the 100% directionless thread

[Trayos]

Colorado Rocky Mountain-ish terrain. I do volunteer search and rescue. You can also see the news clip link in my last post as far as why I have a harness and such.

Also use these bags for personal hiking/camping fun as much as I do for SAR. Might not bring the helmet and such for a day hike with friends... but I still like having plenty of extra water, food, jacket, extra socks... etc.

So, i'm guessing the blue bag is for standard backpacking, and the green one is for day trips/SAR?

 

[LucidResq]

I use both for both purposes. I need the blue one for SAR as well. We are often called for mutual aid several hours away, so we'll be spending 2-5 days away from home. In these cases I've usually been able to sleep in my or someone else's car... in which case my sleeping bag will do... but not always. You'll find more necessities in my green bag, and luxuries in the blue. I absolutely can survive out of my green bag for quite a long time, but I can survive much more comfortably with both.

If sent out on an extra long search pattern, which has happened, or if I'm backpacking for fun, I'd be removing items from the green and adding them to the blue.

 

[Trayos]

If you can find a comfortable pillow case, bring it along and stuff it with (preferably clean) clothes to get a makeshift pillow, its a luxury for little room! (and good for sleeping in the car, cause you can mold it's shape somewhat)^_^

 

[lightsandsirens5]

Wow. The crazy brilliant nurse at the nursing home gave my pt who weiged maybe 95 lbs and who was having bad back spasms 3 X 5/500 Hydro and 50 mg of MS. The whole way into the ER I was like, OK, when does she crash on me and when do I get to push Narcan?

 

[mct601]

I use both for both purposes. I need the blue one for SAR as well. We are often called for mutual aid several hours away, so we'll be spending 2-5 days away from home. In these cases I've usually been able to sleep in my or someone else's car... in which case my sleeping bag will do... but not always. You'll find more necessities in my green bag, and luxuries in the blue. I absolutely can survive out of my green bag for quite a long time, but I can survive much more comfortably with both.

If sent out on an extra long search pattern, which has happened, or if I'm backpacking for fun, I'd be removing items from the green and adding them to the blue.

I have to say, that sounds amazing. I wish I could figure out my local SAR teams and get involved, but we don't have as much wilderness as your area does.

 

[LucidResq]

Mississippi SAR Assoc. has a list of teams. Not sure if any of them are near you though.

 

[Mountain Res-Q]

Nice, Lucid... I just picked up a Stat Pack that works perfect for my 24 hour pack and even has a spot to store my helmet.

Your Tech Gear... No ascenders?

 

[LucidResq]

Nice, Lucid... I just picked up a Stat Pack that works perfect for my 24 hour pack and even has a spot to store my helmet.

Your Tech Gear... No ascenders?

No.... I'd have them if I could afford them. I'm essentially trained to the awareness level, usually just rappeling anyways and in a bind I'm pretty good at ascending with prusiks. If I remember correctly... our tech rescue guru also generally dislikes ascenders like jumars because he thinks they cause undue wear and tear on the rope. I might be mistaken though.

 

[8jimi8]

I have never noticed that jumarring a rope has noticeably worn down any of my ropes. Not any more than holdng a load on coarse stone.

 

[LucidResq]

I have never noticed that jumarring a rope has noticeably worn down any of my ropes. Not any more than holdng a load on coarse stone.

I'll ask him again what his opinion on this is and what he has to back it up. I can't see how it would noticeable or significant either but maybe insidious.

We are obsessive about pro. Random side note: we use 1-2 foot lengths of flattened five inch fire hose with a vertical slit for protection. Anyone else use this? Seems to me it's a great cheap alternative.

 

[8jimi8]

sure if you fix the line on a wall and leave it hanging in the elements and then jumar that every day, then it matters

 

[8jimi8]

Although I must concur, being an avid climber, religious equipment checks and safety training were absolutely ingrained in my thought processes

 

[Mountain Res-Q]

I'll ask him again what his opinion on this is and what he has to back it up. I can't see how it would noticeable or significant either but maybe insidious.

We are obsessive about pro. Random side note: we use 1-2 foot lengths of flattened five inch fire hose with a vertical slit for protection. Anyone else use this? Seems to me it's a great cheap alternative.

