The Nat'l Assoc. of Search & Rescue and 8'x10' shelter material

[Arkansas_Ranger]

The above organization has compiled a list of items that they believe search and rescue professionals should carry on their searches and rescues. The list is basically a "ready pack" so that you can have everything you'd need to survive readily available.

I've posted the contents before, but for the first time I've actually tried something. The second week of February I've got to go to this class for the first time ever, and I'm looking forward to it. However, they list among many other items is that you should have an 8 foot by 10 foot tarp or coated nylon shelter material. This is a large list that is said to fit in an 1800 cubic inch backpack. Well, I have a 1850 cubic inch backpack, and after putting all of the other things I've ever put in it (much of which was gleaned from this website and others like it) there's no room for an 8'x10' tarp. Tarps don't fold up in a very compressible form.

Anyway, I'm supposed to take with me to the Fundamentals of SAR, 40 hour class an 8'x10' "shelter material," and I'm wondering what you guys might suggest in place of a big, heavy Walmart-grade tarp. I already keep in my bag, a disposable poncho (that I really don't want to take out of the package) and several trash bags.

Thanks guys. I know you won't fail me.

[crashdive123]

Roll it and use a couple of straps to attach it to the outside of your pack.

[rebel]

http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___22048

Could this help? It's light.

[Arkansas_Ranger]

Hmmm. That cover at Campor is neat. Pricey for what it is though.

I've considered the exterior roll, and that's likely to be what I'll do should I go with the Wally World tarp.

[Ted Foureagles]

8x10 -- jeez, do they expect that you'll be putting in cable TV too? I suppose that some other bits could be eliminated when you have a mansion like that. The poncho, maybe one of the trash bags, though I'd personally rather have them than the tarp.

Times I've relied on a tarp shelter I took a piece of Visqueen plastic, like what was used to close up doublewide mobile homes for transport. It was pretty light & compact, and "grommets" could be anywhere you chose to wrap a pebble in cord. These days, something like Tyvec house wrap migh be a decent choice.

}}}}

[sthomas]

Obviously this isn't a breathable option, but I've gone out with just a single-width mattress bag (picked up for about $3 from any U-Haul). If it rains you can be quite protected, although your exhaled breath will create some condensation inside (less if you breathe through your nose instead of your mouth). But it's light, cheap, and you can make various types of shelters with it as conditions call for.

This is actually a "luxury" condition for me, where I had my mummy bag and my 4"x8" packed pad and 5"x.5" packed pillow, as it was a backpacking trip and not a survival outing (in ~20-degree temps last month).
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For a SAR situation I typically bring my emergency bivvy, which is waterproof, breathable, and packs down to about 5"x7". I can't remember what it cost offhand, but it was maybe $20.

You can do a "lot" with 2-3 quality garbage bags, a yard of duct tape, and 15' of 550 cord as well.

One rig I take when the weather isn't too cold is a big military rain poncho with grommets on the ends and a net hammock. The poncho serves as rain gear by day and a tarp shelter by night in various forms. The lightweight net hammock serves as a comfy bed away from the crawling bugs, and can be used as a net to catch fish in a pinch (or an emergency stretcher with some long sturdy tree limbs).

Don't those disposable ponchos cost like 99-cents? I can't count how many of those I've gone through.

[Sarge47]

Hmmm. That cover at Campor is neat. Pricey for what it is though.

I've considered the exterior roll, and that's likely to be what I'll do should I go with the Wally World tarp.

I actually bought the 12' "Kelty's Tarp from Campmor several years back & have got to say the thing is super-strong, yet folds up very small. I paid out about $60 for it & am not sorry. BTW, where did you post that list?

[rebel]

8x10 -- jeez, do they expect that you'll be putting in cable TV too? I suppose that some other bits could be eliminated when you have a mansion like that.
}}}}

I guess they need the space for more than themselves.

Like a rescue.

