Ditch Bag Inventory

B

Barry Rietz

New member
Personal EPIRB
Handheld VHF Radio
Handheld GPS
Spare Batteries
Whistle
Mirror
Light jacket
Foul weather clothes
Hat
Bandana
Space blanket
Laser light
Flashlight on lanyard
Chemical Lights
Headlamp
Strobe light
Line, different sizes
Bungees
Fishing Kit
Dive mask
Pole spear gun
Fire starter
Compass
Watch
Sun glasses
Reading glasses
Sunscreen nose guard
Sunscreen
Insect repellent
Toothbrush
Small First aid Kit
Duct tape
Rescue tape
Large survival knife
Leatherman
Swiss army knife
Knife sharpener
Permanent marker pen
Waterproof paper / pen
Copy of passport
HandiWipes
Personal medication
Zip ties
Zip lock bags
Money
Food
Power bars
Water
Water Bag
Hand pump water maker
 
Sea Line bag has served for over 30 years as the ditch bag. It goes with us on the dinghy as well as right by the helm on the boat.

ditch_bag_012.jpg

Content of ditch bag laid out-this changes with time: We now have the Standard Horizon HX 890 DSC enabled radio with the MMSI number programed in. There is an AA or AAA battery pack with extra batteries for the VHF handheld radio, The Srobe light is smaller, and there is a water proof flashlight with Strobe, and S O S signal capability--brigher than the ACR shown here. The PLB is smaller than this older ACR; There is a 30" sq. dishtowel from Walmart, makes bandages, triangular bandage. First aid kit is slightly more comprehensive. Small fishing kit is carried. N. A Arms .22 Mag mini r 5 shot revolver and extra cart/rat shot is carried depending on where we are.

We have both clear and orange plastic light weight tarps~ 5' x 7' for water protection.

ditch_bag_010.jpg

Barry's list is certainly comprehensive, but it would take a fairly large volume and may be difficult to stow. Perhaps more appropriate for an offshore vessel, The bag we use is basically always available--and down to the essentials. Something we use every day we are on the boat. If we are in cold weather environment, we toss in a waterproof bag with sweats, and warm sox, wool cap, gloves etc. We do have a small Colorado GPS, with NOAA charts, but with the GPS on the VHF radio this becomes redundant.

Also since this goes in the dinghy, it covers the Day Night requirement for distress, including flares, which every ditch bag should have.
 
Prepping the perfect ditch bag is akin to putting on your raincoat with a "100%
chance of rain" forecast later finding out it didn't rain.

I've packed many ditch bags over the years, adding sometimes a pricey "must
have", to never utilizing anything in one for a true emergency. That said, sure
as mustard will eventually flow, as soon you don't make the effort to properly
prepare, you will regret it.

First, realize there is no "perfect" ditch bag. If there were such a thing, it would
prepare you for everything which is impossible to do. And, you could not lift it.

Second, realize "you" are more important than any "thing" that is in or forgot to
include. So, knowledge, ability and competence onboard is key to handling a true
emergency.

Third, a ditch bag "reasonably" equipped with items you know how to use makes
sea sense to me.

The more of the latter you have means less of the former you need.

Aye.
Grandpa used to say, "The sea simply waits for the innocent. But it stalks the
foolish, the unprepared and the arrogant."
 
Ditch into what is a really good question. My vision of having to ditch means the conditions were so bad the ocean going boat couldn't handle it and is sinking. So, I'm just going to climb onto the roof, deploy the inflatable, get in it, and paddle to shore? Don't get me wrong, I have a ditch bag too, but I have no delusions that it actually matters what I put into it. In fact, thinking about this makes me want to take all that stuff out and just put in a fifth of Irish whiskey and be done with it.
 
There is a beauty of having a "ditch bag" you always take with you. It is not just for emergencies.
First aid kit: used many times. VHF radio-often used (can even provide entertainment with the FM radio if necessary) Tools: Gerber or Leatherman multi tool, wrench and vise grips used many times to help others, or affect a repair. Thin vinyl tarp = Poncho to keep rain or spray off, or to protect gear. The had bearing compass or GPS to find the way back to the main boat in fog (also take bearing from the boat to the dock at shore before you leave, if fog predicted--or if in fog do that to begin with. Small Fog horn--signal in fog. Get attention, etc.

