CAPGear

Rescue Streamer

Getting the attention of an aircrew is a unique challenge that affects both victims, and rescuers.  The ability get and hold their attention has been the subject of a lot of time and energy.  With a lot of radios, beacons, flares, lights, and panels there are a number of devices available.  The "Rescue Streamer"  is a great tool to supplement other attention getting devices.  The streamer is a rolled up plastic sheet that is easily packed, stored, and deployed.  It is good for ground and water use.  

Check out a video demonstration of the streamer

Conterra chest harness

There are many ways to manage ground team equipment.  Some searchers like vests, others like backpacks. The tools that these teams use depend upon their capabilities, and how they are used.  Today we are going to look at a different equipment carrier. 

The Conterra Company makes a chest rig that I have used for a number of years.  This chest rig fits comfortably, and allows easy maneuverability in a command post, on a vehicle, and in the field. 

The chest rig allows a searcher to quickly throw on a back pack with out interference, and allows you enough storage that you can keep your essential equipment with you at all times. 

The best benefit to a chest rig is the positioning of your radio.  Most responders end up clipping their hand held radio to a belt, or strap that hangs at your waist.  This is not the best position for accessing your communications device.  The chest rig will allow this radio it to be close at hand, and easily accessible. 

There are many different makes and models of chest rig, but This is the one I wear. 

Guest Post John Halbrook   

I thought I would take a moment to follow up and show you my chest harness after a day in the field.  You can see how the radio fits, and how I attach a simple clip knife to the rig

Map Planning Board

Any well managed Search and Rescue base has lots of status boards, papers, radios, and most importantly maps.  We use maps for planning, briefings, documentation, and organizing the mission.  In many cases we print, or write directly on the maps.  After a busy day of operations the crossing scribbles on the map leave the IC with “The fog of battle” cluttering up the printed maps.  An analog way to alleviate this confusion is to use a map board.  A map board consists of not much more than a piece of clear Plexiglas secured, or hinged to a backing.  Your map can be secured to the back piece, and the plastic cover folded over.  This protects your map, and allows you to use dry erase markers with out laminating anything.  It can get a little bulky, but it is a great tool when you have a large mission base set up.  

Guest Post by

John S. Halbrook

Zoom bag zipper light

Virtually every flight bag in America has at least one extra flashlight in it.  The idea of being out in the field at night with a blacked out instrument panel is not a position that any aircrew member ever wants to be in.  To combat this we pack all kinds of extra lights with us.  Unfortunately most of the time these back ups sit safe and sound in the storage area well out of reach of the pilot or crew.  With out the light in your hand, and ready for use it might as well be in the car parked at the FBO (That’s where it was last time).  To ensure that at least one flash light is available in an emergency I recommend that you attach it to your clothing.  

In this case the simple squeeze of the LED light provides enough illumination for an emergency, and it can be clipped right to the zipper of your zoom bag.  If you keep this little light as a part of your standard kit you will never be left in the dark.

Although there are many different products like the one I described the light I use is the micro light by inova.  

Guest Author

John Halbrook

The SPOT for Civil Air Patrol Use

Unless you have had your head in the sand you have probably heard of the SPOT.  This little orange box incorporates traits of an ELT, APRS, and a black berry phones.  The SPOT takes your GPS position, and on command delivers your position via the globaltar sat phone network.  Those of you who have been around CAP for a while know that Globalstar’s phone’s suck, and CAP’s SDIS program has suffered as a result of this particular sat phone providers reliability.  Fortunately the SPOT does not run on the duplex signal that is needed for phones to work.  This system is one way communication, and works very reliably on the Simplex aspect of the satellite. 

The SPOT takes one of three signal reports from the field.  A SPOT beacon can, with the push of a button send an OK message.  This message is preconfigured, and sent via e-mail, or text message to a list of designated recipients.  Those people who get your OK message will receive your latitude and Longitude overlaid on a Google map for easy reference.  The Help button has very similar features as the OK button, only the formatted text asks the recipient to help you out of what ever Jam you just got yourself into.  The last messge feature is the panic button.  911 contacts the GEOS rescue center.  This center is staffed 24/7.  When a 911 call comes in they immediately alert your contacts, and the closest authorities to send rescue resources to your position. 

Along with the messaging features SPOT also provides a tracking option.  Activating the unit in a special way instructs it to send a position report every 10 minutes  This allows onlookers to log into a web site and follow your progress real time. 

This tool has some incredibly powerful uses for Search and rescue teams.  CAP has a habit of sending air crews, and ground teams into disaster areas.  In some cases these teams have no Cell contact, and their only means of communication is through a high bird relay.  I know that I have been on many ELT missions,, and I have lost contact with my aircraft.  In those cases you feel completely cut off.  If something were to happen no one would know.  To solve this problem a SPOT could be issued to teams.  Help, and OK messages could be passed in place of 30 minute VHF radio check ins.  The Spot could also be used as a blue force tracker to ensure that teams are working in designated Search areas. 

