*** SAR Daypacks: for 24 hour & 36 hour Operations *** Subject: Basic Pack Date: Sat, 11 Jan 1997 12:57:42 -0800 From: "Liz Marr" To: sar-l-d@islandnet.com Our SAR unit is going to be having one of their 24 survival exercises in two weeks. All that we can have is what we are wearing plus what is in our normal pack that we take everywhere. Since I am new, I don't have said "pack" and I am trying to plan appropriately. Once on this list I saw a listing for a website that has an inventory of what to carry and the bag it can fit in. What is the most common size pack that a ground-mounted unit uses? I have been eyeing some lumber-type fanny packs with fairly large compartments, they should weigh about 20 pounds if I stuffed them. Is this too little? too much? Here are some of the components that I already had, some of these were standard equipment from my Army medic days. Magnesium fire starter knife (leatherman tool) survival mirror match keeper with matches mylar survival blanket poly-tarp survival blanket parachute cord mosquito spray deck of playing cards (mosquito spray and playing cards can double as fire starter, cards can work as trail markers) candles dried, high calorie rations (suggestions?) socks, socks, socks compass amature radio battle-dressing hammock Anything more/less? Liz ~~@~~@~~@~~@~~@~~@~~@~~@~~@~~@~~@~~@~~@~~@~~ Liz & the Terv Herd Somewhere on the beautiful Oregon coast Spiritbrook Working Labradors, Siberians, Tervuren John 4:14 ~~@~~@~~@~~@~~@~~@~~@~~@~~@~~@~~@~~@~~@~~@~~ lizm@harborside.com http://www.harborside.com/home/l/lizm Subject: Re: Basic Pack Date: Sat, 11 Jan 1997 18:17:57 -0800 From: "David C. Kovar" To: sar-l@islandnet.com, sar-l-d@islandnet.com Good evening, First off, I'd recommend finding the equipment list for the NASAR SAR Tech II certification. Unfortunately, it is not on the NASAR site and I could not find it anywhere else, though I did not look very hard. That'll give you the NASAR (National Association of Search and Rescue) requirements, which is as good a starting point as any! I need to add a few things to my pack to bring it up to those standards. Something to work on this week. We're required to carry an 18 hour pack *everywhere*. Even if you're just going down a slope to check something out, you never know when you might end up going up the other side, and onwards. So, the 18 hour pack needs to carry enough to let you do your job (nav, comm, first aid, and light climbing) as well as to let you survive for 18 hours (shelter, food, water, clothing.) We also have gear lists for 36 hour packs and I've included that gear list below. (It's not quite up to date as I've been tuning my pack of late. I used to have the gear lists for all of the packs on line and I cannot find it at the moment. If I do, I'll post it. A number of people carry a large lumbar-type fanny pack and are happy with the amount of gear they can carry. All my first aid gear fits neatly into a mid-size fanny pack (which then goes into my larger pack), so that is obviously not enough for me. I carry a Dana Bomb pack everywhere. It is a top loading 3200 cubic inch pack. I've been looking at the Dana Big Sky which is a front loading 2,200 cubic inch pack. I think I can fit all the necessities in there and still be happy. Anything smaller than that, no way. I particularly like Dana packs because their system for the shoulder straps is very adjustable and allows me to get a really good fit. So, here's what I carry for 36 hours. I looked at it to see what I'd drop to make it a 24 hour pack and really can't find anything I'd want to do with out. Lots of food for energy, and a way to warm it for mental and physical health reasons. Lots of light (hard to do a long night search without it.) Several ways of attracting attention. Clothing for protection and comfort. (Dying from exposure while searching for someone isn't high on my list of things to do.) Shelter for similar reasons. You could leave out the climbing gear bag and save a fair bit of weight, but it is one heck of a safety blanket if you know how to use it. A bunch of items for searching and tracking. The radio adds a lot of weight, too, and it's awkward when it's raining, but it's another tool for the job. All of this *barely* fits in my 3,200 cubic inch pack. I could save some space by rethinking my food - go with more compact food. (That one MRE is bulky and heavy, but it'll survive being in the bottom of my pack for years.) Strip the medical kit back a bit, and not pack it in a fanny pack. (But having the fanny pack means I can grab just the first aid gear if I want without repacking.) Take out the climbing gear. Get rid of the alcohol stove and use MRE heaters. (Just add water, instant heat.) Take out one of the three flashlights. (Ok, so I *really* don't like wandering in the dark, and it's been nice to loan one out to someone else at times.) I end up tinkering with this nearly every time I get it out. *sigh* Hope this helps a bit. 36 Hour Pack Containers Dana Bomb Pack REI waterproof duffle bag (For containing gear in my truck) Clothing Solstice GorTex