The topic of PFD knife got me thinking about the other items in my PFD. I know we have discussed this in the past, but I thought I’d bring it up again.

Besides yourself, what else is in your PFD?

My PFD is a Extrasport RetroGlide Sabre. It has lots of pockets. I feel that my Ditch Kit needs to always be in the PFD and can not be too bulky or heavy. In mine there is the knife discussed in another thread, a whistle, a black plastic garbage bag, and a Survival Kit in a Sardine Can.

I don’t know if mine is good, bad, or indifferent, but that is what it is.

3 flares
2 smokes
1 signal mirror (my Coast Guard rescue-pilot bro-in-law says these are more reliable than smoke and flares....when the sun's out)
1 lighter
4 paraffin soaked fire starters
1 magnesium/steel fire starter
1 space blanket
Plus a whistle and knife attached to my PFD

fire steel/vasoline cotton balls.
lighter.
small flashlight.
emergency blanket.
whistle/compass.
2 blade jackknife.
bandaids.
duct tape.
mirror.
advil.

Left to right top down; idiot straps, compass, whistle, safety pins, space blanket, Motrin, gauze roll, gauze pad, tape, antibiotic ointment, Diphen, lifeboat matches, striker, 50 ft. nylon 80lb test cord, recharge and tag for lifevest, multitool, knife. And the camera I shot this with.

The vest is a hybrid inflatable, foam sandwich, air bladder.

butthead

safety knife
water proof/wind proof matches
whistle
small compass
trimmed down water proof map (if applicable)
on or two energy bars

I'm appreciate this thread; makes me look over my kit, and maybe do some upgrading.

granola bar wrapper
several mono bird's nests
couple of chewed up gulp grubs
cigarette butts (in my past)
piece of gum from the 90's
wet matches
birch bark for night's fire
some rocks to bring home
compass
permit

survival kit is kept in my tackle pack...

butthead- like the reflective material on your vest. Never really thought about it before but that is a great emergency feature.

i have a kit that i'm re-doing with a cup and bottle from a Swiss Army canteen.the bottle is cut up and put into the cup reversed to make a water proof container.i have been posting on the Equipped To Survive site and when i finish the kit in the next few weeks i'll post here as well as ETS.i assume if i make it to shore with the gear i'm ok.if i loose the canoe i'll have to camp where ever i come ashore and hang in there until help arrives and hot food and drink will really help.

Good basic survival kit.

An extra stringer (not sure why, it's just always been there) and some extra velcro for tie downs, and one of those cheap emergency ponchos. That's about it, but I'm a warm water paddler.

this is the kit i'm going to re-do the "food side" on by putting the inverted/cut canteen into the cup rather than using just the zip-lock and duct tape.someone has done this at the outdoor site"woodsmonkey".the photo is my old kit.
the food side
the shelter making gear in the other pocket
i assume in the very remote chance of having to use this i'll be close to shore and need shelter and warm food.a Spot or PLB is on my list of gear buys but i'm still thinking that one over.the Q and BW are busy enough that someone would come by or a big smokey fire would attract attention.

wcd- looks good. May want to consider swaping out your Daredevle for this- lighter, multi-species and doesn't need to be casted and retreived like a spoon does for it to work. My $.02.

a small survival kit: fishing gear, wind proof lighter, extra knife, fire starter, water purifying tablets and some rope/string are just a few things in mine kit.

Knife on vest, Leatherman on belt. Lighter, small bottle of bug dope and a match safe in pocket of vest. Carabiner on vest. Match safe with Vaseline soaked cotton balls in pocket. Fire steel and compass around neck. If paddling whitewater, prussiks around back yoke of vest. Nothing else carried on vest or person.

I have a pfd that does not have much in the way of pockets, so a few years ago I grabbed an old kelty fanny pack and kitted it out as a ditch kit. I ALWAYS wear it when paddling in the BW.

CAR KEYS; wallet; (2) ponchos; (1) reflective blanket: firestarter; ace bandage; antibiotic cream; leatherman tool; 50' para cord; iodine tablets; pak-towel; misc band-aids; kleenex; three rolls of lifesaver candy; and a five-foot strip of peel-n-stick metal duct tape.


humm?