The complete survival kit with the first aid kit tucked into the front.

Emergency Survival Kit

In September of 2003, I set out on my first cross country flight over an uninhabited area, the wilderness of Northern Ontario. Until then, I've never been required (or felt the need) to carry any sort of survival kit other than the first aid kit already in the plane. I looked at the various aviation survival kits commercially available and found they were all either too expensive, too incomplete, or both.

Being a do-it-yourself sort of person, I decided to assemble my own, so I did some research. The best source of information I found was Doug Ritter's Equipped to Survive™ site. From there I got an understanding of what would and would not be useful and started assembling a shopping list. Even if you don't want to build your own kit, I recommend reading the reviews of available kits so you can buy an adequate one.

Here's what I ended up with in my homemade kit:

The entire contents of my survival kit except the manual, manifest, and grease pencil. Click for a closer look.

Everything you see fits in the red water resistant soft-sided cooler you see at the top center of the picture. It will even float for quite a while. Here is a list of everything in the kit, along with a few survival items that I always keep in my flight bag:

Survival Kit Contents

Communications/Signalling Signal mirror Whistles (2) Handheld radio (in flight bag) Emergency Devices Knife Knife sharpener Folding saw Multi-tool Waterproof matches (2 boxes) Fire-starter sticks (5) Candle and holder Fish hooks, swivels, and shot 20lb fishing line (100ft) Surgical tubing (3ft) Trowel Flashlight Chemical light sticks (2) Compass Stainless steel wire Safety pins (in first aid kit) GPS receiver (in flight bag) Protection/Shelter Mylar blankets (2) Rain ponchos (2) Yellow garbage bags (2) Work gloves Head towels (2) Sunglasses (2)      Lip balm Sun block Insect repellent Medical Supplies First aid kit Food and Water Water purification tablets Energy bars (6) Soup mixes (4) Electrolyte drink mix Miscellaneous Nylon rope (50ft) Shoe laces (2) Aluminum foil (5sq.ft) Duct tape Zip lock freezer bags (8) Cooking pot Plastic "bowls" (2) Spoons (2) Sewing kit Plastic magnifier Sponges (2) Carabiner snaps (2) Toilet paper Soap Grease pencil Survival manual Contents list Items in italics are perishable or have perishable contents. Check annually. Click here for a printable copy of this list.

The contents are divided into six categories that reflect the primary use of each item, although some items can be used for multiple purposes. For instance, the "head towels" are just dish towels, which can be used for head protection, bandaging, or as towels. Most of the items are self-explanatory, but I'd like to elaborate on a few of them.

Radio

My handheld radio is an ICOM A4. I purchased the model with the rechargeable NiMH battery since that's all the local supplier had. This is less than ideal unless you remember to make sure it's charged before every flight. Rechargeable batteries tend to self-discharge rather quickly (about 1% per day), which alkalines don't do. In the mean time, I make a point of charging the radio before heading out on any cross-country flights.

	The Attitude LED flashlight runs on 4 AAA alkaline cells.

Flashlight

The flashlight is a waterproof PrincetonTec® Attitude™ light with three ultra-bright white LEDs, powered by 4 AAA alkaline cells. I use name-brand batteries with expiry dates, and ensure that I replace them before their shelf-life is up. I also keep an extra set in the survival kit. I should also probably keep a spare set of AA cells in the kit for the GPS.

This is a great flashlight, but one annoyance about it is that some of the light spills out of the back of the LED module and through the translucent case. I found this to be bright enough to spoil my night vision. I solved this problem by simply painting the back and sides of the LED module with silver paint as shown in the photo.

	Painting the outside of the LED module with silver paint keeps the light shining in the right direction.

Survival Manual

• I removed all the sections that were combat specific, such as evasion and dealing with various forms of attack.
• I redid the text in many of the images, since much of it was almost illegible.

I then printed the manual in a form suitable for top binding, put a pair of covers on it, and slipped it into the pocket inside the top of the cooler. This pocket also holds a laminated copy of the equipment manifest, and a grease pencil that can write on almost anything (rocks, trees, airplanes, etc.).

All that editing had the additional advantage of forcing me to read the material over and over. If I ever do need to use it, I'll have the advantage of already being somewhat familiar with it.

I've produced a PDF version of my revised version of the survival manual (3Mb file size). It's designed to be printed double-sided, after which about 1½ inches should be trimmed off all four edges of the pages before binding. Leave a bit extra on the edge you want to bind.

This camping first aid kit is compact and can be used separately from the survival kit.

First Aid Kit

Other Preparations

The best survival aid is to file a flight plan, and then stick to it. That way, if you go missing and are unable to call for help, it won't be long before your absence is noticed, and the rescue team will have a really good idea of where to find you. If you must deviate from your flight plan, or if you end up behind or ahead of schedule, contact a flight service station and let them know. In fact, it's generally a good idea to provide position reports from time to time.

With good planning and a tiny bit of luck, you'll never have to open your survival kit except to replenish the perishable supplies. But if you do find yourself down in the wilderness, don't panic, because you're prepared.
 
 

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Last updated Wednesday May 28, 2008.	E-mail Stefan
Disclaimer: Although every effort has been made to ensure accuracy and reliability, the information on this web page is presented without warranty of any kind, and Stefan Vorkoetter assumes no liability for direct or consequential damages caused by its use. I am not a flight instructor, aircraft designer, or aircraft mechanic, nor any other professional in this field. I am merely using this site as a medium for sharing my experiences and the things I've learned. It is up to you, the reader, to determine the suitability of, and assume responsibility for, the use of this information. Copyright: All materials on this web site, including the text, images, and HTML mark-up, are Copyright © 2008 by Stefan Vorkoetter unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved. Unauthorized duplication prohibited. You may link to this site or pages within it, but you may not link directly to images on this site, and you may not copy any material from this site to another web site or other publication without express written permission. You may make copies for your own personal use.