[Ag Nettogrof]

According to the list on their web site it says

"1-Shelter Material, 8'x10' plastic or coated nylon"

Either one of those should be do-able.

Gettin that 42" long tracking stick in there might be another story though

[rebel]

I think this is the list:

http://www.nasar.org/nasar/downloads...ST_11_2004.pdf

[SARKY]

check out go-lite.com, they have several shelters that are silicon impregnated nylon. their 3 man was about $150 when I bought mine. it weighs next to nothing and folds down to less than that.

[Arkansas_Ranger]

I guess they need the space for more than themselves.

Like a rescue.

Yep, that's the list, lol. I just came back for the first time since I first posted.

There are some things on there that are search specific such as the measuring device, tracking stick, etc.

I'm wondering why they're so specific with some of the items. To me, it's silly. I do know that in order to pass the SAR Tech II exam that one of the practicals is to take out your shelter material and remove all the listed items thus showing them to the evaluator.

I still don't see how they got it all into an 1800 cubic inch bag.

[RBB]

What's a "tracking stick"?

[crashdive123]

Here ya go http://www.bear-tracker.com/trackingstick.htm

[sthomas]

I'm wondering why they're so specific with some of the items. To me, it's silly. I do know that in order to pass the SAR Tech II exam that one of the practicals is to take out your shelter material and remove all the listed items thus showing them to the evaluator.

I still don't see how they got it all into an 1800 cubic inch bag.

That's exactly why I help out in such situations independently. Carrying too much gear only slows you down, at a time where minutes/hours/days could mean the difference between life and death for the lost person(s). And if you really know what you're doing in the wild, you don't need all that anyway. Why the heck bring along a tracking stick before you've actually found any tracks. And once you find any in the woods, obviously any stick from any tree will do the job from there.

I know the SAR folks are providing insurance that they won't have to rescue the rescuers, but obviously there are people who have enough knowledge and training to get the job done without carrying that much gear on them.

I drove out to Stone Mountain (NC) a year or two ago to look for this kid Michael who ended up being lost for 3+ days. The nights were kinda cold and I didn't know how long I'd be out there, so I packed heavy. At first I struck out with a full pack, but the terrain off-trail was tough and the weight of my pack almost pulled me down a steep drop as I was traversing down a mountainside. Plus it was slowing me down big-time. I hiked all the way back to my truck and made some serious gear adjustments. After that I cruised through the terrain. I ran into some other guy who had also struck it out on his own, who knew the area well (he was an outdoorsman who grew up there). We traveled together from that point, and were maybe 150-yards away from the kid and headed in his general direction when a search team and search dog found him. A happy ending in that case.

[endurance]

Campmor has a whole selection of nylon tarps. clicky here. The nylon tarps are going to be a heck of a lot smaller, lighter, and easier to refold than those coated plastic tarps.

[Dennis]

This may not help you with such a short lead time but someone else my find it interesting or helpful.

Something I have been playing around with is sail cloth. I have a few old sails laying around.

Sails are incredibly strong, wind proof, and shed water. Not sure if you call them water proof or not. I took one of mine and set it like a lean too and run water on it with no leaks. I got it behind my house in the woods. Been there 2 weeks now and has survived some pretty bad wind storms with no damage.

[Arkansas_Ranger]

Thanks Guys!

[Badawg]

Hey Dennis,

A word to the wise is that Dacron Sails are great but will be badly damaged by long term exposure to sun. That's one of the reasons that cruisers use tanbark(Treated with Anti UV) sails and cotton sails.

Also a great deal on a tarp similar to a noah's tarp here: http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/cb.aspx?a=254694

I had a 10' Noah's tarp but the sun did it in after a few years.

[MOS19K]

1 - Pack, 1800 cubic inch (minimum), this doesn't mean that you can't use a larger pack. It does state that 1800 cubic inches is the minimum. I've used construction grade clear, garbage bags, these are very strong and when sliced open they cover close to 8x10. You can find them at Home Depot or most DIY stores.