Survival kits

[Pontius Navigator]

Onan <<Don't the kits have two locks, over six feet apart so that it takes two people with separate keys to open one?>>

Sorry mate, that is the multi-seat one. They recognised the problem for the SSD and repacked the kit. The SS FAK has a spring at the bottom. When you rip open any part of the kit the spring ejects the contents not less than 6 feet.

If you are able to find the contents list you are then able to undertake that other essential of survival.







Time occupation to stop you worrying about the chopper that isn't coming. Or the bad guys who are.

[diginagain]

Originally Posted by flipster

No-one ever gave us instruction as to what the pills were all were for. However, someone did once tell me that there would be written dosage instructions inside the sealed FAK. However, as I have never opened a FAK in anger, I cannot verify this - anyone care to comment?

All I can recall from the av. med. lessons was "don't eat them all at once". Having left Aunty Bettie's employ from a non-aviation post, I blagged all of my kit, including two little green foil pouches (FAK and the supplemental). Several years passed, eblag appeared, and so I went in search of surplus stuff for disposal. Rather than flog the FAKs, my curiosity led me to investigate their contents, and YES, there are written instructions within. Rest assured, the medications were handed over to a medical professional for disposal.

[flipster]

Digs

Thanks, at least there are instructions inside - but how many would have the time to read them in a survival situation? This is not a good way to have to learn elementary self-medication. Perhaps the St Mawgan guys should invite the doc over for a chat with studes during survival courses?

[diginagain]

What else are you going to read, your BINA's only good for bog-roll? We (as a course) tried to cajole our Spec Av Med to give us a bit of gen, he explained his reluctance was based on the worry that we'd break open the pack hunting for pain relief after a night on the lash. (Not us, never).

Yes, I agree, a little knowledge might be of benefit - you'll have to push St Mawgan on the issue.

[flipster]

"Not me Chief, I'm Airframes!"

[diginagain]

Originally Posted by flipster

"Not me Chief, I'm Airframes!"

It was more of a general 'you'll', not specifically 'you'll'.

[Sashathehungry]

Originally Posted by flipster

Diphenoxylate & Atropine - Anti-sh!ts

Hmm not sure about Atropine being for anti diarrhoea - it's what's in the combo pens should you get a whiff of nerve nasty. Perhaps they represented a token effort at worrying what might happen should you bang out into a cloud of VX?

STH

[diginagain]

Atropine will bung you up. IIRC, one of its purposes as an autoject was to help you to maintain some semblence of dignity, since nerve agents will loosen your bowels pretty sharpish.

[Lord Harry Flashman]

They Do tell you

Having been on a course at St Mawgan Survive Evade Resist Extract (SERE) recently I can tell you that they do now give you 10-15 minutes on what is in the med pack and what its for. Unfortunately, I was standing at the back freezing to death at the time and missed most of it. I Don't think Codene is in it any more (Also a "constipator"). I know an Eye ointment is contained in it that also doubles up as a good fire lighter.

[airborne_artist]

Diphenoxylate & Atropine - Anti-sh!ts

= Lomotil, an over the counter anti-sh!ts medicine.

Atropine on its own is in the anti-nerve agent pack as it prevents/reduces mucous membrane secretions, and prevents pupils from constricting. Nerve agents induce very runny nose/tear ducts/salivation etc. and pupillary constriction. The massive amount of secretions produced in the bronchia can drown people quite quickly.

[TimL]

When I did the Winter Survival Course at Bad Kohlgrub in the 1970s, our FAK had two identical little bottles of pills, one containing Paludrine and the other water-sterilising tablets. Camped beside the raging River Ammer, downstream of both Unter- and Oberammmergau, we religiously added the water-purifying tablets to the water we took from the river. After three days, we were alarmed to discover that the water-purifying bottle was full, while the Paludrine bottle was empty. At least none of us (including a later CAS) got malaria!

[jimgriff]

So what does the kit consist of these days? Thats the full survival kit.
Thanks for the answers so far.

[RS15]

codine phosphate was removed some years ago as a pain killer that was also used for stopping ****s. it was replaced with loperamide hydochloride (imodium) which also bungs you up - but no good as a pain killer!! This was also not advertised and with instructions on the inside, the first we knew was on opening the FAK ( even SCSR were unaware of the change - thanks medics!!)