Whats In My Airplane Survival Kit?
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- Опубліковано 7 лип 2024
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Seriously? NordVPN? You have got to be kidding.
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What kit fox model plane is yours
I would add a signal mirror to your kit aswell, just incase something happened to you locator beacon.
Suggestion: Go land on one of those barren mountain tops and try staying warm for 4 hours. Use your kit to start a fire...try your food. See if it is as good in practice as you think.
Bearing in mind it's easy to stay warm when you're moving. I've worked in sub-zero (F) weather without even putting long Johns under my pants without issue. You have to stay warm while sedentary for enough hours to get a modicum of rest so your cognitive functions don't deteriorate too much.
there are a lot of certified survival courses where they'll take you out and have you do exactly that....(though most you stay over night)
Always better to know then wonder... I mean you practise landings, right?
Exactly, all the gear is worthless if you've never taken it out of the wrapper or tried using it. The time to learn is not after you're stranded and halfway hypothermic already.
Flight Chops has a great survival video series in conjunction with Jason Miller and Brad Friesen. I would encourage you to check it out. ua-cam.com/video/mb4UHmTvkuo/v-deo.html
A change of socks and clothes, sealed in a vacuum seal bag.
Make those socks Darn Tough. Best socks you can buy.
@James Bourbon rofl. I see what you did there. Clean undies. Shitty situation. Brilliant.
@K.M. Haswell With the vacuum bags, it is much smaller and compact. They take up much less room.
Totally beat me to this one. Yes. And I would add Polly Pro as well. Vacuume Sealed would be a space saver for real.
"Flying with a Personal Locator Beacon, is this [whole kit I'm carrying] overkill?"
Even if the beacon gives them your exact location, there's nothing that says they will actually be able to come and get you in less than three days. Fog, bad weather, and rugged terrain may delay your rescue. If you're safe, warm, have food, and water, it allows your rescuers the luxury of time. They can take their time and be safe knowing that you're not going to die while they wait out bad weather. One presumes that you're also carrying a hand held radio so you can tell them that you're safe and can wait a day or three until the weather breaks and they can come get you safely.
How about a 3 day weekend video where you put your kit to the test. The only way to know you're prepared for all situations is to try it in a safe controlled manner. It's great to have a survival kit but if you've never chopped up some logs with a crappy survival hatchet and broke out a magnesium fire starter you might be in for a bad time if you ever need it.
I second this idea suggestion. You may think that you have the skills when packing your selected survival items, but until you actually put some survival time in and test your skills with what ya brung to the party, you may never know for sure. So while it is still cold and snow on the ground, which would probably be a worst-case scenario, why not put the kit to the test in your backyard. Bring your plane home and park it close by where you have some ground cover for a windbreak and set up a survival situation. Don't let Haley bring you hot chocolate in the night...that's cheating. Let us know...instead video the entire thing.
This! Survival kit is worth nothing if you don’t know the stuff will work.
Absolutely. No point in packing something intended for use in an emergency situation if you've never had any experience using it.
This would make a great video or video series! Fly somewhere with a couple friends, and have them put their kits to the test as well.
Good advice. I've no skills with a hatchet and would likey mortally wound myself trying to use one. So, I carry a folding saw instead as I'm much more comfortable with using hand saws.
The Tac Aero guys run a good survival course that lets you test out your own kit during an overnight survival excursion. A very insightful experience for many, especially how the cold can drain away one’s morale very quickly if you don’t get that shelter made and a fire going right after.
Great Topic!
Don’t plan on having anything that’s not attached to you. Plenty of examples of guys being stranded without anything because the plane burned up before they could get their gear out. Your inreach would be better off in your pocket or attached to you, g-forces often exceed the capabilities of the attachment during a crash. I’d also recommend some sort of flotation device, manual inflatable mustang. I’d also recommend a portable ac radio, giving you the ability to talk to other aircraft including your rescue.
In Alaska, weather can often delay your rescue up to 72 hours or longer, even with an inreach.
I use a radio cheat harness, that has a pocket for the inreach and the spare radio, along with fire starter, and a knife. My med kit is tailored towards big trauma with 2 ratchet style tourniquets, quick clot bandage, an Israeli Bandage, 4x4 gauze, trauma tape and a halo seal. Bandaids are useless and don’t need to be in an emergency pack. The best trauma med gear that’s designed lite is the SWAT combat stuff. Even if your not an EMT, it’s pretty basic stuff, the training is easy to find, it’s pretty easy to find an EMT to show you how to use the gear. I’d be willing to bet that your local fire department would have an EMT willing to spend the 20 minutes learning how to control bleeding. The time to learn how to use a tourniquet is not on the real deal.
Lastly, dress to be in the weather.
Andy Smitty Best comment yet! Dress for conditions first, comfort second. Tourniquets!
tomcoryell yes, and i can’t stress enough on more than 1 Tourniquet... if bleeding requires the application of Tourniquets, it often requires 2 to 3 to stop a femoral aerial bleed that is a common bleed associated with a femur fracture. Femur fractures are a real possibility in the bush planes we fly. Additionally, if your surviving, you often are using knives and hatchets that we don’t always have much experience with.
Thanks Trent for another great video! As a safety professional, former military and former fire chief in Walker Lake NV, I cannot recommend your video too highly! I have seen too many cases where people have gotten lost in the Nevada wilderness only to die from a lack of preparedness! I say take the survival gear year round. It is a wonderful thing to have it and not ever need it, than the one time you need it and don't have it! I would also recommend taking the EMT Basic Course, for the same reason. Besides, your local volunteer fire department would love to have you as a member, especially if your already a EMT-B. I think about your video where the engine in your Kit Fox failed. Suppose you had a sprained ankle and could not walk to the farm house. Suppose the weather turned bad, roads closed and you had to spend some time alone, fending for yourself! If that ever happens, plan on a long stay, ration and be mentally prepared to be your own rescuer! Watch a video on making snow shoes and keep your Spot or Germin clipped to your belt, vest, on your person. Keep the flying videos coming! The Kit Fox was my first light sport I fell in love with and later learned to love the Quad City Challenger!
Cheers,
Byron "BJ" Foster
Sacramento, CA
chiefbjfoster@gmail.com
Byron Foster That's great advice hopefully Trent listens to it, great to see someone who's from Sacramento as well.
they taught us SERIOUS first aid in grade school. In ky where i took it the school system was a joke but about that they were brilliant. Everyone should take a serious first aid course.
Byron Foster y
I completely agree 👍! Carry the kit always. Do not rely too heavily on one piece of gear that can be broken or lost easily in an accident or even just a fall tripping over a rock. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst. Try the stuff out. Get familiar with it. Find out what works, what doesn't. There are alot of great responses to this post! Listen to them. Your life, or the life of someone else may depend on it some day. Please don't get complacent. Just because you haven't used your kit in the 5 years that you have had it. That doesn't mean you or someone else won't need it next week or next month. Keep it with you. Best wishes and Happy flying!!
duct tape, as well as a compass
Yup. A real compass, not a PoS in some other piece of kit.
Always have a cord run to the survival bag to your seat mount, in case of an accident or something that would limit your movement you could drag it to you..w/one hand if necessary. But the thing I would add is a handheld GPS device, I use a Garmin myself, but several manufacturers make decent ones, and yes some are going to say that's redundant or not needed, but anytime you leave your plane or craft of any kind, you could become disoriented by whatever, and marking your start location, location of water or other resource, or even just marking your path to and fro is a time-saver, and could be a life saver. In winter months would add a severe cold mummy bag, lightweight and comfortable.
Something almost nobody considers: Allergies in survival rations, particularly if you often fly with friends. No good feeding a survivor if they die of anaphylaxis. In my case I'm allergic to coconut and it is in a LOT of survival rations.
katie_incredible lol could you imagine surviving a plane crash only to be got by a coconut lol
katie_incredible
-- That's why you should always carry an Epi-Pen (Epinephrine) . I always carry one as I get an anaphylactic reaction from a Bee Sting .
