Survival Vests

[DanB]

Over the years I have heard many ideas on survival vests and what should be in them. The following link is a very well done (show and tell) video on one guys take on the matter.

https://www.backcountrypilot.org/knowledge-base/safety-and-survival/177-the-survival-vest-philosophy

If you use a vest and have anything to add, I know many of us would appreciate the input.

[DesertFox4]

Interesting video Dan.

Lots of good info. His vest would look pretty good if you went down in the backcountry.

[Clark in AZ]

Nice video, thanks for posting.

[offroute]

I looked at the video yesterday but can't remember if he advocates carrying water in the vest. My flying often takes me over remote, waterless terrain. If trapped or injured I always want some water within reach. When flying in colder environs I also opt to dress warm and use the aircraft's heater less in case I go down and am unable to reach additional clothing.

IMHO warmth, water and perhaps a PLB, should all be on me or within easy reach. All of my additional survival gear (enough for two) is secured in a pack that's clipped in directly behind me. I'm concerned a bulky survival vest would often be tossed in the back or left behind altogether. It's all to easy to say "I don't need to wear that bulky vest on this little flight" and have that one turn into the one where things go wrong.

That's just my approach. I applaud the discussion and encourage all to give this subject serious thought and attention. Put together a system that works for you.

[HighWing]

Like Fred, I appreciate discussions like this one. Back in the day when I was doing the initial test flights on 96KL, I shared a hangar with a Beal AFB pilot. He then flew U-2s and previously the SR-71. He sheepishly told me one day that he had recently gone flying over the Snow covered Sierras in a borrowed Cessna 140 and relied on the heater to keep him warm. It wasn't until his return that he realized he was totally unprepared for an incident. On most of the long multi day flights I took, I always flew with a back pack strapped in the passenger seat. Now I realize I had the wrong things in there - a weeks worth of underware, socks and T-shirts. I should have had the water, food and first aid kit that was stowed in the back under the sleeping bag and tent.

I once prepared a first aid kit for an ocean crossing in a sail boat. With a crew of seven with immediate responders nearby in the event of an accident, I had everything in that kit, including IV fluids and Morphine alongside the inflatable cast. The funny part was the day one of the crew came up and asked me for some Tylenol for a headache. My kit was prepared for almost any catastrophe. but not for the simple every day needs of the crew. I did have Bandaids, but no over the counter pain meds.

The final thought. When my wife and I survived my attempt at an emergency landing, injuries included puncture wounds from broken structural tubing, Sprained ankles and a broken wrist alongside a compression fracture of the spine. Survival supplies on the vest along with the wearing of season appropriate clothing, as suggested by Fred, would be my priority as an initial thought.

[DesertFox4]

I opted to go a slightly different route and purchased a pre-packaged survival kit with almost all the same contents as the vest in the video except mine has enough emergency drinking water for one person for 4 days.

Its biggest draw back is that it is not on your person in the event you can not get to the bagage compartment due to injuries or the loss of the aircraft due to fire or getting swept down stream in the case of landing in moving water.

I didn't want to unpack it for a photo but did take out one pack of drinking water. I believe it weighs about 4.5 lbs.
10252

[SkySteve]

DF4, Is that a package of dehydrated water?

[Esser]

DF4, Is that a package of dehydrated water?

That made me laugh.

Another idea instead of water purifying tablets etc. is the LifeStraw. It will purify 1000 litres of water.

http://lifestraw.com

A great bonus is that for each straw you buy, a school child in Africa receives a years worth of clean drinking water.

I always talk about making a vest but I never do. I think once I start getting more adventurous it will be a necessity...

[DesertFox4]

DF4, Is that a package of dehydrated water? Yes Steve. ;):)
4.225 oz of drinking water per bag.

I also have the water purifier tablets and a very expensive water purifier that you can siphon out of a mud puddle and drink it.

10253

[Av8r3400]

This is a great discussion and filled with lots of things to think about.

One thing that I can't seem to get my head around is the idea of wearing an extremely bulky vest like this in our little aircraft. Greg can get away with this in his giant (by comparison) Skywagon. If I was wearing his vest, I don't think I could even buckle into the harness…

A bag like Steve's (DF4) example, on the passenger seat that can be grabbed quickly may be a better option for us Kitfox-ers. Can you tell us what that pre-made bag is or where it came from?

