The needed removal of an old truck camper provided an opportunity to test extraction from a crashed aircraft. The camper is (was) of woodframe, duraluminum, plexiglass and fiberglass composite construction. On hand was the (in)famous MOD4 British survival knife ( I hope to repeat this with an USAF model.) I was able to extract myself through the sidepanel and plexiglass window ( amid barking dogs and whinnying horses) in exactly 10 minutes. There was nothing precise or surgical. You truly are hacking, butt hammering and ripping through diverse materials. The blade was somewhat dulled but still able to split green eucalyptus billets and start a fire with my metal match. I enjoyed the warmth as I easily resharpened the edge (while my ranch partner destroyed the trailer in seconds with a scraper equipped tractor.)

Good choice. I broke the tip off of my USAF knife just trying to husk a coconut. Got a Mod 4, and never have been able to hurt it. Ugly it is, but I don't think you can hurt it...<br><br>Side note: Coconut milk and Panamanian rum do not make a good toddy...

Try Hot buttered rums with Kodiak King crab while avoiding the advances of a 6'6" fisherman in drag. Exit the bar and decide to walk back to base while factoring three rums into the wind chill card from survival school, imagining every shadow a brownie or Raquel Welch. Wake up 5 minutes before assigned watch and find the AF survival knife hammer butt was digging into the sciatic nerve all night and your left leg won't work. Greet the officer of the deck who produces two disposable razors and 4 aspirin.

We are getting ready for a trip to Alaska, do I have to do alllll of that stuff???

No, but by all means buy a copy of MILEPOST, which is published by the folks who produce ALASKA magazine.