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Crashing in the wilderness... some thoughts

Paul 5r4

Well Known Member
Sorry about the length of the post!

Hey fellow VAFers,

Because I feel this is an important post, I?ve been working on it for a few days.

A bit of history regarding this post. Recently I?ve watched several videos where regular people unexpectedly find themselves in situations that ended up potentially life threatening. After watching several of these videos, I?ve noticed there were some common denominators. One is in each case they?ve unintentionally found themselves in these situations and finally reached a point in their struggles way to early on that they have zero options left. As pilots we should be prepared, having at least thought about the what?s and hows after a successful forced landing. As pilots, we always need to have plan B and never have the thought of ?there is nothing left I can do.?

Naturally as pilots we most often think of the aviation side of flying. I looked at my checklist and online at some others. That?s were the checklist ran out. They all do a fantastic job of getting everything configured to give us the best chance of survival in the event of that hopefully never to happen off airport landing?. Hmmmm, off airport landing. Almost makes it sound like something that?s routine. In the real world and in the heart of hearts of most pilots, I think we still call it a crash. I don?t know? maybe that?s politically incorrect now days. :) Take note though that is where the checklist ends. I hadn?t given much thought regarding survival in the event of hours or days until help arrives. I did have a little survival kit but didn?t know how to use half the stuff in there. All of this left me thinking despite having the little kit, I didn?t have a survival plan, not even a little one.

Things like being lost in a desert, jungle, mountains or lost at sea. All of this had me thinking about myself and the flying I do. I?ve never flown into mountains over a jungle or desert. With that thought I found it unlikely that I could ever end up in a situation as the people I?ve referred to. With that said, I have found that on cross countries, I?ve often looked down only to find very large areas of forest sprawling out for many miles in every direction. If I lost it and ended up crashing in the trees I have concluded that even then, helping hands may be a long ways/time away. For that reason I?ve put together what I feel to be a decent survival plan and kit.

Important thoughts to consider. The most important things that could make or break your chances for survival and at the very least, provide some level of comfort while waiting for help.

1. Water
2. A form of nutritional support
3. Shelter (dry)
4. Heat/warmth/fire
5. Some way to communicate

In each of the videos I watched, most of the victims left out 3 or 4 of these items. Each one survived but their ordeal was unimaginably miserable! Had they covered the essentials in the list above most would have ended up with not much more than a good story to tell.

Now lets assume for the purposes of this discussion that you?ve survived an unexpected landing in the middle of you're not so sure where and the last road or sign of people was maybe 25 miles back. You know you didn?t file a flight plan and you weren?t using flight following. Because of the stress of the moments preceding the crash, you can?t remember if you even made a mayday call and now wonder if the ELT is doing it?s job. If you made the call and the ELT is working well that?s all just a little more icing on our cake. However, don?t assume all is well and folks are mobilizing to discuss a way to find and haul your butt out of the this mess. This is where the forethought and planning might help save the bacon. Hopefully your not injured. Personally if I?m like the scare crow with ?My liver?s over there and my legs are over here!? and I find I can now use the splintered end of my femur as a toothpick?. think I?ll just close my eyes and start praying. Thankfully you?ve made it through with just a few knocks and dings and only your pride ends up in the toilet. Back to the list.
 
part 2

1. Water: This one is the most important simply because the average person can only go 3 or 4 days without water. If flying over sparsely populated areas, always carry a few bottles of water in the plane…. just in case! Another option here is the survival water drinking filtration device. Very cheap and according to the manufacture good to filter up to 100,000 gallons of water from puddles, streams, lakes etc as long as its a fresh water source. It filters out 99.99999% of bacteria/protoza etc. For what it doesn’t filter out carry along some water purification tablets. As far as the bottles of water your hopefully brought. Keep those containers to put more water in.

2. Nutrition: Best advice here is toss a few packs of crackers/candy bars in the plane. They will provide you an energy boost in case of a prolonged rescue. Some people in the videos were lost for a few weeks before rescue and found themselves trying to eat almost anything even bugs. Just this past weekend we took my grandkids to the insect museum in New Orleans. They have some things cooked up with certain bugs mixed in. I passed, there just wasn’t anything on the menu that wet my appetite. I once knew a fellow that was a POW for a few years. He told me stories of eating cockroaches because it was the only thing available. He said he saw other POW’s trying to eat the leather from shoes. Sad!
A few packs of crackers/candy bars tossed in the plane and if rationed would sustain you for a good while.

3. Shelter: If you were flying out to camp someplace you’d probably have camping supplies and a tent anyway. If you were just going A to B with nothing but a jacket hmmm, I don’t have much good advice. It can get very hot or very cold. Being prepared may mean having something in your bag of tricks that might be as simple as a rain poncho or a piece of plastic that might keep you dry. Based on my personal experience and common sense, (which was in short supply for me), being able to stay dry is paramount in a wilderness situation. Being damp/wet adds to the cold and misery. Even in the summer months in can get cool at night. My personal experience. I wasn’t wet but everything in my little Wal-mart tent would have ended up that way. This was just last year at the Petit Jean fly in. The rain started late evening. When I realized my tent was leaking…. bad…. I grabbed everything and ended up spending the entire night in a utility closet between the men and womens showers/bathrooms. Woke up once with a granddaddy long leg crawling across my face. Now I have a tent with double walls and it’s suppose to prevent stuff like this. It should because it cost a good deal more than that walmart tent. Being able to remain dry in an already bad/critical/survival situation…. priceless.

