@TreeA10 said:
If you think the folks coming looking for you might be using night vision googles
Interesting, but how would you know? I’d have never thought of these being used by searchers, as they’d likely be blinded by the others that are using powerful search lights.
@Rookie said:
@Sparky961 said:
Ok, so it turns out I am a “prepper”.Well, you’d be the guy I hope would notice I’m out of my boat in dicey conditions.
And should I ever come across someone out of their boat in dicey conditions, I hope they actively participate in the rescue as you’re almost certainly able to. Oh, and hopefully it isn’t actually you - because I don’t wish that on anyone.
@string said:
Whistle, chapstick, pain killers.
Now, “pain killers” … that’s one I should add for sure. Never know when those are going to come in handy, especially after going through something that’s separated paddler and boat.
yes I forgot whistle I carry also in vest pocket tethered
folding knife, spare drain plug, granola bar, small tube of sunscreen all go in pocket. Whistle on the zipper
Wow! You’re packed for a trip to find the Northern Passage. I keep one car key, asthma inhaler and a whistle. I guess the good thing is I always wear the vest.
@DrowningDave said:
Wow! You’re packed for a trip to find the Northern Passage. I keep one car key, asthma inhaler and a whistle. I guess the good thing is I always wear the vest.
Oh, my… I can only imagine how loaded down I’d be for a trip like that.
Sparky, I was thinking Coast Guard helo’s or boats when thinking NVGs or FLIR. As long as you aren’t in close proximity and staring directly at a bright light or heat source, the newer goggles aren’t really hampered by them.
Back when I guided in Alaska and Baja, the item I used every day from my lifejacket was a tooth brush, and a small tube of tooth paste. Always wanted to learn a tooth brush roll, but never wanted to bother getting wet first thing in the morning, would have been a good trick though.
Currently my front country setup and always in my lifejacket pocket (I usually value maneuverability over gear):
-Serrated spyderco folder attached to a Lendal lock key
-earplugs and noseplug
-roll on sunscreen
-expired drivers license with emergency contact info
-small bright waterproof flashlight
-whistle and compact strobe
Things I add for longer paddles :
-plb
-vhf, mostly for weather
-snacks
-binoculars
-compass
If I were solo paddling in exposed places:
-a bic
-emegency bivy sack
-space blanket
-tooth brush and floss
On the vest: serrated river knife & a whistle.
In vest pockets: 1 pulley, 2 locking caribines, and 2 loops of nylon, tubular webbing.
All other “gee gaws”, and personal items are in a small waterproof bag; strapped to the thwart in front of me, and within easy reach .What goes in that bag depends on what river I’m going to paddle. I “always” have a well stocked first aid kit in the water proof bag, and I “always” carry raingear.
All the gear in the world doesn’t count for much;if you don’t check the weather, have good situational awareness, have the skills necessary to negotiate the venue you’re paddling, and make well reasoned decisions.
I don’t know how many times I’ve seen people in 15 hundred dollar boats; carrying or wearing another 15 hundred dollars worth of gear.
Training: they have none!
Toys; they got all of them!
Paddling skills: they couldn’t hit a 5 boat eddy if their life depended on it!
I love me! That’s where a lot of my boats, paddles, and mics. gear came from…
BOB
Mine seems to be full of some kind of synthetic closed cell foam. 
Holy crap, no wonder some of you have trouble with cowboy rescue. All that stuff bulging out from from pockets and tethered to various places.
My PFD only has whistle, snack, earplug and noseclip in or attached to it. All else goes in a small drybag, except keys which go in a small Pelican box. I clip the watch to the boat, sometimes to the PFD.
I have carried more in or on a PFD occasionally but normally keep it as streamlined as possible, for both re-entry/roll manueverability and for avoiding big protrusions if I have to swim.
If I wanted to carry some emergency gear on my body. I would vacuum-seal it and slide that bag into a PFD with an inner hydration sleeve. Attaching a strip of Velcro tape across the top of the sleeve pocket would keep the bag from sliding out unintentionally.
Speaking for myself, most everything except for the strobe (on back washtub) and rolled up safety sausage (currently on shoulder strap) is in pockets and not sticking out. Well, the VHF radio antenna does stick out. I try to keep it as streamlined as possible although it IS a compromise. But as the saying goes, once you’re out of your boat, if you’re not wearing it, you don’t have it so I do try to keep the signaling essentials on my person. In any case, the biggest thing bulging out on me, unfortunately, is my belly!
