What's Your Plan? Building Your GA Survival Pack

[Buster1]

You've just had a forced landing. Now what? What's your plan?

I've just published an article on this, and how to build a GA survival pack for your cockpit. I hope you have a look!

Nate

http://engineout.weebly.com/articles/how-to-build-your-emergency-response-plan-for-an-aircraft-accident

[Yetti]

I had a Houston Fire Department Captain jump in my truck and go "Dang dude you are ready for bear"  It was for water stuff and looters, but you get the idea.

[steingar]

I plan to crash somewhere civilized, where there are people to come extricate me from my sticken airplane.

[bradp]

I carry a go-pack at all times.  It's about 8 lbs and lives on my hat rack.   My first trip in my new to me mooney was the southern transcontinental route- so it's designed for mostly warm weather and I put cold weather stuff separately as necessary.  I always bring a couple of days worth of water wherever we go.  I tell my family that we should bring clothing to be able to stay outside depending on the season. The blog post was pretty useful and gave me a couple of better options for signaling than I have and some better water purification methods.  

My PLB is in my pack. 

First aid is important 

Shelter and warmth are important 

Water availability and purification is critical 

So is fire starting  

I stuff my old ELT batteries in my pack  

Since moving forward the south - my latest pack addition is some 100% DEET  

 

[MyNameIsNobody]

Good stuff.  Thanks.

[peevee]

I'll go the bear grylls route and drink my own piss

[N201MKTurbo]

I always carry a cell phone. If I can't use the cell phone or hike to a high spot where it does work it is unlikely I will be able to use any of that other stuff.

if I was flying over northern Canada it would be a different story.

[TonyK]

 A bic lighter is always in my pack.  Storm matches and a blast match in there as well but that is last on the list for getting a fire going.  Also look for some magnesium ribbon on amazon.  Coil up some of it and put it in with your cotton balls.  it makes starting damp wood very easy.  Oh and a flask of Jameson.  No survival value but it gives me something to do while i wait for rescue. 

[Hank]

Dryer lint in a ziploc baggie is much better fire starter than cotton balls. Plus its both abundant and free . . . . And burns like nobody's business,  right now!

[Bravoman]

My .45 and an AR with 4 30 rd clips. I can get whatever I need with those!

[Skates97]

8 hours ago, Hank said:

Dryer lint in a ziploc baggie is much better fire starter than cotton balls. Plus its both abundant and free . . . . And burns like nobody's business,  right now!

Take cotton balls and rub Vaseline in them. They will squish down very small, when you need one fluff it out really well and one spark will get it burning and it will burn long enough to get a fire going. In Boy Scouts I had one of those silver waterproof match cases stuffed with about 10 of them. That along with the standard magnesium fire starter made started many a campfire for me.

[Yetti]

5 hours ago, Bravoman said:

My .45 and an AR with 4 30 rd clips. I can get whatever I need with those!

Goodness you must be a bad shot.

[Bravoman]

1 hour ago, Yetti said:

Goodness you must be a bad shot.

If my glasses get broken in the hypothetical forced landing, absolutely. 

[Yetti]

Someone asked if I was able to run supplies over to Beaumont.  They pointed out that the convoy would have an armed escort.....   I was in my truck and did a quick inventory figured I had 100 rounds in various forms in reach.  We come from the "One Riot One Ranger" state.   Responded I'm good.

#wegotthis

[carusoam]

Way to go, Buster!

You get all the tough topics, and handle them well.

Thanks for sharing all the details.

Best regards,

-a-

[Buster1]

Thanks for the support guys! And for reading my drivel.

I do think however that a survival pack, even with a few items in it, will really come in handy should the day arise...

[Hank]

I keep blankets in the plane 'cause my wife gets cold in cruise. We always have a bottle or three of water. A Leatherman is in my Rubbermaid toolkit, a multiblade knife in the front seat pocket and a Swiss Army knife is in my pocket all the time except when traveling the airlines. Your other items look quite useful, and we've debated getting the mylar Emergency blankets, but those water filter straws are something I've never heard of. Interesting . . . . .

[peevee]

On 9/10/2017 at 9:25 PM, Hank said:

I keep blankets in the plane 'cause my wife gets cold in cruise. We always have a bottle or three of water. A Leatherman is in my Rubbermaid toolkit, a multiblade knife in the front seat pocket and a Swiss Army knife is in my pocket all the time except when traveling the airlines. Your other items look quite useful, and we've debated getting the mylar Emergency blankets, but those water filter straws are something I've never heard of. Interesting . . . . .

I keep a sawyer in my hiking pack which I almost always use for packing for short plane trips up to ten days or so,  I guess I have that with me.

[Piloto]

Aside the PLB  I carry a marine VHF hand held. Very useful to call the attention of nearby boats at sea or on a lake.

José