This is an article from the mpioutdoors website. Is this info on the level or is the author dreaming? This is the first time I have ever heard of a balloon as survival equipment.

SURVIVAL BALLOON?

www.mpioutdoors.com/baloon.htm

Something that can be a very useful addition to your Personal Outdoor Safety Kit is a simple balloon. Several sizes of balloons can be easily purchases at gift stores and craft shops around the country, for less that a 25 cents each. Look for good strong latex ones. There are a wide assortment of ways in which this product can be successfully and strategically used in the outdoors for your comfort, protection and personal safety. Here are some of the uses, there are most likely more:


an emergency water carrier-- fill the balloon with water from a steam by partially inflating as you pour into it, takes some practice but it can be done. Tie off the opening with a cord for easy access, transport by supporting the balloon wrapped in a shirt or jacket.
emergency tourniquet—in the event of a deep cut or to stop bleeding when trying to extract a fishing hook, wrap the balloon in deflated stage around your finger, arm or leg and twist to apply pressure to temporarily restrict blood flow. Do not restrict flow for long periods of time.
lashing poles for a shelter— in an emergency situation you can wrap a balloon around the top of 3 cut poles in an upright position then spread the poles into an open position to form a triangle structure. Dig in, tie or stake down your frame. Cover your structure with a SPACE® Brand BLANKET or extra clothing, pine boughs, etc. for temporary protection from the elements.
emergency splint—wrap balloon around cut branches to help immobilize the break. Stretch balloon to tighten around the makeshift splint. Get medical help as soon as possible.
rifle barrel cover—in wet and muddy conditions a balloon over your rifle barrel will keep out the dirt and grime. You can shoot through it if it becomes necessary.
cushioning—when traversing over rocky terrain or in white water, inflate balloons part way to add cushioning to your camera or other valuables in a backpack or wet bag.
pillow—inflate to desired comfort level, cover with shirt or jacket for added comfort.
back support—in a tree stand, or sitting waiting for that turkey, inflate balloon and position in the small of your back against tree. Do not over inflate, allow for comfort.
lashing--tie together your gear and affix to backpack, lash fishing poles together for travel, etc.
tent tie down—got a torn tent flap closure or a tie down rope, twist the balloon and use it as a temporary fix. No string use it to wrap around a branch to support your lantern, etc.
fix broken straps—the flap on your backpack, the catch on your fishing tackle box, whatever.
emergency ice pack—if available add ice, if not fill with cold water from stream. Do not try and use it as a hot water bottle in your sleeping bag, or the midnight fire brigade will arrive.
trail marker—shred into strips to mark the trail you just traversed, or make like Hansel and Gretel and find your way back to your camp after a trek into the wilderness.
tie off—take 4 balloons and tightly wrap around and over each end of a SPACE® Brand EMERGENCY BLANKET, tie front two off onto positioned upright poles and then stretch the back tow down and secure to form an emergency lean to. Face opening out of wind and towards fire for shelter.
food storage—for an emergency situation, before you leave take a balloon and stuff it with trail mix, dry cereal etc. When your hungry a little extra nourishment can go a long way.
marker buoy—found a great fishing spot, mark it with a balloon and string tied to a rock.
some uses that require a little stretch!! Makeshift predator call - emergency shoelaces - Fishing bobber - Hand mitten for keeping off blood while cleaning game or in case of sheer boredom a slow motion volleyball game can be quickly arranged!
All of the above may seem a little silly and inane, but by taking a simple object and finding uses for it that can be beneficial in your outdoors adventures is a mind exercise of visualizing your environment and your potential needs. In the outdoors your mind is your greatest survival tool, going through an exercise like the above may seem like a bit of fun, but it can be very beneficial, as it keeps you thinking. Should you ever become lost, stranded or separated, you will need to have your mind working for you and not against you.

When I get a balloon, I will try some of these ideas. Comments?

Why not? Seems reasonable to me. Probably a good idea to have more than a few on hand if you intend to use for all of those. :-)

And definitely, strength of material has to be the number one issue on most if not all of these. Though, I have seen some cheapo party baloons survive crazy things I wouldn't have thought they could. Might just have to add one or two to the PSK.

So....just how long does it take to fill a balloon with granola? Do I hear "condoms filled with granola".....?

I think I'll buy a bag of balloons...... If you connect them all over your body (including your toes), I'm sure the masses will not mess with you as you Bug Out.

Another use towards Survival which immeadiately comes to mind, -is it's use for getting a GPS, Radio Transmitter / Receiver, Small Observation Camera, Signaling Device, etc, -up above Trees, Hillsides, etc, -to a working Height.

