I do not have the evidence but you cannot counter it either. He was back there fiddling about for at least 20 minutes after ordering Tina to the cockpit right? So who knows what he was doing? Perhaps putting on thermal underwear? I do not buy into this 57 below zero crap either. It might have been the wind chill for a split second or two when he jumped? But that would be it. It was not even snowing. It was rain. It was not upstate NY. He could have had other things under that fake bomb. Survival gear?
First off, let’s deal with known facts as I lived in Portland in 1971 and delivered mail there for 28 years. If Cooper landed in Portland or Vancouver area, there was NO snow or frigid conditions on the ground. You can check the weather reports or take it from my own personal knowledge ! Nov 24, 1971 was as close as you could ever get to being a typical day in Portland. Check it yourself ! There were no heavy rains or high winds !
Now let’s deal with another Known fact. He did carry onboard a bag which wasn’t there after Cooper bailed. So it’s one of the common sense questions to ask is why On God’s earth would he carry a bag onboard if his plan was to hijack an airplane and jump into a dark and damp night ? Although There’s no proof that there was anything useful in that bag BUT it’s fair to ask “ Why did he bring along this bag ?” That’s been one of my big questions and so it’s prudent to think about Why ! Many crimes are solved by dealing with motives, small details that aren’t evidence but it’s interesting nonetheless! We do know that he came up with a knife to cut up the parachute ropes right ? So nobody saw him with a knife so perhaps it was in the bag. I’m a avid and experienced hunter and I’ve never left with out carrying an altimeter and compass. Of course a knife and flashlight was also in my possession. One night I hiked out of the Colorado wilderness until 3 am. All I’m saying is why did he bring along that bag and what was in it. If It was me I’d have a knife, compass, altimeter, flashlight, wool socks and perhaps a pair of lightweight boots. There was no airport security back in 1971 so I’d be packing a weapon also. I believe to ignore the FACT he brought aboard a Bag without asking why just not being thorough!
Kermit is correct in assuming that Cooper had a pocket knife or knife of one kind or another. Otherwise, he would not have been able to cut the shroud lines on the reserve that was left behind. There was nothing on the airliner that Cooper could have used to cut those lines. There was probably cutlery onboard but based on my personal experience in that time frame the knives would probably not cut melted butter. You didn't "cut" the rubber chicken that came with your meal service, you "sawed" it.
The paper bag that Cooper carried with him has variously been described as being as large as a typical grocery store bag and as small as a paper bag that a take-out hamburger comes with. And the top was also folded over apparently since no one seems to have gotten a glimpse as to what was inside it.
In my opinion, a cloth helmet and goggles would probably be Cooper's first choice. The bag was not big enough to contain jump boots or winter clothing.
Tina did get a glimpse of what was in the brief case and she only reported a battery and several sticks of what could have been dynamite, flares, or something else.
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