I commented by adding Benadryl outs not the best but if you already have a known allergy, epi pen all the way.
I would say gun (I always have one on me but might be tough with California flying maybe), couple big flares (super useful for fire starting even when stuff is wet), and my kit also has a folding solar charger to make sure my comm devices will have power if the batteries lose charge.
why do you need a gun exactly? Going to shoot you a moose? Terrified of the birds (the only wildlife youre likely to see)...
@@charlesreid9337 this is a survival kit. Easier to shoot a moose than stab them to death.
Yes and Yes, and screw kalifornia....Don't travel to third world locations.
@@charlesreid9337 Bear defense. Also hunting. Even with a .357 mag it could be dual duty for hunting and defense. You could shoot all kinds of animals with the .357 and it wouldn't destroy the meat but is a potent round. Also, there are plenty of horrific photos of guys attacked by bears every year. That isn't going to be me if I have an option.
@@charlesreid9337 not for moose its for bull elk, bears and wild cats of all kind they will screw your day up
I just finished my personal survival kit to supplement the standard 72-hour kit stowed in the Cessna I rent. You should think about adding some signalling devices (flares, strobes etc.), electrolytes, supplementary sodium, survival guide and definitely a good crash knife that you can easily access from the front seat. A good .22 cal survival rifle or handgun might be a good idea to throw in when you're flying deep into the wilderness. Great video Trent, it's a topic every GA pilot should be familiarized with.
What about:
- String & thread (both) + needles
- Sponge (soak up water, US military uses these)
- Peanut butter (high calorie food) + Honey (great together, honey never goes bad)
- Magnifying glass (to start fires)
- Zippo cigarette lighter + lighter fluid + Bic Lighter (redundancy baby, all together they're light)
- Mirror(s) on a string (twirling it makes it more visible than just holding it trying to reflect the angle just right)
- Target gun or breakdown rifle (papoose 22lr)
- NeoSporin
- Flares
The survival kit seems good. Personally, I’d carry that kit regardless of the weight just because you never know what can happen. Another thing, you should practice. Go flying, strand yourself some where and make a plan and see how well you’d survive. Camp one night then pack up, head out, and debrief yourself on what you did. You should film it and post it too. That could potentially save someone’s life and even your own in the long run.
I would recoment you to check Flight Chops, as they have exactly this type of video and Steve is great ua-cam.com/video/mb4UHmTvkuo/v-deo.html
Matej Nimmerrichter I follow Steve. I just think by Trent doing it himself, he would get first hand experience and maybe someone would see it that doesn’t like to watch Steve you know? Plus, there would be no experts or a guide. It would be just Trent and maybe a buddy with him. That way anyone who watches gets the full experience of someone who is getting stranded for the very first time but still be safe and be able to get out if needed.
@@matejnimmerrichter768 came back just to say thank you for sharing that video from FC. I really enjoyed it. I think that it's a really good idea for Trent, maybe all the Flying Cowboys?, to go out and do an overnight trial run of their kits. I know Mike is big into the Search and Rescue from hearing him talk at Osh this year. I'm sure it wouldn't take much to convince them to do it. It would likely just finding the free time for them.
A 15 minute flair. (The ones that look like a stick of dynamite) for starting fires in wet fuel or when your already in a bad way. I've found that I go with the flair first almost every time when building a fire on a SAR mission.
Flare
Great kit, suggestion socks and gloves vacuum packed, three rule, water, warmth, where. Or in other words have a way to have water, two, stay dry and warm, and last a way to say where you are.
Hey, Trent, good video. You're missing insulation, though, the Mylar really doesn't work for that, leaving only the clothes on your back. They make a high efficiency sleeping bag for aviation that's high vacuum sealed in a tough vinyl bag, compact and light weight. Carried them on a medevac I worked on. Also, put a heavy-weight wool/acrylic ski mask or stocking hat, you'll be glad you did. Thanks for the vid!
Couldn't agree more, a wool blanket would be good to help retain the heat. May add weight, but if it'll keep you warm, have it with you.
Great kit, you may have the duct tape in your fabric repair kit, but several feet of tape is worth it’s weight in gold. Witnessed a fella transform running shoes into boots using duct tape, also would work well with mylar tent building too.
Bill Hoxworth silence is golden duct tape is silver
@@MrTrikidiki Duct tape is silver, Gorilla tape is priceless.
If you can't fix it with duct tape, you're not using enough duct tape!
I'm going to second the gorilla tape. I keep about 10 feet wrapped around something else in my kit. Incredibly versatile.
Rohrertech yes, tape spun around a Nalgene bottle works well, an old Philmont hack. I’ll be adding the metal cup/pot, Trent’s hack.
Add expiring items to phone calendar like granola bars, medicine. Spare battery for Garman locator. Solar panel.
Brilliant idea (the phone calendar, especially.)
@NonyaBusiness! if solar beacon fails then what? Have a great day. Solar panels on wings? Light weight kind.
diesel generator 2Kwatt, wood stove, swiming pool, golf car, drone, table tennis, handy cams, spare plane (smal tiers), coffe machine.
Pizza oven. Mmmmmm
@@drmckinley Ouuuh Yeaaah. Home theater projector, 5.1 sound system, party lamp, big sofa, Quake III arena on sony ps, sauna. Ok. Whithout sauna.
When I was in the military here we always had oxo cubes in the crash pack for making soup. They weigh almost nothing and take almost no space.
Trent I've been reading through the comments and the one thing I agree with most is... Spend a night out when the weather is poor but not deadly. survive only on what you have in your pack. Every pilot fly's in different conditions that require different techniques for surviving a crash. Or even an engine out. See just what you use to survive. What works and what's dead weight. Jason Miller from the Finer Points teaches a survival class in Wa. but has many of your questions already answered on his website. Just remember that if you do crash. Your "Thinking Skills" will be the most important item in your survival bag. Be Safe and Blue Skys!
Trent, you should do yourself (and Haley, when she flies with you) a real favor and go through a short survival course. You should also take a basic 1st aid course. I can’t emphasize enough how important that knowledge is if you wind up like Nikk. The courses don’t need to be one of those bells-and-whistles courses; just simple ones that teach you how to care for yourself and stay alive. Fly safe. 🤙🏼
Trent:
Thanks for your videos. A couple of thoughts for you.
The Inreach is an excellent tool but not a PLB (Personal Locator Beacon) in the way you describe. You mention that with the PLB other aircraft might hear it. That is true for an actual PLB but not an InReach. The Garmin Inreach uses the Irridium Network. It allows you to be tracked via your In Reach web page and send texts. It also has an emergency function which is monitored by Garmin or a contractor who calls for help on your behalf when you press the emergency button. An actual PLB works like the ELT in your aircraft. It is monitored by the COSPAS/SARSAT system. Activations in the continental U.S. get sent to the U.S. Air Force rescue coordination center (AFRCC). The PLB sends a data stream that includes a GPS location and allows the AFRCC to identify the owner if you have registered it. The PLB also transmits a low power signal on 121.5MHZ to allow for homing on the signal when rescue resources get close.
Thanks again for sharing your flying!
Coffee!! where's the Coffee?
Coffe can be good for cheering you up (warmth, caffeine, and a few calories), but it is also a diuretic and can dehydrate you. Be careful with it.
@@fredrichmaney5417 That's actually a bit of a myth. You need to drink around 400 mg of caffeine before it's diuretic properties really kick in. Drinking normal amounts of coffee are not dehydrating.