4. Heat/warmth/fire: Another very important thing to be able to do is be able to build a fire. Matches and lighters are good. I have the all weather matches. The business ends are dipped in I think wax to keep them dry. I have some in a water tight container too. Also have a standard bic lighter. This one worries me …. a little. I have heard of them blowing up. This must be very rare though because there are literally millions of them in use. So, I thinks it’s worth the risk. I recently acquired a carbon stick and tried it. Super easy and was able to make a fire with nothing but the sparks from the stick. Vaseline soaked cotton balls fire right up. Also keep chapstick and some q-tips. Twist the q-tip around in the chapstick, then fluff the cotton tip out a little hit it with a few sparks from the carbon fire stick and WALA…. you’ve made fire. Remember how excited Tom Hanks was after creating fire in Castaway? Imagine a real life situation
and now YOU are the star of the show. The fire will warm you, dry you, help keep bugs away as well as some critters that may be licking their chops in the distance. It may even help rescuers find you. God forbid your stuck out in this wilderness long enough that you have to use a fire to actually cook up some sort of wildlife cuisine!

5. Some way to Communicate: I’ll list a few then discuss a couple of them. Starting from the pre-crash checklist….. communication with family and friends of your plans to fly and your intended route of flight is a good place to start. Filing a flight plan and using flight following is great too. Puts the odds much more in your favor if the unthinkable happens. Hopefully you managed the mayday call and the ELT is pinging away the position of the latest mass of twisted aluminum that will be the NTSB’s next assignment. Here again, let’s not assume anything. We have to be proactive now and take it upon ourselves that, WE the guy/girl that’s actually in this pickle jar of trouble, are able to in someway
communicate our predicament to others. There are several options available. Personal locator beacons have saved many. I don’t have one and have never used them. I do see there is the purchase price for the beacon and then an annual subscription that must be paid. If you're flying over inhospitable areas frequently this might be a good option. For the pilots that fly a couple three times a year over unknown territory it seems to be a rather expensive option. Forget your cell phone. Better to pretend it’s not even there. Chance are if you're more that a few miles deep in some wilderness, it won’t have a signal. Of course try it but just don’t count on it. (((EDITED HERE: Despite not having a cellular reception, you can still use the camera flash feature to signal an aircraft/helicopter))) A VHF handheld radio is a good option. This is what I have. Spend some time working and becoming very familiar with it. In an emergency survival situation, the human brain frequently turns to mush. Not the time to be trying to remember how it works. Make sure the batteries are charged too. Whistles! This is one of the most under estimated useful tools in these situations. In those videos people spent many hours yelling for help. The human voice simply doesn’t carry very far. Having a whistle increased the distance of being heard by a factor of almost 10. I read that somewhere. There are a couple whistles on the market that are labeled as the “worlds loudest” and “emergency rescue whistles.” I have one of each and can say their claims are true… at least to my ears! They are the Fox 40 Sonik Blast and the Storm safety whistle. To me the Storm is the louder of the two. In case I’m injured in a crash and unable to move I have one hanging right in front of me on the carb heat knob. Anyone with in a couple miles will know Pauls got himself into some kind of trouble. Incidentally, now I also keep one in the glove box of my car. Flares would be great but I’ve never used one and wonder about the explosive/fire hazard possibility in the plane. One last thing to help is an airhorn like is used at sporting events. They are incredibly loud and come in small sizes. If you were injured and unable to blow a whistle very hard tooting this horn is going to get a lot of noise a long ways out. While I’m on this subject, I saw on a survival educational video some information that was new to me. Three whistle blows,
or (air horn), in a row are considered a distress signal. Another use of the super loud whistle/horn might be to keep unwanted critters like bobcats or bears away. Better than nothing I’d think. How about a flashlight for a couple of reasons. Nice to have at night for looking off into the woods to see what spooks are lurking just beyond the glow of the campfire. The flash light can be an invaluable signaling device. The LED ones are, as my grandkids would say “super dooper” bright. Get one that has the flashing/strobe function too. Along with the horn/whistle, the super bright strobe effect might help scare a bear off while you’re waiting for the pilot drowning along a few thousand feet above to notice you.

This is not a see all end all checklist for survival. Just a few of the things that’s crossed my mind in the last few weeks. As pilots we always launch into the wild blue with full exceptions of reaching our intended destinations. Those are the days when everything goes right. On a day when something might go just wrong enough that we end up having to depend on our guts and instincts to get us through, don’t let the day it happens be the first time you’ve ever thought about it.

