(Part 2) Top products from r/searchandrescue
We found 10 product mentions on r/searchandrescue. We ranked the 29 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the products ranked 21-40. You can also go back to the previous section.
21. Morakniv Companion Fixed Blade Outdoor Knife with Carbon Steel Blade, 4.1-Inch, Military Green
Sentiment score: 1
Number of reviews: 1
Fixed blade outdoor knife with 4.1-inch high carbon steel bladeLimited lifetime manufacturer’s warranty; Made in SwedenPatterned, high-friction grip makes the knife comfortable to hold and easy to handleBlade length: 4.1 inches (104 mm);Blade thickness: 0.08 inch (2.0 mm); Overall length: 8.6 inch...
22. 5.11 Taclite Men's EMS Pant, 32-32, Dark Navy
Sentiment score: 1
Number of reviews: 1
5.11's TACLITE EMS Pants are lightweight, breathable, and durable. Made from our TACLITE ripstop fabricThese pants feature a self- adjusting waistband, fully gusseted inseam, and double- reinforced seat and knees for comfort and mobilityThe thigh- mounted cargo pockets offer internal dividers to sor...
23. OfficemateOIC Aluminum Forms Storage Clipboard, 8.5 x 12 Inch (83200)
Sentiment score: 1
Number of reviews: 1
External ClipboardInternal storage for up to 50 forms or papers.Internal compartment for pens and pencils.Solid aluminum construction.For forms up to 8-1/2-Inch x 12-Inch.
24. Terra Nova Bothy Bag 2 - Emergency Storm Shelter
Sentiment score: 0
Number of reviews: 1
Lightweight (13oz) and compact emergency shelter for all Outdoor Activities, Ideal for 2 peopleCreate a 'microclimate' for escaping from the elements, perfect for map reading, group discussions or even as a morale-booster for wet lunch breaksFeatures include mesh vents, clear windows, durable waterp...
25. 75 Search and Rescue Stories: An insider's view of survival, death, and volunteer heroes who tip the balance when things fall apart
Sentiment score: 1
Number of reviews: 1
Traditional SAR, the teams you will find around the country operate in a whole different world than the military. For the most part you can sort of look to volunteer firefighters as an analogy, even then they tend to be more regimented than SAR. There are some SAR teams out there that have more of a military structure to them, but most of what you will find will feel more like SAR clubs (think chess clubs, hiking clubs, etc). My unit meets once a month, we have a business meeting with the whole review last month's minutes, reports on events since the last meeting, old business, new business, etc. After that we conduct a classroom training session on topics like Lost Person Behavior, Medical Techniques, Navigation, etc. We also conduct regular field trainings to bring it all together. We don't have ranks, we have a list of skillsets and we are each typed according to our ability in each skill. Our unit and all the units I know don't work with weapons, sure we carry knives, but the biggest blade most of us work with is one of these, not some giant thing that rambo would carry, no machetes, no hatchets. If there is a situation where SAR skills are needed for say a fugitive, we stay home. We have done evidence searches for things criminals have tossed into the woods, but they were already in jail.
SAR in the military is their own thing and while we can and do work together on missions they are a unit that stays a unit. When we ask for military assets we indicate what needs to be done and they tell us what they are sending and what it will do. If I show up on a mission with 5 other people from my unit we might be on a team together or I might get put in with members of a different unit.
When it comes to the actual searching it is simply a lot of covering ground. We walk, and we walk, and we walk. 99% of the time we get nothing, there are only so many clues out there. There is one really awesome clue (the person or thing you were out to look for) and tons of acreage to cover. We often start from a last known point and try to move that further along in time. An example we were out looking for a mushroom hunter, when I showed up they new where he started into the woods, we then found a clearly picked mushroom and a couple of boot prints. That advanced the last known point a few hundred feet and gave us a second breadcrumb to work with. It takes a certain type of person to do that effectively. I have seen plenty of people bow out because they had been on maybe a dozen searches over several years and never found a thing. One of our radio operators has been on 8 missions, each ended in a recovery. My hope when I got in was to find a clue at some point, and Oh Boy my first time out I got the find, I found the 24yro woman who had hanged herself. We don't have an obligation to respond to one call or another, but you also don't get to decide who gets lost and when. You also have to get along real well with the others on your team. I've been on all sorts of teams and there are people that I know I don't want to go out with, and certain combinations of people that I won't go out with.
