Alaska bound.....

[KG]

Well.... things haven't worked out as well as I had hoped for flying the 170 to Alaska. I've had a couple of family issues and couldn't get out of a work assignment last week. My departure for Alaska has become so delayed that I'm putting it off. I'm parking the 170 in a friends hangar this afternoon and plan to catch an airline flight to Alaska tomorrow. Hopefully I can try again next month if I can get the time off work that I will need. I'll keep you posted..... Keith

[GAHorn]

[... It's my understanding that most of the survival schools are now teaching to not take an axe as there have been more injuries with them than lives saved. A good folding saw is more useful, safer, and lighter weight....

It's true that axes/hatchets are dangerous in the hands of inexperienced users. In times past, they were common tools in everyday useage, but these days.... few have been trained in safe useage. At a recent fly-in, one of the kids was vigorously chopping wood in the vicinity of others, and while he meant well and his work greatly appreciated.... I cringed every time I saw him take a swing at an unsupported log (no chopping block) with his legs/ankles/feet in the path of a potential missed-stroke, and with bystanders in the arc of each swing of the axe-head.

Every Boy Scout was taught proper safety and useage of axes and hatchets, and I recommend that one should practice with EACH AND EVERY TOOL one intends to rely upon in the field....BEFORE the need arises! Here's a training document from the Boy Scouts, I'm sure there are others:

Use of Axes and Saws.pdf

Also visit the following website: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/Fsp ... page16.htm

The most important rules:
1- When you are tired... STOP. Injuries happen due to loss of control when fatigued.
2- Use a chopping block or log between yourself and the piece to be cut. It will prevent a missed-blow from continuing
to cause an injury to yourself.
3- Never swing a hatchet or axe such that the tool or tool-head could leave your hand and hit a bystander. Keep others away, and out of the arc-of-swing. (Imagine sweaty hands allowing the axe to slip and fly away. Where will it go? Are there people ahead of you, in the path of a fly-away axe?)
4- Keep it sharp. (A good (fine) file is better for axe/hatchet sharpening than commonly-recommended stones, and a file is a more useful tool in a survival toolkit.) A dull tool is dangerous because it will glance OFF the workpiece, but will continue to cut YOU.
5. Carry it with the blade away from your body, and keep it sheathed when not in use.

[wingnut]

[... It's my understanding that most of the survival schools are now teaching to not take an axe as there have been more injuries with them than lives saved. A good folding saw is more useful, safer, and lighter weight....

It's true that axes/hatchets are dangerous in the hands of inexperienced users. In times past, they were common tools in everyday useage, but these days.... few have been trained in safe useage. At a recent fly-in, one of the kids was vigorously chopping wood in the vicinity of others, and while he meant well and his work greatly appreciated.... I cringed every time I saw him take a swing at an unsupported log (no chopping block) with his legs/ankles/feet in the path of a potential missed-stroke, and with bystanders in the arc of each swing of the axe-head.

Every Boy Scout was taught proper safety and useage of axes and hatchets, and I recommend that one should practice with EACH AND EVERY TOOL one intends to rely upon in the field....BEFORE the need arises! Here's a training document from the Boy Scouts, I'm sure there are others:

Use of Axes and Saws.pdf

Also visit the following website: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/Fsp ... page16.htm

The most important rules:
1- When you are tired... STOP. Injuries happen due to loss of control when fatigued.
2- Use a chopping block or log between yourself and the piece to be cut. It will prevent a missed-blow from continuing
to cause an injury to yourself.
3- Never swing a hatchet or axe such that the tool or tool-head could leave your hand and hit a bystander. Keep others away, and out of the arc-of-swing. (Imagine sweaty hands allowing the axe to slip and fly away. Where will it go? Are there people ahead of you, in the path of a fly-away axe?)
4- Keep it sharp. (A good (fine) file is better for axe/hatchet sharpening than commonly-recommended stones, and a file is a more useful tool in a survival toolkit.) A dull tool is dangerous because it will glance OFF the workpiece, but will continue to cut YOU.
5. Carry it with the blade away from your body, and keep it sheathed when not in use.

I made certain Tina could cook and chop wood before I married her.

[sea1dww]

Hello All

I've made two trips to Alaska over the last few years. I'll be going again this year in the last two weeks of September.

The first trip I took was in early September and the weather was great. It was also late in the season for bugs, so they were not an issue. The second trip was in July. The weather was horrible and we actually circumnavigated the base of Mckinley and never saw it. I'm posting links to the web page my Dad put together for each trip. You may find them interesting.

Regards

Dave


http://www.toandos.com/AlaskaAgain1.html

http://www.toandos.com/Alaska/FlyAlaska1.html

[Robert Harik]

DEET is the best, but for those who dont like posion, Avon's "Skin So

Soft" will work ok if you drench yourself with it every few minutes( talk about stinky).

[n2582d]

Here's an interesting, if somewhat dated, website of one couples Alaska trip.http://alaska.woodenpropeller.com/Index.html

[jrenwick]

Here's an interesting, if somewhat dated, website of one couples Alaska trip.http://alaska.woodenpropeller.com/Index.html

And look! A wing tent!
http://alaska.woodenpropeller.com/Alaska108w.html

[GAHorn]

As simple as a "wing tent" might appear, it has some obvious drawbacks, and a tent/awning/shelter which includes it's own structural support (poles or fiberglass rods) is independent, doesn't offer likely damage to the aircraft, and may be left erected while a short flight is conducted. A wing-tent might also be somewhat useless in a survival situation, especially following a crash.

[KG]

A quick follow up to this thread....

I had so many postponements... weather, work, family ..... that I've changed plans completely and will now keep the airplane in Georgia for this year. I'll try again to make the Alaska trip via 170 next spring / early summer.

Not to worry... I'm making lemonade out of the lemons and hope to make it to some fly-ins and do some traveling around the lower 48 in the next few months.

Keith

[Hawkeyenfo]

Sorry to hear that your trip isn't going to happen. Keep the faith and, keep flying!

If you haven't, check the 406 MHz ELT requirements in Canada before you take your trip. I believe that they just passed a law that requires all aircraft to have a permanently mounted 406 MHZ ELT when transitting/using their airspace. The "handhelds" (small ones) are not legal there.

Does anyone have more info on this? I believe it's covered in another section of the club site and on Backcountrypilot.org.

[KG]

Last I heard the Canadians had come to their senses and shelved the 406 ELT idea... at least for now.

[jrenwick]

I googled "aopa canada 406 elt" and clicked on the first reference that came up: http://www.aopa.org/advocacy/articles/2 ... 07elt.html

According to the US AOPA anyway, as of May 7th, Canada has suspended this proposed rule for the time being.

I'd check on it again before making any trip to Canada.