I hope you don't mind me posting this question here, but if anyone knows I suspect the users of this forum do.
I'm putting together some gear to fly cross-channel, to the Scillies and around the Baltic in a Super Cub and have a couple of questions about life vests, immersion suits and EPIRBs. If the engine quits and I manage to get out, I would hate to die because I'm stupidly under-equipped, although I'm not going to have a raft because of weight and space concerns and the low likelihood of getting it out of the baggage space in a cub.
1. Life vests
Doug Ritter at
www.equipped.com highly recommends the dual chamber Switlik Helicopter Crew Vest as being the best on the market. Any feedback on that? They're jolly expensive.
2. Goretex versus neoprene immersion suits
I already have a (North Sea?) goretex immersion suit, secondhand, bought from South Eastern Marine Services for £100. I need a second one and am now looking at a US Navy / Coastguard neoprene one. Would this be a bad buy? What are the advantages of goretex vs neoprene? Anyone got any opinions on this?
3. EPIRBs
Various ones on the market. Any recommendations as to frequencies, brands etc.? How essential are they?
4. Any other 'do not leave home without' suggestions for gear, bearing in mind restrictions on weight and bulk and the difficulty of getting out of the front seat of a cub at the best of times? If you don't get out, it doesn't matter what you're loaded up with.
I realise that after my most recent contribution to the helicopter ditching thread I am laying myself w-i-i-i-de open, but hey! ;-)
Thanks in advance,
QDM