This will be reworked in a bit, but wanted to post it for now:
Alright this is a big post but here is my Search and Rescue Pack so far. I am chaning some things out and there will be updates but this is currently what I have for my call outs. This gear has been amassed over a long time and some is outdated but much of it has been replaced due to use, theft, or just failure. Enjoy.
Side note: I am no expert. This is all my own opinion and nothing more. Do not take my word for anything. I have been hiking and camping for some time now, but my authority on the subject is very little. I am just showing the gear to you gearheads so you can appreciate it and give feed back. I will be converting this all into a video I hope soon.
- Picture 1:
That is how my gear is set up in my Apt ready for a call out. I just grab both bags and I am out the door. The AR15 is just there for size comparison and well, there is always a rifle laying on my floor somewhere. But it stays at home, I have yet to require a high powered rifle.
Pack: Arc’teryx Axios 35
Its a great pack for all my gear. For a 24 hour pack its perfect and I have found only one flaw with the pack. There is no attachment point for a water bladder…what? Yes seriously. Unless I am blind as a bat, I have failed to find a way to secure my water bladder to it.
Massive bag: Patagonia (not sure on model)
This bag is amazing. Its made out of this incredibly thick rubber that seems indestructible. This bag has been to hell and back, no joke. I have so much gear in there. It has all of my equipment for year round environments. I keep my snowshoes, tracking poles, maps, two sets of clothes, winter set of clothes and boots, and so much more crammed into there.
- Picture 2:
This shows what I carry on myself in the field aside from clothes which is in picture 3.
I carry my pack, my radio harness Coaxsher DR-1 ( soon to be replaced ), Petzl Ecrin Roc Helmet with a Princeton Tec Remix headlamp an extremely powerful headlamp but not waterproof. And for summer I rock the Merrell Moab boots. The boots are great for mild wetness and pass for Oregon spring weather. Your feet will be wet, but comfortable.
- Picture 3
This picture shows the clothing I generally will wear in the current season. Layering is your friend. The gaiters are Outdoor Research’s Crocodiles, they have served me through some tough times in the thick of it. When getting gaiters, its best to penny up and get the more expensive ones. I have had the cheaper type before and when you are 15 miles from the trail head and you ripped off your gaiter on a tree snag at 3 in the morning, you will wish you spent the extra cash for a sturdier pair.
- Picture 4
Here you see the contents of my radio harness. Going left to right starting at the top left:
-Bandaids (every time I have been in a parking lot on a call out this is what everyone asks for so I keep them handy)
-Barrier Protection gloves (non latex) and a bio bag
-Rite in the Rain pad with a #2 Pencil, Sharpie Fine tip (Blue and Red) and a fat tip
-A water proof map case with radio channels, SOAP notes, And a back up map of the area I am in.
-Ontop of the map case is the Wouxun KG-UV6D. I love this radio, I can switch between two channls that I put in with a touch of a button. Its super handy when we communicate on VHF & UHF.
-DPx Hest Original. I love this blade. Not only is their logo one of the most bad ass logos ever, the blade is one of the best I have ever owned. I have a huge edge nut, and boy does this thing stay sharp. Its a great knife to have at hand aside from my ESEE 6, which is a little too much blade for the little stuff. Bad puns aside, the ESEE 6 sits in the pack till I really need the edge over something.
-Light my fire and whistle
-Chemical light
-Surefire L1Digital (discontinued) this is my back up. Great light and extremely well built.
-Benchmade 7 Hook Tried and true. A tough little tool that is worth every ounce. I am making a kydex sheath for it though. The mollie one you get with it is garbage.
-Silva Ranger CL Be careful with these, I have noticed that out of 4 new ones only one would stay on the degree of declination. The other three would easily shift a whole 5 degrees or so with the slightest touch.
-Garmin Etrex Venture HC Easy to use and has great batterie life. You can still find them for under 150 US dollars and that is a great price for a GPS.