I haven’t mentioned anything to do with ditching in water. I feel this is a specialized area and well beyond my imaginative skills. Off the top of my head, A life boat/vest of course, a way to signal radio and whistle. Maybe candy bars. Hopefully everything is in a plastic water tight bag. Water survival IMHO would be the absolute worst and most hopeless situation I personally could imagine. If you ever plan to fly any distance over water… do the homework in the comfort
of home sitting in your lazy boy!

To go along with this post I made a short video going through my survival kit. Here’s the link to that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXuEKLhISRg

Tail Winds and happy flying.
 
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Actually shelter is the number priority especially in hot desert environments and equally important for very cold climates. Shelter first then water followed by food.
There's the 3x3x3 rule, you can go 3 weeks without food, 3 days without water and 3 minutes without oxygen.
With today's technology someone should know approx where you are at all times. I avoid very inhospitable terrain, that's my insurance for survival👍:)
Safety always begins with YOU:)
 
1. Survivable cockpit (proper restraints, large loose items secured, etc.)

2. A way to get out of a flipped airplane such as a canopy breaker tool. Attach in a location where you can reach it when hanging upside down.

3. Personal locator beacon. I use the Garmin InReach Mini. Attach it to yourself so that even if you barely escape a burning wreckage and lose all your other stuff, at least you can signal for rescue.

4. Personal survival kit (PSK). Small enough to fit in a pocket. Mine is basically a knife, fire starter, and a few other small items typical of PSKs.

5. Cheese crackers. The one time I found myself in a life raft in the ocean, I happened to have a package of cheese crackers in my G suit pocket. This was the biggest morale booster ever. :)

...then everything else the other guys said. All good.
 
In my kit...

I live up north in the country and could get stuck overnight on my way home from work if the snow is bad enough so I keep a survival kit in my car, and in the plane when I'm traveling. I was also on a wilderness rescue team years back, so spending a night or two in who-knows-where is nothing new to me, so I like to be prepared.

My kit has grown over the years and is organized into 5 groups (in no particular order):

Signaling/Nav -
Signal mirror, compass, whistle (fox40 is good)

Food -
Water reservoir (collapsible), water filter (LifeStraw), iodine tabs, cliff bars, emergency rations, oatmeal packs

Warmth/Clothing -
Radiant tarp (orange & reflective w/ grommets), radiant blanket (cheap type), poncho, hair ties, lighter (bic), matches (waterproof in case), magnesium starter, bandannas (orange), hand warmers, head bug net

Tools -
Head lamp, light sticks (12hr), folding saw, multi tool (Gerber MP400), knife sharpener, work gloves (rubberized), paracord (50'), portable stove (w/ pot), stove fuel, insect repellant, lip balm, backpack (to hold everything), power stick (USB, for phone), phone charge cable, notebook/pen (very small), AAA batteries (lithium, for head lamp)

First Aid - (in its own zip-top bag for easy access)
Aspirin, Ibuprofen, Claritin, pads (for the ladies), quickclot, med tape, gauze pads, gauze roll, gloves, Band-Aids, shears, tweezers, mold skin, tick twisters (to remove ticks)

My stuff is organized into a small backpack and weighs about 10lbs. Now this lives in my car and has way more than any person needs. Some of it is important, and some is just nice to have when I'm away from home (hair ties for the wife, for instance).

Two important things...
Use everything in your kit before you put it in your kit.
Before you need them you want to know that your folding saw can't cut anything, or the rations you packed makes you sick. Camp overnight in your backyard with just your kit. It will be an eye-opening experience.

And second, have an accurate inventory printed out and in the kit.
Think of it like a checklist. When you have a problem, look down the inventory and see what you have that can fix the problem. Much better than pulling everything out of your kit every 5 mins, or suffering with bugs in your eyes before you remember you have a head bug net.
 
A few points in hopes of spurring further conversation...

1) a correction... 406MHz PLBs do NOT have an annual subscription fee. Other devices such as Spot, InReach, SpiderTracks etc are all subscription-based, but the PLB is like your ELT - zero subscription fees. You pay those fees every year when you pay your taxes, the funds that go to pay for SAR services in your country.

2) Shelter is paramount, as has been pointed out previously. Not mentioned and of critical importance is shelter from biting insects. In some parts of the world the insects can be more than an annoyance. More than one crash survivor has been driven to make life-threatening decisions under the mental strain of trying to get away from the bugs. At a minimum, a tent with good screens will provide shelter from the elements as well as the bugs. A bug headnet and/or jacket isn't a bad idea either. Bug spray is of very little use as it won't stop the bugs from forming a cloud around your head, and it will eventually run out.

3) Colour choice is of critical importance when it comes to survival. At OSH a few years ago I saw a company there selling survival kits. They showed aerial photos of a "crash location" with an 8' x 8' tarp erected as a shelter. They showed the same site using tarps of different colours. The only colour that stood out was the most common bright blue. That came as a surprise to me. Now the floor of the cargo area of our aircraft is protected by a folded blue tarp to supplement the tent that rides along on top of it.

