to make a lean to.

DUCT TAPE - approx 20 feet - small rolls avaliable at Bass Pro, REI, Sportsmans Warehouse, or roll 20' on to a pencil. Use to build shelters, seal up your poncho, first aid tape, splinting, repair, and to remove lint and wild animal hair from your flight suit so you look good when you are rescued.

PARACHUTE CORD - 550 CORD - 50 feet, get the real thing with 7 strands inside. Shelter building and a bunch of other uses. Make lanyards for your sunglasses, name badge, pocket knife, whistle, etc, then everyone will know you are a pilot even off duty!

8 " NYLON WIRE TIRES - Carry 8-10. Used for shelter building. Much better than lashing and trying to remember knots and hitches. Many other uses such as flex cuffs if you go down behind enemy lines (or south of I-8) and start taking prisoners.

EMERGENCY BLANKET - AMK $6, 2 person size, super style space blanket, orange on one side, heavier duty than the space blanket. Has survival instructions printed on the orange side. (Set up your tube tent, wrap up in the emergency blanket, seal the edges with duct tape and you are good to go!)

SPACE BLANKET - .99 Wal-Mart - To share with your partner (see above).

TRASH BAGS - 55-60 Gal size - Clear - Use to make a poncho, tube tent, store equipment, add a room or porch to your Mountain Rescue Tube Tent, etc.

FIRE - (warmth and signaling)

ORANGE WATER PROOF MATCH CONTAINERS - Min of 3, Wal-Mart .99, use for anything you want to keep dry, especially personal medications, (and the last letter to your family.)

MATCHES - Strike anywhere wooden matches, 10-12 in match container. NOT SAFETY MATCHES which don't strike anywhere. BTW, Strike Anywhere matches don't. Be sure to cut the striker from the match box and put it in the match case. Wrap it in plastic so it doesnt strike anything prematurely.

STORM MATCHES/LIFEBOAT MATCHES - Very exciting if you have never used them. Carry a container full of these with the striker. Available at most camping stores. REI brand seems to be the best.

COTTON BALLS WITH VASALINE - Makes a very good tender easily ignited with your magnesium fire starter. Make sure they are genuine COTTON balls, not synthetic. Rub vaseline into them and put 6 in an orange match case. One cotton ball will burn 4-5 minutes so you can build a fire around it.

FIRE STARTER - Genuine military fire starter, not the discount store immitations. Or, I prefer the MIL-SPEC brand of the new military style fire starter, but there are a number of quality styles avaliable. Remember, small and simple. Avoid large with moving parts.

ALUMINIUM FOIL - A sheet of al foil folded to fit in a sandwich bag. Use as the base for a fire on wet ground, wind screen, reflect heat back into a small fire, make a pot, etc.

MEDICAL/FIRST AID -

Gloves - 2 pair

Small Wound Kit - In a sandwich bag, Various size band-aids, wound wipes, hand wipes, ointment, tweezers, etc. Small wounds will not kill you but will make you very uncomfortable and affect your attitude and ability to deal with more important issues.

Large Wound Kit - In a sandwich bag, (10) 4 by 4 gauze, (2) 4' roller gauze, 1' medical tape

Wire Splint - use with your duct tape

Medications - Advil (for swelling) and Benadryl (for allergic reactions) plus any personal meds. Carry in a match case.

Comb - to remove cactus.

Recommendation - Military style battle dressing - carry in the easiest to get to pocket on your vest.

NOTE - There is a lot more that should go into a "first aid kit". Remember, this is not a first aid kit. The first aid kit is in the aircraft. This is personal survival equipment.

OTHER EQUIPMENT -

Stocking Cap - Orange or appropriate color for your uniform - remember the note above about looking good when you get rescued.

Leather Gloves - Work gloves, remember there are lots of sharp metal and broken things at a crash site.

DRESS TO EGRESS - Be dressed appropriately for the weather outside the aircraft.

WATER -

2 Liters recommended - There are lots of carry options for you to consider depending on the style of your vest and flight bag.

Water Purification Tablets and Filter - The best water purification tablets avaliable are MICROPUR MP 1 by Katadyn. Tests show them to be much superior to the old little bottels of iodine and chlorine tablets. MICROPUR also makes a filter straw ($12) which is effective for drinking water with particulates. Bass Pro, REI, Sportsmans Warehouse. You might consider a gallon freezer bag as an improvised canteen and 3' of surgical tubing to use as a hose or long straw to get water from crevasses, etc.

Transpiration Bag - made from your clear plastic trash bag can produce up to a cup of water every 4 hours. Note - DO NOT try to build a desert still. More on this later.

FOOD -

You can live 3 weeks without food. Energy bars are good. Food in your survival vest is a matter of personal comfort, not survival. Remember, it requires a quart of water to digest a meal. Do not eat unless you have a secure water supply.

PERSONAL TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT -

Compass - Basic compass. We are not suggesting you attempt to travel and navigate away from the crash site. By using a compass and terrain association you may be able to determine where you are.

