Survival Gear and Preparation...

[scoober78]

Alright...so as a newly minted SERE grad, I can't help but conclude that personal survival, in the event of the worst case scenario is helped tremendously by some prior planning and consideration. (The first and most important SERE take-away I have of course is don't get shot down!) With that said, I've been putting some time into the extra gear I will be taking and the personal prep I will be doing and thought it might be a good idea to see what some of the community does. I know the subject has come up before but not quite so squarely and mostly as a threadjack...

So...
What "extra gear" did/do you take? (Obviously theatre specific and general)

What intel/information prep do you guys do? (Not a classified forum so let's be careful here)

For those whose reply would be "Nothing...and you're stupid if you do...", save it.

 

[Single Seat]

Can't imagine how you sanitize a P-3.

Everything you learned in SERE, you'll do as prep. Pockets empty, patches off, the stuff you carry in theater. You'll find out what that is.

 

[Uncle Fester]

Well, after watching that "Man vs Wild" show on AFN for five months, seems like what you really need are flints (or some other form of reliable firestarter), water collection and purification stuff.

Beyond that, in case of capture, I kept a Koran and a "Go Mohammed!" t-shirt.

But seriously folks - the array of stuff in your vest is pretty good, but quality is USG Lowest Bidder. Check with your PRs, there's a lot of gear "upgrades" available through the supply system. Before our last OEF ride, we picked up better knives, commercial GPS units, etc.

 

[Pugs]

So...
What "extra gear" did/do you take? (Obviously theatre specific and general)

Had a couple packs set up and space minimized by vacuum sealing them.

One with a wire saw, stocking cap, film canister with fish hooks and a small thread spool with some monofilment wound on it, a magnesium fire starter and some steel wool.

Not that I thought I was going to survive fishing but one of those enemies in a survival situation is boredom and figured I could at least do something positive waiting for the helo boys to show up.

If the SV-2 gear has gotten better since I retired these may not be needed but the one's we had were low bidder crap so --- a small maglight and an extra set of AAA batteries, A liquid filled compass, a couple of chemlights, extra knife (a lockblade Gerber with a serrated edge), a couple of extra MAF bags I could use to store water.

Didn't change much in theater other than carry more water and whatever theatre gear they had (pistola' and a couple of mags) extra battery for the PRC-112 and more water.

 

[FLYTPAY]

That little bit of water.....won't cut it, you need more.....Pack a snack....take a voltage conversion kit, you will start out as 3P and if you guys are shot down, you are going to need to convert the plugs for the microwave. And read the thread about P-3's being grounded, welcome to Naval Aviation .

 

[scoober78]

That little bit of water.....won't cut it, you need more.....Pack a snack....take a voltage conversion kit, you will start out as 3P and if you guys are shot down, you are going to need to convert the plugs for the microwave. And read the thread about P-3's being grounded, welcome to Naval Aviation .

Pssst....VQ

 

[Uncle Fester]

Oh, right. VQ... Mandarin phrasebook?

 

[badger16]

a magnesium fire starter and some steel wool.

Now, granted I don't have wings so I can't touch anything else about this tread,But I do however have experience hiking and camping ultralight style and I can say that I carry one of these with me everywhere I go. It has helped me out almost every time I go out overnight! It Will just about start anything and it fits in almost any pocket. Really handy thing to have.

 

[FLYTPAY]

Oh, right. VQ... Mandarin phrasebook?

I think he needs a copy of this! The Tom Brady of EP-3's! (Take the Tom Brady comment how you want)

And if you cannot find a copy of Born To Fly to carry in your SV-2, NSAWC recommends carrying one of these Chuck Norris action figures, a good PR will know where to get one.

 

[SailingSkyHawk]

Well, after watching that "Man vs Wild" show on AFN for five months, seems like what you really need are flints (or some other form of reliable firestarter), water collection and purification stuff.

Beyond that, in case of capture, I kept a Koran and a "Go Mohammed!" t-shirt.

But seriously folks - the array of stuff in your vest is pretty good, but quality is USG Lowest Bidder. Check with your PRs, there's a lot of gear "upgrades" available through the supply system. Before our last OEF ride, we picked up better knives, commercial GPS units, etc.

I wouldn't go off what Bear Grylls does on his show - the guy is a fraud. He stayed in a hotel for one of his shows and routinely gets help from his staff, experts suggest the stuff he teaches is dangerous.

 

[Uncle Fester]

So...you're saying flints and water tablets aren't good survival gear?

 

[hscs]

A Garmin and a copy of Satanic Verses....

 

[HH-60H]

I wouldn't go off what Bear Grylls does on his show - the guy is a fraud. He stayed in a hotel for one of his shows and routinely gets help from his staff, experts suggest the stuff he teaches is dangerous.

Link(s)?

 

[SailingSkyHawk]

Link(s)?

Have at it.

Channel 4 confirmed that Grylls had used hotels during expeditions and ordered the production company that made the programme to investigate the other claims. A spokesman said: 'We take any allegations of misleading our audiences seriously.

Born Survivor is the British version, same guy, scenarios, format et c.

The producers do have a good point about the difference between a documentary and a how to show. The only problem is that they give the impression that he is in an uncontrolled environment (like most people who need to survive) when he is in fact as safe as if he were in bed.

 

[Nose]

Water.
Fire starter.
Water.
Good knife.
Water.

Oh, and if you are going VQ, recommend a list of Chinese and N. Korean airfields in case you ever have to divert...