4) for food, think of energy density and the kind of energy, protein vs carbohydrate. After spending some time looking at this, I've fallen back to plastic containers of nuts as my emergency rations. High energy density, low carb count to help your body switch over to burning its own fat reserves, and they taste good.

5) One assumes the only means of communication is electronic. What that assumption leaves out is the critical "last mile" portion of the SAR phase. The whistle is a fantastic idea (one of those items that should be in your personal survival kit), but don't forget about a signal mirror. Contrary to popular myth, compact discs don't make very good signal mirrors. Last but not least, carrying flares and "canned smoke" will help attract the attention of that Herc that's flying just a couple of miles away, and will lead rescuers to your exact location in the swamp. Just remember that flares have a shelf life and can become unstable outside that "best before" date, so remember to review and renew your survival kit every year. One of the best sources of flares is actually at marine supply shops.

6) Firestarters... of critical importance, especially for warmth in colder climes. Last year at OSH I found my "survival knife" which has built into its sheath a "blast match" style of metallic fire starter. Seemed like a great idea at relatively low cost. Also, a rope saw is a good idea, but be careful of what you buy as many of them only last a few seconds before their abrasive material disappears. Buy it and try it, and be prepared to buy another one.

7) Attitude! What the OP didn't mention because it came as second nature to him is that preparedness automatically brings with it a positive attitude toward survival. Having thought your way through survival scenarios before they happen means you have a mental plan to follow should an event occur. Many studies have shown that the first few minutes post-crash are where you make the decisions which set the foundation for either survival or quickly perishing. Positive Mental Attitude is THE biggest tool in your survival kit!

As a young Air Cadet I was fortunate to receive survival instruction from a retired RCAF SAR tech. He had trouble walking as a result of injuries sustained while parachuting into a crash site. He broke both ankles but still was able to stabilize four crash survivors. He stayed with them for over 48 hours while waiting for weather to improve enough for a helicopter to get to them. He was able to do that by having used metal from his packsack frame and the crashed aircraft to fabricate leg splints, lashing them to his legs with parachute cord. When this guy talked as a survival instructor, you listened, because he had seen more than his fair share of people who hadn't survived and a few who had, and knew the differences that made the survivors live. I'm so thankful for having had that opportunity to learn from him.
 
survival vest

many experts opine if it is not on you, it is not survival gear.

having read many factual accounts by some of the most experienced back country pilots around (and having lost track of my location while hunting a time or two), I have come to agree.

basic survival equipment doesn't take up a lot of space or weight, it's not intended to keep you comfortable, just alive. If you can get to the comfort/camping items in the back of the plane, so much the better.

if you don't like the vest, a small fanny pack pulled around to your side or front will serve the same purpose.

last, rotate your food out occasionally, nothing worse than a 4 year old Powerbar or smashed to powder package of crackers.
 
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A bit of topic drift .. what duffles/bags are you guys using to store this misc stuff? Flashlights, etc.
 
Louise and I fly over a lot of lunar-like terrain out in Nevada, and while you can see a long ways from teh air, it is sobering to think just how long the walk might be after a safe landing on a lakebed.

I am also a subscriber to “if you’re not wearing it, you don’t have it” philosophy. So rather than putting a survival kit in each of our airplanes, we each have a vest - and the most important item in the vest is our PLB - in today’s environment, it is great to know that not only do rescuers know there is an emergency, but that they have the exact GPS coordinates for where to find you.

Our vests also have food, emergency shelter, first aid, and a space blanket (among other things). Water is in all the airplanes, and we have LOTS of it in our bush plane because we need the ballast when flying without cargo.

Once a signal goes out with GPS coordinates, everything else is gravy.

Paul
 
Shelter thoughts

I've been to several AOPA survival seminars and one thing that often comes-up is to NOT use the aircraft as shelter in the winter because the aluminum will draw heat from your body making things worse/colder.

I'd like to challenge that notion. While it makes scientific sense on the surface I'd like to dig into it a bit more. For me there are three things you need to survive a winter night (i) insulation (ii) wind break (iii) a dry place. The AOPA seminars recommend instead setting-up a makeshift shelter from pine boughs, leaves, etc. This will add some insulation, but will do little to block a piercing wind, and virtually nothing to keep you dry. I suppose if you are laying up against and in contact with the aluminum skin it would not be a good thing, but you may have the ability to use seats, luggage, carpets etc. to prevent that. Take those pine boughs and pack them inside the fuselage with you. Now you have (i) insulation, (ii) a better wind break, and (iii) a much drier place to spend the night. Aluminum can certainly be a heat sink, but wind and water are remarkable heat sinks too.

Now, I have NO data to support my hypothesis. If anyone has real data (for or against) in the conditions I described above I'd be very interested in seeing it.
 
Survival

Spent several years in the military. Lots of Escape and Evasion classes. When going through flight school, a survival course was one of classes required.

According to what was taught:

The single most important device to have? Signal device.

All the food and water will not help if you can't signal the rescuers.

