Minimum Personal Equipment List

Personal Equipment checklist for sar field work
Prepared by George Cofran, NREMT-Paramedic, CBSAR Team Member, 1/15/06

CLOTHING:

Appropriate clothes and footgear for both fair and foul weather (jacket, parka, pants, boots, thermal underwear, socks, lightweight rain jacket shell and rain pants shell, boonie hat, gators, bandana, etc.)

Safety vest, hunter orange, thin

FOOD & WATER:

Water containers that provide a capacity of at least two liters, (plus any necessary container insulation for winter work).

Food for 48 hours (energy bars plus other lightweight energy sources)

DAY BACK PACK WITH INTERNAL FRAME:

Five large heavy-duty plastic trash bags (for shelter and clue collection)

Headlamp preferred or flashlight and second light source

Chemical light sticks

Strobe light, small (or part of headlight)

Lighter, matches, candle or equivalent fire source

Waterproof pen ("space" pen preferred) and 3x5 note cards

Sharpie pen, indelible

5 x 1 gallon Ziploc bags (or equivalent)

One pair of leather gloves, good for belaying

Finger pull wire saw

Heavy needle and thread

Razor blade, single side

Duct tape, tiny roll

Velcro, small roll

Batteries, spare, for all battery operated personal devices you carry

Bug repellant

Toilet paper, small quantity

Marking tape

MEDICAL:

Personal first aid kit, including CPR kit (mask/shield), standard bandages, stir strip bandages, knuckle bandages, swath, sling, neosporin, ibuprofen, asprin, tweezers, small fingernail clippers, mole skin for blisters, alcohol preps, tiny amount of liquid soap, ace wrap, coban wrap, safety pins, tourniquet, small amount of antiseptic solution like betadine, 30 cc syringe for irrigating wounds, magnifier, etc.

2 pair of plastic or vinyl medical examination gloves

Personal medications in your bag

NAVIGATION AIDS:

Maps

Compass

Signal mirror

Whistle

GPS

Tie wraps

SHELTERING:

Ground sheet (heavy plastic, large enough to sleep on)

Light universal cord, 20 to 40 ft for tying gear or making a shelter

2 small carabineers

Sleeping bag if expect overnight

Bivouac shelter, consider based on expectations

RIGGING: (consider based on expectations)

Harness

Helmet

Rappel device

One 7-foot & one 5-foot piece of 7mm perlon cord (to construct two Prusik loops)

22 feet of 1-inch tubular webbing

IF SNOW CONDITIONS:

Probe pole, foldable or collapsible

Shovel with ice/snow say, suitable for backpacking

Avalanche Beacon

Snowshoes, poles, skis, skins

PERSONAL ITEMS TO CARRY ON YOU:

Cell phone if likely in tower range

Pager if likely in tower range

Team radio if likely in tower/repeater range or if will communicate in bypass mode (radio to radio direct)

Wallet (or thinned version of wallet, with ID)

Watch with second hand

Multi-tool (e.g., Leatherman) on your belt

Sunglasses

Sunscreen, lip screen

NOTES:

The above items should be considered a checklist to consider relative to the mission, weather and scene conditions.

Use good quality zip lock bags to pack like items together, such as first aid, food bars, batteries, miscellaneous small items.

Organize items and zip bags in your pack in a manner that is logical for quick access and location in dark conditions.

Weight is your enemy. Purchase and pack items carefully based on the tradeoff of their utility, frequency of use and weight.

Consider also having a supply bag (spares bag, like a duffel or zip bag) containing items which you can choose from at the last minute at the cache and leave the bag and unneeded contents behind, or transport the bag to the command area. Items might include: items removed from your back pack, extra socks, underwear, warmer clothes, more food and water, batteries, etc.

This list does not address team equipment that you may have to carry, such as rope bags, rigging bags, stokes basket, etc.

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