Survival Gear - what do you personally carry with you?

[Northern Skies]

I always have a buck 110 and a leatherman on me, along with a brass case of windproof matches stuffed with a surprising amount of dryer lint. I carry one of those magnesium things too. I wear tough nylon pants that dry quickly and fleece sweaters/jackets that will still warm a bit when they're wet. It would really suck to be on fire wearing that, but I figure i'm more likely to get killed by being cold and wet. I wear hikers or trail shoes.

That's what i'll have on me if i go for a swim out of the plane in a hurry.

In my pack, I always bring a goretex shell, a bug jacket, and a can of deet. I always have an extra layer one above what the current weather requires. I always have a really good fixed blade knife with me if i'm not wearing it, and one of those new carbide sharpeners. I also have a bunch of wire and some garbage bags. I have found that the bug jacket is also a very effective minnow net.

The plane always has an axe, bucksaw, and at least two longlines.

I think something in the plane should have a metal container too, like a coffee can, ammo can, or a pot. A pot is a valuable survival tool and hard to make in the bush.

a travel rod, reel, and carefully chosen tray of tackle reside in the airplane, but not primarily for emergencies. I think that food is the last thing to deal with in an emergency, but it would be nice to do after everything else is taken care of.

I bring a -20 down sleeping bag in a compression drybag and a bivi bag on bigger trips, i try to bring them more often but i'm always using them. I take it out at night so it can loft up. It packs into a small size, and it is the ultimate thing to have when you're stuck somewhere, especially on the barrens where firewood is hard to come by. A stove is good to have up there too.

When I go farther north of here where there are barren-ground grizzlies and polar bears, I bring a rifle. Right now it's an sks but i'm going to get one of those marlin .45-70's eventually.

The above has made me very comfortable every time I have been stuck somewhere. In the case that things are really out of hand, the company provides two well-stocked survival kits, a primary and secondary. The only difference I think is that one has a flare gun and the other doesn't. They are full of all kinds of goodies, each one filling a small rubbermaid tub. All of the company gear like the survival kits, a milkcrate full of documents, and miscellaneous other things fill the top shelf of the beaver enough to make it mostly unusable for cargo. My stuff fits up there too.

To top it all off, the base here is good about flight following. We also have a sat phone to share among the bush pilots, after some politics get out of the way we might get one for every plane. Most of the planes have skytrax too.

To simplify what I really need:
If I'm in the boreal forest, I'd be happy with an extra layer/shell, matches, a good knife, bug jacket/spray, an axe, sleeping bag with bivi, roll of wire, and some kind of a pot.

In the barrens, I'd be happy with the extra layer and shell, the bug jacket and deet, matches, knife, sleeping bag/bivi, rifle, tarp, pot, and stove.

[Randleman]

I no longer have one, but in my old 150 I put a whole ton of granola bars, ravioli, and most importantly extra clothes-lots of long underwear, toques, gloves, etc. I also put in a blanket, fire sticks, matches, lighter, swiss army knife, water tablets, water bottle, and...a bible! lol

If I ever made a new one, I would put a heck of a lot more in it though.

[canwhitewolf]

dont forget to look at the pen sized fishing pole and rod its really cool

[skybaron]

Hey folks,
Naturally survival gear should be carried on board the aircraft during any time of year, but, I was wondering what items some of you personally carry? (say incase you cannot obtain the survival gear in the back of the aircraft)?

[CD]

Lots of discussion here as well:

AvCanada: Survival Kit

[jet a1]

scotch.

[paydaymayday]

Now there's a 50-100 lb. kit in the tail baggage compartment of what I fly, but when I used to fly light singles I'd carry my own supplement survival kit that actually met standards for everything except shelter, including 4 separate ways of starting fire, two methods of sterilizing water, and some great signal material. Now this is in my car, though.

[macbainz1]

small bottle of captain morgan

[RVgrin]

I always carry a lighter and a good knife in my pocket ( as was pointed out, you might be in a rush to exit a sinking or burning aircraft. I know someone who has converted a multi-pocket fishing vest into a survival vest for the same reason.)

Similarly, if you have a SPOT or a 406Mhz PLB (e.g. ResQFix or Terrafix) it is probably not a bad idea to attach it to your body as neither work from the bottom of a lake.

For the knife I chose a Spyderco Endura 4 as it has a serrated edge on half the blade that will saw through my fiberglass canopy or a seat belt pretty quickly.

If you ever have to signal a passing SAR plane don't forget that flash cameras (that your passengers most certainly have with them) have saved at least a few lives in the past!

The "Gerber Sport Axe" is a lightweight hatchet with a hollow composite handle that allows it to be converted to a full sized axe by whittling a handle: http://www.amazon.com/Gerber-Sheath-Spo ... B0006G4P8G also available at MEC. I have it next to my seat as an egress device that doubles as a tie-down hammer and survival tool.

