Mounted search and rescue

["IRVIN LICHTENSTEIN" <ilichten1@verizon.net>]

I use a set from Morgan.  Originally they only manufactured in black or dark
colored Cordura.  Now they come in orange as well. The newer version has two
tie down points on each bag, the top and under the lower side. They are made
of three bags, each side and the cantle, joined by a sewn strip of heavy
canvas like material. They will break away at the sewn strip but a heavy
sewing machine will fix them. The cantle bag can be ordered to fit your
horse's butt (mine is 26 inches). All the closures are heavy duty zippers.

I also modify the bags by adding reflective tape or EMS markings to improve
night visibility of both the bags and the horse.  One side bag carries the
first aid kit and the other side carries the extra horse stuff you alwaus
need-- neck rope, halter, gloves, watch cap (orange), poncho, hoof pick, 100
feet of 3/8" yellow boat rope (the polyester stuff that floats), rawhide
boot laces, fence pliers, folding saw and pruning shears. The cantle carries
a set of neck collars (one piece, various sizes), an OB kit, yellow
disposable blanket, and spare jacket, carrots, a chain lead, and sometimes
spare water. The left side is the first aid kit-- heavy on bleeding stuff--
lots of gauze pads, trauma dressings, tape, Vetwrap, strip bandages, elastic
wraps, ladder splints, bug dope, CPR mask, gloves, spare glasses, and
usually a spare radio battery, cell phone, and EMS credentials. Everything
is packed in plastic bags just in case. The heavy Zip or slide closures seem
to survive best. 

On the horn (I ride a roping saddle) I have lashed (with rawhide boot laces)
water bottle holders from REI (Eastern Mountain Sports has similar). Again,
nylon pack cloth, each has a clip or belt loop and either a drawsting or
elastic top.  They hold the squirt bottles that bicyclists use-- no top to
unscrew and lose. I keep the bottles in the freezer in the summer and have
two sets.  Nalgene brand soft bottles seem to survive the longest without
cracking from the freeze thaw cycle. 

A good source for medical stuff is Moore Medical. They have a web and a
catalog operation. You can open an account or credit card and regular
shipping is never more than 2 days. Their house brands are equal or better
than some major brands and cost a lot less but they sell both. They also
sell cases without supplies so you can tailor your load out to your
situation.  They do sell in quantity so it would pay to combine orders from
several members.  

I carry oxygen in my vehicle but not on my horse. The bottles weigh too much
and are too dangerous to have around. To carry a bottle on horseback it
would be a "baby" size, or around 5 minutes worth, maybe. Portables carried
by ambulance crews are D size and the vehicle systems are M or bigger (over
440 cubic feet at 2200 PSI). The regulators get banged up and need repair.
And the bottles either have to be tested or thrown away. I keep an E size
bottle with regulator and masks, and a bag valve in my truck at no more than
1800 PSI in a 2200 PSI steel bottle.  This provides some safety margin when
the truck gets hot in the summer and gives me about 15 minutes of use. And
we don't do CPR off road.

Irv Lichtenstein