-Mechanic gloves. If you have ever pushed your way through the sticks in Oregon you know how handy a good pair of gloves are. These are great for pushing through the thickest of bush.
- Picture 5
Shown here is the contents of the pack’s main compartment. A big reason why I really like the Arc’teryx is because it is simple. It is a top loader with very little crap added on. It does have a side access zip which I really do not like because my last pack broke on the side zipper. Aside from that the pack is simple in the sense that there is one big area and thats about it. Its easy for me to pack and repack my rig and never fuss with 100 pockets like some of the packs out there.
Here is the contence going from left to right from the top:
-Two freeze-dried meals and some jerky. Always nice to throw some real meat into those meals.
-Emergency blanket. Not those fragile mylar ones, this is a super thick reflective blanket basically.
-Standard 8’x10’ tarp. Reason behind the standard tarp is if you have to wrap up some dead dude/gal, would you want to use your 30 dollar MSR ultralight tarp or your 4 dollar gas station tarp? Weighs more, but if I trash it or loose it its what ever.
-Medical kit. Lots of goodies in there. Its a pretty over the top kit, but enough for most of the things that might happen in the field. Not going to go into detail of that because I am not an EMT, go to google.
-To the right is my fire/emergency kit. It contains a lot of things for personal surival. Signal mirror, ferrocerium rod (much bigger than the one in my radio rig), jelly balls, pitchwood, waterproof matches, chem. light, heat pack…and much more
-Platypus 1L water bottle. This I keep empty but ready to fill for when a subject is found and they need water. Im not going to have them sucking on my water pack, so I keep this as a throw away bottle if some person uses it and gets their lovely “goo” all over it.
-Maps in map case
-100ft. of cordage
-Tent stakes for shelter
-Cook kit [Detail in Photo 6]
-Katadyn Hiker Pro water filter
-Spare clothing: Thermals (Top/Bottom), rain pants, and pair of socks.
-Folding saw
-ESEE 6 This is my big cutter. Its a perfect size for the bigger stuff. Its an extremely strong blade and worth every penny. Great for cutting firewood really quick.
-MSR Dromedary Bag I have the 6L and having that much water may seem excessive, but I really hate running out of water half way back on the trek.
-The rope bundle: 2x20’ and 1x14’ webbing, Purcell Prusik, and 3 locking carabiners
-Pack light towel
- Picture 6
Shown here is the contents of my cook kit. Its super minimal but serves me well. Going from the top left to right it starts off with the Optimus Crux stove. Great super light stove. Boils water super fast with little fuel. To the right is the fuel I use, but I have no preference in the make of the fuel as long as it boils my water. To the side are my two containers. A Snowpeak Titanium 600 mug and a Summit Cook set. Then the bag that holds it all together. A bic lighter, just in case. The lids to both containers. An assortment of drinks and coffee. And the best thing ever to get energy into someone. You know what it is? Jello. Yes, throw that in some warm water and bam, crap ton of energy for the person. And who would turn down jello after being lost/hurt in the woods for hours. Below is a long spork which is great for the freeze dried meals because you can stir the bottoms with the longer handle. Then a rubber cup for the subject to eat from instead of my titanium stuff.
- Man you are still reading this? Picture 7
Well this is the last picture showing what is in the top pocket of my pack. From top left to right, first thing is some glove liners. Essential for the cold mornings or late nights. Then next to them is my rope gloves.
A bunch of cordage for shelter and various things.
CR123 batteries for my flashlights. More batteries for the GPS and radio are in the Emergency/fire kit.
Water proof case for phone.
Hand warmers.
Medical tape.
Pink flagging tape, go through this stuff like water.
Spare whistle.
More barrier gloves.
Toilet paper. Never leave home without it. Poops in the sticks suck with no TP is no fun.
Bugspray/sunscreen
Snacks. Lots of snacks.
Socks and Beenie
So there it is. My whole pack. A few things are going to be replaced, but that is essentially it. Hope you enjoyed the read, if you have any comments/questions feel free to ask.