I have a full set of gear for survival. Different bags have a little bit of everything in them. That way if you can only get to one bag, you have a little bit of everything.

Alaska requires a complete emergency kit. Mine is complete, I check it every year during the condition inspection. Flares expire, as do other things.

Even here at the house I buy gallon jugs of drinking water, use them on a regular basis to keep them changed out, in my garage is a small escape kit, extra clothing, way to start a fire, rain gear, sleeping bag and a good jacket.

I grabbed it last Nov., when the ground shook. It was bad enough shaker to destroy the road between where I live in Nikiski and Kenai. It still has not been repaired, but they did remove the bad asphalt and replace with crushed asphalt until warmer weather arrives.

All kinds of emergency's can happen, best to be prepared even at home.

We put together a kit at work, warm wool blankets, water, flashlights, etc..

If you don't have one, get one: Military Survival Manual FM 21-76 get the military version, most complete set of info available. Plants that can be eaten to shelter, how to use signal devices, etc..

Best regards,
Mike Bauer
 
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Lots of great information here. Some thoughts I never considered when writing the OP. To answer the one of the post, I used.... as seen in the video.... a little bag from WalMart. I think it was to carry ammo/pistol etc. Lots of little pockets and zippers. Works great. I also agree with Paul's post about having it on your body. Might not be able to get to a separate bag after a crash or it could burn. Flying over vast areas of Nevadas desolate area is exactly the kind of thing that had me thinking of this stuff. There is a spot on my way to SnF just other side of Panama City Fl for about a hundred miles that from the air looks pretty barren of roads and towns. I know there's a few roads but after a crash in the tall pines.... not a pretty picture.
PLB's are probably the top of the line as far as communication goes. I hope to start doing alot more flying/cross countries after I retire next year and may have to consider that option more seriously.
 
The 406 ELTs are considerably more effective than the old 121.5 units. Worth changing if you haven't already, and remembering if you are planning to install one.

When planning your survival kit, different terrains suggest different kit contents. Your day to day kit, useful in your area, might need refreshing for a trip.

Dave
 
Survival Trousers

In the RV-9, with a center console, there's not a lot of room for some of the bulkier vests (fishing, etc.). And, not wanting to pay for an expensive flight suit, I decided to sew up my own "Survival Trousers."
Using a pattern, I modified it to add zippered pockets on the out-board thigh and calf areas, with a pen / knife pocket on the inside of the left thigh and another set of non-zippered pockets on the inside seam of the calves. A total of nine pockets that can hold virtually all the survival kit without cramping the upper-body space.

I also use an REI runner's vest that has a water bladder (Camelback) and several pockets for small equipment; Handheld Radio, PLB, Whistles, Flashlights, etc.

Total cost of sewing up the trousers is about $60.00 - not including my time. I've sewn up six pairs, each with modifications/improvements. One pair I made over-sized to allow wearing of "nicer" trousers under them.

With a bit of study, I've come to realize that ONLY 100% cotton is the best material - that's not too expensive - to make them from.
 
Survival

Attended the AOPA Peaks to Pavement backcountry flying seminar last night, and they also advocated wearing a survival vest.
 
The 406 ELTs are considerably more effective than the old 121.5 units. Worth changing if you haven't already, and remembering if you are planning to install one.

You forgot to mention that the new 406Mhz ELT also requires you to register its 15 digit hex code with NOAA so not only can they locate you quickly but they also have a good idea who they?re looking for.
 
another cell phone idea for rescue

In my OP I mentioned that a cell phone is probably of little use. I just saw a video where a downed pilot used his cell phones camera FLASH to get the attention of helicopters! Brilliant Watson! Another point of data that I hope no-one ever needs to use.
 
Ideas

Just since we are discussing it... Dont forget to use the tools you pack.

A wonderful fellow rv owner that we had met and enjoyed his hospitality..

Geoff Picard from Chilliwack BC went missing this fall on his way home from visiting family in alberta. He and his wife and his dog. Terrible. But he apparently had a spot and of course an elt..and not a peep or track from either. Plane still missing... May never be found in the mountains so pack all you want but dont forget to push the buttons if you have the toys so you at least have a fighting chance. All the gear in the word is of no use if not activated/used.

https://globalnews.ca/news/4486501/missing-plane-chilliwack-parkland-airport-edmonton/

On another note for the first aid kit, a buddy with a lot of first aid knowledge put me onto stuff called Quick Clot. Small light weight pack and if you have very bad cuts, its apparently the best thing out there for stopping a bleed out fast. No idea, just bought one and threw it in the bag. Hope not to have to try it out.
 
A few points in hopes of spurring further conversation...

1) a correction... 406MHz PLBs do NOT have an annual subscription fee. Other devices such as Spot, InReach, SpiderTracks etc are all subscription-based, but the PLB is like your ELT - zero subscription fees. You pay those fees every year when you pay your taxes, the funds that go to pay for SAR services in your country.

