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/kno...est-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.
image.jpg

[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.

Katadyne water purifier..jpg

[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?