I haven't had a problem, but it is braided into decorative keyfobs and the such.

-Blast

By the way, Stokie,

Without getting to political, I thought you'd like to know that on my last visit to the UK, my dreaded Leatherman Wave tool attracted the attention of your numbskull law enforcement types. Not only was I annoyed, my property was - in my opinion - stolen by your government agents.

When it came time for us to open a European office, we left the UK out of the running because we just can't abide such a ninny-nanny environment.

I believe the notion that "if the plane crashes, you die" is a myth. Even fatal airline crashes usually have at least one survivor; in the Sioux City disaster, almost two-thirds of the passengers, and all but one of the crew, survived, even though the jumbo jet was nothing but a big ball of flame tumbling end over end down the runway.

I can think of a couple of airline crashes where there were no fatalities. I read about one in Alaska where the turboprop plane lost both engines due to ice crystals in the fuel line, and had to land on a frozen lake. Passengers and crew evacuated the aircraft and had to walk half a mile to shore in temperatures of -30. Fortunately, it was pre-9/11 and the passengers were mostly oil-rig workers on their way back to work, so everyone was "dressed to survive".

There was an Airbus "computerized" plane that went down in the Alps when one of the pilots typed in a 3.0 degree slope on the computer, not realizing that it was a "dual-purpose display" which also controlled the rate of descent. In that mode, what he had actually done was to type in a descent rate of 3000 feet per minute. Since the only indicator was a tiny red light and the absence of a decimal point, needless to say they weren't able to figure out their mistake in the 75 seconds they had left before hitting the side of a French Alp. (I understand the flight deck instruments have been redesigned since then. ;-) )

It took authorities several hours to find the crash site; in fact, it was a reporter for a local radio station who found the site and called for assistance. Quite a few people survived the crash, although many were badly injured; I believe several of them succumbed to the freezing temperatures waiting for rescue to arrive.

I think the chances of ever being involved in an airline crash of any sort, let alone something like the above, are so remote that I can safely leave it off my list of "the top 100 things I worry about dying from". But I have a key on my keyring which is a blank, with five Ronson lighter flints crazy-glued to it, and a short length of clear plastic shrink tubing around it. The key fob has a steel attachment which will strike a spark, and I have a laminated first aid card in my wallet with two or three cotton balls laminated to the back of it (almost invisible against the white card, as it turns out). I've taken these through security maybe a dozen times, and no-one has ever given them a second glance. (I don't do it to "fool security", by the way - it's simply a convenient way for me to carry a basic fire-starting kit on an everyday basis.)

You can also get a small bottle of that alcohol-based hand sanitizer stuff (Purell, or one of the knock-off brands) which is pretty good firestarter and will probably make it through with your perfume/aftershave, toothpaste, and shaving cream in a 1 litre plastic back. I haven't tried that, though.

I'm not sure I'm following just what your question is. Carry-on suggests one thing to me, and carrying a compass doesn't seem to make sense as being useful in the cabin under any circumstance I can think of. A whistle makes sense, as you can blow it if you're trapped in a cabin - whistles last longer than your vocal cords and are better heard. A flashlight so you can see and be seen if the cabin is filled with smoke or other vapor. I carry a Swiss Tech Micro, which is a pliers with screw drivers in the grips - it's made it through X-ray scans for years without comment, and it's handy for putting the screw back into the earpiece when it falls off my glasses (did it yesterday, in fact). My pocket knife is in my checked baggage. I also carry pen and paper for keeping track of things that might come in handy, things we forgot and should have on a list, good restaurants, phone numbers, and such.

I'm sure I'm missing the real question. How is it that you propose to use the compass?

As others have said, my wife and I carry band-aids, OTC pain- and gas-killers, books and water. We also have flashlights and whistles, 2-way radios, books, water, and the like. She carries a blindfold because she doesn't sleep well in lighted areas.

