Mounted search and rescue

["Irvin Lichtenstein " <ilichten1@verizon.net>]

Go to REI or Eastern Mountain Sports or whoever rents camping equipment in
your area.  Go through their inventory until you find something that seems
to work, then RENT it for the weekend.  My personal pack (for rope rescue)
is an old Lowe internal frame design that rides my hips.  It has three
parts- the main bag that hold too much stuff, a rucksack that zips onto the
main pack and holds a days worth of junkfood, water, survival pack, etc.,
and the hip pack which goes top or bottom and is set up as a light trauma
bag.  When needed I recruit 3 firemen to carry it as it can weigh over 70
pounds for the main pack alone (300 feet of rope, 2 dozen beiners, gloves,
pulleys, etc). This thing was originally designed for the Green Beret type
and I am no longer (if I ever was) in that class of physical shape.  
Don't buy for one weekend, the conflicts between economy and quality are too
great. 

Irv Lichtenstein  

-----Original Message-----
From: msar-riders-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:msar-riders-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Lila Corey
Sent: Friday, March 12, 2010 11:23 AM
To: Mounted search and rescue
Subject: Re: [MSAR] Standards for mounted SAR

I realize this in not in keeping with the exact conversation here, but I 
need to know what type of back pack is working for people who are not only 
older (late 50's) searchers, but smaller in stature too?  I bought a 
Coaxsher, and even though it is constucted nicely, it seems to be a lot of 
weight.  I realize the support system in it makes it a little heavier, and 
that may offset the disadvantage of weight?  I am going on a wilderness 
survival training this weekend and have packed and repacked trying to 
eliminate weight.   Most of the time, I am using my horse, but this training

requires all foot work.

Lila
o/msar-riders