Overall this could be an excellent SAR tool.  At 150 per unit, and an extra service fee each year it might not be realistic for members to purchase these units, but CAP already buys Radios, and has a very large service contract with Globalstar.  You never know what arrangements could be made at the corporate level. 

 

 

CAPGear Custom: CAP Vest ID Patch...

This is hopefully going to become a regular feature here on CAPGear.

Custom gear specifically made for CAP.

To start things off, I thought I would go simple yet functional.  Many field operators choose to use a "Tactical" vest - every other agency has a means for identifying themselves from behind while wearing their "tac" vest.  CAP has been lacking in this area, until now:

Presenting the CAP agency identification patch.  I have custom made a number of these which I will make available to anyone who emails me for the low low price of $20 each this includes shipping via US Mail.

All you need is the soft side of your standard hook and loop fastener and a "tac" vest to attach it to.

SAREX Report: Pryme Heavy Duty Speaker Microphone

This is going to be a new ongoing segment here on CAPGear where we focus on the performance of one piece of gear in the field.

Our first victim topic will be the Pryme Radio Products Heavy Duty Speaker Microphone that I recently purchased from TWA Comm.

This was a simple 1-day SAREX with several ground and air scenarios (which began with an actual, but that's another story).  This mic perfromed flawlessly and came with some bonus features I was not aware of.  First, it has 3 push-to-talk buttons - that's right, 3.  The first one is the standard side of the microphone one you see on every speaker mic, the second one was a nice button on the connector itself, I can see this would be handy if you wanted to begin transmitting discreetly - not super useful for us, but cool in general.  The final button is the most amazing.  When I opened the unit I started playing with it before it was connected to the radio.  I noticed that the actual speaker assembly seemed to be "loose".  I was a little miffed because it was brand new and I need something for Saturday.  Well in the process of playing with it I pushed it in pretty far and felt the click of a button.  I thought that was curious - well, it turns out the entire speaker itself is a PTT button.  That was especially handy because I was wearing gloves, and without the tactile sense it was hard to find exactly where the (fully rubber jacketed) side mounted PTT was.

This thing came in so handy, at one point while we were regrouping after finding an ELT I actually stopped the team and announced how useful it was.  One of the best $80 bucks I've ever spent.

Now for a summary of the pros and cons.

Pros:

• 3 PTT Buttons
• Rugged Water Resistant Case
• 3.5mm Connector on the Mic itself for a concealed earphone
• Clear Audio Components
• Durable Coiled Cord
• Large Durable Metal Reinforced Clip

Cons:

• It's BIG about 2" x 2" x 3/4" deep
• The connector for the EF Johnson Radio is bulky, I imagine any speaker mic would have this issue
• The screw used to secure the connector requires a small screw driver to tighten - a tool not readily available in the field - hate to ruin a knife tip on this

Overall, I would say anyone looking for a speaker mic for their shiny new Civil Air Patrol Radio should pick this one up, I imagine it will last forever.

EF Johnson Radio Accessories...

Okay - so I have a big SAREX this weekend and I needed some toys for my EF Johnson HT.  With my old VX-150 I had a Pryme 1-wire recon headset which was awesome - the audio quality rocked and it took a serious beating and kept on working.

When these EF Johnson radios came out they rendered all of my Vertex accessories useless.  I was faced with a hunt to find the right stuff for this funky multi-pin connector.  Well, in a sheer stroke of genius - the gang at EF Johnson made this connector essentially the same as the Motorola HT-1000 connector, making most of the 1,000,000,000 HT-1000 add ons work with their radio as well (not sure about the fancy speaker mics with controls on them).

Once I nailed down what I needed I started my search for a vendor.  I landed on TWA Comm.  They are rockstars.  I placed my order today and it's already on its way.  They sent me an email conformation and everything - gotta love an easy paper trail.

I ordered the following:

1 Pryme Radio Products Heavy Duty Speaker Microphone for EF Johnson and Motorola Multi Pin Radios (SPM-3123) for the very reasonable price of $80.04.  As you all know, I don't mind spending a little bit more for something that (barring another radio change) will last me a long time.

1 Pryme Radio Products Cord with Right Angle Connector (EH-1389SC) for $36.97.  This is so I can limit who hear radio traffic if I want to.  This comes in handy sometimes.

...and finally...

1 Pryme Radio Products Ear Insert Replacement (P-EMMR) for $9.45.  Okay - this is purely for my comfort.  It's an ear molded insert - for long wear it's way more comfortable.

Overall - a pleasure to buy from these guys.  Give them a call at 877-389-0000 - ask for Steve, he rocks.

New Ground Team Gear!!