@SeaDart said:
Mine seems to be full of some kind of synthetic closed cell foam.
Always a joker in the bunch… :neutral: Good one though…
@pikabike said:
Holy crap, no wonder some of you have trouble with cowboy rescue. All that stuff bulging out from from pockets and tethered to various places.
Never had a problem with any reentry myself, except the occasional skirt hang-up which has nothing to do with what’s in or on my PFD. If anything was interfering, it wouldn’t be there the next time I went out.
Same goes for rolling. No issues due to PFD and contents. My dry suit, albeit decent for what it is, is far more restrictive of motion than anything related to PFD.
It’s interesting how divergent people opinions and practices are on this subject. I honestly thought that, despite differences in paddling environments, there would have been almost a “standard complement” of supplies that one keeps on their person.
I’m not willing to say anyone’s system is right or wrong. It has become more than obvious that I carry a few more goodies with me than the average person though. I fully subscribe to the idea that if it isn’t on you, you don’t have it when you need it. It’s for the same reason that when I go for a little wander around to explore around my camp, I always grab a few things I’d want to have with me if I were to fall and break a leg, or (unlikely as it is) be unable to find the way back to camp.
Well, you’ve got your minimalists, and yer pack rats.
What you carry s/b heavily influenced by where you are paddling.
It is true that if it isn’t worn on your body, you don’t have it…IF you lose your boat.
Which is why keeping hold of the boat is top priority right after (1) getting air to lungs and (2) then looking around to see if any horrible event is about to come crashing in. Barring #2, it’s a matter of staying or getting back in the boat, and that presupposes HAVING the boat and the skills to recover from an upset. It is the biggest flotation device of all, as well as the one that allows getting back to the launch area.
My first kayaking book, way back when, was The Coastal Kayaker’s Manual by Randall Washburne. It was an excellent intro to kayaking (w touring boats) IMO. The concept I most value and best remember from that book is the idea of multiple concentric rings of defense (with one’s demise being in the middle). I’m not 100% sure I have the details exactly as he laid them out but basically it was that your first, outermost, ring of defense is to understand your limits and the power of the sea (and sky) and to not find yourself in conditions that you can’t handle. If that fails, the next ring of defense is to be able to stay upright in such conditions. If that too fails, the next ring of defense is to have a good roll. If the grim reaper should penetrate that ring as well, the next ROD is to have solid rescue skills (e.g., re-entry and roll, etc.), and finally, if that too fails, be able to communicate your precarious situation to potential rescuers. You may or not be with your boat. Doo doo happens and it can do so with varying degrees of personal culpability (I am reminded of the recently posted video of the Monterey kayaker who watched in horror as a Great White munched on his boat). Anyway, all this is to say that while I agree that your boat gives you the most floatation and visibility and you should do what you can to not get separated (this could be an additional ring of defense), I like having my key signaling options on my person just in case.
It doesn’t take much time for a boat to blow beyond your grasp, should you let go in the few seconds after surfacing for air following “an event”. With a group, you’ve got others that can chase the boat downwind successfully. Solo, not so much. Which is much of the reason why I personally like to be as prepared as I can. Much of my paddling is done solo which, to me, means that I have to be extra prepared for even the unlikely edge cases.
I often imagine things that could happen to me and try to put myself in the situation (mentally) then go through the steps of what I’d do. More than once, with less severe situations, this visualization has enabled me to calmly handle things while others are beginning to freak out. Sometimes this leads to the conclusion that I need to be carrying something more, like the recent addition of a PLB for example.
Again, this is what works for me, and not necessarily what I think everyone needs to be doing.
I agree you don’t want to be separated from your boat. I use a paddle leash when paddling alone and some times a leash connected to me if going far off shore or in winds. Probably a lot more useful than loading your PFD. Check out how expedition kayakers paddling alone stay connected to their boats. Unless you are taking drinking water along in your PFD, you are not going to last long with all that junk anyway. What may be more valuable is practice in getting knocked down in large surf and maintaining control of your boat, getting back, in, or on and getting on with your trip. Gear does not create skills. Greenlanders, Aleuts, Inuits did not have VHF radios, and yet, they mostly survived.
