some good ideas--just so you don't have to run thru the
entire post again i'll put a few comments here..



this is the sort of big wilderness lake i would be up against.
in this photo i was crossing the inside of that large bay in
rough but stable water when i saw a very heavy wind comming
from the north..you can see the whitecaps out in the blue
water..i made for shore and was pulling the gear out when the
wind hit..my canoe is very satble and made to travel thru this
sort of country but i'm not a trapper heading for his cabin
with a load of fur..i'm on vacation so solid ground is better
than a wind whipped lake..
looking back at this photo i thought what a joke the flasher
on the PFD was..who would be around to see it and how would
it show up if i was out in the middle of that lake..
if i could swim off a lake like this and get ashore with
enought energy to get a fire going and make a shelter the
plan was to hang the flasher by the shore to attract attention.

OK..about your good comments...a knife--i carry one on my
belt most of the time..a Mora 2000..it's a good size sheath
knife that would handle most chores..in warm weather when
it's shorts and a tee shirt i keep a SAK in a zippered
pocket..
the compressed soup only comes in pea as far as i know.
pea soup with bacon fat in it is very high in food value
which is why is was used as a iron ration..

water bag--i will add one to the kit..having water in camp
will be handy..the lake water is about as pure as it gets
and as i drink it all the time--for many years--i don't
need treatment tabs..

the duct tape is the small rolls you can now get in a 3 pack
at REI..it seems to hold up well but i'll swap it out and
take fresh rolls and keep the used for odd jobs at home.

heatsheet??--they seem too bulky for a PFD pocket..i have
not seen one in real life but i'll check it out..the mylar
blanket is to be used as a roof for a shelter and the
bag as something to try and keep warm and dry in..
lifeboat matches have a shelf life???..i'll swap those
out too..what i would like to find is a lighter--not
a Bic--that with one press you can get a large strong
flame that keeps going without holding the starter down..
a old Zippo fills the bill and i see butaine lighters
that might work..i have read accounts when people are
so cold and shakeing that striking a match or holding
a lighter is just about impossible..and i don't want
sparks--if there was a one shot--pull the tab and drop
in a pile of wood fire starter i would like to find it.
i have a whistle on the PFD--i would spent a lot of time
blowing on it..i have been in places where i have not seen
anyone for days and then around a point comes a couple
canoe loads of fisherman or another solo tripper out
on his adventure..the park service also makes fly overs
but they are not looking for lost campers but watching
for fires and are kind of high up...
but the chances are small that i might have to use
that PFD --falling down on the portage and busting
a hip is far more likely--thats another story--

I believe a pyrotechnic flare would fit that bill pretty well. It’s not too far-fetched for a boater/canoer to carry, either.

I have used a road flare (fusee) with good results in starting fires in the past. They a a little long for personal carry but I think the rear-end could be shortened.

I do not know how waterproof they are?

Mike

Not especially, from what I have heard. In fact, if they get wet, they start getting hot. I don’t really know much about why, as I haven’t dunked flares to find out, and I don’t think I’m going to any time soon.

Hi JCWohlschlag,

I have carried road flares in my truck kit for years and do know that if they sit in the bottom of a damp tool box of a long time (might have been years) the fusee expands and the outer casing splits (big mess).

I will test the waterproofness of a road flare this afternoon and post the results.

(LOL, I can hear the fire trucks already).

Mike

Hi,

I soaked a road flare (fusee) in a pail of water for two hours then buried it in the snow for two hours. The flare was the type with a plastic cap that is removed to expose the striking surfaces. To ignite you remove the cap from the flare, and the top from the cap; you then strike the cap on top of the flare to make a spark and ignition (think of it as a giant safety match).

It seems that the water deteriorated both of the ignition striking surfaces and I was unable to light the flare at all. I thought it might just be the flare because they are quite old and beat-up, but a second one from the same box lit easily. These things burn great and I had planned to cut one down for use as my winter last-chance SHTF fire making option, I guess I need to re-think that idea.

I need to try the test again with a brand new flare and also the type that has the striker end wrapped in a plastic film (not as easy to remove as the plastic cap).

I will post the outcome.

Mike

I hope Blast dosen't see this he may get upset thinking someone is trying to out do him.

A boaters/marine store have smaller and water proof flares.

Just put the flares in a strong plastic bag and tie a knot in the neck.
The Sock

A fueled zippo in a plastic bag is hard to beat as a fool-proof fire starter (with extra flints under the wick of course). Add an easily accessible candle and you're set. Cheaper and easier than worrying about flares IMO.