The "ditch bag" used on a C Dory and in the dinghy, is far different than the essentials we packed inside of the life raft when crossing oceans, or even coastal cruising.

I'll give an example, I had been running salt water rapids in our RIB, It was in BC/AK, so I always had sweats, and warm gear. I also took water and snack food if we were going to be away from the boat long, or going any distance. The tide was reaching the end of the ebb, and there was another dingy who was also running the rapids. They didn't have any survival gear, and I helped line their dinghy out to the anchorage. That left too little water for me to get out easily or safely. I called Marie on the hand held VHF. Told her I was fine, I would head home about 1 AM when the water was deep enough. Put on the sweats, covered with a thin vinyl tarp, drank water, ate some rations, took a nap, and then safely ran down the rapids when the water was high enough at about 1 AM.

At other times I have repaired issues with the motor using tools in the ditch bag.
 
If you raid your ditch bag every once in a while for commonly used items, it's
not really a ditch bag, is it?

And, always taking your ditch bag with you?? Well, there is a useful function for
a ditch bag not previously mentioned: emotional comfort.

Gladly, I passed this stage some time ago when my Grandpa suggested I stop
carrying my binkey and my teddy when learning to ride a 2 wheel bike.

Aye.
Grandpa used to say, "Real men like to grill over fire because there is danger
involved."
 
If you watch the youtube video of what happened to this couple on a quick trip to shore in the dinghy, its easy to see that having a bag with a VHF, horn, survival blanket, or a few other things could have prevented a near tragic event. I don't think it matters what you call the bag.

They say themselves said that they should have not been in a hurry and taken time to look at what was in the dinghy, or in general used a little more caution in thinking it was just a quick trip to shore.

I rarely get in a dinghy with out a VHF, proper clothing, and many times a PLB. I don't usually have everything in a bag ready to go because I will have the VHF out for general use. I usually have a light backpack that I throw everything into as I am leaving. I have thought about making sure there is something in the pack to make it float if it goes into the water. I have also used a dry bag that would float with the trapped air.

Always better to be prepared than to have to make a choice between trying to prevent hypothermia on shore overnight or making an iffy swim to get back to the boat.

Steve
 
What percentage of northern climate faithful boating ditch baggers out there also
put a similar bag in their winter vehicle for unplanned winter roadway happenings,
eah?

Fishermen being fishermen, fish stories and all, tells me more than yarn will be
spun listening to answers on this one.

Same concept. Still's water, just froze.

Aye.
Grandpa used to say, "What's good for the goose is good for the gander."
 
What percentage of northern climate faithful boating ditch baggers out there also
put a similar bag in their winter vehicle for unplanned winter roadway happenings,
eah?
Click to expand...

I would hope a lot are prepared; Just as Californians should be prepared for earthquakes or any time you go out on the road, there should be spare water, rain gear, extra clothes, first aid kit, jump start, road flares/triangles, safety vest and tools in your vehicle.

f you raid your ditch bag every once in a while for commonly used items, it's
not really a ditch bag, is it?

And, always taking your ditch bag with you?? Well, there is a useful function for
a ditch bag not previously mentioned: emotional comfort.
Click to expand...

Not at all, when you get back to the boat or home, you replace whaat is used, have spare batteries ec.

Not at all "emotional support", just good sense and good planing. There would be a number of lives saved every year if all boaters had a comprehensive ditch bag, with the PLB, VHF radio, survival gear. Same for carrying the PLB when in back country or any distance off grid. Every month I read about boaters lost. This week it was a 29' coming back form Bahamas to Florida. CG called off search after 3 days...

Preparation for the unexpected emergency is important. Same thinking as a "Bug out bag", packed and ready which will sustain you for 72 hours, as well as a "Red Folder" which has all of your vital papers, back up computer information/hard drive, also ready to go.

You pray you never need any of these. But if you didn't have them, and the unimaginable happens..... then. During the last several years 4 members of my college class had to leave their homes in minutes because of wildfires. They learned the hard way! Nothing packed or backed up---all lost.
 
