What do you pack to be FOUND???

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Fraxinus

Settler
Oct 26, 2008
935
31
Canterbury
An itinerary of my trip left with someone who gives a hoot about my wellbeing.
I solo sea kayak a fair bit and the above is my main resource. I carry my mobile, a marine band handheld radio, flare, whistle and old hard drive disc as a signal mirror but any of these could be lost or fail.
So the itinerary is my failsafe.
Rob.

This link gives a larger overview of what I mean.
http://www.worldwidesurvival.com/threads/my-thoughts-on-the-subject.62/
 
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TeeDee

Full Member
Nov 6, 2008
10,447
3,652
50
Exeter
Along with normal stuff like map, compass and GPS, and an orange blizzard blanket, mobile phone.

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In the box is a lightweight air marker panel.

Louis

So its a Marker Panel , Perry Whistle and Heliograph all in a Baccy Tin. Nothing else hiding in there? How big is the Panel? Just wondering how big a panel could be squeezed into a Baccy Tin.
 

lou1661

Full Member
Jul 18, 2004
2,177
194
Hampshire
the heilograph is a fire flash version not in the box,, i will try and unpack it in the next day or so and take some pics with scale. I imagine that if it was vac packed it could take up very little space.
 

Totumpole

Native
Jan 16, 2011
1,066
9
Cairns, Australia
Out here in Aus have invested in one of these personal locator beacons/EPIRBs:



Weighs 250g, about the size of a can of juice. Pings out a signal that sends the calvary looking for you if you are up the proverbial creek. I also have UHF radio with the car and thinking of investing in a sat phone (for car based trips). Out walking its an itinerary being left with the appropriate person, fire equipment, whistle and the PLB. Been meaning to get a signal mirror for a while too.
 

John Fenna

Lifetime Member & Maker
Oct 7, 2006
23,106
2,833
66
Pembrokeshire
I almost forgot - on some expeds we took an EPURB (SP?) position locator ... never had to use it though!
I did have to use the radio when I (yes I was the casualty) went sick in Ghana and phones to sort out other problems in Africa and Asia.
Never had to use the flares, marker panels or Sat Phone and only had to use the whistle once (again I was the casualty - heat sroke in the Pennines....) for real:)
 

SCOMAN

Life Member
Dec 31, 2005
2,583
452
53
Perthshire
I carry a military strobe, signal mirror, whistle (the zip pulls on all my coats are little whistles but I do have a dedicated fox 40 'sound signalling device!'), torches and leave behind an itinerary. I understand that military pilots have a cyalume on string to whizz around their head. I also have a 'manual foghorn' it's hard to describe but it's a short wide tube with a light rubber end. You blow through a hole mid-way along the tube, it causes the rubber bit to vibrate and produces sound. I have to admit to not always carrying it.
Flares, I thought about carrying years ago but I use them a lot at work and seen out of date and in date ones go dangerously wrong. The whole disposal of them when out of date is a bind too.
 
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TeeDee

Full Member
Nov 6, 2008
10,447
3,652
50
Exeter
Size and Weight ( Cost as well I guess ) Considerations being taken into account what would people put down as order of relevance in importance. What are we Most likely to take rather than leave it behind , what is multi functionable , what do we all have access to.

I feel this is a reasonably important subject matter.
 

magpiewolf

Full Member
Nov 10, 2012
36
0
Aberdeenshire
I always carry mirror, whistle, torch, mobile, survival blanket (pegged or tied out with a torch flashed on it, not a bad night marker), means of making fire (for smoke signals by day, light at night) and leave route details with reliable, level-headed friend. So far (35+ years of hiking and camping) I've never needed to use any of it. (Touch wood....!)
 

bearbait

Full Member
Googling "laser flares" will find you something that seems to work pretty well, at least at sea, without the problems of disposal of out-of-date flares and not being able to take them on aircraft. Expensive though. But what price safety?

Also I've read that using flares at night in proximity to SAR helicopters is a no-no due to the affect on their night vision gear. Waving a torch around is better.
 

philipb

Forager
Feb 20, 2016
231
8
wales
I always carry mirror, whistle, torch, mobile, survival blanket (pegged or tied out with a torch flashed on it, not a bad night marker), means of making fire (for smoke signals by day, light at night) and leave route details with reliable, level-headed friend. So far (35+ years of hiking and camping) I've never needed to use any of it. (Touch wood....!)

+1 for the survival blanket

the sliver will show up in daylight and with a flashing torch it can be seen from a great distance at night from the air. it is light weight and can be used to keep you warm.

can be used in many different ways for all types of situations ( see link for 50 uses of an emergency blanket) http://seattlebackpackersmagazine.com/50-uses-for-an-emergency-blanket/
 

TeeDee

Full Member
Nov 6, 2008
10,447
3,652
50
Exeter
Reference Strobe Colour - which light colour do you think will be the one that is most likely to get you noticed and rescued ? White? Orange? Other??

Cheers all.
 

nic a char

Settler
Dec 23, 2014
591
1
scotland
Sensible to be prepared, even more sensible to prepare and act, so that it's never needed.
Ray Mears in Canada last night = BRILLIANT as ever!
Survivorman = dodgy, imo...
 

Quixoticgeek

Full Member
Aug 4, 2013
2,483
23
Europe
I carry a [thread=136289]Delorme inReach explorer[/thread]. When I'm wearing a pack it lives on my left shoulder, when not wearing a pack it's on my belt. I also have a friend who monitors it and we have a lost comms procedure.

I sometimes carry a space blanket which is Bright orange on one side. When day hiking or kayaking I carry my [thread=t=127327]staying alive cold kit[/thread] which is also bright orange. If I'm using it I want to be found and the solid brown effluent has hit the rotary air moving device...

I have been pondering getting an air marker panel that I can fit to my pack JIC.

J
 

Quixoticgeek

Full Member
Aug 4, 2013
2,483
23
Europe
Oh, and just to add, I have a whistle on the sternum strap of my pack, and a SOLAS whistle in my hip belt pocket.

My head torch has a flashing red mode as well as flashing white (flashing light more likely to be spotted than non constant).

If I'm on the bike then I have 2-3 (sometimes more) red rear lights that put out quite a bit of light.

Fortunately I've never needed to rely on any of the kit carried. The [thread=127289]two times[/thread] I have had to avail myself of the local SAR team I haven't had any of the above kit.

Before I got the inReach I used the buddy beacon feature of viewranger, and even tested it out with my friend managing to find me when I was in a DPM bivvi bag, under a flecktarn tarp, in the woods in the dark.

J
 
Jul 30, 2012
3,570
224
westmidlands
I'll be honest, just the head torch, lantern, and my voice. I have the greatest problem in this country not being noticed. There are very few places that i couldnt shout to a house on a calm day, and most places you will see someone within 24 hours. Maybe somewhere up carnidd llewellyn, rhyadder way, or scotland you may be a little isolated. Snowdonia is busy on the whole, and most other places you have to try hard to be out of earshot of a local dwelling, i cant think of many injuries in this country that you couldn't crawl your way out of for a short distance to the nearest house or road, as long as your not rock climbing or pot holeing, even most forests are fairly small and easily reached. One of the things that i would like is a tracker, so if you are incapacitated for 24 hours someone may notice.
 

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