Survival Kits!

I don't see much mention of a good knife. If you don't have a good knife in the wild, you will die. (Assuming no rescue, like Gilligan's island or some ****).

We keep GHB's in our cars and INCH bags in the house and I have a vest and a BOB for the plane.

For a (cheap) tent for the plane, and packing, and all out ease, I like the Ozark Trail 4 person instant tent I'm trying out. It fits perfect in our 180, and you could hump it. I wouldn't want to carry it all day, but for car or plane survival, it's a great cheap tent that works. It's so quick, you can set it up and change your mind like "aw **** this!" and break it down and move in literally two minutes.:yes: Just spray the seams and the rainfly with Scotchguard when you get it and it will stay dry if you don't poke a hole in it. :yesnod:


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Don't forget something to keep you entertained. Like printouts of your favorite controversial forum thread.
 
My wife would look at me pretty weird if I wore a vest with lots of pockets.

Is there any other method folks use to secure items to themselves in the event of a crash/quick egress?

I have a little nylon pouch with survival gear, and I've thought about using a carabiner to attach it to a belt loop, but I'm not sure if that would really hold in a crash.

Same with my Delorme inReach device.
 
Tying yourself to a pouch of gear sounds like a good way to sink or burn with the plane.
 
petrolero said:
Also, i learned in my mountain flying class that ATC has a new beacon triangulation system deployed in the mountains that can help them track aircraft without radar in most flyable valleys. Forget the name but someone here will know it.
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I think you're thinking of wide area multilateralization or WAM. It's deployed in very few areas (the Aspen valley approach corridor is one exception), and whoever is telling people it's widespread in multiple mountain valleys is wrong.

It works by triggering your aircraft's transponder, just like secondary radar does, except that there's no single receive point. There are multiple fixed omnidirectional receivers and the amount of time it takes for each to receive your transponder's reply gives a distance to each station, which can then be used to triangulate the aircraft's position.

It's basically just another source of secondary radar returns. It'll give the searchers a general area to be in, but only if you're in an area equipped with it.

Definitely not in "most flyable valleys".
 
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There's so many pockets
 
nddons said:
Those leather ones are perfect for the classy fat chicks to hold their cigarettes when they're gambling at the equally classy Indian casinos.
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Everyone needs their own way of being classy.
 
petrolero said:
The broken prop/Death Valley thread got me thinking about survival and rescue over unforgiving terrain such as mountains, deserts, forests, oceans, etc.

What's in your kit?
Any cool tips/tricks?
Over water gear, anyone?
Anyone have to meet Alaska's requirements? 7 days supplies for each pax!?
Anyone wear a survival vest with essentials?
__________________________________
My story/stuff:

I flew/worked with Civil Air Patrol (CO-162) as ES and Comm officer and we discussed mountain flying/SAR and survival a lot. They had survival kits in all their aircraft and I was impressed by how much they could fit into a 20lb pack for very little money.

I am owner/pilot so I went with backpacker gear. You can get a lot of great gear that is still very light. It is more expensive, but is still the cheapest thing in my airplane. :nonod: My target was 20 lbs.

In survival, cold kills first and the mountains (and deserts) are cold even in the summer. For warmth:


  • Four thick wool/fleece hats
  • Four pairs of mittens
  • Mylar space blankets x4
  • Bivvy Sacks (the super small roll-up kind from REI) x4
  • Winter coats and clothing worn by occupants when flying over the mountains in winter, spring and fall.
  • Tarp with Orange on one side & mylar (or something) on the other. (any CAP guys remember Paulin Signals? Always thought those were silly)
  • 3-person tent with rainfly. You can get very small, light tents but few of the 4-season variety would be light enough. Also, 4-person tents are heavier and my whole family of 4 easily fits inside this one.
So I have many ways of starting a fire quickly. There are other ways but speed matters.

  • Wadded up paper
  • Matches in waterproof case
  • Zippo
  • Magnesium/flint/steel thing
  • Wood shavings
  • Vaseline/cotton balls
  • Large folding saw
  • Backpacker micro cooking stove and MSR gas.
  • All of these fit inside a 1-qt titanium cook pot
Yes, I do carry MSR gas canisters and a Zippo and matches, all of which are flammable. CAP forbade those (and unnecessarily IMHO). The airplane is a flying 88-gallon gas can so I don't think 8 ounces of MSR gas is the thing that is going to do me in. :thumbsup:

Other stuff in the kit:


  • LED Mag light (I have two LED headlamps in my flight bag)
  • SAM splint
  • Wilderness first aid kit (includes duct tape!)
  • First Aid/Survival quick reference book
  • Para cord
  • Leatherman tool (I carry a good pocket knife too)
  • Water filter (an MSR one that backpackers use)
  • Signal mirror. These things work, believe me.
  • A good orienteering compass with instructions
  • DeLorme Gazetteer
  • freeze dried backpacker food
  • A couple MREs that someone gave me (these are actually pretty heavy)
  • Whistle
All of that is stored in a 60L dry bag (takes up less than half) and weighs exactly 22 lbs for a 4-pax C182. It is always back there and always in my W&B calcs.

Outside the kit:


  • Handheld radio (Sporty's)
  • SPOT Messenger
  • Ship's 406 MHz ELT
  • Cell Phones and iPads and backup batteries galore
So that's what I can remember from my kit.
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Don't forget to "Dress For Egress".

If there is a post crash fire, of if you need to ditch the aircraft, all that gear will be completely useless...

It's always nice to have some extra equipment in a backpack ( tent, sleeping bags, food, etc...) - but it should be considered "extra gear" - the essential items must be carried in a survival vest that you should wear while flying ( preferably Nomex mesh fabric ).

Same thing for the "various beverages" that you carry in a cooler...useless if the plane is consumed by fire or goes down to the bottom after ditching...
1 liter of water per person is the strict minimum ( hot / desert areas - 4 liters per person ).

I would not rely on the SPOT - 406Mhz PLB's are much more reliable ( and no subscription is required ).

As for your first aid kit - I would add the following items:

- Trauma Shears
- Celox Hemostatic Granules
- CAT Tourniquet ( learn how to use it and practice frequently )
- SAM Splint 36"
- HyFin Vented Chest Wound Seal ( x2)
- 4" Elastic Rolls ( x 2 )
- Sterile Gauze Pads ( 4x4" )
- Israeli Combat Dressing ( now standard issue in the U.S. Army ) x 2
- Large Surgical ( Trauma ) Dressing
- Kling Roll ( 4" ) x2
 
Deck of cards to start a game of solitaire. Someone will be along in no time to point out that your are lading the cards wrong.
 
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