Yes, on the fire hose. After it had been used by FIRE on large wildland fires there seems to be a large amount of used (and soon to be replaced) line around that shows little sign of damage form a non-Fire Fighting standpoint, so we get it really cheap! We too cut it vertically and once the rope/webbing is placed inside we put a small amount of duct tape around it to hold the "edge-pro" over the rope/webbing.

As far as the ascenders do... depends on the type. Yes, prussiks have less stress on rope, but their overall strength is generally rated at less than mechanical devices... ~4000 lbs I believe. Some of the mechanical devices used for ascending or breaking that had their start in rec climbing have no place in rescue work, such as Gibbs Ascenders, which have been documented to wear and even cut rope slowely over the sharper edges when loaded (such as in rope rescue). Personally, I do not like jumars. But that is purely a comfort/function thing. Currently I use the ascenders below, newer Black Diamond N-Force Ascenders. As far as I am aware, newer ascenders should not have any negative effects on rope unless they are used in a hurky/jurky style that would cause strees over time to not only the rope, but all other parts in your system.

In my 24 Hour SAR Pack I also have the ascenders (Petzl Tiblocs) below with 100 feet of 7mm line; plus a few light biners, webbing, and prussiks.

 

[mycrofft]

TRaining video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4MatElLFFU

"Real Elvish Rope, Mr Frodo!".

 

[Eydawn]

The green pack on the left is intended for day-to-day use, on the line, out in the field. I keep my rock helmet on it primarily because it has become a statewide policy to wear such on every SAR carry-out, even if it's easy-peesy low-angle big wide open flat trail stuff.

The pack on the right goes with me on most calls, but usually stays at base camp. It has my tent, sleeping back, etc.... and as of right now my harness:

You'll notice it's pretty bare. There's three reasons for this:
a) I'm broke. I'd love to climb but can't really afford it right now. I'm very slowly stocking up... so far I have shoes... hahaha. Also can't seem to convince my friend who used to climb and still has all the gear to show me the way... he stopped after an injury a few years ago and now just wants to rappel.
b) All I pretty much do is rappel. It's all I'm really trained to do on rope besides ascend with a couple of prusiks and a few other basic tricks.
c) SAR team has bags for ropes and setting up systems and the likes... as far as rappeling for fun... my friends have all the stuff I don't

For high-angle SAR fun.... click here. I missed this one but fellow teammates were on it.

Anywho, enough nerdness.

Didn't know you were going on Clear Creek... did you run into Todd and Denise, by chance? They went down there for that as well.

I just got a new Osprey pack for Valentine's day (yay for a hubby who also does SAR) and *love* it. I tend to keep my climbing harness in with my normal pack because my team uses them to clip into our scree litters... makes getting down a slope a lot safer IMHO.

As far as helmets on easy carry-outs, I've never NOT worn a helmet for a carry out. Just kind of the automatic thing... rescue = helmet, search = safety glasses, especially at night...

Wendy
CO EMT-B

 

[Shishkabob]

Just got home from shift... unusually slow night. From 10-3, not a single piece of radio traffic for all the trucks on shift.

 

[TransportJockey]

First solo 24 done Felt like I never touched the bunk all night though. My bed here at home is calling my name, pity I have to ignore it for a while

 

[TransportJockey]

I :censored::censored::censored::censored:ing hate FASFA. I haven't lived with or been supported by my parents since I turned 18. But since I'm not 24 yet, they won't give me any money for school because my parents make 'too much money,' even though I make next to nothing. Not sure how I'm going to pay for school.

 

[Seaglass]

I :censored::censored::censored::censored:ing hate FASFA. I haven't lived with or been supported by my parents since I turned 18. But since I'm not 24 yet, they won't give me any money for school because my parents make 'too much money,' even though I make next to nothing. Not sure how I'm going to pay for school.

You need to try to qualify as an independent student. That takes the endorsement of a financial aid person from your school, who will probably need tons of documentation (rent documents and the like).

http://www.fastweb.com/financial-aid/articles/699-fafsa-and-the-independent-student

 

[TransportJockey]

You need to try to qualify as an independent student. That takes the endorsement of a financial aid person from your school, who will probably need tons of documentation (rent documents and the like).

http://www.fastweb.com/financial-aid/articles/699-fafsa-and-the-independent-student

I tried asking how to do that at the college I'm registering at, and was told they will not issue those wavers to almost everyone. They said abuse or the like is the only reason they have issued them and that is their standing policy