✈️ Flying with preparedness in mind

Lowell - July 18, 2021

AdviceScenarios

How do y’all travel (via plane) and stay prepared?

My EDC has gotten pretty substantial, and lots of it sounds not airplane-friendly: level 1 FAK w/ shears + narcan, multitool, pepper spray, small keychain knife. When I fly, even internationally, I rarely check luggage. With all this gear, I imagine I’ll need to change my ways. 

How do y’all fly and stay prepared? Do you always check a bag? What things can’t you fly with, even checked?

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Good morning Lowell,

My flight prep is mostly knowledge / skills while being most appropriately dressed. This means quality boots, pants, shirt and some sort of hat. Forus is on an in-flight emergency. I also seek to carry gloves.

Basically, most HAZMAT cannot go in acft as checked baggage. It must be properly packed and labeled as such by a qualified HAZMAT person. There are some minor exceptions such as for some medicines.

I wouldn’t even park vehicle at airport with pepper spray. Some airports screen for souvenir (spell?) “bullets”. Several years ago the former Governor of South Dakota was told to relinquish his keychain with an actual attached .bullet.  The Governor, also a WWII war hero, told the screener “No” and said the bullet was given to hime by President Franklin D.Roosevelt.

 

Hi Lowell, 

We have two forum topics that have covered airline travel and being prepared that may hold answers to some of your questions:

Airline travel, what carry on preps do you all include?

Preparation for flying?

Also, the user named Kakuli470 over on this forum thread talks about how he is a frequent traveler and carries absolutely everything with him that he wants and needs to feel prepared. He would be a great brain to pick.

 

Thank you!! I tried searching around before posting, but didn’t find anything close to what you did!

 

Firstly I would point out that FLYING is only undertaken as a last and very desperate measure UNLESS you have your own plane.  Any means of current public transport equates to a harsh security environment which runs contrary to prepping.   I would rather drive for 24 hours than fly anywhere.  So if travelling to a familiar place and the option is available I will MAIL an EDC+ gear minimum to either the hotel, a Post restante or a friend.    if not available I identify a good outdoors / sportsman store in the city to where I am going and that store is always my first port of call.    If neither of the first to options are unavailable and I cannot drive then I simply do not go.

 

For me, flying is a necessity if I want to keep my job as it requires a bit of cross-country business travel. While this was put on hold in the last year due to the pandemic, I expect it to ramp up again once COVID-19 is under control. I don’t have the luxury of being able to buy new preparedness supplies every time I land in a new city for a 3-day gig, so I am trying to put together a reasonable, TSA friendly, lightweight list of prep items that I can keep with me when I travel (and NOT have to leave in the hotel room). Couple of scenarios that I have thought of include being stuck at an airport in a winter storm and having the power go out or being in LA during a major earthquake.

 

Well all have to work within certain constraints, your situation is a good example.  sadly there is not one plan fits all in prepping.

I’m usually away for 14 to 21 days at a time, so in my case I post my spare EDC ahead when I can, then post it back before I leave to come home.

I’m lucky really cos my core EDC easily fits into a small padded Jiffy bag roughly 10 by 5 inches.

 

Good evening Arwen in NJ,

Your self-imposed assignment is easy enough.  You’ve given yourself 2 lowest common denominators: the TSA criteria and keeping stuff on your person. Won’t address an earthquake.  The area will probably be closed down.

I wrote something above about a month ago. Have you considered to wear quality boots and pack the tassled loafers ? Many a London Fog and Burbury “rain coat” served as a blanket.  My coats were all modified with clothespin bags sewn on inside bottom. One held an all wool watch cap and other a wool scarf.

Of course, if planning to spend the night at an airport, you’ll already have your mini sound system whether it’s for music or in my case, I carry an AM-FM-SW radio.

……

Without the jokes, my only NJ place I like is Cape May.  Forgot name but a Chairman of the Federal Reserve System was from there.