INFO
The point of a larger "primary" aviation survival kit is to reduce the demands on the survivors and increase the odds of their surviving. The considerable extra equipment and supplies over what can be reasonably carried on your person offers a huge advantage, especially to anyone without specific survival training or experience in the outdoors, or who isn't in the greatest physical shape. It is generally enough equipment to turn a dire survival circumstance into an impromptu camping trip.
The typical general aviation pilot to whom these premium survival kits are targeted is not in good physical condition, many are in pretty poor physical condition. These pilots often spend their days behind a desk or in front of a computer, not in the gym or doing hard physical work. The pilot’s passengers, often family members, are generally in no better shape. Young children are particularly vulnerable.
Energy and strength demands in a survival situation can be quite high and if you can't satisfy those demands, your survival kit needs to be able to compensate. If runnibg up a few flights of stairs would leave you breathing hard or breathless with your heart thumping, you're not in the best shape to survive in the wilderness, even more so at higher altitudes in the mountains.
I've also noticed that like much of the general population these days, relatively few of these pilots are experienced outdoors-persons. This is often even more the case with their passengers. Even some who think of themselves as experienced have never really roughed it, as was common a generation or two ago. I've met many who have never had to light a fire in the wilds, let alone in the dark with wind and rain complicating matters. Lighting a camping stove just isn’t the same thing. Experience roughing it in the wilderness can go a long way towards compensating for lesser equipment. Lack of wilderness and survival skills and experience demands more and better gear and supplies in your survival kit.
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Vacuum Packing
All components of the kit are inspected before packing and items of a mechanical nature are checked for proper operation. This means that you know that the lighter lights, the Spark-Lite fire starter sparks, the whistle works (checked with filtered air), all the various implements of the multi-purpose tool operate and function as designed, etc. Even though I use the best quality components I can find, I recognize that nobody's quality control for mass produced products is 100%. No matter how good a company's warranty is, it does you no good if the component fails to work in the middle of nowhere. I do everything I can to ensure that when your life depends upon this equipment in dire circumstances, it will work.
That's one of the reasons that almost everything in the Doug Ritter Aviator Survival Paks™ is vacuum packaged except the Medical Kit, quick access gear, Platypus water bags, Snow Claw and a few odds and ends. Vacuum packaging protects the gear and supplies from damage or deterioration in storage. There's also the advantage that we can reduce the volume of some of the gear significantly with vacuum packaging (for example the Bivy Sacks, Tarp and personal protection gear), which allows us to use a smaller, more compact container for the kit.
Vacuum packaging also discourages pilfering or casual use of emergency supplies for non-emergency use. Experience tells us that once used, those item(s) will not be replaced and won't be there when needed in a real emergency.
The Medical/First Aid Kit is more likely to be needed without the entire kit, so it isn't vacuum packaged. The quick access gear is similarly not vacuum packaged for immediate access, but stored inside heavy duty zipper-lock plastic bags.
A compact brightly colored retractable utility knife is included to slice open the vacuum packaging material. This utility knife is located inside the pack, attached with a clip at the top center of the pack where it hangs down when you open the main compartment, immediately available. This is just insurance in case the pilot with his own knife isn't available to get at the gear.
Custom Designed and Constructed Pack for the Doug Ritter Aviator Survival Pak™
All the survival gear and supplies are contained in a specially designed pack built exclusively for me by Semper Paratus Tactical in the U.S. (Semper Paratus translates as "Always Ready"). The pack is based on their military assault pack and is constructed of mil-spec 1000 denier genuine CORDURA® ballistic nylon to the same high combat proven standards. Heavy duty mil-spec #9 YKK zippers are used. A bright red CORDURA® was chosen so that it is easy to locate in an emergency. The bright red color and "AVIATOR SURVIAL PAK" embroidered in contrasting gold thread clearly mark it as a piece of emergency equipment. In addition, a patch of SOLAS grade retro-reflective material is affixed to all six sides of the pack. If you have to toss it out and away from the aircraft at night during a quick exit, simply shining your flashlight around the area should locate the pack by the bright reflection of the retro-reflective patch.
Special care has been taken to minimize protrusions, straps and the like on the outside of the Pak that could inadvertently catch on something while exiting the aircraft. The pack's shoulder straps are packed inside the kit so they don't impede your exiting the aircraft by catching on something. Their attachment points are tucked away so they cannot catch on anything. Since the odds are you will stay with the aircraft, they are unlikely to be needed, but if you do need them they are easily attached (illustrated instructions are provided) and are ergonomically designed and padded, again, based on the Assault Pack design, to make carrying the pack easier and reasonably comfortable.
It is critical to ensure that the pack is tightly secured in the aircraft. You don't want it flying around the cockpit or cabin in a sudden stop or as a result of a crash or inadvertent negative G maneuver. In some aircraft seats the seat belt is located far enough forward and down in relation to the seat back that tightening up the seat belt could cause it to slip down to the bottom of the pack. This pack is equipped with a patent pending Retention System on the front of the pack below the front pocket. As long as you make sure the seat belt is above this ledge before cinching it tight, it will catch the belt and prevent it from slipping down. This also retains the pack in case of negative G. The ledge is designed so that it will not capture the belt when the seat belt latch is released, so that it doesn't impede getting the Aviator Survival Pak™ out of the aircraft. (You should also ensure the shoulder strap(s) is/are over the front of the pack, just as with a person in the seat.)
A sturdy mil-spec webbing handle is located over the center of gravity of the pack to make carrying easier. It is reinforced with additional webbing on the interior to ensure that when you grab the pack to exit the aircraft in an emergency it won't tear out.
The back and bottom of the pack is padded with high-density closed-cell foam to protect both the survival components inside and your upholstery, as well as your back in case you have need to carry it using the shoulder straps.
All this attention to detail and extra effort on the pack for the Doug Ritter Aviator Survival Pak™ helps to ensure that if you ever need this survival gear to save your life, it will be there for you.
Cordura® is a registered trademark for durable fabrics.
This item ships UPS GROUND, although FedEx Ground is shown during checkout (system limitation prevent us from showing UPS as an option). Due to the CUSTOM nature of this product the Aeromedix.com 30 Day Return policy does NOT apply. There are no return or refunds available on this product. Doug Ritter reserves the right to substitute, add or withdraw components of the survival kits and vests at his discretion.