2) Shelter is paramount, as has been pointed out previously. Not mentioned and of critical importance is shelter from biting insects. In some parts of the world the insects can be more than an annoyance. More than one crash survivor has been driven to make life-threatening decisions under the mental strain of trying to get away from the bugs. At a minimum, a tent with good screens will provide shelter from the elements as well as the bugs. A bug headnet and/or jacket isn't a bad idea either. Bug spray is of very little use as it won't stop the bugs from forming a cloud around your head, and it will eventually run out.

3) Colour choice is of critical importance when it comes to survival. At OSH a few years ago I saw a company there selling survival kits. They showed aerial photos of a "crash location" with an 8' x 8' tarp erected as a shelter. They showed the same site using tarps of different colours. The only colour that stood out was the most common bright blue. That came as a surprise to me. Now the floor of the cargo area of our aircraft is protected by a folded blue tarp to supplement the tent that rides along on top of it.

4) for food, think of energy density and the kind of energy, protein vs carbohydrate. After spending some time looking at this, I've fallen back to plastic containers of nuts as my emergency rations. High energy density, low carb count to help your body switch over to burning its own fat reserves, and they taste good.

5) One assumes the only means of communication is electronic. What that assumption leaves out is the critical "last mile" portion of the SAR phase. The whistle is a fantastic idea (one of those items that should be in your personal survival kit), but don't forget about a signal mirror. Contrary to popular myth, compact discs don't make very good signal mirrors. Last but not least, carrying flares and "canned smoke" will help attract the attention of that Herc that's flying just a couple of miles away, and will lead rescuers to your exact location in the swamp. Just remember that flares have a shelf life and can become unstable outside that "best before" date, so remember to review and renew your survival kit every year. One of the best sources of flares is actually at marine supply shops.

6) Firestarters... of critical importance, especially for warmth in colder climes. Last year at OSH I found my "survival knife" which has built into its sheath a "blast match" style of metallic fire starter. Seemed like a great idea at relatively low cost. Also, a rope saw is a good idea, but be careful of what you buy as many of them only last a few seconds before their abrasive material disappears. Buy it and try it, and be prepared to buy another one.

7) Attitude! What the OP didn't mention because it came as second nature to him is that preparedness automatically brings with it a positive attitude toward survival. Having thought your way through survival scenarios before they happen means you have a mental plan to follow should an event occur. Many studies have shown that the first few minutes post-crash are where you make the decisions which set the foundation for either survival or quickly perishing. Positive Mental Attitude is THE biggest tool in your survival kit!

As a young Air Cadet I was fortunate to receive survival instruction from a retired RCAF SAR tech. He had trouble walking as a result of injuries sustained while parachuting into a crash site. He broke both ankles but still was able to stabilize four crash survivors. He stayed with them for over 48 hours while waiting for weather to improve enough for a helicopter to get to them. He was able to do that by having used metal from his packsack frame and the crashed aircraft to fabricate leg splints, lashing them to his legs with parachute cord. When this guy talked as a survival instructor, you listened, because he had seen more than his fair share of people who hadn't survived and a few who had, and knew the differences that made the survivors live. I'm so thankful for having had that opportunity to learn from him.

Could someone tell me what PLB isn?t subscription based?
 
Could someone tell me what PLB isn?t subscription based?
Pretty much all of them...

Personally, I have a GME MT410G in a pouch on my survival vest. Cost around $300 Australian (probably about $22.50USD now our dollar has tanked...:p) and is about the size of the original iPod. It incorporates a GPS that they say is good to <100m accuracy, and has to be registered at no cost, with your national SAR orginisation, in my case, AMSA. They send you update reminders, and you can even upload photos of what you'll be using it in (boat, plane, 4x4) so rescuers know what they're looking for.

MT410GAUS_d.jpg


Like IronFlight, I feel if I'm not wearing it, I may not have it after spearing in, to that end, I utilised one of those tactical vests to stuff full of goodies intended to help after breaking my -9. I wear it every flight, notwithstanding the weird looks I get at the bowser - but using the logic "I fly in an aeroplane I built in my back shed", it makes explanations a lot easier.

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Haha. Two condoms, thats funny. Just incase you meet some ladies that think the vest is sexy? :) Made me laugh
 
fishing vest

When i was doing a lot of mountain flying i researched all this. A basic fishing vest from gander mountain or bass pro worked great. Lots of pockets, lightweight and inexpensive.
 
Survival Mirror

One day I was flying over some mountains just west of Bear Lake, at the ID/UT border, and saw a flash from the ground. I wasn't on a search and rescue mission, just going somewhere. The flash was off to the side.

Turns out, it was a group of people with several vehicles. I figured that they were playing, since they appeared to be well able to get help locally if necessary.

The thing was, I was down-sun, and it still worked quite well. It's worth having one (at least) in the kit.

Dave
 
Just a thought, has anyone ever discussed activating the ELT once you know that you are going to ditch prior to the impact? That way you have some altitude for better range, and in the event it is destroyed in the crash, at least some signal got out. With the new ELT's a lot of info can be transmitted prior to the downing.
 
