*** Stretcher Wheels and Harness Systems *** Date: Wed, 12 Nov 1997 13:11:39 EST From: larryjpugh@juno.com (Larry J Pugh) Subject: Russ Anderson Wheel Our team responded to a carry-out yesterday for a deer hunter that had fallen from his tree stand in the Birkhead Wilderness area of the Uwharrie National Forest. Every time we have a carry-out it brings up the question, is it worth the expense to purchase a Russ Anderson Wheel? Does anyone know a company that does not try to rip you off on the price of a "wheel" ? Also is their any other systems available to adapt some sort of wheel to a stokes or plastic basket? I'm sure someone could make their own wheel at a cheaper price. $500.00 seems steep for the "Anderson". We're aware that wheeled vehicles of any type are not allowed in a wilderness area. Fortunately the hunter only had a broken right tib-fib. Larry J. Pugh Randolph Co. Search and Rescue Date: Wed, 12 Nov 1997 20:22:00 From: IDSAR Subject: Re: Anderson Wheel alternatives Take a trip back in time and look at Hamish MacInnes' International Mountain Rescue Handbook (ca 1972). Remember that Russ improved on those earlier designs. Especially he made a device that CLAMPED to the existing litter rather than something that one put the litter into (made your existing equipment more versatile) and he used the low pressure "ATV" tire that soaks up the bumps with out the need for external and add on "shock absorbers." The prior rigs that I use to see (I go back in SAR even before MacInnes' book) with bicycle or motor cycle wheels were ok for bringing out bodies or deer, but they shook up a live person pretty badly. George Gunn Idaho Mountain Search and Rescue Unit Date: Wed, 12 Nov 1997 23:45:44 +0000 From: jstankie Subject: Re: Russ Anderson Wheel I have only worked with the RA Wheel in the practice setting, but WOW! It does make life a lot easier. Park Rangers at Swallow Falls State Park, MD, constructed their own as have rangers at various parks. But, you must be careful to stay close to the RA design. A rescue team built their own using a spoked wheel. It was useless in grass. Short answer: If you can't afford to buy one, lots of people have successfully built their own. John Stankiewicz jstankie@weir.net Date: Wed, 12 Nov 1997 22:14:00 -0700 From: Ron Lee Subject: Re: Russ Anderson Wheel Our team has been using 'wheels' for years. I'm not sure if we are using the 'Russ Anderson' wheel but can tell you they are a real life saver for the rescuers. We have had one flimsy wheel which was a real pain and finally placed it at Barr Camp roughly half way up the trail to the summit of Pikes Peak just for backup. The wheels that we regularly use are very sturdy fellows with a clamping arrangement to grasp the bottom rails on our stokes. If you have many carryouts over a mile on fairly decent trails then you will really appreciate a 'wheel'. Our carryouts on Pikes Peak (Barr Trail) can run upwards of 10-12 miles so the wheel is indispensible. My suggestion: Don't go cheap or homemade. They can easily become unattached from the litter and create more problems then it's worth. I have heard of wheels with brakes. Ours do not have a brake and I don't think it's a necessary feature. Out of a hundred -plus missions a year throughout the county we probably use a wheel on about a dozen. (actually this is a record year for us with 143 missions clocked so far in 1997). Ron Lee El Paso County Search and Rescue (COLORADO-USA) Date: Thu, 13 Nov 1997 08:26:53 -0500 From: wpennington.des@state.va.us Subject: Re: Russ Anderson Wheel I have heard of a place in Norfolk, Virginia called Roleez Wheel System, Inc. Looking at their literature they seem to have a workable system, but I have never seen the actual product. I am sure they would be glad to talk to you. The number is 1-800-369-1390/ (757) 461-1122. Winnie Pennington Search and Rescue Coordinator Commonwealth of Virginia Date: Thu, 13 Nov 1997 08:38:21 -0500 (EST) From: FonzyM@aol.com Subject: Re: Russ Anderson Wheel Not sure if there would be enough ground clearance but Our haz-mat team welded a pipe on the end of a stokes basket and ran a steel rod, for an axle, through it, and then added 2 large wheel-barrow wheels. We welded a pipe at the head of the stokes that stuck out a little on each side and put handle bar grips on each end. This allows us to hall a victim or team member out of an area that may have pipes or debris laying on the ground with one or two people in level A suits. Maybe this could serve your purpose. Sure is alot cheaper. We also use removable pins so that the wheels can be removed and stored on our truck. Just a thought. Date: Thu, 13 Nov 97 10:29:29 From: "Loui Clem" To: sar-l@islandnet.com Subject: Re[2]: Anderson Wheel alternatives I can't believe that no one has yet mentioned my personal favorite, the ARALUEAN !! Alpine Rescue Team (colorado) has one of these, as do a few other Colorado teams I am aware of. It seems unwieldy until you use it a few times... I like it much better than ANY wheel as it is lighter to carry in (and the load can be split), less awkward than a wheel, easier to control the litter on a bad trail (or minimal trail) and easier on the patient. Four litter bearers, two head / two foot, stand shoulder to shoulder. Each dons a specially made pack frame which has a hook in the center. The packs of the two front litter bearers are connected together via a 36" (or so) bar which hangs from the hooks in the center of their packs. Same for the rear litter bearers. From the center of each bar hangs two web straps, each about 20" long or so. These are attached in an upside down V formation to the litter rails, and the litter bearers simply walk with the litter between them. I know I am an anomoly in more ways than one, but having had many years of opportunity to use both I really do prefer this device over any wheel. It allows the weight of the litter to ride on the legs of four people and divides the weight of the patient nicely. A rescue pack can be worn with the frames, if necessary. It's