phrogpilot73
Well-Known Member
Signal mirrors don't work at night, each item has its place...
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Doing research - after action rescue/survival reports
- Thread starter danpass
- Start date
After 35 years, my memory fails me sometimes. It was small to fit in our integrated torso harness and was thick and heavy, so I'm pretty sure it was 2x3 and glass. If this had taken place about another ten years later, I might have had REAL Vieques natives trying to chase me off of the island.
Ahhh yes, La Isla de Vieques... our old target/bomb dump/impact area. You wouldn't recognize it any more. A high-end "tourist trap", er.. Resort now. Where you spent time escaping, evading & flashing your mirror, will now run you $130 p/night for shelter (w/ private 500# bomb crater). The only unfriendlies left on the Isla, are the Bronx/Brooklyn native touristas.
*Threadjack over.
BzB
Which is appropriate since our Commander in Chief made us shut it down so his wife could be a New York senator!!!
danpass
Well-Known Member
thread resurrection ............
It's been a while and I can easily geek out on this stuff. Mostly it's that I'm always intrigued by clever gear. Please critique:
I just "finished" (truthfully, these things are always a work in progress lol) building this kit. I've been through several iterations of vest setups (such as a tactical sort of chest rig with molle pouches) in the intervening years (!) lol.
Thought process:
This would mean something that attaches to the body. Perhaps a belt kit, maybe a vest, maybe cargo pants with pockets; any/all of which can be fitted with certain items.
I chose a vest. I'm a fan of mil stuff and I also believe those kits/setups are a result of many lessons learned. So I used that 'system' in creating this setup.
Base unit: SV-2B survival vest, new-old stock in bag (ebay)
PFD: LPU-21 (new production, $.$x10^87) which attaches to the vest and remains unobtrusive. This is the E/P model that seems to be meant more for the CMU-33 vest, though it still secures well enough to the SV-2B.
Again, I 'just' finished it up, but I have tried it on a couple of long car drives and found it to be rather comfortable. I still have to try it in the typical GA plane. If it is too large then my next system would be based on the Switlik X-Back Molle PFD vest with their pouches. It will likely mean the loss of the pistol (not a tremendous concern) and some smaller items. I would have to work out how best to keep the radio on the vest.
Contents - left to right:
Tall Pocket:
OKC ASEK(nife). A Gerber Prodigy also fits. Many people say the OKC is a marginal survival knife and I concur. It's not really meant for bushcraft though. It's meant to be an Aircraft Disassembly Tool, to get the heck out of the aircraft. Still, the Prodigy is a better bushcraft tool.
Orion Pocket Rocket w 8 flares. I'd prefer the mil style to penetrate tree canopy.
Glock 19 and two mags. Still 50/50 on a sidearm but there are gators in FL lol. A 9mm may not be much but perhaps 15 or more 9mms would lol.
Leatherman Wave with the two bit 'sheets' and the extender in a LM sheath
Medical Pocket:
SI Howard glass signal mirror, 2x3
Fox 40 Classic whistle
Day/Night Smoke/Flare
Multi-Service survival manual
Datrex 4oz water x 2
Share-size M&Ms lol. 420 total calories
Aqua-Pouch, holds 1 quart
Micropur MP1 water purification tablets x 10
CLEER compression bandage
Triangular bandage
Dramamine 24hr
ITS Boo Boo kit (https://store.itstactical.com/products/its-boo-boo-kit)
Dermasafe razor
Vial with tweezers, safety pins and sail needles
Sunsect 0.3oz foil packs x 4
General Pocket:
ACR MS-2000M strobe, just cuz I like it
Day/Night Smoke/Flare
Datrex 4oz water x 2
Share-size M&Ms. 420 total calories
Aqua-Pouch, holds 1 quart
Micropur MP1 water purification tablets x 10
Survival/Bushcraft kit, which includes:
Radio Pocket:
Yaesu FTA-230
Benchmade 8 Hook
Rite-in-the-Rain small spiral notebook
I made another mod (molle format sort of thing, see final pic) to the vest so I could add the single-molle-column pouch for my ACR PLB. This takes the place of the velcro-backed open-ended zipper pouch that held the oxygen hose.
I still need to pack in the Yaesu AA spare battery pack, the lifeboat hurricane matches, pair of AA batteries for the strobe.
And yes, I made a mod to the back, to make it adjustable, using bungee cord.
It's been a while and I can easily geek out on this stuff. Mostly it's that I'm always intrigued by clever gear. Please critique:
I just "finished" (truthfully, these things are always a work in progress lol) building this kit. I've been through several iterations of vest setups (such as a tactical sort of chest rig with molle pouches) in the intervening years (!) lol.
Thought process:
- Basic kit that handles most contingencies that is always on your person.
This would mean something that attaches to the body. Perhaps a belt kit, maybe a vest, maybe cargo pants with pockets; any/all of which can be fitted with certain items.
I chose a vest. I'm a fan of mil stuff and I also believe those kits/setups are a result of many lessons learned. So I used that 'system' in creating this setup.
Base unit: SV-2B survival vest, new-old stock in bag (ebay)
PFD: LPU-21 (new production, $.$x10^87) which attaches to the vest and remains unobtrusive. This is the E/P model that seems to be meant more for the CMU-33 vest, though it still secures well enough to the SV-2B.
