Survival packs for every purpose

**Plastic Brick** · 01-23-2010, 07:33 PM

If you divided up survival/ disaster rescue packs into subcategories, what would you include in the following packs?

1. A water purification pack
2. A first aid/medical pack
3. A food survival pack
4. A climbing/digging pack
5. A water rescue pack

I can clarify my question if need be.

**crashdive123** · 01-23-2010, 07:50 PM

Many folks use the idea of modular packs. Depending on the season or the reason - change out modules as needed. Is this another school project your're working on?

**Plastic Brick** · 01-23-2010, 07:52 PM

Yep. Its another school project....possibly depending on its practicality. To clarify...if you had a back pack just for water purification, another one just for medical supplies, another for search and rescue, another for just food....what would be in each one?

**crashdive123** · 01-23-2010, 08:14 PM

Since you're the one getting the grade for this, why not tell us what you'd put in each one. Include your reasons why you feel that those would be the best items to include.

**Plastic Brick** · 01-23-2010, 08:34 PM

Good question. I know very little about these things, but here's a guess from internet research:

Water purification:
1. tablets to purify 30-50 gallons of water
2. Water bottle or empty hydration bladder
3. 2 pans for boiling
4. small cups- possibly collapseable
5. A firestarter

First aid
1. bandages
2. gauzes
3. hydrogen peroxide/antibiotic ointment
4. Hand sanitizer
5. splints
6. Surgical tools
7. ether
8. general medicines in bottles
9. Waste bag

Search and rescue
1. Rope washer
2. Rope- 100 feet
3. Rope Pad
4. Rope wash
5. Screwlink
6. Rope cutter
7. Chest harness
8. Safety lanyard
9. Pulleys
10. Light stick or flare
11. Radio & carrier
12. knife
13. Whistle
14. axe
15. Field operations guide
16. Machete

Fire kit- or dust kit (for recovery in collapsed buildings)
1. 2 fire extinguisher-foam
2. face and eye mask
3. axe
4. helmet
5. gas mask
6. Field operations guide
7. gauzes and antibiotic ointment for burns
8. crowbar

Food kit
....gee...that would be filled with anything....

**Sourdough** · 01-23-2010, 08:39 PM

Originally Posted by Plastic Brick

Yep. Its another school project....possibly depending on its practicality. To clarify...if you had a back pack just for water purification, another one just for medical supplies, another for search and rescue, another for just food....what would be in each one?

I would never have several packs. I have one external frame pack all set up, to grab and go for a two week, walk'about. And I have my everyday packs. But every pack is complete, and contains everything for that time period. The last thing I would want is separate packs for water, fire, clothing. So In my opinion it is not practical, and dangerous.

**crashdive123** · 01-23-2010, 08:44 PM

I'll take a closer look at your kits in a bit, as I'm sure that everybody else will - but I see some glaring red flags that jump right out at me. Without critiquing everything yet, those glaring red flags are:
1. First aid kit - not good at all. To include anesthesia and surgical tools will probably get somebody killed. The rest of it is extremely lacking.

2. Search and Rescue kit - needs a lot of work.

3. Fire kit - gas masks do not replace oxygen. Using one in a fire may kill you.

Again - more critique later, but I really think you may need to put a bit more into your end of the research (unless that's all you consider us)

**Plastic Brick** · 01-23-2010, 08:49 PM

These are kits to do help with disaster relief- such as in haiti or Indonesia. More than one person would go to a location-each specializing in one part of the process.

I mean oxygen tank for the fire kit, not gas mask

**Sourdough** · 01-23-2010, 08:57 PM

OK.....question who outlines these projects.....the student or the teacher...?

**Plastic Brick** · 01-23-2010, 09:05 PM

Professor gives the general guidelines, the student has to come up with a product idea and get their approval.

**Sarge47** · 01-24-2010, 12:24 AM

Originally Posted by Plastic Brick

Professor gives the general guidelines, the student has to come up with a product idea and get their approval.

What qualifications does your Prof. have to judge/grade the end result? One of the main problems I see here is the lack of redundancy. For example, if the 1st aid person loses their Pack, the whole group is screwed. Sounds pretty dumb to me. Everybody needs to carry the same basic essentials. For a very good example look at the structure of a Boy Scout Troop. It is broken down into several patrols who, dispite the fact that the Troop also has "community" equipment; every scout also carries their own personal "10 essentials" kit, if not more. The thing to remember is the classroom is a really poor substitute for "boots in the field."

**SARKY** · 01-24-2010, 01:26 AM

OK, first off, have you ever done search and rescue? I'm assuming not. Try contacting your state game wardens, police etc. anyone who would be doing SAR. You will find that you are going to need a bunch of those other packs in order to carry out a SAR mission, depending on season, enviroment and terrain. That is why you g with modules for your pack and not seperate packs.

**Winnie** · 01-24-2010, 08:26 AM

Sounds to me like you're describing professional rescuers packs, not personal emergency kits. It takes a lot of training to safeley use what you have there.
I agree with what everyone else has said and I'm just a little old English lady who's never used a BOB in her life (but I still have one

)

**Rick** · 01-24-2010, 09:11 AM

Unless the rules your instructor laid out were separate packs then you do need to consider compartmentalizing a single pack. In your scenario above, if you are carrying a water purification pack and find someone that needs first aid you will be precluded from rendering because you don't have the gear. That's not the scenario you want to have happen.

If you want to look at a SAR environment then you need to find those folks that operate in that realm. There are some on here so you need their input. I do not and can not speak to your needs beyond what I've posted.

**hunter63** · 01-24-2010, 01:57 PM

Originally Posted by Sarge47

What qualifications does your Prof. have to judge/grade the end result? One of the main problems I see here is the lack of redundancy. For example, if the 1st aid person loses their Pack, the whole group is screwed. Sounds pretty dumb to me. Everybody needs to carry the same basic essentials. For a very good example look at the structure of a Boy Scout Troop. It is broken down into several patrols who, dispite the fact that the Troop also has "community" equipment; every scout also carries their own personal "10 essentials" kit, if not more. The thing to remember is the classroom is a really poor substitute for "boots in the field."

Sarge, thanks for bring up the "Scouts 10 Essentials" forgot all about it.

http://www.scoutingmagazine.org/issues/0403/d-outs.html

Very good start for anyone, good find!

**Sarge47** · 01-24-2010, 04:31 PM

A lot of folks forget about it, yet it's all part of being prepared. I clicked on this to check it out:

http://www.scoutingmagazine.org/issues/0309/d-outs.html

I've read some of Karen's work; she's very experienced & certainly knows her stuff!

Maybe she should be teaching Plastic Brick's class.

**rwc1969** · 01-24-2010, 08:38 PM

I agree with sourdough, Sarge and SARKY. Having individual kits doesn't sound reasonable to me.

Unless the individual kits were in a larger single kit then it would make sense.

**Plastic Brick** · 02-01-2010, 03:25 PM

It wasn't that I didn't want to research the topic first. It was that this was the beginning of my research, and I was going to multiple places to find the info, this forum being one of them. However, the client changed the project. Thanks for the input though guys.