Bob, really.

I would hope a lot are prepared
Click to expand...
That is not addressing the question, especially from a science viewpoint. It's
a wish.

Same with
There would be a number of lives saved every year if
Click to expand...
That is nothing more than a guess.

you replace what is used
Click to expand...
This is sophomoric, essentially insulting.

Usually, I am not too crass. Also, I'm not too tolerant when, someone
who usually makes very wise and helpful suggestions to others, posts
redundant and verbose dribble.

Happy New Year.

Aye.
 
Bob, thank you for your enlightening comments on this subject.

Colleen and I got into some bad water last year in the middle of Bellingham Bay and I was at the point of telling Colleen to grab the Ditch Bag when I realized the one thing missing in the bag was an EPIRB. Doing research at this very time and I am thinking of going with a ACR 2831 GlobalFix V4 GPS EPIRB.

Gary.
 
Ditch bags are apparently a passionate subject. I think everyone can agree it is very important to be prepared. And being prepared is measured by the lens you look through. For me, where I live, I know that if I am in the water I have maybe 1/2 hour to make coherent choices without a survival suit. If I'm in an inflatable, probably not much longer as it is going to be really wet - that is if I can even keep it upright in the raging storm I am probably in. I'd much rather be in an inflatable of course, but deploying one in a fierce storm from a sinking boat is almost impossible. And if you think I'm crazy, think about all the times you struggled with your inflatable (and cursed it) in a flat calm anchorage. Next, think about what it would be like in 10-12 foot seas, 40-50 mph winds, and in the cold pouring down rain. As icing on the cake, it may even be dark out. For me, the essentials are radio communications, a basic first aid kit, signaling devices, and something to build a fire with if we are lucky enough to make it to shore. And if that happens, even though it would suck, the rest would be a walk in the park.
 
My "emergency" bag is pretty simple. Flares, day time distress flag, signalling mirror, electronic flare, matches, solar blanket, and a small clip on rescue light. I've also got rescue lights and whistles on my inflatable PFD's. And either on my person (depending upon the conditions) or within reach, a handheld VHF and a PLB. My primary boating doesn't necessarily require survival gear but rather emergency communications stuff. Colby
 
Excellent advice followed by a response that clearly violated the ONE RULE here...

Foggy, you are an arrogant ass... and you don't have the balls to offer your own advice, only made-up grandparent dribble. If your grandmother was alive, she'd slap you upside the head.
 
Foggy, If you disagree with something I post, there is no need to be rude.

If you have better information then please enlighten us. I have been involved with marine and diving safety for over 50 years. I practice what I preach--If I was in the area where you live, I would have survival gear, warm clothing, a PLlB, Ham radio and food in my vehicle if going away from civilization during winter storms.

Our vehicles have the materials which are appropriate for the area were we live. When traveling across the US, we have emergency and survival gear with us.

It is your choice to be prepared or not. I choose to be prepared. I can only advise others to be prepared.

As to your assertion that lives are not saved by EPRIB, PLB, DSC radios etc. That is just wrong. There are many lives which would be saved with these items each year. The range would run from several young men who were fishing in a 17 foot boat out of Fl a couple of years ago, to hikers who strayed only a short distance off established trails, and were injured.
 
Sea Spray. Thanks for sharing that YouTube. They got lucky, could have been a lot worse in a lot of ways.

Thataway Bob. Good points on the Ditch bag. Yes they are variable due to situation and geography. My PLB does not go in the bag though, it is on my PFD along with my handheld VHF.

T.R. Bauer. I would doubt that you would get a half hour. If you survive the Cold Water Shock Syndrome, (first 1-2 minutes), You will have about 5 minutes with reasonable dexterity, in another 5 minutes, you will be losing mental acuity, and be in early stage hypothermia. From there things go down hill fast. Of course, these time will vary depending on what you are wearing in the water. The Survival Suit will extend that time to 6-8 hours, depending on submersion level.
Check that video link. They were both into Hypothermia, different stages, but it is evident in there story.

Foggy. Go read the rules for here. OH, if it takes to long to find it, I’ll print it out for you here:

No Rules - Just be nice!