Jacket REI GorTex pants 1 pair socks 1pair underwear 1 t-shirt SAR baseball hat Solstice fleece jacket/liner Clothing (winter bag) REI fleece pants Fleece hat Fleece gloves Mitten shells Polypro underwear, top and bottom Shelter Space blanket Mylar emergency bag Tent stakes Cord Ensolite pad, square Food (variable) MRE Cliff Bars (6) (I swear by these things.) Gatoraid mix (2 x 1quart) Instant oatmeal (2) Hot cider (2) Soup packets (3) MRE bread Small can of tuna (1) 3 one liter water bottles Cooking Small pot Sierra cup Alcohol stove & fuel Plastic trash bag Spoon Water bottle Personal hygine Toilet paper Dental floss Toothbrush Comb Bug spray Concentrated liquid soap Waterproof spf 15 sunscreen Climbing (Houdini bag) 60 9mm dynamic line Figure 8 rescue Prussic loops (4) Webbing - 10 ft (2) Webbing - 15 ft (1) Webbing - 20 ft (1) Carabiner - locking D (2) Carabiner - locking (1) Carabiner -oval (2) Other gear (top pocket) Petzl headlamp, halogen bulb Leatherman tool Surgical gloves (2 pair) Cliff Bars (several) (more of the darned things.) Leather gloves Surveyors tape Pelican StealthLite (halogen) AA batteries (10) Measuring tape (6ft) Bandana Ear plugs Lighter Small red flasher Candles (2) Sewing kit Potable Aqua tablets Deck of cards Matches Magnesium striker Signal mirror Aluminum foil Shoelace Cyalume light stick (12 hour) Gear straps (2) Thermometer Radio harness Icom H16 radio Icom microphone Icom Nicad power pack Icom AA battery pack Casio Altitude watch Space pen Highlighter Spyderco Clip Rescue knife Whistle (very loud) Waterproof map case Suunto compass Notepad Surgical gloves Garbage bags Ziplock bag First responder forms Radio cheat sheet Mini MagLight First Aid belt pack Memo pad Garbage bag Pair of surgical gloves (2) Rescue shears Various bandadges Betadine swabs Ace bandadge Sling Space blanket One use CPR protector SAM Splint Instant ice pack BloodStopper pad Sterile eye wash bottle Waterproof adhesive tape Hydrocortisone cream Cliff bar (another one of them!) Various meds Pen light Pen Tweezers First Aid book -David Date: Sat, 11 Jan 1997 21:32:09 -0600 From: Will Flor To: sar-l@islandnet.com David C. Kovar wrote: That's a good idea, David. The NASAR Sar Tech standards, including those for equipment, are not on their web site for a very good reason - NASAR makes money by selling them. This is true for just about all standards-setting bodies. From their bookstore catalog (which *is* on their web site) comes: ---------------------- NASAR Search and Rescue Standards for Basic SAR Personnel developed by NASAR Education Committee. To effectively work and survive during a SAR emergency requires a knowledge of the environment, the ability to navigate, a knowledge of specialized search skills, the ability to manage the injured or distressed person distant from normal care services, and the endurance to successfully move persons safely through often hostile terrain. These standards address common minimum levels of knowledge and performance skills needed by personnel on SAR operations. Standards include SAR Tech I, II, III Softcover, 67 pgs. I000017STD $7.50 ----------------------- The equipment lists are in this book, which is well worth the price. My equipment is carried in a CFP-90, which is a large internal-frame pack, or else a large Alice pack, which is external frame. The Alice isn't the lightest, but you can't beat the price (issued to me, i.e. I didn't pay for it.) I use a military LBE vest instead of David's radio harness. My equipment list is similar to David's, but I carry a lot of "team gear" since I'm a team leader, and if there's something that at least one person in the team should have... the only way I know that someone will have it is if I bring it; binoculars, a cell phone (much of the area to which we may respond has no cell phone coverage, but most does,) date-back camera and film and a high-intensity strobe (for nighttime visibility from a/c) are good examples. Some specific recommendations for Liz are to ditch the bug spray and substitute some high-strength liquid in a "squeeze-on" plastic container - it'll last longer and takes up a lot less space. After using a lot of bug dope over the twenty-odd years I've been traipsing about the bush, I've settled on getting the cheapest stuff that I can get in the strongest formula. Carry a complete change of clothes packed in a waterproof bag - if you get wet and it's cold this could be a lifesaver. David's sug- gestions of an MRE and Quaker instant oatmeal for the dried high-energy rations are echoed by me. Make sure you have decent rain gear, including rain pants. If money permits, carry more than one compass - I usually carry three, including a cheap "throwaway" that I can give away without needing it back (and I've had to do that, too, but that's a different story.) They take up almost no space and add almost no weight. Definitely carry a notepad and a writing implement; a "waterproof" notepad is a good idea. I carry crampons in the winter, but they might be useless to you, depending on where you go and what you do. David's suggestion that you