SARGuy, aka Rob Brewer, highlights outdoor gear and equipment from a search and rescue perspective with an emphasis on durability and actual usefulness.
I have had quite a few variations of these over the years, so I was happy to see someone take a different perspective on this. Kevin Kelly’s Cool Tools has a quick review of one I haven’t used before. I will get some photos of a couple different ones I use up soon along with a review of my newest addition. I have found these organizers to be very useful and some are much better than others.
Yup, my wife is having a baby. I’ve been busy getting the house in order, installing a fireplace, painting a guest room and nursery, installing trim, etc. As such, I haven’t had much time to update this blog, and for that I apologize.
Lorna went into labor today and we are still at home for the moment. As soon as we get back home with the new arrival, I’m sure I’ll have some time (between feedings and diaper changes) to bang out some posts for you. I found some great new items I would love to share…but you’ll just have to wait!
I received this avalanche shovel and probe set as a Christmas present from my wife this year and I can’t wait to get out and see how well it works. Good avy gear in the backcountry is a must (so I have been told!) and this is a good start in my opinion. It appears to be a pretty well constructed shovel. It has a 270 cm. probe stashed in the handle. The handle is a modified T-shape with an ice-pick on one end and a compass on the other. The ice-pick end does have a metal tip, but the rest of the handle is rubberized. I’m not sure yet how flexible it will remain in sustained cold temperatures. The compass is a very inexpensive design and appears to be inaccurate. It appears to have been an afterthought in the design. I’ll post more on this tool as I use it.
SPOT is a new device from Globalstar that combines a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver with a Globalstar satellite transmitter. It allows the user to send preprogrammed text messages or email with a link to a Google Map with your location. There are four buttons: On/Off, OK, Help, and 911.
The OK and Help buttons send SMS text messages and/or email to contacts you designate and 911 activates the emergency response system in the area indicated by your GPS location through the Globalstar system. It is important to note here that unlike cellular phones that can access the 911 system without having an active account, a current plan with your SPOT is required to use any of the functionality of the system. Let’s take a closer look at how this device works. Read the rest of this entry »
Searching in Eastern Washington in the winter usually requires snowshoes or skis. I’m not much of a skier (yet), so I strap a pair of Evo Ascent shoes by MSR on my feet and step it out. I got a pair last year for Christmas and the Evo Flotation Tails for my birthday a few weeks later. My sister must really love me!
The shoes are really easy to strap into, even when wearing gloves and they are reasonably light on the feet or attached to your pack. The steel blades and crampons are super durable and bite into snow that is iced over with little difficulty. I found these to be exceptionally easy to walk in. I put them on and started out - it required no training and no special stance or careful foot positioning. I was able to use a pretty natural stride and gait to move across the snow. One feature the Evo Ascent has over the standard Evo is the Televator, a bar that you can snap into place when snowshoeing uphill. This works to close the gap, so your heel doesn’t have to travel as far up and down when moving uphill. It’s a simple idea with simple, careful execution that doesn’t add any substantial weight to the shoes.
While I have the flotation tails that slide into place and are secured with a screw - with a handle that you can manipulate easily with gloves or mittens on - I have yet to really need them. Most of the areas I have used the snowshoes to date has been fairly packed, deep snow. I wouldn’t be able to walk on it without snowshoes, but I haven’t needed the additional flotation. Now that the snow is back in the area, perhaps I can get some miles on them this year.
Over the past several years, one name keeps popping up in discussions about the right clothing to wear for SAR when being transported via helicopter. That name is Massif. Massif has made a name for itself in the wildland firefighting world for creating useful Nomex fleece jackets and Nomex underwear.
Since Massif started filling the need in our community of having practical garments that fill technical garment needs while not melting in the case of an aircraft emergency, a couple of other companies have entered the market. Chuck Roast is one of te players and one I’m not that familiar with. The other is True North.
I currently own a True North Firefly that I absolutely love for all the right reasons: comfort, durability, visibility, and utility. When I was at the old True North facility in Seattle a few years ago selecting this pack, the guys were talking about a new product line they were in the process of developing that became DragonFur. I’ve seen the Massif jackets up close and have not been impressed with the cut of the jackets. Of course this boils down to personal preference a lot, but I want my fleece cut for a pretty close fit to minimize large pockets of air, while allowing enough room for base layers. If I had to choose one Nomex fleece garment to try, the Exxtreme Jacket is the one I would pick. At just under $230, it has comparable competition from both Massif and Chuck Roast. However, I have seen firsthand the workmanship and attention to detail the craftsmen at True North put into their line of packs. This alone is enough to convince me to give the DragonFur products a chance.
The TracMe Beacon is a large part of the “why” I created this blog. I’m concerned that people might purchase this product and expect a satellite-based response (COSPAS-SARSAT) and not get one. As I did the research for this post, I found that I am not alone in these concerns. Read the rest of this entry »
With a little luck and a lot of work, this blog will become the place to go for information on equipment and technology for SAR responders. If you have any experience as a search and rescue responder, whether professional or volunteer, you have probably found things that work and things that don’t. We will try to cover those, as well as the occasional item that we need to watch out for, that may place members of the public in harm’s way.
I appreciate any and all feedback to improve the information on this site. While I certainly have a vested interest in putting up good information, the purpose of this blog is to share the information with you.