Oh, and YES, I do have a survival bag in my car trunk, wool cap and gloves, fire starter, flares, food bars, knife, signal flag, survival blankets, VHF radio. Much the same as on the boat. And it goes with me in the truck or on the bike. OH, and since you asked, 20* years in EMS, SAR and outdoor survival. You should check out the American Boy Scouts, They teach one thing there --- “Always Be Prepared” Hope that is helpful.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

0_God_s_Pocket_Anchorage.thumb.jpg
 
T.R. Bauer. I would doubt that you would get a half hour. If you survive the Cold Water Shock Syndrome, (first 1-2 minutes), You will have about 5 minutes with reasonable dexterity, in another 5 minutes, you will be losing mental acuity, and be in early stage hypothermia. From there things go down hill fast. Of course, these time will vary depending on what you are wearing in the water. The Survival Suit will extend that time to 6-8 hours, depending on submersion level.
Check that video link. They were both into Hypothermia, different stages, but it is evident in there story.

Thanks for sharing that. I have actually gone for an untended swim before in extremely cold waters a couple of times and always have been amazed at the Cold Water Shock Syndrome and how terrible it is. One time, in my 20s it happened when I flipped a boat on the Lochsa River (North Idaho) in late March as the snow pack was melting. I swam back to my boat finally as a fellow rafter had secured it, but wow it sure made me buy a dry suit. I did have a 7 mm wet suit on, so it wasn't that bad. But it was really cold and it was at the start of our float, so I was really flipping cold at the end. I wasn't drinking, but I sure felt drunk by then. The hot springs in the area are marvelous by the way.

And the other, when in my 40s, which was far worse, was in PWS way up in Unakwik Inlet with the boat surrounded by bergy bits of ice by a calving glacier. I was getting kayaks off the roof of the 22 because we wanted to explore. The next thing I knew, I was in the drink with everything on to include boots. No life vest.....yeah I know.....dumb.....The cold water was excruciating and a giant shock to the system. Coming up for air was not easy and I can see how that would be the end. I actually wasn't completely sure I was going to make it to the surface as my body was not cooperating with my mind. Boots are really hard to swim in by the way and if anyone doubts it, try it next to the lifeguard as you're probably going to need them. However, I did find it amazingly easy to get back into the 22 even without a swim step. I lived.....lesson learned.....don't fall in.....lol....

The point is, I suspect I know how this is going to go where I live, and it won't be good. What's in the ditch bad probably won't really matter - might as well takes some of that important stuff out and just put the Irish whiskey in there as the rescuers are only going to find hypothermic dead people. If it's 5 minutes or a 1/2 hour it really is irrelevant probably. However, I do think a person would be conscience for at least 1/2 hour with a life vest on and normal Alaska summer attire. Don't get me wrong, you won't be able to do anything because your body will be shutting down, but you'll know what's happening, and you'll know how screwed you are.
 
Thataway Bob. Good points on the Ditch bag. Yes they are variable due to situation and geography. My PLB does not go in the bag though, it is on my PFD along with my handheld VHF.
Click to expand...

Excellent point about the PLB. We have more than one PLB, and there are additional ones for each of us, as well as several other water proof radios. Why the redundancy? One reason is that at times in the past we have been in remote areas, and the 24 hour minimum rated duration of the PLB battery may have not been enough.

None of us are crossing oceans in our C Dorys, but we did in larger boats, we carried several EPRIB's. One was packed in the life raft with more survival gear than normally comes, and we had a second one which was located right in the companionway of the boat, to be grabbed on the way out/off. The idea was if we had to abandon the boat, we would activate one of the EPRIB's. If no rescue in the 48 hours, we would turn on the second for only a few hours a day. For example sailing distance from the Canary Islands to Barbados, is about 3000 miles, with relatively little shipping. Rescue might be some time and having an exact position is important. (Rescue would be via AMVER most likely)
 
Bob,

I've learned a great deal from your posts here. You are knowledgeable and are willing to share your knowledge without being a know it all or sounding condescending.

I would hate to think that insulting posts would be enough to quit.

Hope you see you and other C-Brats on the water this year, somewhere, sometime.

Stay Well
 
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