Your such a Humble person. I enjoy your views on life and your sense of adventure. Thanks Trent. Loving your channel
Trent, I like your setup but like someone suggested. You need more signaling devices. Consider retaining the space blankets. Although your focus is on your own survival by necessity. You could find yourself in a first responder situation and then they would come handy to wrap any injured parties and on the treatment and prevention of shock. I also will suggest that you and the Mrs get some basic first aid and CPR training as your adventures take you off the beaten path. Merry Christmas to you, Hailey and the gang.
Space blankets are completely fucking useless. They don't retain heat, they rip and tear extremely easily. They could be used as a signalling device, but he needs a *real* way to stay warm.
Aurelius R yup, I spent the night trying to stay warm with a space blanket, pretty sure my shivering is what shredded it... lol they do work okay to put behind you with a fire in front of you. I’m not sure they would make a good as a signaling device as it would be hard to direct it, unless you were to get creative
@@AureliusR The cheap stuff really only work for reflection of a heat source. Otherwise, most of them actually are more of a conductor of the cold and will only get you colder yet unless you have a fire...which is the foremost thing you need to do, if not injured in the downing.
@@j.michaelwilhelm7349 Don't mix things up. Theres convective, conductive and radiated heat transfer. Aluminized blankets only save you from the latter. So you want to use them similarly as they're actually used in spacecraft. More layers for better insulation, and there shouldn't be any heat bridges between them. So ideally, you first construct a tent to minimise the convective losses. Then, you isolate yourself from the ground with some dry grass or leaves to trap air as the thermal insulator and put a thermal blanket on top as a heat reflector. Then you go into the first sleeping bag with only a thin layer of clothes on, then put on the second and stuff all your remaining clothes into the space in between.
Merry Christmas, Trent. Thanks for all of your great videos.
Nice kit Trent! Making a living as a professional pilot in Alaska I learned to wear what you want to crash in. There are many planes that burned after the crash taking the survival kit with the fire. That’s not to say don’t have a survival bag in the plane just have a few items on your person. You can wear cargo pants or a flight suit with loads of pockets but my personal favorite is a survival vest. If the aircraft were to burn and your carefully thought out survival bag were to burn with the plane at least you have what’s on you. In Alaska it is the law every aircraft carries a kit with mandatory items which can be found in the supplement. Merry Christmas!
I used a fishing vest,it seems to do the job. Also have a survival 22 rifle, for the noise if nothing else.
A 'high quality' knife!! I like the Benchmade Tactical Triage 917 w/ Drop point blade, seatbelt cutter and carbide glass breaker. They are not cheap! But will stay sharp and not break! You can use it for EDC (every day carry) also. Excellent to have in your land vehicle just in case! There is nothing worse than breaking a blade when you need it the most!
I seen online this thing called Rescue Me balloon. It seems pretty cool. Also, having a tourniquet is a great thing to have at all times. Thanks for the video Trent! Respect! Stay safe.
Seat belt cutter and CAT V(that’s 5) tourniquet. Have had it beaten into my head from my time in the army carry it with me on road trips/ long solos. Also would add some compression bandages like an Israeli bandage as well.
Dylan Thompson so much yes. I have seen some arguments that the RATS tourniquets are easier for novice level first aid skills but either one is great. A SAM splint might also be a good addition.
Brian Rossman I have a old combat life saver bag from my Army days that got filled up with non expiring stuff, splints, caveats, Israeli bandages and a few Cat Vs, they go with me as well as two MREs that get replaced every so often in road trips and long flights. The MREs replace a lot of that unnecessary things and are designed to take a beating.
Also while matches and flint and steel are more durable, a good lighter is much easier to start a fire with as long as it works
SL123 ya 2 BIC lighters would be perfect weight is basically nothing
It would have to be a Zippo style lighter. Bic types are a no-no, because they have gas under pressure, which will blow up as altitude increases.
I would opt for a good jet lighter, it burns much hotter than conventional types
@@thomassmestead6424 If you're high enough altitude to explode a Bic, you're probably not flying with Trent. I've had my Bics to over 9000 feet without any problems, and others have reported them working at altitudes over 14000 feet. If you're worried, you can always put them in a sealed canister that maintains ground pressure.
The bigger problem is getting them to work in the cold. You sometimes have to warm them up in an armpit or something if they're frozen. I'm going to quote a random guy I found:
"I carry several methods of lighting fire, and disregard the weight penalty. Some things are too important to pare grams from." backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/22367/#post-1512859
(Also from that thread is the difference between Bic lighters, and Bic-like super-cheap lighters. And to remove the safety clip because it's a pain to use with cold hands and gloves.)
@@GeekOfAllness yep. I doubt it's even burst in space. I've taken lighters on planes that go above 30k ft and they are fine. Zippos are terrible survival items. They don't work if they get wet and the fluid leaks/dries out
I'd recommend replacing all the space blankets /poncho's with a marine "woobie".... the hatchet and hand chainsaw with a council tools apocalaxe. The ability to hammer, cut, sharpen and gut hook for small game. Also a small shovel is always required. Not sure how you'd feel about replacing the "stove" and candle with a can or two of sterno.. swiss m71 style kit is highly compact.. In survival, calories are the name of the game. There are no calories in that ration pack. Replace with two cans of cambells chunky soup. can cook it on above sterno can. Don't forget the can opener.
Can't beat sterno...
A Foldable saw would be good, but that chain saw is good. Instead of cans, break down some 24hr MREs would be good, especially those for cold weather. Just add boiling water. Or make some Pemican, long shelf life
MERRY CHRISTMAS to your whole family!
I like to carry a a hand held av radio ( Great if the comms takes a dump or to guide in rescuers) also a hand held marine radio (Hence in Florida where I am at usually some where close to water someone will hear you on the marine band) carry a fire fly strobe also.
I do keep a handheld airband radio with me as well 👍🏻
@@TrentonPalmer I always carried a handheld VHF marine radio when I was flying banners here at the Jersey shore and it's what I used to contact help when I stuffed a Cub upside down in the salt marsh after a catastrophic engine failure. I luckily was fine and the plane went over easy when it dug into a little tidal creek. But short of a CG helo out of a base 60 miles away there weren't many options for getting out of where I was even though I could see people etc a mile or 2 away. It's just impossible to walk over the marsh mud that surrounded me, but luckily I was able to reach a commercial crabber that knew the maze of tidal creeks and he was able to get to me. Later when they tried to salvage the plane they gave up and used a helicopter even though I was less than a mile from someone's driveway, the stuff can be such a spongey, soupy mess that it's unpassable and can swallow anything you throw at it without warning.
Merry Christmas Trent ! Thx for another upload !!
Trent, I'd humbly suggest you look at what Ultralight backpackers carry. They do days in the woods with only what's on their back. Shelter, a fire kit and (if you can in a plane) fuel canister stove and pot. Always have a dry set of poly thermal underwear and dry socks. A compressible synthetic or down quilt or sleeping bag. A few freeze-dried meals. Ultralight backpackers can do miles with only about 10-15 lbs of gear (including the pack).
Recommend adding a signal mirror. They can be seen from many miles away (25-50+) and are small, light weight. I used one many times during my Army flying days, they are extremely effective in getting someone's attention on the ground or in the air, perhaps the best daylight signaling device available.
To answer your question first ask, “if you were in DRACO when Mike had his recent accident, could you get your survival kit out with you ? “ ... I do the same as you but I have a mini survival EDC with fire starting and signaling items (fits in a pocket). I also have a good multi-tool I keep on me. Next would be a trauma kit that includes a tourniquet that I takeout of my back pack and keep very close to my seat before I start my flight. I’ve got a water bottle with filter clipped to the trauma kit. Left in my back pack are my Mylar blanket, a change of clothes (best vacuum packed) a larger flash light and a typical “maxpedition” EDC organizer survival kit. In Quebec one could expect to be on one’s own for over a week, so on long trips up North, I’ll also carry rations for at least three days but can be easily stretched to a week. At the very worse I leave the aircraft with only my pocket EDC and my multi-tool, at the very best I have time to grab my backpack and my trauma kit. My trauma kit is there next to me if I’m injured on landing - which will likely be the case when putting down among the trees 😞 ... so I don’t think your kit is over kill. I’d carry a good fixed blade knife and ditch the hatchet. I’d also replace some of your space blankets with a hi viz - reflective combi tarp. 20 lbs is indeed the limit, as you may have to move around a great distance if you end up having to walk out yourself (normally they say stay with the aircraft but you never know that may not be an option).
