Winter flying can be visually spectacular with its brilliant blue skies dotted with puffy white clouds and sparkling, snow-covered fields as far as the eye can see! It can be the perfect opportunity for a pleasant cross-country, or a short point A to point B jaunt.
Before setting out for a hike, ATV ride, snowmobile trek, or a flight, make sure you have a properly prepared survival kit with you. Even the shortest jaunt can quickly become a survival situation, especially when temperatures fall below freezing. In addition, it is very wise to let someone at both ends of your “trip” know when you are leaving, when you plan to arrive, what route you plan to take, (and if you carry a cell phone), what that number is.
One might ask why this would be done. The answer is really simple; to help you survive. Any walk in the woods, ATV ride, snowmobile ride, or even a drive in a car during winter, has the potential of placing a person in a serious survival situation. A stumble over a hidden rock on a snow-covered path could cause a fall and subsequent injury. Accidentally going off the road on/in any vehicle could end at the bottom of a ravine, as light fades and it becomes more and more difficult to distinguish depth and direction.
Now imagine, for instance, the loss of engine power 12 minutes after takeoff on your 30-minute “short jaunt.” You are out in the middle of open prairie or huge farmsteads. You see a few houses, but you know if your landing is okay, you will have at least a mile to walk in an area you are not familiar with, in temperatures below freezing, across fields with snowdrifts waist deep. It is getting late and the daylight is fading. Without proper preparation, this situation – even without injuries – can be critical to your survival. That is why it is important to plan before you depart and make sure you have the proper clothing and gear to help you survive in the elements in an emergency situation.
It is easy to buy pre-made survival kits from outdoor stores, hunting supply stores, and online stores. Every kit should be tailored to the user and for the conditions the user expects to encounter.
If you are unsure what to include in a survival kit, check out the information and lists provided by the following three information sources:
1. http://www.preparedpilot.com/Survival-Kits/Contents.htm
2. http://www.redcross.org/services/hss/lifeline/fakit.html
3. http://www.fema.gov/plan/prepare/supplykit.shtm
This is not an inclusive list and in no way implies any endorsement or preference. The information and links included here are simply to assist the reader in tracking down good information and guidance, and is provided in no particular order.
Now that you have plans for your kit(s), make sure you know how to use every item you include in your kit. Take time to go through your kit(s) and be familiar with what is contained in each, as well as where in the kits items are located. That way in the stress of a survival situation, you aren’t carrying dead weight for no particular reason, and you can find what you need, even in the dark.
Proper preplanning is key to your safety, whether driving, flying, or in a survival situation. Now is the perfect time to KIT UP!