Can anyone recommend any good large-wound trauma pads? I have heard sanitary napkins will work in a pinch.

Also, someone mentioned morphine. Is there a legal way to outfit a first-aid/survival kit with a syringe full of narcotics just in case?

[RFlyer]

I didn't notice anyone mention a copy of the SAS Survival Guide. Great reading even if you never get stuck somewhere.

http://www.amazon.com/SAS-Survival-Guid ... pd_sim_b_7

[AMM]

Hmmm, for those of you that have mentioned morphine, why exactly would this be such an asset?

Sure the morphine would help relieve the pain of whatever injuries you might have, but would it help the overall situation? I've never had morphine but I'll assume that any significant dose would leave one rather dazed and confused. Are you willing to sacrifice your mental faculties at a time when they would be required the most?

Or is the morphine for passengers (or whoever would not be very useful to the survival effort)? It would definitely help to calm down a hysterical individual. "Here, this will shut you up!"

[RVgrin]

Hmmm, for those of you that have mentioned morphine, why exactly would this be such an asset?

As your mentioned, it could stop a screaming passenger by giving some merciful relief, but under some circumstances it could also be a life saver.

For example it could enable a sole survivor with several broken bones to build a shelter and a fire instead of giving up (or passing out from extreme pain) and freezing to death.

[RatherBeFlying]

First Item: a 406 MHz PLB with onboard GPS and current batteries. It's in my pocket whenever I fly.

Added to that is sufficient clothing / shelter to make it through the next night or two along with Swiss Army knife and Hinderer knife which I can use to break out, play with sticks for fire / shelter etc.

In isolated areas I drink the water unfiltered.

If the nights are cold, matches or lighter is called for.

The PLB takes the search out of SAR -- they'll just drive right up to where you are. Of course in the far North, they might be coming from a few thousand miles away.

As long as you don't arrive in polar bear habitat or at a delta with a bunch of hungry bears disappointed by a failed salmon run, the likelihood of having to defend yourself against a ravenous animal is pretty low.

[NunavutPA-12]

When it comes to float aircraft, I've always thought that a hatch should also be on the bottom of a float (compartment) which contains the survival stuff. Right side up in the woods or upside down in the water it would be accessible - get out first, then get the gear. Lets face it, usually your kit is at the back under all the crap that you loaded and its hard enough to get to even at a dock when you decide - oh, I need that.

That's what the ax or hatchet is for

A hatchet can also be used as a hammer, so you can leave the hammer at home. Duct tape and safety (snare) wire belongs in the tool kit.

As a recreational flyer, I typically plan to camp overnight somewhere, especially when on floats. So the baggage compartment is full of camping equipment, which would make for pretty luxurious "survival".

[NunavutPA-12]

This is what I have in my kit:

1 .45 automatic.
2 boxes of ammunition.
4 days' concentrated emergency rations.
1 drug issue containing antibiotics, morphine, vitamin pills, pep pills, sleeping pills, tranquilizer pills.
1 miniature combination Rooshin phrase book and Bible.
100 dollars in rubles.
100 dollars in gold.
9 packs of chewing gum.
1 issue of prophylactics.
3 lipsticks.
3 pairs of nylon stockin's.

Shoot, a fella could have a pretty good weekend in Vegas with all that stuff.

Posted twice without comment. I'm beginning to wonder if anybody gets the reference. Maybe you have to be over 60! Great movie.

[photofly]

good website for survival gear information: http://equipped.com


http://equipped.com/avsrvtoc.htm

[photofly]

Please be sure to take a rescue whistle - two ideally. Shouting isn't very effective to attract attention.

And a signal mirror.

[Kokanee]

Company Amex, and BlackBerry to find closest bar.

[1000 HP]

This is what I have in my kit:

1 .45 automatic.
2 boxes of ammunition.
4 days' concentrated emergency rations.
1 drug issue containing antibiotics, morphine, vitamin pills, pep pills, sleeping pills, tranquilizer pills.
1 miniature combination Russian phrase book and Bible.
100 dollars in rubles.
100 dollars in gold.
9 packs of chewing gum.
1 issue of prophylactics.
3 lipsticks.
3 pairs of nylon stockings.

A fella could have a pretty good weekend in Vegas with all that stuff.

I used to carry a .45 ACP with me. But it is too small for a grizzly. ( see thread on best bear gun ). I dropped a group off on the Thelon River a few years back and as I jumped off the float to shore, I noticed a fresh grizzly track with sand falling in it.

For survival gear I carry:
.450 Marlin 5 shooter.
5 rounds ( last one for me )
2 sleeping bags
Cowl cover
First aid kit
Axe
Bow saw
About 6 lighters
Can of beans
Flashlight

And a SPOT.

Should be good. I paid the extra $17 for SAR insurance.

[photofly]

About 6 lighters

Why, do you smoke?