How about a gun? I carry a 9mm with me everywhere, but a survival breakdown .22 would be a great addition. Can be used for defense against predators or hunting small game if the rescue takes too long.
A handgun might cause him trouble in California, but something like a Savage with say 22lr& 20 gauge combo barrel could be very effective. Maybe keep a box of 5 slugs in bear territory.
I carry a 9mm and a spare mag with me in my vest. Its suitably valuable in a survival situation
russell smith Bear spray is better in bear country than a gun.
tomcoryell bear spray works great on grizzlies! They kill you much faster after you piss them off with it
@@tomcoryell that's a fairy tail they tell you so you won't protest the loss of your rights.
Plus bear spray won't put a grouse into the soup pot
I was an Army UH-60 guy and one thing we wished we could have worn was a "bat belt" vs. the survival vest. Our regulations prevented us from doing so. A belt with some essentials on it, such as your Garmin, would be a lot more comfortable and less of a snag hazard when egressing the acft. And yes, a lot of times, if it's not attached to you, don't plan on having it available after a crash. also, look into the many available and compact pot burners like MSR. they can pack a small propane bottle, pot/cup, lighting source and burner all in the size of a small thermos. might make things a bit easier and lighter for boiling water and making food. I have the MSR because its highly resistant to blowing wind. great video!
I have only just seen this Trent.Looking at what you have there and speaking as both a fellow GA pilot and also survival trained former crewmember with a major airline, you have what you need and as long as the rations and fresh water are still usable i would not throw away anything.As far as having the kit in that bag in the first place you could always put it on the front seat if you are solo.Obviously if you have a passenger and time to brief them in an emergency then you can delegate responsibilty for the kit to them.
All else i would say buddy is remember the four principles,Protection,location,
Water and food and know you lr survival timetable ,otherwise known as the other 3 times table,
3 mins without air,3 hours without shelter,3 days without water and 3 weeks without food .
I hope you never get yourself into that situation but if you do the above and your kit will surely help.Remember also if you want to to signal to a Helo or rescue aircraft use damp foliage on top of the fire to make smoke.Helps them with the wind direction as well.
I also have a PLB in my bag and I was flying very briefly for the Civil Air Patrol. The time from an overdue airplane to scrambling an CAP plane was at least four hours. Even with a PLB and today's ADSB you will spend the night in the wilderness. There is no one coming inside of six hours or at night. I'm wondering if it is possible to vacuum pack a sleeping bag and extra snowboarder pants and coat to survive the night. Also look into rescue signal mirror and rescue signal laser
A medium sized tarp.
Bright orange.
Silnylon with grommets and tie points. Less than 1lb., waterproof and reasonably priced.
Lighter and even more compact would be a DCF8 Dyneema Composite Fiber Flat Tarp by Hyperlite. Albeit kind of spendy but if weight and space is as critical as it is with flying, hard to go wrong.
I am going to disagree and I forgot to state this in my original message so thanks for reminding me. Tarps are ok but are bulky and heavy. Silnylon is ok as well, but if you are doing all-weather a big emergency blanket and one clear plastic sheet will be warmer then a tarp. You have to know how to set up it up but they similar is to your back the clear sheet is to fire. It works way better and is smaller. Packs down to half the size of some of the lightest tarps windproof and reflects the body and fire heat back at you.
@@rcbif101 The bright orange thing is a big deal. The brighter, shinier, and more reflective it is, the better. We did a test with a local CAP group, with me as the "downed" pilot. I had the beacon sitting in a clearing near the woods in plain view, sitting on a bright blue, 20' x 20' tarp. From the ground, the blue was really obvious, but it took them about an hour of flying overhead to find it in a C172-ish airplane. I could see the pilot through his window and was waving at him, but he didn't see me.
I can't imagine a neutral-colored aircraft would be much more noticeable, if at all. The red on Trent's plane might show up in the snow, but in the summer desert it looks a lot like rocks. Having something that's yellow or orange, and really bright, allows the rescue teams to see you from *much* farther away, because those are colors that don't show up in nature very much, and catch the eye. A bright strobe light might be better, but I doubt anything bright enough to see from a mile away would last a week or so without being extremely heavy in a light aircraft.
Also, I went out into the woods and built a shelter (the exercise fiction was that it had been a day or two, so I was in survival mode and unresponsive to their yelling), then the ground troops came to find me. I left boot prints in the snow to follow me, but once they got near me, what gave my position away was my orange work shirt. With my makeshift shelter made of downed limbs, the newer guys didn't see anything else. The Army Major who'd tagged along only took about 45 seconds finding me, so I'm guessing she had a bit of experience. But I'd rather assume those new guys are the ones looking for me and be wrong than hope the Major's going to find me and not bring good enough markings.
Oh merry Christmas to all of you on this channel and you Trent.
I can tell you from personal experience that those survival blankets do a fine job keeping you insulated. One below you and one on top of you (or a single blanket folded around you) will keep you toasty when it gets cold. Have a shelter to keep the wind off of you and something to keep you off the ground and they are invaluable. Be forewarned: they are the crunchiest and loudest sheets you will ever “sleep” in but it’s better than dying.
There are “life raft” emergency rations, that is basically like a bunch of power bars out there. Unfortunately they are not individually wrapped but would last a single person over 3 days and weight is pretty light. I have heard they taste good but haven’t tried ones I have.
these bullshit "professional survivalists" are giving people stupid ideas. You can live 30 days with ZERO food. Spoiled people whove apparently never been hungry think if you dont eat every 6 hours and get 4k calories a day youre going to die. Also: water filtration. you dont need it. Sure it's nice. That mountain stream is hella more healthy than that bottled water (which is almost always tap water) you buy. Giardia DOESNT happen away from civilisation and if it does it isnt a death sentence. The "survival industry" is run by con artists most of whom have never left the city but are pushnig bullshit. Attach a firestarter to your keyring , carry a pocket knife and you have better survival gear than most of what these idiots push
A survival kit going for 5 years is a VERY good thing. Good content man, ever think about packing a pistol?
Andrew Donatello I never thought about that!
@@supermotoj9561 glock just game out with a really nice lightweight 22. Version of the G44
Use to be a little .22 rifle out there very lightweight everything would fit into its own stock, was waterproof and would float Henry AR-7 Survival Rifle ( just looked it up ) and only 3.5lbs
He flies in CA all the time. Illegal to the California communist party. If I was, I wouldn’t broadcast it on UA-cam.
If you flew in Alaska it is mandatory that you fly with a firearm in case you go down in a wooded remote area.
Fun video! Get a small backpacking tent. Much quicker and easier than trying to improvise something from mylar. During cold weather bring a sleeping bag and a closed cell foam pad (can't be deflated). Add some wool clothes. Socks, beanie, maybe a baselayer. I'd ditch the hatchet and chain saw for a good folding saw. Add a signal mirror and flares. And go practice with your kit!
Add: 4 pair wool socks. (Can double as emergency mittens. Wool balaclava. (Warm head is the key to warm extremeties.) Signal mirror. (Sweeping the horizon will attract the attention of SAR aircraft you can't even see.)
You really need something to separate you from the cold ground. A wool blanket or plan on canibalizing the AC interior.
Wool insulates even when wet.