Okay - I'm not dead.  Just been a bit busy to say the least.  Between being a Squadron Commander and work - I've been buried.  All that being said, I had to blog about this.

I'm finally trading in my old Blackhawk Medic Vest (totally useless for what we do).

I thought I would let you know what I picked up and why.

I considered the standard LBV, another Blackhawk vest, and the Camelbak Delta-5 Tactical Vest.  I chose Camelbak - it was fully integrated, and Francois had one which gave me a chance to mull it over.

I decided to use OPSGear to make my purchase.  They had good pricing (not the best), but the main reason was one stop shopping.  They had all the pouches I wanted and the shipping was cheap.  I would highly recommend them for purchases like this.

The vest itself comes in black and sage green, it's made of tactical nylon mesh with MOLLE/PALS attach point on the front and back.  It uses large YKK zippers and has an integrated 102oz OMEGA Water Beast reservoir.  This vest is adjustable in 3 places on each side, and the length of the "shoulder straps" is also adjustable.  The water system uses quick disconnects at all points, and a covered bite valve so you don't get dirt or sand in your water.  It has an integrated "rescue" drag handle that is reinforced, it also has 2 velcro patches for ID purposes.  It's meant to be attached to a web belt of some kind to keep it from riding up.  This thing is amazing.  I chose sage green to attempt to match either BDU's, or maybe someday the ABU.  As I did on my black medic vest, I will eventually apply (using velcro) a large amount of reflective material in order to avoid having to wear a vest over this one.

I'll outline each pouch I selected and why.

First I knew I would need a radio pouch that could accommodate these nice new EF Johnson Radios - they're kind of big.  I selected the MOLLE Radio Pouch in OD Green.  It's big enough to hold the radio, it includes an adjustable retention strap to keep the radio in place when you have the main compartment open to make adjustments.  It has a nice reinforced port on the top for wires and antennas.  It includes the MOLLE connection straps which is nice.

Next I selected some small multi-use pouches.  I knew I needed something for both my Surefire 6P flashlight, and my Leatherman Multi Tool.  I selected the MOLLE Single Pistol Mag Pouch.  The dimensions were good, and the closure flap was adjustable.  Both of my items fit perfectly.  As with the Radio Pouch, these came with connection straps built in.

I have a lot of miscellaneous gear that I need access to on a regular basis, things like a simple knife, mono scope, notepad, pens, signal mirror, etc.  I decided to select a piece of Maxpedition gear for this stuff.  They call it the Monkey Combat Admin Pouch.  This thing is amazing.  It has a handy ID holder in the front that can be revealed by pulling down on the tab.  It has 3 internal pockets - the middle pocket velcros shut to keep items from falling out.  I stuck my mapping compass and signal mirror in there.  The front pocket has my pads and pens.  The inside most pocket holds my knife, a small LED flashlight, and my mono scope.  The entire front of this piece is covered in velcro.  I'm not sure I could live without this thing now.  The only drawback - if you could call it that would be the lack of connection straps.  I address that later in the post.

Now, we all have that pile of "undefinable" equipment.  Things you know you'll need but don't really fit into something "custom".  For those types of items I picked up a MOLLE Utility puch.  It's big and it has more MOLLE attach point on the front.  I put matches, gloves, bug repellent, etc in this pouch.  It has room for me to add miscellaneous items as needed, like my camera.

Finally to round it all out, I wanted a new butt pack.  I had the traditional, standard issue model.  No extra pockets - basically a big ass water resistant bag - useless.  I needed something I could putt my meals and shelter material in.  Something that if I needed one thing, I didn;t have to pull everything else out to get at it.  With all that in mind I selected the MOLLE Butt / Vest Pack.  It has plenty of extra pockets, including one on top for my extra batteries.  Overall a vast improvement over the original.

Because the Maxpedition pouch didn't have any straps for attaching, I had to pick some up.  I chose the Blackhawk STRIKE MOLLE Speed Clips.  They worked out well and weren;t too expensive.

The final product looked something like this:

I admit - this was a bit of a decent chunk of change, around $350 when it was all said and done.  You have to think of your GTM gear as an investment.  Not only is this gear going to last me a LONG time, it's also going to make my ES life a lot easier.

Next time on CAPGear - EF Johnson Radio Accessories, which ones worked for me.

First Aid Kit: What You Really Need

Murph asked me to write this post on “Essential items every CAP Member needs in their personal First Aid Kit.” I’m going to be working on a couple of assumptions here: one, you won’t be the team EMT/Medic; two, this is a base pack that should cover as many circumstances as possible. The first assumption means that you won’t be packing a huge amount of supplies; the second that we’re going to be working with tools that can be as polyvalent as possible.
As a general rule, I like my med kit to be modular: a small number of base items and a few separate packs covering some more precise, yet still general circumstances (e.g.: cold or hot weather injuries) that I can chuck into my go bag depending on the season and/or mission.