I have been waiting for this string to run out before adding my two cents. And being pressed for time, I'll take the easy way out on saying what I carry with me in the form of emergency gear by just copying my article from the Folding Kayaker newsletter, March/April 1997. I got feet back later on pointers such as a better way of starting fires (the magnesium bar and striker setup), the dangers of whistles on zip pulls (on crawling across a deck in a self-rescue the whistle might get stuck on deck stuff and open up your PFD) and the weakness of the smoke cannisters (some fizzle and the smoke put out is limited), etc. But I list what I have anyway in hopes that it will prove useful. (begin article)--------- IF YOU DON'T HAVE IT ON YOU, YOU DON'T HAVE IT (Folding Kayaker, March/April 1997) Recently, I was on a trip with a group that was starting up the Potomac Water Trail when the leader asked for a show n’ tell of safety equipment we each were carrying. I was busy trying to get all my gear ready and so didn’t say much. But, listening to what everyone else had, I was amazed. Few even carried a whistle on them. If they had any prerequisite emergency gear it was stashed away in hatches of their boats. There is an axiom in survival that goes like this “If you don’t have it on you, you DON’T have it.” That means ON you, i.e. in your pockets, strapped to you or your PFD. Emergencies are such that it is fairly easy to be separated from your boat no matter how well you roll, how good your instinct is to hang on to your boat, etc. My current PFD is the Shadow Plus from Extrasport (which I mentioned in the Sept/October 1996 issue). It has two large pockets and other nice touches in securing it to you (waist belt, not elastic, two sets of side straps). Mine has velcro flaps on the pocket but the 1997 model now has zippered closures for the pockets. I have pasted reflective tape on to the PFD both front and back). It is amazing how it improves visibility (several Potomac paddlers asked why I had “mirrors” on my PFD; they’d never seen reflective tape!). Oh, yes the PFD is yellow. Purple is fashionable but can’t be seen from very far. In the pockets I carry: —3 Skyblazer flares. This are probably more to give a sense a security in that they are not all that effective. They “blaze” only for a few seconds and would depend on someone actually looking in your direction during those precious few moments. But I have them anyway. Helps meet Coast Guard regulations and they certainly don’t hurt. —2 smoke cannisters. These really work. The smoke is strong and dense and bright. In calm wind conditions it will hang around you for upwards of 10 minutes. And even in strong wind, the smoke tends to stay together in a thick column as it blows downrange that allows rescuers to go to its source, you. —A signal mirror with an aiming hole. I have practiced with it and know how to use it effectively to get the attention of passing boaters and people on shore. —Two flashlights. One is the fabulous “C” light (Folding Kayaker, sssssssssssssss). The “C” light costs just $10, weighs 3 ounces more than its 2 AA batteries, has three or four ways of attaching to you or your PFD (a lanyard, a velcro strap, a locking pin). Secure it to your hat if you want, a good high spot for visibility. I also have a Princeton 20 2 AA battery. It’s a very bright light that has the advantage of being easy to attach to my PFD with its lanyard and the light with its bright crown can be seen to a degree from the side. (I also carry a 2-AA cell Princeton waterproof headlamp in my deck bag. You can never have enough lights if paddling around in busy waters at night). It may seem silly to have lights always with you even on a day trip in which your plans have you off the water in early afternoon. But just never know when winds may slow down your return to shore and leave you in the dark. (As you probably know, use of a strobe is verboten except as a device to seek rescue. You can’t use one just because you are feeling nervous. It tells the world I want to be rescued not watch out, I’m here. So therefore my flashlights are non-strobe. At some point I will pin an actual strobe to the PFD.) —An emergency space blanket. To be used on land, if I ever have to be separated from my boat and land wet and cold on some shore. It is the smallest, practical shelter that will help you retain body heat and even keep you dry in rain. Check on its condition every so often. The reflective material will deteriorate over time even if encased in plastic in your pocket. —Waterproof matches. Again, you will need some way of making a fire. Shooting flares into kindling has proven not to work well in actual emergency situations. —A pencil and notepaper. If you have to move, you could leave a note indication the direction you went. —A small amount of cord. It is handy for working out a tarp, making repairs, etc. —A couple of quarters to make a phone call. Sometimes that is the easiest rescue means. —A small Silva compass. I forget the model number but it’s one that comes in its own case with sighting mirror and that can be pinned on your shirt or PFD. There are other items lurking in the corners of the PFD pockets. For example, lip balm. And, depending on the season, I have things in my pocket such as a Clifbar, high energy food. On The PFD Itself On the PFD itself, I have a whistle tied to the zipper pull. A whistle must be attached to your PFD somewhere such as that pull or tied through the shoulder part of your PFD. Some people tend to carry it their pocket, but there it can’t be used quickly enough and, in haste, you may drop and lose it to the briny depths. I also carry a sheathed knife. My knife choice is a result of trial and error. While Sperdyco knives do open one-handed fairly easily, I do not want to count on this operation in an emergency with cold, slippery hands and tangled submerged by some strap or line of my boat. What I have can cut through a thick rope or strap that may be keeping me from escaping my boat. But its point is rounded off and is so blunt that I can stab it into the palm of my hand with no harm to me. It has only one sharpened edge and that is all serrated. Its serrations are such that if I grabbed the blade by mistake, it would not cut me. It’s the Gerber Survivor and runs around $55 to 60. There is a shorty knife by Gerber that seems to function the same way, i.e. blunt point, single blade-all serrated. And it weighs less. Oh yes, I have a lanyard on my knife secured to versalink on the PFD’s side straps, so that if in an emergency I were to drop it, it wouldn’t deep six on me. I also have another versalink (looks like a small carabiner) on the straps on the other side. My intention would be to strap my emergency bag to my PFD if I had to make a swim of it (it’s the Waterproof cockpit bag from Long Haul Products described in Folding Kayaker xxxxxxxxxx; the article describes what I generally carry in the bag). Since it has a waterproof zipper and always a decent amount of trapped air, the cockpit bag would float alongside me rather than drag on me. Obviously that would depend on having the time to disconnect it from my boat but that should be a snap as it’s just connected with one fastex snap buckle. It has numerous items. Altogether, between what’s in or on the PFD and in the emergency bag, I am carrying 37 items. There are alternatives and other things you can do. Other Things To Have For example, I have neither a marine radio or a cellular phone. Either or both would be excellent to have with the edge to the latter. Marine radios don’t always get a strong enough signal through from someone in the water or in a kayak that is also too low. Cellular phones tend to work better and the response to 911 seems to be more dependable and quicker than relying on a ship to pick up your marine distress call and relay it to a Coast Guard station. In heavily travelled waters, however, the marine radio would be a bit more handy to alert large ships of your presence and intended course. Oh, yes, one added small thing on my PFD. I have a cord with alligator clips at both end. One clip attaches to my PFD, the other to my hat. I would hate to lose my hat and have the sun burn my thinning scalp. And, the last thing, I would want to do in paddling against a severe wind is to have to double back to retrieve a blown away hat. -------------(end article) ralph -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Ralph Diaz . . . Folding Kayaker newsletter PO Box 0754, New York, NY 10024 Tel: 212-724-5069; E-mail: rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com "Where's your sea kayak?"----"It's in the bag." ----------------------------------------------------------------------- *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************Received on Tue Mar 03 1998 - 08:31:22 PST
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