Bailout and survival kit

A hand held airband is a good thing to have. Yaesu nakes a very small one little bigger than a pack of cigs. Thats what I carry also good for directing in your crew for a retreave when having to hike out to a road and away from your machine.

A hand held airband is a good thing to have.

I've thought about that. If you get separated from the glider, it also might help you find it if the glider has an old ELT.

I have a 'chute by Paraphernalia, in Arlington, WA. It has a small built in pouch at the base for survival equipment. Mine contains an aircraft radio with two sets of batteries, strobe with two sets of batteries, knife, compass, signal mirror, whistle, battery to recharge my cell phone, fire starter, stitching tool, paper, pen, and some cash.

I am considering replacing the radio with a Garmin InReach Mini.

My soaring clothes have zipped pockets. The cell phone goes in one, the wallet in another. Too much of a pain to take them in and out of the survival pouch.

The Spot is bolted in the nose of the glider forward of the rudder pedals.

P9

I've been looking online for survival/fishing/photographers vests and I have found some interesting choices. The Bushline Arapaho and Manitoulin vests look pretty good. It appears that the pockets are zippered and placed where interference with seat belts and parachute harness straps may not be as much of an issue as I thought. If shopping in public is ever permitted again, I might have to check out Cabela's and other sporting goods stores to see what's available. It would be nice to try one on and evaluate it.

The Spot is bolted in the nose of the glider forward of the rudder pedals..

So, with the Spot locator bolted in front of the rudder pedals, you don't have access to the SOS button. And if you have to "go for help," the SAR folks will start looking at your tracking information, which could be ~10 minutes old from the last updated position (unless the Spot survives the impact and continues to update). And then they will find the glider location. Hopefully, you will be close enough after bailout, chute deployment and descent to wave at them. But probably not. The Spot or InReach should be on YOU, not the aircraft.

Oh, BTW, carry the InReach instructions with you. Hate to make a safe landing (with or without glider) and not be able to remember how to send a text message.