Essentials to carry on board aircraft?

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Andy BB

Full Member
Apr 19, 2010
3,290
1
Hampshire
I do a lot of travelling for work, which means I take a lot of flights. Ignoring for the moment the basic fact that no-one has yet survived a wide-body jet crash into open water, what would you take as a survival kit on a flight?
 

crucible

Tenderfoot
May 14, 2011
78
0
vancouver bc canada
You are limited because of security restrictions on your ability to carry lighters and sharp instruments. I have found that it's still OK to carry small firesteels and tinder in a small waterproof container on flights, as well as a striker as long as the the striker is not sharpened to a point.

I also carry a pair of nitrile gloves, a foldable N95 respirator, a small container of painkillers, a small button flashlight, a small bottle of hand sanitizer, and a very small headlamp (Petzl e+Lite) in my briefcase while travelling.
 

John Fenna

Lifetime Member & Maker
Oct 7, 2006
23,139
2,878
66
Pembrokeshire
I always used to carry on a daysack containing
Wash kit
Meds kit
FAK (no sharps)
Full change of clothing
Essential paperwork
Spare warmwear
Torch
Camera
Mug
Spoon
travel in your exped boots (if you are going on exped...) or in your comfy shoes

Then, when they lose your main baggage you still have enough to get by on while the big bag is found!
This served me well when Royal Air Morrocco "lost" my bergan between Cassablanca and Marakesh at the start of a week long exped...
By scrounging a bivvibag and sleepingbag liner and a down jacket from others on the exped I was able to carry on (not in much comfort though!) and complete the exped. This was good as the exped was a sort of interview/staff training as exped leader... I ended up leading many expeds for the company.
RAM "found" my bag the day before we returned to the UK....
 

Andy BB

Full Member
Apr 19, 2010
3,290
1
Hampshire
Does the Hudson River count? As Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger would disagree with that statement :D
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US_Airways_Flight_1549

Thats why I specifically said "open water" (but a great bit of flying nevertheless). And why the life-vests are a pure sop, as the only thing they'll help with is finding the bodies...(Actually, smoke hoods would save many more lives, but for some reason aren't fitted as standard)

Re suggestion of a small SAK, whilst it theoretically might be "legal", you'll still have it taken from you at security. Arguing the toss will only make you miss your flight, or possibly a trip to the local nick. Pretty much the only lip-service I pay to a BOB when I fly at present (other than stuff in the hold) is a lenticular magnifying glass in my wallet, a small torch and a "combat" pen in my pocket. But am interested in other ideas!
 

santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
16,909
1,114
67
Florida
...(Actually, smoke hoods would save many more lives, but for some reason aren't fitted as standard)...

To the best of my knowleedge oxygen masks are standard on all comercial airliners. Certainly on all flights I've ever taken as was instruction on how to don them at the start of every flight.
 

spandit

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 6, 2011
5,594
308
East Sussex, UK
Smoke hoods only last 20 minutes, are difficult to put on, they're heavy & bulky, they produce heat/smoke, severely reduce visibility. Just not practical carrying them for all passengers.

They are carried aboard for fire fighting but the crews get training in wearing them - not for the claustrophobic!
 

Andy BB

Full Member
Apr 19, 2010
3,290
1
Hampshire
To the best of my knowleedge oxygen masks are standard on all comercial airliners. Certainly on all flights I've ever taken as was instruction on how to don them at the start of every flight.

I'm not talking about oxygen masks (although these only provide oxygen for a very limited time, by the way). smoke hoods give you a degree of protection from smoke, which kills most people who actually survive the initial crash.

eg http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/pspages/paratCsmokehood.php
 
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Retired Member southey

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jun 4, 2006
11,098
13
your house!
Im sorry to say most people die from massive internal injuries and then if its alight the extreme heat of an aircraft fire puts them down pretty quickly, if unable to escape you would want to be unconscious, smoke hood would not be a viable safety aid, the training alone would interfere with the start of the in-flight movie:D
 

plastic-ninja

Full Member
Jan 11, 2011
2,235
262
cumbria
Only one thing you need to carry Andy.
That is a Manx Kipper.
To the best of my knowledge no-one has ever been killed on a plane whilst carrying one so should guarantee your safety mate! :lmao:
Cheers , Simon
 

Andy BB

Full Member
Apr 19, 2010
3,290
1
Hampshire
Afraid I can't agree with the several of the later posts (other than the Manx kipper suggestion:) ) - I'll refer you to the PPRuNe website on the subject http://www.pprune.org/tech-log/431200-smoke-hoods.html

One bit in particular was particularly evocative...."I remember an interview from the Manchester disaster in which one of the last passengers out described having to use his fingernail to physically scrape the black soot off his eyeball, in order to see the exit."
 

spandit

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 6, 2011
5,594
308
East Sussex, UK
You're not allowed oxygen generators & you're not allowed gas canisters. How do these devices work then? Some sort of passive filter?
 

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