This Janurary I will begin teaching a wilderness survival course at the local College. Part of the course will be to have the class design a survival kit for kayakers. The worst case scenario being: " your boat sunk and you had to swin to shore with only a small survival kit ( a #5 seal line baja bag). What do you need to have in the kit to survive for several days and signal for a rescue. (To make it tougher, the VHF radio when down with the boat) Personally,I have carried such a survival kit for years. It includes: 2 small space blankets knife (in case the one I carry on my PFD falls off) parachute cord several garbage bags (stuff them with leaves/sea weed/whatever to create a dry insulating mattress) waterproof matches firestarter sticks a couple power bars small first aid kit 3x3 gauze pads adhesive tape antiseptic swabs pain killers signal flares (carried on my life vest) signal mirror Chemical heat packs (after a swim in Alaskan waters a quick heat source could be critical) Strobe/flashlight I would be interested in suggestions from the paddlewise gang on contents of the survival kit. If you carry one what do you carry it in and where? Also what you have learned from "experience" about survival situations? Bob Sitka *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
"Rev. Bob Carter" wrote: > > > Chemical heat packs (after a swim in Alaskan waters a quick heat source could > be critical) > The carbon based ones are good (the ones that last several hours) but are very sensitive to getting wet. They need a good supply of oxygen to work and can't be stuffed into, say, a reef boot with wet socks. Been there... The type that are reusable and release heat by crystalizing only work for about twenty minutes or so and can go off on their own. Not as good for an emergency kit. Mike *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Rev. Bob Carter wrote: > > This Janurary I will begin teaching a wilderness survival course at the local > College. Part of the course will be to have the class design a survival kit > for kayakers. The worst case scenario being: " your boat sunk and you had to > swin to shore with only a small survival kit ( a #5 seal line baja bag). What > do you need to have in the kit to survive for several days and signal for a > rescue. (To make it tougher, the VHF radio when down with the boat) > I have thought on this all night(well some), and I am with Philip Torrens on this. Design, carry, and know how to use, items in your PFD. You are talking survivial for several days AND hoping to have this bag with you.? OK, in this case, seeing as how _I_ have my survivial gear in my PFD, the stuff in my dry bag will be for making the wait more enjoyable, right. Plastic sheet(to help make the shelter I will build "more" weather proof) Bug dope and or head net small metal cup/pot (to collect water and heat same) instant coffee (why survive if you got to suffer?) Yashica T-4, and couple rolls of film(surviving isn't about suffering and besides, this should make a good story for the grandchildren later) small 40M QRP, CW HAM rig, magnet wire for antenna(might make being found easier) A flask of Dr. McGillicuddy's Schnapps ..and if their is room in the bag, my tooth brush and a headlamp. I'd also duck tape a folding saw to the bag. It would make shelter building much easier. James *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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