Again, I 'just' finished it up, but I have tried it on a couple of long car drives and found it to be rather comfortable. I still have to try it in the typical GA plane. If it is too large then my next system would be based on the Switlik X-Back Molle PFD vest with their pouches. It will likely mean the loss of the pistol (not a tremendous concern) and some smaller items. I would have to work out how best to keep the radio on the vest.
Contents - left to right:
Tall Pocket:
OKC ASEK(nife). A Gerber Prodigy also fits. Many people say the OKC is a marginal survival knife and I concur. It's not really meant for bushcraft though. It's meant to be an Aircraft Disassembly Tool, to get the heck out of the aircraft. Still, the Prodigy is a better bushcraft tool.
Orion Pocket Rocket w 8 flares. I'd prefer the mil style to penetrate tree canopy.
Glock 19 and two mags. Still 50/50 on a sidearm but there are gators in FL lol. A 9mm may not be much but perhaps 15 or more 9mms would lol.
Leatherman Wave with the two bit 'sheets' and the extender in a LM sheath
Medical Pocket:
SI Howard glass signal mirror, 2x3
Fox 40 Classic whistle
Day/Night Smoke/Flare
Multi-Service survival manual
Datrex 4oz water x 2
Share-size M&Ms lol. 420 total calories
Aqua-Pouch, holds 1 quart
Micropur MP1 water purification tablets x 10
CLEER compression bandage
Triangular bandage
Dramamine 24hr
ITS Boo Boo kit (https://store.itstactical.com/products/its-boo-boo-kit)
Dermasafe razor
Vial with tweezers, safety pins and sail needles
Sunsect 0.3oz foil packs x 4
General Pocket:
ACR MS-2000M strobe, just cuz I like it
Day/Night Smoke/Flare
Datrex 4oz water x 2
Share-size M&Ms. 420 total calories
Aqua-Pouch, holds 1 quart
Micropur MP1 water purification tablets x 10
Survival/Bushcraft kit, which includes:
- shelter (2pers SOL heatsheet, 50ft 1A paracord, wire saw w rings and spare wire). I once had to make a shelter, from the sun, and the heatsheet as a sunshade, mirror side up, made a tremendous difference. Underneath was -comfortable- while above you could easily see the mirage of the heat being reflected, and you could definitely feel it if you put your hand a couple of inches above.
- Duct tape roll
- Compact fishing kit
- Compressed sponge (water collection / filter)
- Petzl e+lite headlamp, the model w the string 'headband' and two spare CR2032s. Sidenote: the unit uses two CR2032 batteries but if you turn over the top one it will still function (at a lower brightness) on the one cell. The edge of the cell, vs the flats, is what completes the circuit in the system. You could effectively have four cells available.
- Cammenga tritium wrist compass
- Rotary sparker with 8 tinder tabs
- Mosquito headnet and mittens
- Kroops collapsible skydiving 'goggles'
Radio Pocket:
Yaesu FTA-230
Benchmade 8 Hook
Rite-in-the-Rain small spiral notebook
I made another mod (molle format sort of thing, see final pic) to the vest so I could add the single-molle-column pouch for my ACR PLB. This takes the place of the velcro-backed open-ended zipper pouch that held the oxygen hose.
I still need to pack in the Yaesu AA spare battery pack, the lifeboat hurricane matches, pair of AA batteries for the strobe.
And yes, I made a mod to the back, to make it adjustable, using bungee cord.
I think the AF has eschewed survival vests for the fighter types - opting for floatation attached directly to seat harness. The Navy SV-2/LPU combo was unnecessarily heavy and bulky. We kept it around too long. Honestly I would opt for collar lobe flotation on a lightweight vest that carried illumination, a knife and basic signaling - something that would not get hung up when I needed to egress in a ditching scenario. Add tourniquet and clotting media in combat scenario and a weapon. And don't get me started on HEEDS....
Wow, where the hack do you fly as a GA guy and what do you fly? Sure, I carry a survival kit, but it consists of a first aid kit, beacon, a flashlight, strobe light, radio, compass and a multi-tool. I have a basic inflatable PFD (used by most boaters) if I fly far more than 3 miles from the shore (in my case up the middle of the Chesapeake, the swing around JFK by staying out over water...or maybe out to Nantucket. I wouldn’t carry a pistol at all. Land at an airfield in the wrong state and you could find yourself spending a night in jail if caught. Heck, I have flown from the west coast to the east in an open cockpit with less stuff. Up in AK a lot of bush pilots consider a coat a survival kit. In my opinion, if you go down and survive, your best bet is to walk to the nearest town.
If this is a hobby, that’s cool, but it strikes me that you are wasting a lot of room and comfort in most planes.
If this is a hobby, that’s cool, but it strikes me that you are wasting a lot of room and comfort in most planes.
Ever been stuck in Lower Alabama? Better throw in a pack of prophylactics and some baby wipes...
That whole area is blacked out on all my maps.
Thankfully they're long gone, and have been for about 18 years.
A man could have a pretty good weekend in Vegas with all that stuff . . .
What happens in Monroeville stays in Monroeville...