carry more than one flashlight and backup batteries is a very good idea. Liz, you can probably survive for 24 hours on the items in your original list, but IMHO it doesn't leave you enough room to handle unforseen incidents and Murphy. I'd get a full-sized backpack, and David's equipment list is a pretty good place to start as to what to put in it. -Will Flor wgf@geocities.com Date: Sun, 12 Jan 1997 17:36:42 -0800 From: mlynch@seldon.terminus.com (Mike Lynch) The responses on basic pack equipment by David Kruse and Will Flor are good lists to develop towards. To a person beginning in search and rescue, and, possibly, outdoor living, it is easy to feel overwhelmed by the new information and equipment suggested. Think about what you would need to operate comfortably with on an overnight (24 hours) excursion. After you have set up the gear for your needs, think about what the victim would need. Try to make multiple uses for objects, to cut down on the amount of equipment (weight) that you carry. When you are in the field, pay close attention to what other people are carrying and ask them why they carry it if you are unsure what the item's use is. If possible, try out different pieces of gear and different ways to carry it. For example, I carry a fanny pack with two water bottles, reversed to the front, to carry items that I access frequently, like food and water, or may need to access quickly, like mini-binoculars (10x25) or batteries. In the winter, the most important need for a backpacker/SAR field person is to stay dry and warm, both in clothing worn and shelter for sleeping, and keeping their equipment dry. To David's and Will's lists, I would add lots of zipper type plastic bags (eg, GladLock, ZipLock) in various sizes to hold radios, GPS units, batteries, maps, and anything else that might need protection during wet weather. Foot care is very important and every hiker should carry a foot care kit (Moleskin, Second Skin, antiseptic, bandaids, etc.). In the winter, I carry a waterproof bivy shelter to sleep in. In addition to the NASAR list, included in the SAR equipment that I carry are a 10x25 mini-binoculars, duct tape, and 45 second orange signal smoke cannisters. My medical gear includes a stethoscope and BP cuff for patient assessment (extended field medical care considerations). Wilderness travel in snow carries its own unique set of parameters to work with. An excellent book book on wilderness travel is "Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills" published by the Mountaineers. It covers all aspects of wilderness travel. Many backpacking shops with a book section carry it. On-line, it is available at URL http://www.amazon.com/. The web site for our local SAR team (Santa Barbara County SAR) at URL http:\\www.terminus.com\~mlynch\ or http:\\www.impulse.net\~mlynch\ includes articles on foot care and hypothermia prevention that I have written for our local team trainings. From the bottom of the opening page of the site, the link to "Training" is to pages on our trainings, including training outlines, and the link to "Field Notes" is to a series of articles on search and rescue training subjects including winter travel subjects. Stay Safe, Mike Lynch Subject: Re Packs Date: Thu, 27 Feb 1997 21:20:47 +1100 (EST) From: M & T Windsor To: sar-l@islandnet.com Hi all, I participate in wilderness searches as a member of the State Emergency Service,in New South Wales Australia. Below is a list of a few items that I wouldn't be caught on a wildernes search without plus a couple items of interest that get included depending on task/terain/timeframe. Must haves: compass maps of area water sunscreen notebook + pencil cigarette lighter + candle stub wet weather jacket neccesity paper (jobs not completed 'till the paperworks done!) knife triangular bandage survival blanket insulation tape watch radio + spare battery food/snacks Petzl style head lamp + batteries plan "B"(just in case plan "A" comes unstuck) sense of humour Depending on task: puritabs whistle camera GPS 20m long 9mm scramble rope shelter + sleeping gear vertical access gear stove/cooking/eating gear marking tape for marking search paths binoculars closed cell foam square (sit-apon) Regards, Mark. W Subject: Items I wouldn't be without Date: Fri, 28 Feb 1997 13:20:59 -0800 From: Mardi Keltner To: sar-l@islandnet.com Besides those items previously mentioned by others, I'd like to include: 1. ear plugs and safety glasses These are necessities when working around helicopters, at least here in our volcanic Cascades where the helicopters throw those tiny glass-like cinders at incredible velocities. 2. compact camera and extra film I've used mine several times to record evidence. No sheriff or medical examiner will ever get to many of the places we go, but they sometimes want to know what was there and ask us to take pictures of what we found. A disposable camera would be good for this, since they want the film RIGHT NOW -- and if the first half of your roll is pictures from Christmas at grandma's you may never get to see them. ----------------------------