Airliner hand luggage

I've never flown in an airliner, but if I did, what survival items could I pack into my hand luggage bag (the small bags that go in the locker above our seat)
How big are the bags allowed to be anyway?
I know the chances are slim of crashlanding in a jungle or swamp or mountains or deserts or the sea, but I'd like to be prepared in case rescuers wouldn't be able to find us for days or weeks.
Heck, some survivors have died of hypothermia or injuries etc even in non-dangerous well-populated terrain because rescue services took an hour or two to find and reach them.

Offhand I think I'd pack a foil survival blanket to stay warm, a lightweight waterproof poncho to stay dry and a flashlight.
Any other suggestions?

PS- incidentally how good are foil blankets at keeping people warm? Ideally a sleeping bag would be better but I doubt we could squeeze one into a hand luggage bag.

Those little mylar reflective blankets are not the be all, end all to keep you warm. They may help a little and keep you alive (that's a plus), but the heavier reflective blankets or bags are a much better option for cold weather. We had a member here in Alaska that put them to the test in his back yard one night. After a few hours he had to head inside before severe hypothermia set in.

I have a poncho with an orange side and a silver side. I've tried to use it. Even in central FL the lowest temps in the winter will have you doing jumping jacks to stay warm. But add a layer of synth underneath and you're good. The northern areas and mountains are a whole 'nother story. You can use the reflective side towards the fire (you'll need a fire) and survive. It sucks balls. But you might survive.

In my limited experience, I would think that a good "space blanket" the kind that is two sided, with a "tarp like" side and a Mylar side. a beach size microfiber towel (Check the back packing stores) It can be used as a blanket liner and as a towel, a personal first aid kit (IFAK), a couple of ferro rods, 30 feet of paracord, a water container, a small water filter, a change of socks, good gloves, a good headlamp, a metal pot to boil water in. All that will fit in a "day bag" that can go in the overhead. In my opinion you should have most of that stuff and a few more things, every time you leave the house. You can not take a knife or any type of edged tool on a plane but if you need something you can probably improvise a crude blade from the metal of the plane wreckage. DO NOT leave the wreckage. Stay there with the plane even if it is just small pieces of aluminum. Lots of resources and also that is where the search for survivors will start.

What will keep people warm is dependent on the person. I slept around 40° F. With a light sheet and one of those fleece blankets that you can wear. I had a sleeping bag open under me. If I had covered myself with it, I would have roasted. But I blast out body heat.

I have learned to keep something under me. The ground is a thirsty heat sink. And, although I sleep naked, I always wear socks. Circulation is less in the extremities.

Too much information. Waaaaay too much information. That's like battery acid eating away at my brain cells. Well, what few are left. That may actually be worse than the pic.

Mylar Solar Blankets reflect up to like 90 % of the heat back to you. The problem is if you are already cold, you are reflecting less heat back to you. If you are planning on solely using a Mylar blanket, you are going to freeze ur butt off. These solar blankets work great to reflect heat from an independent heat source. I have used them to make a diy greenhouse with addition of a $1 store transparent plastic shower curtain. The fire pit was outside behind the shower curtain and the solar blankets were used as a teepee in although the temperature outside the hut was freezing, inside it was lower 70s.

But solar blankets by themselves are merely a wind shield with reflective properties and alone they will not keep your core temperature up.

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Originally Posted by Rick

Too much information. Waaaaay too much information. That's like battery acid eating away at my brain cells. Well, what few are left. That may actually be worse than the pic.

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Well now, look who's talking.:sneaky2: Some of us are still visually impaired from you know what.

Oh, now that's just down right snotty. He's talkin' bare butt naked. At least I had a hong on. Speakin' of which, I have a picture around here somewhere...