I'm standing on the shore of Lake Wobegon, my Piper Supercub rapidly going down like R.M.S. Titanic, sunset in 5 minutes and Bart the Bear thrashing just inside the treeline. Ah, no worries! I have my PSK. I open same and peer at the packed goodies not dissimilar to Rubic's Cube. I don't know about you, but playing 52 pickup for Sparklite tinders in the dark is not my idea of survival. So, around my neck is this blaze orange bandanna that earned me the nickname 'Howdie Doodie' with the Sierra Club. I dump my PSK contents onto that, secure my Photon onto a neck lanyard and LORD BE PRAISED! I can see again! I have my Swiss Army Knife in hand, so Bart decided to go home for icecreme. O.K. people, whats next?

Flip your PLB on.

Can I play? <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

First off, good job on the ditching. Obviously, your frequent reading of the aviation survival stories on the ETS site paid off big time!

Did you get off a distress call prior to going down? Was it acknowledged?

I assume that your PSK, light, and bandana made it because they are your EDC when flying. Do you have anything else with you? How are you dressed? What is the weather like? How cold will it get tonight?

May we assume that you are soaked from your swim to shore?

It is obvious from your post that your brain and sense of humor survived! That is good. Take a minute and look around. Any natural shelter? Easy firewood?

Are you injured? If no, check again.

Did you have anyone with you in the plane? Did they get out with you? If not, be aware of the effects that will have on you.

Select the lowest useable setting on your light to conserve battery life.

What do you have and what do you need? I would assume shelter and fire. We will concern ourselves with water from the lake in the morning.

The first three things oyu should be concrened with are shelter, shelter, shelter. Real Estate agents aren't that far off when they say location, location, location.

I think Chris has been in California too long -- Chris should move to Nebraska for some fresher air <img src="/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

I just want people to think about the simple logistics of a PSK. Packing one with every nook and cranny filled with needfull things is one thing: Digging for the mirror layered underneath everything while a plane disappears over the mountains something quite different.

If no bandanna, tip gear into hat or shirt.
Treat injuries.
If no injuries - light fire (quickly) on lake shore - gives warmth, light, signal, normality, smoke for bugs.
Turn light off.
Start thinking.
From foil in EDC, construct pot.
Put lake water on to boil. When cooled you can then drink it. Do this before you are thirsty!
Drag branches to fire for windbreak and fuel. Green branches for bug smoke as well.
Dry out! - may need second, third or fourth fire to get all round heat.
Kick back and enjoy the stars.
Plan the mornings activities!- You will need to collect greenery at daylight to provide more smoke for signalling - great armfuls of it - enough to fill an SUV tray.
The rest, as they say, is camping.
See you in the morning!

In five minutes you probably ought to find something to make fire and keep it going through the night if possible, as this time of year the shores of Lake Wobegon are going to be a little chilly. If that isn't viable (everything covered in two feet of snow), then dig in, bundle up, and wait for first light. Good luck. If you have something to wrap up in packed in that PSK, now might be the time to deploy it if you can't get busy making fire. I hope you've been watching "Survivorman" lately (Boreal Forest episode would be appropriate I think).

In the meantime, we'll light a candle for you down at the OLPR parish, toast you down at the Sidetrack, and give a big oof dah if you don't come through this one. After all, you are above average, aren't you? <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

BTW, if you see Mr. Keillor, see if he can write you a happy ending.