just like going for a long hike with a big pack... Loui Clem Disclaimer - All of these opinions belong to me and do not represent any official position of PMI, PETZL, PMI-PETZL DISTRIBUTION, or any vendor to PMI-PETZL DISTRIBUTION. Date: Thu, 13 Nov 1997 23:07:43 -0500 From: "THOMAS V. VINES" Subject: ARALUEAN !! Yeah, the Araluean. Mentioning that brings back a historical moment in time, sort of thing. Years ago, (after the Great Flood) the designer, a retired naval architect, asked some NPS guys and me to evaluate the prototype. And I ended up in a photo of the original PR stuf as part of a litter team. The company also made other SAR gear, including an exposure bag. I rememberer the litter system had some interesting quirks relating to the fact that each pair of bearers are joined physically, so to speak, by each of those cross bars. Also, because of the way those connecting cross bars pivoted, you could control the position of the bearer next to you, if he or she were not paying attention. You could speed up or slow down your pace. And if the other guy wasn't paying attention, it would pivot him or her backwards or forwards. Just something to do on a boring carry out. And this may have later changed, but I remember that if you were crossing broken terrain, such as a boulder field, and one of the bearers stepped into a void, he or she would be hanging there with their feet dangling. But it definitely had its comfort characteristics, as described by Loui. Though--again, later models might be different--I found it somewhat challenging to use on rugged narrow trails. But on level ground and wide trails, it certainly was the cats meow. I remember it being rather pricey, with the designer selling only a few to some Colorado teams, before he hung it up. Or, does someone know of it still being made and distributed? Tom Vines Date: Thu, 13 Nov 97 08:29:05 -0000 From: Gustafson Subject: re:Re[2]: Anderson Wheel alternatives We use both the Russ Anderson wheel and the device that Loui talks of and I personnaly would rather use the litter back board set-up. Four litter bearers can go quite a ways with out wearing them selves out. It can be a problem on narrow trails because it is three full body widths wide, the two bearers with the litter between. To pass narrow constrictions you can angle the two sets of bearers but that doesn't work for other than short distances. The wheel is better than hand carrying but the pack set-up is better than the wheel, in my opinion, with better isolation of the subject from the bumps in the terrain and less strain on the bearers. Eric Gustafson Date: Thu, 13 Nov 1997 12:14:43 -0500 From: "THOMAS V. VINES" Subject: Russ Anderson Wheel What I find offensive in the original communication is the term "rip off" Russ Anderson has probably been the most influential designer of SAR equipment in North America. He has a great deal of integrity, and certainly not one out to do "rip offs." We are definitely not a wealthy team, but I consider the Anderson Wheel worth the money. We have used it for several live evacs, including some fairly serious situations such as a femur fx. In every case, the pts commented how nice the ride was. We have also used it in a number of dead evacs (no complaints there, either). Some of these were over very steep rocky terrain. It sure beats the hell out of hand carry outs. With a wheel, you don't fry the team near as quick, and you don't need as many people. There are a few other alternatives, but the good ones I've seen are more expensive. Yes, you can build you own. But when you try, you'll find how difficult it is to equal the Anderson model. Before we got the Anderson model, one of our guys, who is quite a good mechanic, constructed a home brew version. He did a nice job, but it is clunky, heavier, harder to steer, more difficult to balance, takes longer to clamp on and adjust, and you can only clamp it onto one stokes model. The Anderson Wheel is by no means perfect, but at the moment is probably the best for the money for our terrain. A guy from the Tetons has his own design out now. It is real nice, but a little more complex and is more expensive. But worth taking a look at. By the way, if you are going to use the Anderson model in rugged terrain, you should practice using it. Balance is important, and it is very important to get the balance right when you clamp the litter to the wheel But the nice thing about the Anderson design is that you can easily adjust it. The team needs to constantly be sensitive to balance, or they could tip over in maneuvering through rough terrain. This is particularly a problem with heavier people. And everyone knows the first law of SAR: "The bigger the patient, the farther away he is." We have found that shoulder slings help for the tenders at the sides maintain balance and control. We have also found in steeper terrain, you can use a guy in front (the "mule") to help tow the unit by having him or her wear an improvised harness with a sling attached. (And the reverse for down hills using a tender in the rear). Obviously, you might get to a point in steepness where you will have to take the wheel off and do a roped evac. Naturally, good packaging adds greatly to patient comfort and well-being You can also let some air out of the tire to add cushioning for the patient ride. Then you can pump it up again, depending on how rocky the terrain is. We keep a bicycle pump attached to the frame. The only other ground based thing easier on team members is a horse. We prefer to use them when we can, but they get spooked by all kinds of things including bears, dogs, llamas (increasingly trendy on trails), bicycles, shadows on rocks, etc. You need a good reliable horse (a working animal,not a pet). They can only be used for minor problems such as foot/ankle injuries. Believe it as you may, but in the past few years we have had two different backcountry evacs for guys who accidently shot themselves in the foot. Tom Vines Carbon County Sheriffs Search & Rescue Red Lodge, Montana -------------------