Haha. Two condoms, thats funny. Just incase you meet some ladies that think the vest is sexy? :) Made me laugh

Condoms actually have lots of uses in survival kits. They can hold water, be used as waterproof storage, makeshift medical gloves or bandages, and even as fire starters and sling shots. Not that there is anything wrong with their intended use. Morale is important in survival situations, after all.

Chris
 
Survival Kit Architecture

You're probably thinking, huh? Architecture?

Read on.

I've got a four seat airplane in addition to the single seat RV-3B that I'm building. When I was putting together a survival kit for the four-seater, it ws clear that I only needed one of some things, but for other things, I needed more as the number of passengers increased. Think survival mirror and water as examples.

This led to having a base kit that pretty much lived in the plane, good for me. Then I'd have a separate kit for each additional passenger. What would be nice would be a survival vest for everyone, but I don't have that.

Dave
 
Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) - SPOT

I always fly with my SPOT breadcrumb tracker on. The wife loves it - she can see where I am via an online map. It costs $150/year and is worth every penny. I also fly with the aforementioned ACR RESQLINK 406 PLB. It costs $289 with no subscription fee. Less than the cost of gassing up the RV-7 twice. I may not survive the forced landing but at least they'll know where to find me.
 
Just a thought, has anyone ever discussed activating the ELT once you know that you are going to ditch prior to the impact? That way you have some altitude for better range, and in the event it is destroyed in the crash, at least some signal got out. With the new ELT's a lot of info can be transmitted prior to the downing.

I'll take a crack at your question, Paul.

Let's talk 406MHz ELTs to start with... They have a 50 second warm-up time. Yes, that's right. 50 seconds before the first valid 406MHz transmission burst. In a crashed aircraft with a fuel-fed fire, a lot can happen in 50 seconds. With this in mind, if you know you're headed for the cabbage, activating the ELT prior to impact is a good idea. These ELTs are monitored via satellite, and the transmission is quite powerful, so getting through to the satellite is reasonably likely. It may take a while for a satellite to pass overhead if in very rugged terrain, but you'd have to be in a pretty nasty spot for the 406MHz signal to not been heard by a satellite.

Now let's look at the 121.5MHz ELT situation. No satellites are looking for them so you are totally dependent on overflying aircraft to hear your ELT's distress warble. With this being the case, activating the ELT in flight would once again seem like a good way of increasing your odds of being heard. Unfortunately the 121.5MHz ELT's transmit at low power (100mW vice the 5W burst of the 406MHz ELT) so it doesn't take a lot of things working against you before that little signal can't be heard.

In both cases, activating the ELT prior to crash gives at least some probability that a valid distress signal will be transmitted before impact, an impact which might destroy the ELT, its mount, the antenna or its interconnecting coax cable.

There is one caveat that I would throw in here, and that is that some jurisdictions were discussing putting a limit on accepting the validity of moving 406MHz beacons in an attempt to cut down on the number of UPS trucks or similar modes of conveyance setting off resource-wasting false alarms. I don't remember whether this motion was adopted. Suffice it to say that if you've got altitude for a 20 minute glide, it might be a wise thing to leave the ELT activation until the last couple of minutes.

Also be aware that movement of the 406MHz ELT causes the signal to be received by the satellite with some Doppler shift. Since the satellites use Doppler shift (from their own movement across the sky) to triangulate the position of the beacon, movement of the beacon messes with the ability of the satellites to produce an accurate position estimate.

Hope this info helps inform your decision-making process.
 
I'll take a crack at your question, Paul.

Let's talk 406MHz ELTs to start with... They have a 50 second warm-up time. Yes, that's right. 50 seconds before the first valid 406MHz transmission burst. In a crashed aircraft with a fuel-fed fire, a lot can happen in 50 seconds. With this in mind, if you know you're headed for the cabbage, activating the ELT prior to impact is a good idea. These ELTs are monitored via satellite, and the transmission is quite powerful, so getting through to the satellite is reasonably likely. It may take a while for a satellite to pass overhead if in very rugged terrain, but you'd have to be in a pretty nasty spot for the 406MHz signal to not been heard by a satellite.

Now let's look at the 121.5MHz ELT situation. No satellites are looking for them so you are totally dependent on overflying aircraft to hear your ELT's distress warble. With this being the case, activating the ELT in flight would once again seem like a good way of increasing your odds of being heard. Unfortunately the 121.5MHz ELT's transmit at low power (100mW vice the 5W burst of the 406MHz ELT) so it doesn't take a lot of things working against you before that little signal can't be heard.

In both cases, activating the ELT prior to crash gives at least some probability that a valid distress signal will be transmitted before impact, an impact which might destroy the ELT, its mount, the antenna or its interconnecting coax cable.

There is one caveat that I would throw in here, and that is that some jurisdictions were discussing putting a limit on accepting the validity of moving 406MHz beacons in an attempt to cut down on the number of UPS trucks or similar modes of conveyance setting off resource-wasting false alarms. I don't remember whether this motion was adopted. Suffice it to say that if you've got altitude for a 20 minute glide, it might be a wise thing to leave the ELT activation until the last couple of minutes.