86 the matches. Can't fly commercially with them and they degrade if not parafin dipped. If not strike-anywhere, you need a striker. If they are, there is a risk of unwanted fire.
You're not going to be cutting or splitting firewood. For small stuff, "if you can't snap it, scrap it" still applies. Put the ends of branches/windfall trees into the fire, star fashion, feeding them in as they are consumed. There is a lighter, more compact cable saw, if you must have a saw. Add rope to the ends to cut higher branches.
I would trade out the purification tablets for a purification straw.
But, there is nothing like spending a few cold dark and windy hours with your kit. So include paper and pencil so you can add to your wish list.
The first aid kit can be slimmed down to quantities for two people for three days. If there's a snakebite kit, throw it away. They're bad for you. Should have a couple of tourniquets. But, not buried in a bag inside a bag in your luggage space. Should be in your flightsuit. All bleeding stops eventually, so don't worry.
If you post your FAK inventory I can be more specific. Or, show it to your set medic on your next production shoot. A few thing might fall into your bag.
could you elaborate on the snake bite kit (I live in newfoundland Canada so I don't know jack all about venomous snakes and those kits)
One thing you should definitely add is a good roll of duck tape! Gorilla brand makes some really good stuff, and duck tape is handy for just about everything. You mentioned building a tent like shelter under you wing, but how would you fasten the mylar to the airplane? You don't need much, and they do sell rolls the size of a roll of electrical tape.
The only thing you shouldn’t use it on is ductwork.....
Quack quack
Use the paracord.
@@iffykidmn8170 mylar tears pretty easily. You'd have to punch a hole in it with a knife to thread the paracord through it, which then gives you a perfect setup for a tear. You could put duck tape on each side of the mylar to form a doubler to stop the hole from tearing. Or you could just tape the mylar to the plane :)
@@rossclements8874 Or put a rock in the mylar and tie a knot around it.
Didn't get a good look at the knife, but I'd be inclined to replace it with an inexpensive Mora. I'd keep the food - you can easily go 3 days without but you might need to be active and thinking straight, too. Recommend you try out all the tools yourself (the hatchet seems a little gadgety too). The chain saw is cool but with testing I found I personally preferred the popular Bahco Laplander folding saw. Traditional mylar blankets shred easily and the heat reflectivity isn't really important as you lose most heat to conduction. I'd look at the various blanket/bag products from SOL instead.
I'd add a lighter and some tinder for easier fire starting (particularly if you're down to one good hand). Standard butane is normally good but check what will work in high terraine if that's what you're flying over.
PLBs are great but not foolproof or indestructible, I'd keep the kit. Maybe have the PLB on your body rather than the plane. Definitely go for a proper PLB over something like the SPOT! (Edit: though apparently more recent models don't repy on cell networks, but I'd still go 406Mhz) Maybe consider making the bag for that kit a littke more high-vis.
Daniel Edwards spot has not relied on cell networks for longer than I have been familiar with them. That was the selling point for as long as I have known
@@chrisbowpiloto I must have confused them with another device - someone was selling a beacon where the only satellite bit was the GPS and the signal was sent via cell network (with roaming). Would still favour a 406MHz beacon if affordable, though.
Edit: Looks like in the early days (at least) SPOT sent via satellite but was not global, which is possibly what Inwas thinking of. Tha would probably be less of an issue in this case anyway.
An added thought would be a length of rope (50'-75') to use for a lot of things but mainly for use in an unscheduled tree landing to climb down safely. There may be times when your over trees and no areas to land safely.
Thank you for the great advice.
Dean
Orange smoke marker/pot/grenade. Signal mirror. Ruger mkIV .22lr pistol. Decent fixed blade knife. Zip ties for splints, can also replace cordage for most applications, weigh less than cordage, can also use for plabe repairs, shelter building etc.
Blaze orange vest for rescue, blaze orange folding panels to lay out in clearings, etc. Blaze orange space blankets. Also, there is a blaze orange mylar survival tent that weighs 3 lbs. Gets you out of the wind, cold.
How can someone give this video a thumbs down? This is very valueable information.
It wasn't me but I get it. Just a long advert for pushing product and gather YT revenue
I would add at least one more light and take the batteries out of everything and put them in a ziplock that is swapped out regularly.
There is a lot of duplication with fire starting, keep the wind proof matches, and the vasilene soaked cotton wool, but throw in a Bic lighter and ditch the rest.
As a outback pilot and ex Australian Soldier, I would suggest you check your season specific kit out your back door and test what you really need and don’t. You may and often do, discover that you need something you may not have thought of, such as a signal mirror, elastic bands, plastic sheet or bag etc. every environment presents different challenges. Here we don’t have cold so much as heat, snakes and spiders. Great video that has inspired me to recheck my kit. Thanks and Merry Christmas.
It may seem like overkill till you need it. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year !
I remember attending a lecture at Colorado Northwestern Community College (they have an aviation program in the high desert region of NW Colorado) many years ago.
One of the things not mentioned in your video was to have a can of orange spray paint when winter flying. It's not so much a problem with a brightly-colored aircraft, but messages sprayed either on snow or on white wings/airframe are more easily seen. Also good if you leave the scene, it can show travel direction with arrows...
I also remember being taught to dress for outside air temperatures regardless of how well your cabin heater works. This lesson was driven home when weeks later, a local resident lost control and drove off a cliff in a car. He was incapacitated in the crash and suspended from the seat belt. He was not dressed for the outside weather. By the time he was discovered, he almost bled to death by the continual reopening of wounds due to shivering...
rcytb This times a thousand!
That is Brilliant. Also. who needs tinder to start a fire when you have paint....
You may have heard the rule of 3? You can survive 3 minutes without air, 3 hours when wet and cold in freezing temperatures, 3 days without water and 3 weeks without food. I focus on surviving the initial trauma and not freezing to death the first night.
Something else worth putting in your bag is a survival book and an inventory list. You might know how to use this stuff but what if you are incapacitated or worse? Can your passenger use any of this stuff or do they even know what is in there?
Thanks, very similar kit here, no food, but we have some electrolyte tablets to add to water. Also cotton wool soaked in petroleum jelly. Even when soaked in water will still light with a flint. Great kit.
This guy is interrupting my Nord VPN ad
Merry Christmas everyone💝
Good video and good thoughts. As someone who has been trained by USAF survival instructors I offer a couple of thoughts; ditch the mylar. It is worthless in windy conditions, especially trying to utilize it one handed. If it gets damaged in any way it comes apart. It is also very noisy and you may not hear rescuers looking for you. Use a giant orange or blue 5mm trash bag. Blue is even better than orange because that color doesn't really occur in nature. A pair of thin yet warm gloves (goatskin is great) is a must.Make your own fire starter using large cotton balls impregnated with Vaseline. Will even burn when soaking wet and in high winds. My survival kit is has other things but you definitely have the right ideas! Don't forget a signal mirror and keep flying!
Finding a downed aircraft, and getting people onto that spot can be two very different time frames, so I'm glad that you prepare for a longer time frame. That beacon in a chest pocket is a better idea, as a friend of mine crashed in the Cascades a couple years ago, and his little plane was lodged in trees, with everything forward of his seat broken off and laying on the ground. Best to have that beacon right in your chest pocket, because you never know what is going to dislodge and wind up out of reach.
Could save a little weight by getting rid of a lot of that packaging.
Hey Trent..
I applaud that you have a "survival" bag. However, you could get by with half that weight. Need to check out a few Bushcraft channels.
And Most Importantly...Actually go out and Use your kit. No point in having it, if don't know how to use it.
And just a FYI...para cord though strong, is bulky...Shore Line cordage is Much better
Yup, 3 days with what he has would be a good video.