We both also carry a couple of days' worth of clothes in our carry on, along with any medicine we need, cameras, passports, hotel & car-rental confirmations, tickets for whatever we have tickets for - basically everything we need assuming our checked bags won't arrive. (I wear a photographer's vest which is essentially another carry on bag disguised as clothing.)

You're going to Britain, so this won't apply; we fly to the Caribbean, and I always carry 2 or 3 folding fans (the hand-powered kind you fan yourself with) because we board planes that have been standing in the tropical sun and sit there while they finish loading the luggage (for other passengers, of course - the people on earlier flights - our luggage is loaded onto later planes :->) with propeller engines off for the safety of the ground crew.

As with others, our major survival issues have been (a) laying around the airport because the plane didn't arrive and won't and the island has no other means of escape or (b) none of our checked bags made it to our destination and the airline is telling us "your luggage will be on the next flight down," but the flights are WEEKLY, "well, that won't be a problem, will it?" (I can think of a use or two for the compass in those situations, but they're not exactly survival.)

Thanks to all. I appreciate the input, and I have much to think about!

Thanks again.

Iron

Flashlight, always useful. Compass and whistle, they probably won't even see it. A small FAK, with labelled meds. Some duct tape (lifeview's inspector not withstanding) on a coffee stirrer or pen. Photocopy of your ID, the numbers for the consulates and embassy.

A phrase book- the English speak funny. :P

Martin,

No problem, I understand your point and that of bigreddog, it all depends on the plod you meet. Some actually use some common and exercise good judgement. I hope my appearance is that of an upright citizen who doesn't attract too much attention so "normally" there's no reason to incurr the curiosity of the local constabulary. The incident I stated happened in a Pub, the Officier was off duty (if such can ever be the case...serving officiers on the forum can voice an opinion.) in his local, maybe he'd a bad day or something. But in short I had a lecture..true he did nothing about it, but a lecture I got all the same.

Too bad about your leatherman, I can understand, really. I fly between England and France, both sides have no love for the other, at least when going through airport security, I've seen it all on both sides.

Best experience was in Poland. I'd forgotten my PST in my briefcase. It was found, I confessed, they accepted my comments. I was escorted by guards, to the seat on the plane. I was wished a pleasant flight. The stewardess hand back the PST when I arrived in Paris. End of story. Now if it had been on the outbound you can bet your last pound that it would have been confiscated, afterall the last time they took my sliver gripper because it had a point.

I fly quite a bit so here are my $0.02 on teh subject.

1. Realisticly evaulate what your expecting. A trans-atlantic flight we are talking about a crash in to the North Atlanic. If you survive the crash itself your in 33*F water, odds of actually hitting land are slim to none.

2. Next you have to think about what would help you survive against what you can actually carry and would be practicle. A survival suit would keep you alive in the water but it isn't very practile to fly in.

3. Security restrictions. Don't even try and sneek something past TSA. The odds of a plane crash are far, far less than you getting busted by TSA.


So what do I carry?

A Camelbak MULE- (empty through security and then I fill it up inside teh terminal) Water is always number 1.

My keys- on which I carry an LED light and a P-38 can opener. In worst case I can always sharpen the edge on teh P-38 to make it a cutting tool.

A jacket and some clothes in teh camelbak.

Some food stuffs in the camelbak.

Small first aid kit- Lets be realistic, this more than likely isn't going to much use for trumatic plane crash type injuries but good for minor ones.

Book of matches picked up inside the airport post secuirity as well.

I don't carry a compass or land nav stuff because I have no intention of leaving teh crash site.

That way I figure I have water, food, means to make fire, minor elimental protection, minor first aid, a light, and means to create a cutting tool or open cans if needed.

Reminds of the stand up comic's story about flying in stormy weather when the plane loses an engine. The fella next to him turns in a panic and says "Do you think we'll make it back to the airport?"

The comic replys, "Don't worry, this plane will take us all the way to the site of the crash".

If you really want to carry a fixed blade in the UK, you could always wear the kilt.

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