Also be aware that movement of the 406MHz ELT causes the signal to be received by the satellite with some Doppler shift. Since the satellites use Doppler shift (from their own movement across the sky) to triangulate the position of the beacon, movement of the beacon messes with the ability of the satellites to produce an accurate position estimate.

Hope this info helps inform your decision-making process.

Was not even aware of the potential delay. OK, short final, turn on ELT.
 
Most of my life, and most of my flying, was in Alaska.

Attended a survival course at one time where the emphasis was on winter survival.

The instructor asked "what would be your most important survival item if you went down and it was 40 degrees F below zero and you knew you were going to be there for awhile"?

Everyone had excellent ideas but nobody came up with the answer he was looking for. He said that nothing mentioned would do us any good if we were not dressed for the temperature including a good pair of mittens and gloves.Without being dressed properly he felt we would not be able to use our other survival gear.

I agree with him. I've never been in a survival situation but have been outside for periods of time in those temperatures. It only takes a few minutes and your bare hands become useless. Starting a fire, for example, would probably not be possible.
 
Get a high visibility vest (orange hunting vest) from Walmart or a sporting good store, a bright LED flashlight that has a blinking mode, and a signal mirror. These items are inexpensive and are very functional. A medium size dry bag is handy to carry all your gear and as a survival bag. Wal-Mart has cheap decent ones. They can also be used as an emergency flotation device, a water carry bag, etc.
 
Question for the brain trust... does anybody make/sell a moderately-priced dry bag (for survival kit, first aid kit etc) in a VERY bright color so it is easy to find in the post-crash debris field?

I've been looking for one of these for quite some time and all I can seem to find are dry bags in drab colors.

Thanks!
 
Question for the brain trust... does anybody make/sell a moderately-priced dry bag (for survival kit, first aid kit etc) in a VERY bright color so it is easy to find in the post-crash debris field?

I've been looking for one of these for quite some time and all I can seem to find are dry bags in drab colors.

Thanks!

Sure - Google “Caving Supplies” - cave explorers use bags that need to keep things dry when completely submerged in muddy water, and they need to be able to find them in muddy caves, so they are often quite bright.

However, I subscribe to the maxim that :if you aren’t wearing it, you don't have it” in a crash. Your first instinct in a crash is to get out of the airplane. If it then catches fire, your survival gear is gone. Of course, you can only wear so much, so a separate “supplemental bag” isn’t a bad idea...just think about having the essentials (like a PLB and other signaling equipment) on your person when flying over wild country.

Paul

[ed. What Paul said!!!! On me over wilderness,etc: https://dougreeves.smugmug.com/Hardware-Reviews/SRU-21P-Survival-Vest/ v/r,dr]
 
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Survival Situational Awareness

I have been doing solo 2+ week backpacking trips in the Sierra Wilderness for over 30 years. I've also attended survival training courses in Cold Lake Canada and Death Valley, CA.

Survival priorities are situationally dependent.

In extreme cold your first priority is warmth - first build a fire. You must keep your hands from freezing. After your fire is raging, relax and sort things out. If you have snow/water, you aren't going to die anytime soon.

In the summer desert, first find shelter from the sun (even elemental shelter) and collect a survivable water supply. If you don't have water, you have to decide on whether to set off in search of water, or stay put and bank on a timely rescue.

In most situations where you are uninjured, you can survive for weeks with no/limited food if you have water. Shelter can be built from just about anything (check out the shelters used by the desert Indians).

The ultimate long-term survival tool is your brain and your attitude - you have to want to survive and deal with the hardships of living in the wilderness until rescued.
 
Pretty much all of them...


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I have attended two survival schools and these need to be added to above:

Whistle
Signal mirror
Compass Mil spec
Fishing line
Small hooks
Super glue
Aluminum foil
Cotton balls in ziplock bag with
Petroleum jelly. Fire starter
Gun——Where legal:D

Water is most important

You can live for days without food!!!

I put all in fishing vest.


Boomer
 
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I had a friend in Olympia, WA that put together survival gear for cold or hot weather situations, first aid, dried food and other tools for survival. They were in two air tight bags and sucked tight with a vacuum. Then they were placed in each removable wingtip area on his RV7. So he always had some protection in case of a problem. Not a bad idea.
 
From experience, I know that a full survival vest...
in a cockpit not designed for that bulk...
on a hot day...
is pretty much a non-starter. Especially for someone who's well past their 40s, and perhaps overweight.

And in addition to all the above things, might as well add a gallon or two of water. Much of the U.S. is dry. In fact, I'd a lot rather have the water than some of those other things. Survival kits need to be regional and seasonal.

Dave
 
A SERE kit can fit in a shirt pocket 4"x 2" x 1". I have one in old Sucrets box, that contains knife, Bic, button compass, fishing gear, water purification tablets, antibiotics and waterproofed with Gorilla tape that can be reused. The best survival gear is in your head.

Remember there is lotsa good stuff in that RV.
 
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