Commercial Airline EDC

C

Carthage

Joined
Sep 11, 2004
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249
Please indulge my imagination. I've been watching TV again...

On this show called "Lost," a commercial airliner has crashed on a tropical and deserted island. This got me thinking. Y'all have probably already discussed something like this, but I was not able to find it with a search.

Assuming anything with a sharp point is verboten in your carry-on luggage, what would you make your airborne EDC? It has to fit into your carry-on and be easily accessible in the event of an emergency. Due to incredibly bad weather, you may crash land high in the Andes or somewhere along the Amazon. But wherever you land, it'll be a long, long time before you are rescued.

What do you pack?
 
A couple of weeks ago my lady flew from San Jose, Ca., to Portland, Oregon with her Mother. I had put a small kit into a camera case and she decided to take our digital camera with her, so I removed the knife and the home made firestarter from the kit. I left the bleach in dropper bottle, bandana, 1 gallon ziploc freezer bag, FAK, an industrial grade 55 gallon drum liner, food procurement kit with hooks, etc., disposable lighter, some spark-lite tinder, keychain LED, small compass and of course the camera. It passed security without a problem.

She knows how to scrounge pretty good, so finding a sharp object or making a stick into a pointed tool wouldn't be a problem for her. When they got to where they were going, they rented a car and she headed to Walmart and bought some extra gear including knife for the drive home.
 
How about metal working tools -- maybe a small file and one of those keychain mini-tools with pliers but no blade. I assume the wreckage would be nearby.

I like Longbow50's suggestions too. I would add waterproof paper and a wood pencil for navigation and map-making/journaling.

Oh, and don't forget a fork. You might want that if there were rugby players onboard ;)

Scott
 
I take Bic-like ones all the time. The ones that are banned are the turbo butane ones, like a Windmill Delta. They are afraid you'll cut thru the fusilage. :rolleyes:
 
thatmguy said:
I take Bic-like ones all the time. The ones that are banned are the turbo butane ones, like a Windmill Delta. They are afraid you'll cut thru the fusilage.
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Oh, okay. That makes more sense, then. I wouldn't risk carrying anything but a cheap disposable lighter on my person. I'd ship my Windmill to my destination separately.
 
On my keychain is a Photon II White, Uncle Bill's Sliver Gripper, and a small P38 with shrink tubing over it so it doesn't jab me in the leg while in my pocket. No trouble at all so far in several round trip flights.

I wouldn't cry over the cost if any were confiscated. I would break them first, to make sure that no one else would use them, either.....
 
sodak said:
On my keychain is a Photon II White, Uncle Bill's Sliver Gripper, and a small P38 with shrink tubing over it...No trouble at all so far in several round trip flights.....
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Neither Uncle Bill's Sliver Gripper nor the P38 gave you any trouble? From where did your flights leave? How thoroughly was your keychain inspected?
 
I flew from Denver International (DIA) to both Sioux Falls, SD and Dallas Ft. Worth (DFW) several times. About 6 months ago, they would take out the Uncle Bill's, say, "Oh, it's just a tweezers" (which it is, no sharpened edges), and put it through. Now, they don't even give it a second glance. So far, no problems at all. Oh yeah, I flew into Minneapolis/St. Paul with it also, no sweat.

The P38 has never garnered a second glance. It's one of the small ones, not a large one.

I really like having them on my keychain, and both are about as far as I'm willing to push things. I'm not very adventurous when it comes to airport security...
 
I'd bet that setup wouldn't make it through Philadelphia International Airport, which is where I'd be flying from. They seem much more conservative when it comes to security.

Does your Sliver Gripper sit in one of those keychain holders, such that you have to pinch the tweezer legs together to remove the Gripper from the holder?

How thick is the shrinkwrap tubing that covers your P38? Could you remove it with your fingers if necessary? Can you give me an idea of its dimensions? I have one, myself, but I don't know if it's the small version or not.
 
Credit card sized ceramic knife, snug in your wallet and a double sided stone as in the event of a crash its probably easy to find material for a knife, but less so to sharpen it into a blade, ergo the stone.
 
When there is a plane crash, you must have a lot of piece of metal to make a blade.
But you have always stone (if there is no stone, you don't need for a blade I think) as silex, pebble... that could enable you to sharp enough your piece of metal, no ?
Temper, I think a stone (even a little) in a plane isn't very easy to carry: questions about it, risks of breaking it... For this weight, I think I would take another item.

For the credit card sized ceramic knife, what happens if policeman find it on you....? This possibility is minime but...
a metal fountain pen with a sharp inox nib can make a good little blade. A key with a false engraving, but a true "sharping" (?) is very good too.
 
:D
Before the crash... ! I think you can't tell him: "Hum, I have a ceramic knife because your pilot don't know how to navigate, your planes are old, and I think we have an high probability to make "a landing from the skiy to the ground in 1 or 2 seconds..." (as I read it from a pilot) :)
 
Yes, the Sliver Gripper is in a keychain holder. You have to pinch it to remove it.

The P38 is small, probably 1.5 inches long max. Not the big kind that you find in Walmart or Target. The shrink tubing came from Home Depot. After shrinking, it's a little thinner than a rubber band. I keep my fingernail short, so no, I don't think that I could get it off with my fingers, but it would be easy enough to rub against a rock (or sidewalk) to abrade off in no time.

Hope this helps!

edited to add: My Surefire G2 almost ALWAYS gets a second or third look, usually they take it out. When asked what it is, I tell them a flashlight. One guy obviously didn't believe me, so I told him to look into it and push the end. He saw the light.... lol.
 
sodak said:
Yes, the Sliver Gripper is in a keychain holder. You have to pinch it to remove it.
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Cool. Thank you. I have the same thing.

sodak said:
The P38 is small, probably 1.5 inches long max. Not the big kind that you find in Walmart or Target. The shrink tubing came from Home Depot....
Click to expand...

Yes, your answer helps a lot. What did you use to get the shrink tubing to shrink around the P38, a hair dryer?

sodak said:
My Surefire G2 almost ALWAYS gets a second or third look, usually they take it out. When asked what it is, I tell them a flashlight. One guy obviously didn't believe me, so I told him to look into it and push the end.
Click to expand...

I have almost decided to get the LED drop-in upgrade for my 2-AA Mini Maglite. Then I can carry THAT on board with me, shipping my SureFire E2e separately. I've heard one or two tales (could be urban legends) about expensive personal lights being declared "weapons" so they can be legally confiscated.
 
Temper said:
Credit card sized ceramic knife, snug in your wallet...
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That's called a concealed weapon, dude. Not a good thing to have on your person unless you are a LEO.
 
Never had a problem with my E2e. Did have them freak out over my Spy Capsules that I keep my meds in, but only on the return flight.

I have taken my Windmill a couple times, but only because it was in my jacket pocket and I had the jacket in my laptop bag. No problems, but I wouldn't want to lose it becasue of ignorance. The Bics are fine.

Also had them semi-freak about my GlowRing. Esp when they cupped their hands to see and were concerned how it could be so bright and not be radioactive. Oh well.
 
Yes, your answer helps a lot. What did you use to get the shrink tubing to shrink around the P38, a hair dryer?


Nope, I used a zippo lighter. Gotta do it in style!

If TSA ever decides to try to confiscate my flashlight, I would probably be speaking to several layers of management and then returning to my car. No way I'm giving up an expensive flashlight. Mine doesn't have the "self defense" knurls or anything like that.
 
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