With every one of your responses I feel more and more that SAR wouldn't be a good fit for you now. Most units welcome visitors, I would say that you might consider finding one of the local unit's meetings and checking it out. Attend a few meetings before even considering applying, and talk to the people there and be honest about what you are looking for. Once you get started into it there is a substantial investment in time, energy, gear, and training on the part of you and your team. It isn't worth it to go through a bunch of training and getting geared up to not be a productive member of a team (remember finding nothing is something). I'm not sure what exactly you are looking for, but I don't think SAR is it. There is always a "who knows?" aspect and if you spend some time around a unit you may find that it is a good fit, or that your outlook might change. Our mountain rescue unit has people "hang out" around them for several months before offering them an application, in their world they have to trust their lives to their team. While the regular old SAR doesn't require the same standard it is very easy for someone (as good at it as they may be) to be more of a distraction than a help.
TL;DR
I don't think SAR is going to get you what you want. If you do feel like continuing down this path talk to the people in the unit(s) in your area, be honest, and don't take it personally if they tell you "no".
The requirements vary massively from organization to organization.
Also some thing to take into consideration:
While you wait to move to Colorado, some training you can start out on:
Again, the requirements and what certifications will be accepted vary MASSIVELY from organization to organization. While some may accept the certifications and trainings above, others may completely reject them.
5.11 (https://www.511tactical.com/) is a bit uniform shop, but you may also want to consider going to a local uniform store and figuring out what options you have there. Your local fire fighters and cops are buying their stuff locally and having patches put on, so see what's there and what can be ordered in. Usually uniform shops have lots of catalogs about too. 5.11 carries some of the most common stuff out there, like the EMT taclite pants: https://www.amazon.com/5-11-Taclite-Mens-Pant-32-32/dp/B004DT0NQ0/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1510084402&sr=8-5&keywords=emt+pants
For non-winter helmets look at the petzl vertex, it's got lots of accessories and is pretty popular. For winter, get a ski/board helmet with ear covers that you can drop helmet speakers into. If you'll be on snowmobiles, consider if you need special helmets for those as well.
For "medical gear" you should have someone with formal emergency medical training that can stock that for you, and the training should follow along with the equipment. A lot of people buy stuff that they've never really used before. Figure out how you'll treat traumatic bleeding, then buy that gear, train on it, and put it in the bag. Don't put stuff in because it might work someday someway.
With outer clothing (goretex stuff, etc) it can be tricky to figure out because it's super expensive and custom. If buying $800 worth of snow pants/jackets per person with $100 of customization for each one is in the cards than do it, but because of that price tag often teams on a budget will simply say "wear a red jacket and black pants" which is a little easier for people to follow. You can keep names and insignias on helmets.
You can also just require something standard like "black or dark blue pants, and a red top", and then have people toss a vest on like this: https://www.amazon.com/KwikSafety-Presidential-Reinforced-Reflective-Construction/dp/B071JR8W4G/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1510084754&sr=8-2&keywords=class+2+work+vest
Personally I prefer to pick my own base layers and just wear a vest or over-shirt (non winter). I'd much rather wear my own personal wool base layers, and women often find clothing fits pretty difficult.
I use one of these metal ones: This is pretty much the same thing on Amazon. They are durable as heck, I can have it loaded up with all sorts of papers I might need. I can fit all of my pens and such. It's a little bit bulky, but it's perfect for my needs. Plus, I know I won't break it when I do run out into the field. Mine may not be the exact same brand as the one on Amazon there, but it looks the same. I picked it up for about $15 at Walmart.
One of the lead members of our SAR dog teams recently published a book about his experiences, it should be a great source of stories if you're interested:
Search Dogs and Me: One Man and His Life-saving Dogs
For those interested in how canine SAR really works, this is an excellent book:
https://www.amazon.com/Scent-Missing-Partnership-Search-Rescue/dp/0547422571
This book was written by a member of the team I'm on and is great!
https://www.amazon.com/75-Search-Rescue-Stories-volunteer/dp/1893594114
https://www.amazon.com/Terra-Nova-Equipment-Bothy-Bag/dp/B000P9EL06
I'm Eastern Sierra so I'm partial to things that are relevant to my area. Off the Wall, Death in Yosemite is really good as it catalogs all of the deaths in Yosemite. Drownings, falls, exposure, murder, etc. This is in the same format as the Grand Canyon book.
The Death Valley Germans is a terrific Internet rabbit hole to spend a few hours in.