Whats in your lifejacket

[w00dsmoke]

A bouyancy aid is not meant to make you float, it's meant to aid your bouyancy. Hence the name. They are intended to allow easy movement and enable swimming. They are suited to activities where you may be in the water on repreated occasions.


IMHO they are designed for different purposes and are generally not interchangeable depending on personal preference.

Scoops

Bouyancy = floating in the water-not sinking. Bouyancy aids are rated for the weight of the user. The heavier the user the more bouyancy required for the user to float more easily. People are naturally bouyant and even more so when treading water etc but a bouyancy aid allows the person to conserve energy and float easier than without.
I'm a big guy and I've yet to find a bouyancy aid anywhere with enough bouyancy to be of any use to me. In fact they have proved more of a hinderance in and out of the water, constrictive, uncomfortable etc hence the use of a life jacket.

As someone who rarely intends to have repeated swims, sometimes crosses open water, even in the sea, with a canoe or touring kayak; for me a gas inflatable life jacket gives me the security that I require with the comfort that I need to when paddling. Sure it breaks away from accepted practice within the BCU etc but worldwide this is not unusual. I can easily get back into my kayak wearing the life jacket and the canoe and have the option of inflating it if and when the need arises. It's horses for courses at the end of the day.

 

[IJ55]

A bouyancy aid is not meant to make you float, it's meant to aid your bouyancy. Hence the name. They are intended to allow easy movement and enable swimming. They are suited to activities where you may be in the water on repreated occasions.

A life-jacket is an emergency device, it has a buoyancy distribution sufficient to turn the user to a position where their mouth is clear of the water, even when they are unconscious. Swimming in an inflated life-jacket is harder than in a bouyancy aid, as the jacket is designed to float you on your back. Also once inflated a life jacket has to be deflated and re-packed before it can be used again and is therefore not suited to an occasion where there is a possibility of repeated "swims".

IMHO they are designed for different purposes and are generally not interchangeable depending on personal preference.

Scoops

Did you write all of that because your pissy at the thread title? amazing.

So scoops, whats in your PFD?

 

[scoops_uk]

Bouyancy = floating in the water-not sinking.
...
As someone who rarely intends to have repeated swims

Aid = help or support

It's generally the unintended that causes problems.

My comments are only made out of concern for your well being, not for an argument. Wearing something is definitely a huge improvement on wearing nothing. Whether it's a life-jacket or bouyancy aid, to quote the RNLI it's useless unless worn.

Scoops

 

[w00dsmoke]

My comments are only made out of concern for your well being, not for an argument. Wearing something is definitely a huge improvement on wearing nothing. Whether it's a life-jacket or bouyancy aid, to quote the RNLI it's useless unless worn.

Scoops

Thanks for your concern bud but I grew up with canoes and have canoed and kayaked for a very very long time and done some very serious trips with level 5 sea kayak /canoecoaches who were more than happy at my set up. In fact as someone with a disability they were most impressed and I feature in quite a few presentations.

So don't judge everyone on your own circumstances bud, try wearing another persons shoes first. You'll find my justification and explanation for what I wear while on the water is exactly right for my circumstances.

 

[scoops_uk]

Did you write all of that because your pissy at the thread title? amazing.

So scoops, whats in your PFD?

No, I wrote it because I wanted to contribute to the discussion.

My bouyancy contains a couple of snack sized mars bars.

Scoops

 

[scoops_uk]

So don't judge everyone on your own circumstances bud, try wearing another persons shoes first. You'll find my justification and explanation for what I wear while on the water is exactly right for my circumstances.

Did I judge you? I stated some facts on the equipment and then gave my opinion qualified as my opinion.

I'll take my cue to exit.

Scoops

 

[Goatboy]

Hi Huntersforge,
I have a knife, fire kit, torch / strobe, a wee tube of honey, whistle, a rolled up fishing line and a hip flask of high sugar rum - I think the only drinky-poos that wont lower your body temp!!!
Should be able to survive with that for a while... or at least be happy whilst I die.
Also carry in my head the movie Deliverance and a willingness to run like the wind from some of the "locals" that I see. ( Well I do have a murty purty mouth ).
Goatboy.

 

[Scots_Charles_River]

I have a Lomo quick release rescue knife and a muesli/eat natural bar and an orange rescue whistle.

My neighbour is a PC in Central Scotland and said the knife is fine as it's 'the intent' in the eye of the law. Ever since the Gendarmes arrested raft guides when I was a guide on the Durance in the french alps, I have worn a knife. They were arrested for not wearing one and being a guide. As soon as you have any rope, inc. the painter, you need a knife.

Wild Water is less bouyant as it has more air in it than flat or sea water.

Nick

 

[Spaniel man]

What's in mine (not including the rolling baccy)

 

[Asa Samuel]

I've not been on a really long trip but if I was I'd carry:

Knife, whistle, firesteel, choccy bar, small torch and a small med kit.

 

[johnnytheboy]

Mines doesn't have any pockets!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I fell left out now

 

[Bravo4]

I wish my pfd had a couple more pockets. Very nice vest JF, do you make your boats as well?
Let's see, I've got: fire, phone, 1st aid, food, whistle, mirror, sheet of plastic, small cordage, rescue knife, monocular, ipod(for head winds), a means to purify h2o, sunscreen, lip balm,etc, etc; basically I try to cram a survival kit into the pockets and on my person just in case I become separated from my boat.