GPS/PLB

Radio

Leatherman Tool - With locking blades and a SAW. If you don't carry a multi-tool, carry needle nose pliers to supplement your utility knife.

Utility Knife - Military or Boy Scout style utility knife. Recommended is the Swiss Army "Huntsman". It has a small saw and scissors which are very helpful working with plastic bags and duct tape.

LED Key Chain Light - INOVA brand - very good, $8. Has hi and low settings and flash. Hang it from the zipper of your flight suit or vest and use it on low for your regular work light. Note, the color of the plastic is the color of the light, red, green, etc.

SURVIVAL/RESCUE KNIFE -

Air Force Pilot Survival Knife - Carried by aircrews of all the services since the early 1950s. $38-40 Designed for striking, cutting, and prying, especially aluminium and plexiglass.
Freedom Military Surplus in Mesa or Papago National Guard Uniform Sales. Be cautious of immitations. The genuine is made by ONTARIO Knife Company and has a metal reinforced sheath for safety.

ASEK -AIRCREW SURVIVAL AND EGRESS KNIFE - Upgraded version of the above survival knife with a rubber handle and comes with a webing/harness cutter. Also made by Ontario. $120-140 for those who are really cool.

COMMENTS -
The above equipment list is recommendations, not requirements. The aircraft has a survival kit that is very extensive. However, experience has shown that in over 50% of crashes the survival kit is not accessible and you will be left with what you are wearing.

There is lots of room for personal preference in your personal survival kit. Just make sure you address all the categories of first aid, signaling, shelter/environment, water, and tools/equipment.

You will note that we have not included fish hooks, snare wires, or how to make spears and stone axes. This is SURVIVAL, not WILDERNESS LIVING SKILLS. They are completely different topics. If we can't find you before you need to start building a cabin and trapping food for the winter, we have lot bigger issue to deal with.

This is just a review of the equipment discussion. We are planning several survival training presentations and a field exercise for aircrews to practice the basic skills.

Please feel to respond if you have any great ideas or suggestions to add to the discussion.

SEMPER GUMBY!

Man, that is a LOT of stuff to cram in a vest....

I'd skip the flares, and most of the "shelter" stuff (poncho/space blanket type stuff). It's bulky, and one or two good industrial grade trash bags will serve as well, and are cheaper.

This is a pretty comprehensive list, but I'd like to see the guy while he's wearing all this stuff Waaaaaayyyyy too much stuff to carry around in my opinion. Why carry a "GREAT CAP survival kit" if you're going to duplicate everything in your vest?

Anyway, I keep my personal survival gear down to a minimum for comfort and practicality's sake. To me, the stuff I carry on my person is the bare minimums, NOT a comprehensive survival kit.

Also, I note that he didn't mention a SPOT locator or PLB. I carry a PLB on my person, and have a SPOT in the plane.

MTV

I agree with MTV.
Too much gear will interfere.
I was a poet and didn't even know it!

The guy also mentions the pilot survival knife, but says the genuine one was made by Ontario. Actually, the first year they were made by Marbles, then Camillus had the contract for several years, then Ontario after that. This is a knife you either love or hate. I've had a Camillus pilot survival knife since I was a kid, and I've learned that it's called a survival knife because it has survived 35 years of hard abuse! I've been in a panic ever since I heard that Camillus went bankrupt in 2007 (sad, they had made great knives since 1873) because someone might steal mine I might not be able to get another one. However, I digress.

The pilot survival knife was specifically designed as an egress tool. A jet fighter cockpit is a pretty tight fit. If you crash land, there is a reasonable probability of becoming trapped in the wreckage, and this tool was designed to mitigate that situation. Jet jockeys have told me that they were supposed to use their flight helmet as a hammer and beat on the back end of the knife to drive it into the aluminum airframe. The large teeth on the sawback of the knife that don't seem to cut anything very well apparently cut aluminum pretty well while tapping the butt. However, unless your cockpit is an extremely tight fit, I think you might be better served by another type of knife in a survival situation.

The knife that works best is the one you have with you! I started carrying a small locking folder with a clip on the handle. I always hated carrying a pocketknife in the old days, because they mixed with everything in my pocket, and coins always got stuck between the handle and the blade. By putting the clip on the outside of my pocket, the knife stays inside my pocket at the top, and now I carry it every day.

I'm with Mike. I look at the vest as needing 3 things - #1 Emergency medical care, I have a small first aid kit and a packet of Celox (clotting agent) #2 - Fire, matches lighters etc, and a small space blanket #3 -communication - I have a PLB and a sat phone. Basically, to stabilize a medical emergency, keep people warm, and call for help. You don't need food and all that stuff unless you plan on being there long term. I have the sat phone for other reasons and probably wouldn't buy one just to carry in my vest, but since I need it for filing flight plans etc anyway I keep it in my vest pocket. Next to the PLB, it is my #2 safety device. If you can keep people alive and contact help, you aren't going to be there long so you don't need all the other stuff -at least in your vest. Russ