Something to add-- Swiss Army Knife or a high end multi-tool. The Swiss Army Knife, in particular The Huntsman, is lightweight and can handle anything under the sun. Headlamp. Something to give light without giving up an arm to hold a flashlight. It's a good kit.
A nice lightweight telescoping rod and reel, with a little tackle box, would be a must for me.
In Alaska we have a saying, survival equipment is what you have on your body, camping equipment is what's in the airplane. Don't rely too much on the in reach because there will be times where you can't get GPS signal. Have the most important stuff (in reach/spot, knife, and lighter/matches) on your person. I'd look into flying with a flight helmet, It sounds goofy but as you saw with Nikks crash that framing doesn't provide too much protection.
Heya Trent, a few tips. In the winter time its very likely you would freeze to death, the mylar does not provide you any insulation what's so ever. At best you can use it as a tarp to keep rain off. Get an inflatable insulated ground pad (neoair xterm), a small 1 person backpacking tent, and a synthetic sleeping bag rated for 20F. It will fit in your backpack without issues and be under 5lb, keep you dry, and away from wind. Its not easy to make a good shelter from mylar in adverse conditions.
A medical kit is useless if you don't know how to use it. Get a field book about outdoor first aid, and read it. Learn how to stabilize a broken bone or sprain, basic hemostasis, and keep a few ibuprofen pills in there for good measure.
Ditch the water packets. If you add them up you will find that its a very inefficient way of carrying water. Buying a liter or 2 of spring water will be a much more efficient way of storing it, just switch them out every year or so. You will also have extra containers to store water in after its been purified, your water source may be a mies away from where your plane landed. The water purification tablets are the way to go, they work better then filters for survival situations since they won't get clogged or break down when frozen. Boiling water is time consuming and may not be possible.
The chain saw you have is incredibly difficult to use, i ditched mine after the first day of using it, your hatchet is way better, will do the job. Often time in the back country you will never need it anyway, there's loads of wood every where you can snap apart with your legs or feet.
The cooking cubes are actually way better to use as fire starters. They burn even when wet and can start a fire you can feed indefinitely. Also, make sure you know how to start a fire, its harder then it sounds, especially when its damp out. Add more of those (Esbit brand comes to mind) and carry a small bic lighter in case you run out of matches.
Use a light that takes store bought batteries (Energizer lithium batteries will last for years and not be affected by temperature deviations) the rechargeable ones will not last if they are in freezing conditions.
Survival food doesn't have to be fancy. Keep some pop tarts and a can or two of spam, digests way easier and has just as much calories.
Dominick Zaucha how is a liter of water more efficient than those packets?
@@chrisbowpiloto more volume of water for space, and the bottle is reusable if you need it to carry water from another source.
Dominick Zaucha how do you get more volume for space out of a bottle than bags? Bags can be reshaped to fit in anywhere and their shape fits much better than a bottle. The bottle reusability is nice, but it is not nearly as good as the bottle that he already has
@@chrisbowpiloto the packets are not perfectly flush with each other, there is air space between them occupying volume. If you find a water source that's a good walk away from your crash site and you would rather not stay there its best to carry back as much water back as you can. If you have another passenger the extra empty container will certainly help.
Dominick Zaucha we must be thinking of different types of water packets, I can't really see what he has but it is probably the ones that you are describing. It is very true that you can't have too much water when you are stranded
Since you are focused on colder weather I think you should add some extra clothing or consider seasonal clothing. Socks, gloves sweat pants/shirt. I know this adds weight but what is a few pounds compared to your life. Know how to use everything in your first aide kit. It seemed you have a good one but have no idea whats in it or how to use it. Take a CPR/First Aide class. You will not regret it. Especially if your friend is hurt and you can save them. Something that is almost free, adds no weight and a great fire starter. Dryer filter lint wrapped in a used dryer sheet. Very good for starting a fire. Once you put together what you think you need. Go on a flight and pretend to have an inflight emergency and spend the night using only what you have with you. Keep/replenish what you use. Evaluate what you don't use or get rid of and add more of what you do need. Also carry stuff for field repairs on your bird. Duct tape, wire, some hand tools, knife maybe something made for your kitfox in a small canvas tool bag. There are as many ideas on what to take as there are people. You just need to look at what others have and add what you feel you need. A pretend trip though will really help you.
Ton of stuff online about aircraft survival. A sleeping bag and a light weight tent is a life saver and should always be carried. After 40 years of flying Alaska bush, Military, Airlines have seen too many people succumb to situations that could have been prevented.
Check the water purification tabs. They expire.
rmojo23 -- Get the Chlorine Tabs (Sodium Hypochlorite) , NO expiration .
@@001desertrat3 Iodine AND chlorine tablets are AWFUL for you and should only be used as a LAST LAST resort contrary to what many wannabe experts will say. It should not be your "first" choice in your survival bag. Yes it's light, but foolish to an extent. They are good backups but should not be your main "tool" for purification.
good thinking...now practice with those things like you can't walk or use and arm/hand then rethink your bag...
Mic Well Can’t thumbs up this enough!
Oh yeah, Merry Christmas and HNY to you, the Mrs, and your viewers!
Great vid and I read through all of the comments this time!
My two cents worth:
The world is full of people in mylar wraps who died from exposure. Take at a minimum a 0c sleeping bag in a vacuum bag with a bivi and sleeping mat, this will keep you alive, comfortable even, in very cold conditions. A wool stocking cap and gloves are helpful as well.
A light weight disposable painters coverall is an amazingly cheap way to keep dry and break the wind and help keep you warm if you need to walk around. Do NOT leave the crash site!
Two headlamps (they all seem to have strob signaling) along with taped up extra batteries for both; no need for a hand held light at all.
Two litres of water in two insulated steel containers (they will freeze in a backpack) and you may not be able to find water or melt snow due to injury or simply none around.
500g of Huel, that, along with the water is five meals and can last for a couple of years in the pack.
Get ride of the hatchet and chainsaw!! Instead a guality hunting knife and a silky will enable you to process all the fire wood you need (assuming you are not injured and there is wood around).
Two mini bics and a fire steel (learn how to use it!).
A folding rifle is a nice to have, take bear spray instead. You wont be hunting for food in the lower 48 if you have 5 meals with you, besides, a firearm is most useful in the inner city, or apparently in church these days.
Finally, it would make a great vid if you were to fly off to somewhere remote (remote looking so as to not cause an actual situation) and spend two nights with your survival gear. Consider that your plane is too damaged to be a useful shelter and you have one or both legs broken. As you know, a hard, surviable crash often means broken legs and head injuries (that helmet idea is not a bad idea at all). A vest with fire. light, comms and first aid to treat trama bleeding is also a good idea!
I would add a signal mirror and or other signaling devices. Maybe get rid of the chainsaw it's redundant and adds extra weight. Also look at consolidating your multiple fire making devices. A ziplock bag with cotton balls and vasoline makes amazing all weather tinder/fire starter and takes up little space. Great video as always.
Just an addition to Tim's great advice.... you can also add dryer lint as fire starter very flammable!!!
I wouldn't lose the saw, if you are in shock and need to use more then dropped branches for a fire your odds of injuring yourself using a hatchet go way up...
I don't think I would do with out something that cuts up wood. However, food for thought, someone earlier mentioned using a folding saw similar to what some arborist use for pruning small tree limbs when climbing and I would support that idea, simply for the fact that it can be used with one hand. Your chain saw thing needs two hands to work. Who's to say that you'll have two working arms?
@@Phantom911 Agree...houses get burned down every year for just that reason. Clean your dryer vent screen..save your house and start a fire in the woods. win win.
The mylar would act as a signaling device
There is no such thing as overkill when it comes to survival. As long as it doesnt hinder performance
Two is one... one is none.👍🏼👍🏼
Happy Holidays Trent. To you and your family may you have a safe and prosperous New Year's. Aloha from Hawaii.
