Today we’re going to keep exploring survival kits for private pilots heading to Alaska. As I mentioned last week, it’s possible you might not be able to grab your big survival kit in the midst of whatever disaster left you stranded. You might have nothing but the clothes on your back and whatever is in your pockets or otherwise on your person. So what might you carry?
I thought we had a big survival kit?
Obviously you can’t carry everything you’re supposed to have in your pockets. But a few key items will really help your chances if you’re separated from the main survival kit. Your plane might catch fire. It might sink to the bottom of a lake. If you have it available you’ll certainly use it, but what if you don’t?
Pocket Items
You don’t have much storage room in your pockets. So you must think carefully about what you stuff in them. Chiefly, prioritize keeping warm, staying hydrated and signalling for help. Think of each requirement in terms of systems, rather than individual items.
Keeping Warm
Lighting Fires: We could explore the “fires in the outdoors” rabbit hole for months. Survival enthusiasts talk at length about primitive methods of lighting fires without matches or lighters. If you want to learn about such things, by all means, do. But do learn the basics of building fires, at the very least.
Get storm-proof matches in a waterproof case, and waterproof tinder of some sort. I prefer the wax and sawdust type, but cotton balls dipped in Vaseline also work well. Birch bark also burns even when soaking wet.
Extra insulation: Keep a stocking cap or balaclava in your coat pocket, along with gloves. Dress warm for the flight, and turn down the heat in the cockpit to compensate. If you have space, carry an emergency blanket or bivy bag.
Keeping Hydrated
Water bottle: Bring a reusable water bottle full of water to begin with. Try to find one with a wide mouth so it’s easy to refill from streams and lakes. The classic Nalgene bottle would work just fine.
Water purification: Once that water runs out you’ll need to find more. You need to treat that water, so bring some purification tablets.
You could purify water by boiling if you have a metal container.
Signalling for help
Electronic Beacons: I intend to write more about these devices later, but I want to touch on them here. If you have a satellite communicator or PLB device, keep it on your person, not in a backpack somewhere. You want that with you no matter what happens. Your cell phone is helpful to work with some satellite communicators. Even if there’s no signal, the phone’s pings searching for a tower can be detected by searchers.
Other means: Bring a whistle, and possibly a signalling mirror. Both are very compact.
Generally Useful
Knife: Bring a sturdy sheath knife if possible. It doesn’t have to impress Crocodile Dundee but it needs to be capable of hard work. Be sure to sharpen it before your trip. Folding knives are useful too, but they can’t take as much abuse as a decent sheath knife.
Headlamp: A headlamp helps you see in the dark, and serves as a signalling device. Flashlights work too, but headlamps keep your hands free.
Cordage: Paracord and the like are survival classics for a reason.
First Aid Kit: I hope you already know why. Consider adding some clotting gauze like QuickClot or similar. You could be dealing with serious injuries.
Compass: A tiny one might be useful.
Food: Some energy bars or survival rations would be great if you have space. Don’t sacrifice an emergency blanket for them though.
Extra space?
You could always put on a fanny pack. That would give you a bunch more space to use. As long as you can comfortably wear it while buckled into the plane’s harness, it’s a great option.
I would be inclined to use the space to carry one of the emergency bivy sacks I mentioned earlier, and perhaps another emergency blanket. I would probably fill the rest of the space with food.
Some final thoughts
If’ this is all you have to survive on, a really bad situation has already gotten worse. Hopefully my advice at least proves helpful. Good luck!
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