I have absolutely no intention of getting separated from my boat, but I think of all the possible survival scenarios, "wet, cold, and boatless" is probably the most likely(for me) and immediately trying. Losing my backpack(and it's contents) while hiking is not a very likely scenario but dumping a canoe and watching it blow away faster than I can swim or take off down river leaving me up ship creek , well I see how that could happen.

I need to figure out a place to hide a key on my vehicle, for now I also keep a car key in my pfd.

crazydave's link to a Canadian NFB film, "Survival in the Bush" goes right along with this thread, granted the film deals with the 'deep' bush but it can still be a long way to the other side of the lake, or loch if appropriate. If I get to go deep boonies(pretty please) I'm now sold on carrying a hatchet and will have to sort that out.
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?p=539518&posted=1#post539518

dragging on,,, here's a link to an article called, "Surviving when the Gods play''. This is from the Watertribe website which is of possible interest to paddlers here. The article shows the author's pfd setup and has some advice on how to deal with hypothermia after a swim. There are some other good articles mainly centered around an expedition-style small boat race held in Florida.
http://www.watertribe.com/Magazine/Y2002/M12/SteveIsaacWhenGodsPlay.aspx

 

[John Fenna]

I wish my pfd had a couple more pockets. Very nice vest JF, do you make your boats as well?

I helped make my first real canoe - plywood stitch and tape - but now I have three more - 2 plastic and one glass which are all bought in, but heavily modified in the fitting out to take a home made sailing rig, more comfortable seating etc.
After reading this thread I think I will add a small "Ouch Pouch" and survival tin to my PFD kit for wilder paddles.....though my boat is always packed for trouble and I have YET to lose one on the water...

 

[Bravo4]

I think the most likely place one can lose a boat, is on the drive to and from, trailering and cartopping.

I knew sailing had to figure in there somewhere . I guess it's on another thread but I think canoes and kayaks (and now packrafts!) are ideal vehicles for bushcraft travel, bicycles being another favorite of mine.

I used to be pretty casual about pfd use. I'd put it on when I was cold, take it off when I got hot. A couple of years ago my mom got a little lake kayak and I showed her how to get set up. "Yes mom, you MUST wear one at all times, it's such a simple thing, can't have you drowning cause everyone will blame me". So I have gotten into always wearing one, walk the talk and all that.

 

[Dave_the_Pilgrim]

No PFD? well, hope your lucky, every time, all the time, because it only takes on bit of bad luck for you to end up cold stone dead on a mortuary slab.

Pessimist? no, just spent alot of time as a student in an accident department that was near a 'nice safe river'.

Steady fella !! I make an informed choice based on my assessment of the risks. Even with a PFD there is a risk you will die. Drawing the line on where risk is acceptable is a personal decision. I wear a helmet always whilst out on a bike. I do a lot of climbing too and always wear a helmet. Even on Via ferratas in Europe where the locals rarely wear them. When I was younger I used to solo climb. My risk thresholds have changed with time and will continue to do so as i re-visit every activity I do. I always carry a PFD so if conditions change I can adapt. Risk is part of the enjoyment for some of us.

You'll be demanding next that all bushcrafters wear NOMEX whilst near open fires !!

If I were you I'd be more concerned about the proportion of people who carry knives on them whilst canoeing/kayaking. Normally they are to cut ropes if you are caught up in some loose line. what else do you need a rescue knife for ? They don't cut wood well. And the guy who has two in his vest needs to ask how he is going to use both at the same time ..............

Dave

 

[Lithril]

Guys this is a thread on buoyancy aids, lets keep it away from judging others and more on being informative, personal risks are down to the individual, as long as they're not pushing it on others lets leave it be and get back to the original thread... what do you carry on yours.

Mines doesn't have any pockets!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I fell left out now

I wouldn't worry, mine doesn't have any either. Saying that I've got a chest pouch that will clip on to it with most of the contents being in small exped dry bags.

 

[Chainsaw]

knife, whistle, firesteel, camera.

That's all folks.

Cheers,

Alan

PS the rest is in a 100L rucksack

 

[Grooveski]

Knife and there's a whistle and quite often a midgie net in the little inside pocket.

 

[Gailainne]

Nothing....yet

But you've reminded me to get myself and it sorted before this weekends expedition.

Thinking more about it, with the separated from canoe scenario I think I'll see if I can stick a net pocket on the back of mine, all the stuff you don't need until you reach shore. My small divers knife will be getting zip locked on the front, whistle and light around my neck.

Hmm interested little project to look at and refine during the summer, nice one.

Cheers

Stephen

 

[redandshane]

Am I wrong? but I reckon a safety knife a whistle and maybe a torch if light is likely to fade on the PFD are enough everything else can be stowed elsewhere
-Please enlighten me if I need any more actually attached to PFD and it is useful/practical in reality
And dont get me wrong I have plenty stowed elsehere; because I can
My PFD is ex MOD off e bay so nothing fancy going on except a plastic sleeve for my name on the back