Also, -larger ones for Escaping, Clearing Heights, Obstacles, etc. (As exemplified in some Famous Escapes over the Berlin Wall and Iron Curtain.). Might be as good way to Clear a Glacial Crevice too!

Along the above lines, -I once heard something about some kind of personal "Jumping Balloons"! If anyone knows anything on them, -I Sure would like to so Know too!

I've also mulled over the Possibilities for using Balloons for (seeming) "Weight Reduction" in Gear.

Problems here are that, if even Feasable, -it can be Great for some Terrains, -but not for others. For instance, -a Flat, Treeless Plain, vs Maneauvering thru the Trees and Brush of a typical Forest or Woods. And the Size of the Balloon for "Gear Weight Reduction" purposes, -would have to be not so great in Volume, -as to inhibit such Maneauverability.

To be Clear: -By "Seeming Weight Reduction", -I mean that X amount of a Balloon's Lift, -would cancel out X amount of Gear Weight. Making for certainly a Lighter Hiking Experience!

Together with the Many Uses that you have come up with, -Balloons toward Survival and Outdoors Purposes, -I think is not So Puff Up an Idea after all! [color:"black"] [/color] [email]riedmur[/email]

I've actually just recently done fairly extensive research on weather balloon technology for lofting wireless gear and I can tell you that the "lift" capacity of a standard 3' weather baloon is marginal under the best of circumstances (same for 6' and 18' which go up in cubic volume eponentially). If you attach some sort of lift generating structure such as wings and tail (ala assisted kite/ballloon hybrid "Platform") then you can get decent capacity of lift if the wind is blowing. But we are talking ounces. And the larger a ballon gets the more helium or other LTA gas is used and price goes up.

Now, in a field expedient sort of way, the ONLY rational use I could think of to carry a cylinder of Helium and a few weather baloons would be for signaling. And even then, you really need an anchor of some sort. Even monofilament has some weight, so in all but the most forgiving of circumstances, this is a likely a no-go. But I can see a 3' orange balloon with a few hundred feet of mono as a decent signal.

For those interested, I'm working on a lofted 802.11g (or MAX when it comes) wireless solution where I strip off all components of a router except an antenna and power it using super-thin leads from the ground. Think Power Over Ethernet, but with 2 wires and thin resin shielding. Why not just float an antenna instead of a router+antenna? Well, I'll leave that to the HAM crowd here, but let's just say that long copper cables aren't necessarily conducive to antenna function and signal loss.

Anyway, even then, under pristine conditions with tiny load and lifting structure and mild wind (enough to lift without shredding) and you just MIGHT get enough to carry up a few extra oz. of equipment on top of the cable to power it.

The wind resistance you pick up from a balloon will far outclass the reduction in weight if you are dragging it along. Plus, who's carrying Helium into the woods besides scientists?

And if you are talking hot air balloons, well, good luck packing those on a hike.

I think we may have the next contestant on American Idol although I am sure that some contestants may have dressed up covered in balloons on Let's Make a Deal for those old enough to remember that show.

http://www.bcbin.com/Default.aspx?cid=17

Location Marker Balloon
CK409

Developed for the UK MOD, the BCB location marker balloon is a bespoke product designed to meet exacting military requirements.The balloon's primary function is as a visual beacon for helicopter pilots extracting personnel from dense jungle. The balloon floats above the canopy creating a radar signature and can be fitted with light discs (see below) for low light / night time operations. The smallest and lightest product of its kind available today.

136 litre radar reflective balloon
75m (250ft) teather line
Flow regulated valve
Can be operated in minutes
Non-flammable / non-toxic helium gas
Vacuum sealed
Length: 35.1cm (13.5")
Max diameter: 8.06cm (3.1")
Max operation time: 120 hours
Weight: 1.6 Kg (3.5lb)
NSN: 4240-99-366-5580

As an exercise for thinking outside the box, it's fine. For real time survival, well......... (visualize rolling eyes emoticon here).

You would get more use out of some paracord, ziplock bags and colored surveyors tape.

And latex rots in sunlight like Jello on hot pavement.

Sue

> This is the first time I have ever heard of a balloon as survival equipment.

I think all of those are sometimes touted as uses for condoms.

I think that all of the apps and uses in riedmur's extensive list, -do continue to hold true. Plus all of the additional uses not even having been thot of there! I hear your Points, -but I would not pass off Balloons that quick. [color:"black"] [/color] [email]Susan[/email]