I've done just a bit of work with the Civil Air Patrol and had a few tips from that:
Having a good flashlight with a strobe mode is HUGE in a rescue aircraft spotting you on the ground. You can also pick up some "ring-pull" smoke grenades from your local paintball/airsoft arena. (Red is an international distress color for smoke). When you get a new shelter think about getting high visibility stuff like blaze orange.
Like you mentioned in the video, 3-4 days is about average for being rescued so that it mind, you could probably ditch a lot of your redundant gear for W&B :D Great video!
Check FAA webpage, I am sure they will have list of minimum requirement to be legal. Few things I can think of that we carry are ( Helicopter charter company in Canada)
1) fishing line and hooks
2) mirror ( reflect the sun at search aircraft )
3) tarp ( suggest Blue, most visible during all season and ground cover)
4) survival book ( reference and helpful tips when needed )
5) tea and hot chocolate packets
6) Leatherman/utility knife
7) some wire ( to make snares )
8) mosquito hats
9) spare battery for flash light and InReach( if applicable)
Just a few I can think of.
Love the videos 👍
Wool Blanket
I carry basically the same items , in my plane and vehicle. Additionally a lightweight tarp . A 22 cal firearm n ammo not that much more weight . Some fishing line n hooks . Extra coat n 1 change of clothes. Dry socks are a great plus
Super kit! Everyone says duct tape and yes that is a must. Think about gloves, layers of clothing, flare gun/flares, deck of cards, a small silky brand saw (pocket boy size) and loose the axe and save the weight. A tarp or tent. Stay safe!!!
I always like to have a gun near by so in a pack I'd get a pistol or a breakdown rifle. Caliber I would choose 9mm, 10mm, 22lr, 22mag, 45acp. Don't know what tasty or dangerous critters are out there!
Brandon Belveal Yup definitely a firearm. One of the first items I packed in my kit. A break down 22lr rifle for small game and a . 45 handgun for protection. Or a 357 mag.
10 mil...........hog proven (Underwood 1,500 FPS). Also, the sound of a round will carry for miles......
It is not over kill when it's your life in the balance.
Hey Trent, one item I use you might think about are the hand and toe warmers that are very light, packaged in plastic bags. Once opened and exposed to air, I get 4-6 hours use. I put them in our vehicles also. They work well, I use them all winter working outside in temps to -40 F.
Thanks for the great video.
Don
Mrsournotes Great comment. I always forget about them. They are great!
If you're concerned about weight, replace the food bricks with freeze dried stuff. Replace the hatchet with a mora saw, they are super light and work easier than the hatchet. They cut really well.
You also could replace the nalgene with a soft bladder. Not much weight savings but some space.
I think it's a good kit, overall. I've done a goodly amount of survival stuff, I'm even writing a book on survival kits, and I follow the "10 C's of Survival" popularized by Dave Canterbury. Off the top of the video, I'd say that 5 years is absolutely way too long to go between checking the pack's contents, every 6 months, although, considering Humans are going to Human, do it on January 1st and your birthday, (or an anniversary or something like that, so it's remember-able) and add it to your calendar of events so you remember to do it. Or, do it every time you take your plane in for it's servicing and maintenance.
You've got a nice big "First Aid" kit. This is good. Do you know how to use everything in it? Knowing how to use it all is better. You said it's got stuff for heavy trauma, which is VERY good, but you need to go through it as well to check for damaged packaging, expired products, and things of that nature as well.
VERY happy to see a PLB in your kit! Though, you might consider including the ACR ResQLink View. No monthly service contract, and users have reported using them successfully in places where their other beacons failed to signal out, like under canopy or in a canyon, owing to that stronger 5W 406MHz transmitter. The UA-camr Nutnfancy had to use one and was carrying the ACR and a SPOT, but SPOT said they never received the beacon. The InReach always seemed to me to be more satellite text messenger, but that certainly has its place. With the InReach you know if your signal has been received shortly after you send it. With the older ACR units, you only know it's been received when help arrives, and the new View model gives you some information, but it's still not two-way communication. I know your plane has a 406 beacon as well, so maybe in your specific case a personal 406 beacon is not as important as it might be for others.
Pens/pencils: good things. might consider a sharpie and a write-in-rain pen & pad of paper. don't want to go overboard here, or it can become clutter and just added weight.
Waterproof matches: good first go to, almost as good as a bic lighter. The trinity of fire starters I usually recommend is a Bic, storm-proof matches, and a ferrocerium rod. In conditions where one fails, one of the other two is very likely to succeed. It's very rare that all three will fail. Just for "I need a fire RIGHT NOW" purposes, you might want to include a road flare. They burn hot and long enough to start a pretty good fire, several times over even.
Knife & Paracord: you didn't go into the knife very much, but it looks halfway decent. If it were me, I'd want to know that it's a full-tang blade for durability. There's a lot you can do with a full-tang knife in a survival situation that I wouldn't try doing with a lesser tang knife because of the likelihood of it breaking.
whistle/compass: have you checked the compass to make sure it actually works? with lots of small compasses like that, it's really an iffy thing. A military surplus lenstatic compass is very inexpensive (hell, most compasses are inexpensive), but are well worth the upgrade if you ever need to use it. (also, practice using it to travel over land!)
Water bottle & nesting cup: Very Good! Only thing better would be a stainless steel single walled water bottle. It would allow you to do two tasks at once, which can become important. I do recommend the upgrade, it's not expensive and it won't add appreciable weight to your kit.
I do agree that the second whistle is not needed. Ditch it. (TBC)
50' 550 paracord: Very good, even a good place to store it. Something else to consider in addition is a small spool of #36 bankline, it won't take the weight of the paracord, but is more than sufficient for setting up shelters and many "camp site" tasks. In the same space as your paracord, you can store a couple hundred feet of bankline.
S-biner: skip it. They do have uses, and the one you've got there is light enough weight that it doesn't really matter, so ultimately, it's up to you, but I'd leave it home.
Flashlight: Good! Head lamp would be better. Simpler is better than more complex. Just on and off is what you really want, not something that you have to cycle through a dozen different modes to get what you want.
Fastfire firestarters: Not a bad item, not really, but you might want to go with something smaller like tinder quick or something like that.
Toilet paper: Again, not a bad item, but you might have a bit much of it there. It can also be used as firestarter since it burns so easily.
Hatchet: A good item. obvious use is processing firewood, not so obvious use, driving tent stakes. lots of other crafty type things can also be done with a hatchet, but you'll want to use it at least a little bit, make sure that it's usable and won't hurt your hands when you do. Having the back-up knife is nice, having it in the handle weakens the haft and leads to possible breakage. It is a bit on the small size, but if you can make it work, go for it. A slightly larger hatchet or tomahawk would make processing wood much easier though. My go-to for several years now has been the CRKT Chogan Tomahawk. $40 and it's a good weight on a long enough haft for splitting wood or (slowly) taking down a tree.
emergency mylar blankets & sleeping bags: good items to have in a kit. Just remember that they don't work at all with skin contact, and work best when over something fluffy. Keep these, even if you add the inflatable bags, these can be made into a shelter. Might want to look up the "Super Shelter" by Mors Kochanski (RIP just this month :( ). We're talking staying nice and warm all night long even in the Canadian wilderness in the dead of winter. If you're not going with the super shelter concept, I might recommend upgrading to a Grabber Space Blanket. It's basically the same thing, but a lot more durable.
Water purification tablets. Very Good! two ways of making water is very good. If you'd like a cheap, easy, space & weight effective third method, include several quart sized zip-top bags (make sure that the kind you choose is actually water tight! some of the cheap ones aren't). What you do is fill it with water and set it on a surface that's exposed to the sun. This is called SODIS water sterilization. It takes time to do so, but if you've got some tin foil to put under it, it halves the time to make the water safe to drink. It works from the UV light killing the bacteria and viruses in the water. If the water you're dealing with is "less than clean" you'll want to filter it first, so maybe learn how to make a survival water filter, its pretty easy really. Lots of videos to show you how.
