HGFA Skysailor Magazine

6 SKY SAILOR May | June 2019 just for peace of mind. My own thoughts are that knowledge is of greater importance than tools. Spending some time educating yourself on safety and survival techniques will build your initiative and resourcefulness and in turn minimise the amount of ‘trinkets’ you may need to carry to cope in the wilderness environment. ➲ Cooking: The range of equipment is varied, from an open fire to fancy gas burners and folding pans. Perhaps you are happy to eat cold meals, but again, there is much enjoyment and morale to be had by cooking a nice meal in the bush which will benefit your overall experience. Take the time to think about fuel sources and availability/legality for and during travelling, and where possible, prepare alternate options. Living a life of luxury! Let’s assume you have some space/weight allowance to play with, it’s worth looking at those little luxuries that will make your life easier. Why? Because if it means you will get better rest, be happier or more comfortable, then it means you will be in a better state to be flying and have your head in the important game. Small items, such as a good inflatable pillow will only set you back around 80 grams and very little space, but will give you a far better night’s rest. Even a little mini-bar bottle of your chosen tipple can help by raising morale and helping you relax into the night (just don’t overdo it). The list of luxuries is long, and different things will be of greater/lesser importance to different people, but I think these well worth considering – especially if you are new to the game. More positive experiences will keep you coming back again. What’s for dinner? I’ve heard of those who take a nut bar, and the rest is provided by the universe, but most people will get more enjoyment out of a decent meal as opposed to foraging for nuts and berries. Anyone who has been to a camping and outdoor shop will know there is an enormous range of freeze dried meals, but also at a premium price. Plenty of good alternatives can be found in your supermarket at a fraction of the cost. There are plenty of ‘just add water’ style rice and pasta packets that can easily be enhanced by adding a can of tuna, chicken or even beef jerky strips. Noodles, nut and muesli bars and the various types of energy and protein bars are also good alternatives to keep your stomach full and your morale high. Whatever your choice, just make sure they are the ‘just add water’ types, as there might be a fair shortage of milk and butter floating around your campsite. While we are on the subject of water, it’s unlikely you will be able to carry enough to get you through a full adventure, especially if you are hiking a lot. Think of ways you can win water where possible, and also how you can treat the water to make sure you don’t end up worse off from it. Boiling, puri-tabs, Milbank filters, lifestraws/micro filters, UV purifiers, etc., are available options – provided you have access to water. Do some homework when planning your trip to figure out if there are suitable sources to collect, and while you are at it, check out some of the survival tips for collecting and purifying water, or else be prepared to carry extra. It can also be handy to carry some powdered electrolyte/ sports drink mix too, often purified water can still retain some odd tastes and smells. Safety (and fun) in numbers For the same club group mentioned earlier, we have organised an introduction to Vol Biv event, aimed at being a fun experience achievable by most confident pilots, and suitably supported for those with a little less confidence. The concept is to free-fly from our main site, with all our Vol Biv equipment, to a designated camp ground, only a few kilometres away. We planned on a safety/ retrieve/comfort vehicle to assist those not able to Eating Cooking Breaking into Vol Biv