The journey to a light pack begins with leaving out a first single light unecessary item.
For me - the journey to a light pack, begins with leaving out a single light unnecessary item.
I agree Hugh. But I see a flare as being closer to an essential item than an uunnecessary one.
get into trouble and set off a flare and low and behold instead of being rescued you have the armed defenders squad after you and what good is a flare if the weather is shit and that's most likely when you will need it
"If you get a new PLB they all use a frequency to home in when they are close, I heard once they are looking on that, its within 5 meters?"
I'm not an expert on the radio stuff. Others to add to or correct this, but what I've read of PLB operation is that modern 406MHz PLBs also transmit in parallel on 121.5 MHz. 406 goes to the satellites, whereas 121.5 is more suited for detection by aircraft, but the aircraft need to be looking for it. (Actually I'm not sure if it's more suited as a frequency for some reason, or if it's more that most aircraft are equipped for it. Anyone know?)
Pre-406, older-style PLBs only transmitted on 121.5 and the system relied on regular aircraft, usually commercial, monitoring for 121.5 signals as they fly around NZ. When 406 came out, that requirement for commercial aircraft to monitor was dropped, which is why everyone was told to stop using old 121.5 PLBs and buy a new one. But search craft might still be listening for 121.5 from modern beacons if they're trying to home in on you with some accuracy. In at least one fairly recent case, it's also been used by ground teams with appropriate detection equipment. This might be especially important if you've triggered a 406MHz PLB without an in-built GPS, or if the GPS simply couldn't get a reliable fix for sending out an accurate enough location. In those cases all they really have to go on is a rough triangulation of your position from the satellites.
121.5MHz is the international civil aviation distress frequency.
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aircraft_emergency_frequency
Prior to 406, PLB's used a dual band 121.5/243, the latter being the military distress freq.
Being distress channels, helecopters and the like do tend to have radio direction finding gear on board.
"... but I carry a simple fluoro cycle vest."
Having spent 9 days with a fluoro survival bag opened up, staked out and a cross of stones on it, indicating distress. 9 days watching tourist places circle the peak opposite and not spot it. I can conclude that a fluro cycle vest would not have helped.
Now those planes looked the size of sandflies to me ... what size would I, or my packliner, been to them?
Should have taken flares ?.
That's fine if you are going to buy them in New Zealand but don't try taking them on an aircraft as they are banned cargo, even in your luggage.
Big fine if they find them on you.
I used flares a lot in the services, but haven't heard of trampers using them all that much.
Its certainly worth exploring as a signaling means, but then so are smoke grenades, which would draw attention to you in a big way.
Consider, you are in distress and in need of rescue in a mountainous or forested area. You hope but do not know for certain that a SAR operation is underway for you. Or, perhaps you have no expectations. The weather is poor. You hear or see an aircraft which may or may not be looking for you. You have a limited number of short-burning flares or smokes. When to set them off? How visible will a flare be in the prevailing conditions? How quickly will the smoke disperse? Will the aircraft come closer, perhaps on the next sweep, or will it disappear never to return?