[SkySteve]

I do have a vest. Very light and made of mesh so it's cool. I only cary a few items in it. 3 ways of starting fire, some basic medical supplies for splinting bones and filling flesh wounds, several food bars, candy, a good knife, fish line & hooks, some para chord, safety wire, a signal mirror, no ball whistle, a laser light and my SPOT. I always carry a handgun on my belt and my phone in my pocket.

I can figure out which way north is so I figure I don't need a compass. I can build a pretty good shelter out of natural materials. I have water in my plane but if I loose that I can find water in the earth, plants or find a water source. Drinking bad water usually won't make you sick for a few days but a filter straw is a great idea. I also cary a good coat, stocking cap, gloves and duct tape in my plane.

It was discussed by the guy who made the survival vest that the average rescue is 42 hours. Less if you have a good signal, like the SPOT or other device. Even if there isn't a phone signal I always have it on tracking and that will at least provide a clue as to my location. I also have a good group of SPOT trackers who watch my SPOT website when I'm out (friends, some backcountry pilots, some outdoorsmen, my A&P). I also always try to go with someone else as a flight of two when on a plane camping trip in the wilderness.

[DesertFox4]

A bag like Steve's (DF4) example, on the passenger seat that can be grabbed quickly may be a better option for us Kitfox-ers. Can you tell us what that pre-made bag is or where it came from?

The store I purchased this kit from is no longer in business. Similar kits are available many places online.

10255

[DanB]

I agree that the vest in the video is a bit too bulky, however, I like the comment Steve Wilson made keeping the vest simple and light. One never knows how fast you might need to exit the aircraft. Essentials like a PLB, fire-starting, etc (everyone can determine what their essential list should be). Load your vest up to YOUR comfort level and have a bag stashed in the passenger seat or back with the secondary list of goodies. Just my two cents.

[Av8r3400]

Sounds more reasonable, Dan.

[HighWing]

A comment from Steve caught my eye. He mentioned Fishing line in his kit. I doubt this would be appropriate for those flying the Desert Southwest. When we used to fly our back country flights of six - in keeping with Steve's preference of flying at least two by two - I always used my "Air Camping Checklist" for packing.

Maybe we could start a "Sticky" where folks could post their Checklists, Emergency Kit contents and Camping gear lists. This could help broaden the scope of things we typically think of first, and lessen those, "I wish I had" lists. Case in point when we were out in Idaho Somewhere and one of the guys discovered an inoperative ignition module. Because of my video camera mount, and a failure once with the wiring, I always carried a butane powered soldering iron. There were several VOMs in the group and one of those helped find the broken wire then a puff of smoke later it was in the air again.

My wife and I continue to this day lifting every camp chair we see checking for light weight. I had an 8 lb. two man tent that I vowed never to replace at less than half the weight savings, which I eventually did. These ideas might fit on such a thread as well.

[SkySteve]

A comment from Steve caught my eye. He mentioned Fishing line in his kit. I doubt this would be appropriate for those flying the Desert Southwest.
Lowell, I had to laugh approvingly at your comment. I agree "fishing for the big one" in the desert is probably a mirage (pun intended). The same is true for much of Utah. However, the fishing line and hook are not just for that. Here is my somewhat twisted thinking. If I'm truly stranded and/or badly hurt, the fishing line and hook can be used for: (1) Yes, maybe catching a fish; (2) More likely just passing time trying to catch a fish; (3) But, if you break off the hook's barb, now you have a curved needle and good strong thread to sew something back together. That something could be gear, clothing, shelter or even skin. Yes, I have sewn a bad wound with fishing line and a hook. For such light weight and small space I think it's one of the best "tools in my bag of tricks". I just wrap the fishing line around something else in my vest, such as the roll of vet wrap (another great medical invention, now used by phlebotomists instead of a bandaid after taking a blood sample).

[HighWing]

Steve,
Your note is exactly what I was thinking about. I am sure there are simple items that have numerous uses if the MacGuyver approach is considered. If we all collaborated on our thinking, I am sure our kits could be more utilitarian, efficient and compact.

[Flybyjim]

I fly mostly in Pa, we have lots of mountains here, not very high a few thousand feet but very dense, I would love to see what others have considered a must for hostel terrain overflight. When traveling I generally plan my trip around vast areas of mountain ranges. For me it's the joy of flight not getting there in any short amount of time, but there are times I am over just trees for many miles.