Emergency ponchos: good items to have. definite keepers unless you upgrade to something a little less flimsy. There are ponchos out there that compact down into almost as small a space but are much more durable. SOL makes one you should look at. Comes in a 3-pack, and is the same heat reflective materials as a lot of their other gear.
Pocket Chain Saw: Skip it. Good way to exercise, not so good, I've heard, for cutting wood. I would suggest a folding saw, especially a pull-saw like the Silky since you are less likely to break them. Silky Saws go through wood extremely fast. I've never been disappointed by mine.
The little survival kit: I'd pass on it, but yeah, sure, why not. it's good to have a backup.
Survival candle: nice, but I'd go with the UCO candle lantern. I'd pass on trying to get the survival 3-wick candle to boil water, it'll take more than an hour, if it happens at all given altitude and ambient temperature concerns. The UCO candle lantern is inexpensive, puts out a nice amount of light and heat for a very long time, and will last several days of survival use.
The Emergency Rations are okay. It's not a bad idea. Consider Datrex bars instead since most people who've tried them seem to prefer them over the SOS bars. I tend to agree, having tried all of them myself. An alternative is preserved meat. A person can thrive on a pound of meat per day, and you can re-hydrate beef jerky in a bit of boiling water to make it easier to eat, and the liquid left in the cup is kinda tasty too. Of course, any wild edibles you find extends your rations, but 2 pounds of jerky should keep you fed for 3-4 days. Another good option is Summer Sausage. It's just as shelf stable, but a bit easier to eat. A handful of freeze dried veggies turns either option into a really good soup though. Inexpensive too! (A pound of "Veggie soup mix" goes for about $10, and you'll get a lot of soups out of that. depending on how gourmet you want to get, you can do a lot with freeze dried foods that are out there today. If you have a vacuum sealer like the food saver, you can even make your own retort pouches and pack a dozen "Just add water" meals to your kit.) A one quart bag of mixed freeze dried veggies will stretch those jerky or summer sausage rations out a good ways. I'd also keep the water, though maybe replace it with new stock.
While food is not strictly necessary in a short term survival situation, not having those rations does effect your capacity to think clearly in an emergency. Keep something on hand.
The stove: I'd upgrade this to something a little bigger. it's not terrible, but really, it's only usable with the fuel tablets that come with it, or those firestarters from earlier. should be the same stuff, or at least very similar. I suggest the Fireboxstove gen2 stainless nano. $55, folds into something nearly credit-card sized, and boils water PDQ. Burns anything that you can stick inside it and will burn. If you get it with the x-case kit, it comes with a windscreen too!
Somethings missing from your kit: tool maintenance, you have several sharp items, a couple of knives and an axe, but no sharpening stone. I really like the Lansky Puck for small form factor, inexpensive, and very usable; Since this is primarily a winter kit, you should really consider 2-pair of warm wool socks, one pair for wearing during the day, and one for sleeping in; Also since this is winter, a knit cap for keeping your head warm and a pair of warm gloves; I also strongly suggest you consider a pair of work gloves for protecting your hands.
One thing that is good to think about is that you still have a PLANE as part of your emergency survival resources. How much resources could you scavenge from your plane to help you survive? You need extra cordage, could you pull the wires leading to one of your lights and use that? You have fuel, steal some of it for a tiny gas stove. most are $50-$80, but ultralight weight & compact ones can run as high as $150. I do however really like those folding box stoves since you can simply collect debris like leaves and twigs and brush and use them to cook with.
Another thing to think about is, what's your plan for survival? assuming rescue is going to take 3 days for some reason. You are forced to put down, like when you had your "catastrophic engine failure." The plane is intact, it's just not flying anywhere without help. For some reason though, nobody got your radio call and the PLB is out of juice and you've got no cell reception of course. What's your plan for an actual survival situation? Have you practiced the elements of that plan? Next time you go out flying, make it a group event that you all try to set up your emergency shelters and get a fire going. You don't actually have to stay over night, but try putting your shelter up and taking it down a few times so you're familiar with it will make it a LOT easier to do in an emergency. You practice for emergencies in the air, why not practice for them once you get to the ground too?
I never thought of having a survival kit on a plane! but now it seems obvious. stay safe!
Mylar overkill. Get rid of them. And the hatchet and the saw. And the stove and the big candle too. Drop that weight. Better to carry a super warm collapseable outer layer or compression sleeping bag. Tarp too. Just some emergency matches.
And as much water as conditions allow. You ain’t hiking anywhere with an injury.
Hey Trent, great topic to discuss! One thing I would add is a pack of daytime and night time hand flares. They don’t take up much space or weight but make it much easier to find you.
When you do your plane annual update your survival kit.
Great tip!
Trent, Ive gone down 2x times, all while in the military. What you have on hand is OK, there are many kits out there to select and or personalize. I understand that weight is always going to be and issue, that said. A couple things I'd suggest: #1 just because you have a wing-man flying beside you, don't ever assume he's gong to make sure your rescued if you go down somewhere remote. His ability to communicate effectively may be compromise, weather, or even the possibility he may go down as well. #2 Always (reasonably) prepare a kit designed to provide you with all your medical and survival needs. Always design your kit for a long haul exposed to the elements, or the possibility you may have to hike out. If the majority of your flying is within remote areas, suggest you pack a handgun & flares as well, maybe a Bevy-sack or small two man tent for shelter. One of the training packages I participated in required us to actually be dropped off alone with our survival gear in a remote area and actually survive off of it for a week.....needless to say it was sobering, I realized there were a few other items I had available but decided I could do without. If time allows suggest you fly to a remote location with your survival kit with the intent to live off of it for at least four days. Upon returning home you'll have a better idea how you feel you may need to organize and prepare your kit....Take care and safe flying, I really dig your post.
Great video Trent. I'd say the sensible advice here is practise, practise, practise. Get out into the bush for a night and get to use your survival kit. I reckon that'd be a great vlog too.
Put it all in a vest and wear it on all flights. Add a flask of liquor to your kit as it may well boost your morale in a hairy situation
mmeyers111 just don't overdo it on the liquor. It also impairs you decision making ability...
Also lowers your body temperature which is exactly opposite of what you want
I would skip the Mylar stuff in favor of a real lightweight sleeping bag + a waterproof/breathable bivy sack. The "inflatable" tent is sketch, since anything inflatable is also deflatable from even a pinprick hole. The chainsaw chain and hatchet are better replaced by a folding saw; my favorite has a 6" blade and weighs 3 oz. But most of all, I would add that survival is 50% preps and 50% psychology. Read _Deep Survival Who Lives Who Dies and Why_ by Laurence Gonzales for analysis of real incidents mixed with the latest science on survival psychology, a five-star read, you won't be disappointed.
Great book!
Good idea! I have seen good sleeping bags designed for extreme hiking that are smaller than that pack of space blankets. I would keep the hatchet as it is really hard to split wood with a folding saw...
Your survival kit is a must. My recommendation would be to buy a hammock tent that can be setup without trees. Get rid of some redundant items and add a .22 pistol. The rations I would keep because if you are injured you might not be able to forage. There are lighter weight options like the freeze dried bags. If your gps device gets broke or malfunctioned you could be stuck a lot longer than you think.
People spend a lot of money on survival gear that just sits in the plane forever. Pro tip, go try it out at least once. Pack extra camping gear so you have your own safety net with you, and better yet bring a buddy. Try to stay the night using only your survival gear. The knowledge you gain will be invaluable and it will help you build a better survival bag. Every pilot has different needs, so there is no use trying to figure out which gear is best. Just make sure it works for you.