Cap Gear readiness

[SARMedTech]

I finally got my "better than mil-spec" (and it really is) CFP-90 as my 72 pack along with a sleeping bag good to -20f that rolls up to the size of a large grapefruit. Im still looking for that perfect 24 pack. Any recommendations. I sort of like the way a "butt" pack (an oversized fanny pack of the military variety...VietNam era) works out but wonder if the more experienced among you think that something larger would be necessary. I know Im hijacking but humor the new guy. If it helps, when you tell me what you use and why, you can tell me where you keep it so it stays on thread. Just please...no funnies about where you keep your butt pack. Does anyone use a over the shoulder across the chest bag like a "mike" bag or medics M3Alpha as your 24 or are shoulder slung bags just not done? On an exersize recently, I carried an Israeli pilots bag with a CAP patch sewn over the red velvet wings and then put the strap across my body and secured it under my pistol belt.  It seemed to work ok, but wast absolutely ideal.  Ill stop here so I dont get flamed for hijacking.

[Eeyore]

Personally I use a tactical vest (medics tactical vest) for my 24 hour with 2 extra pouches along the waist. I just couldn't get everything to fit in the pockets of the vest itself.

Makes so I don't have to take it off when getting in or out of a vehicle, the butt pack got in the way for that.

[SARMedTech]

Personally I use a tactical vest (medics tactical vest) for my 24 hour with 2 extra pouches along the waist. I just couldn't get everything to fit in the pockets of the vest itself.

Makes so I don't have to take it off when getting in or out of a vehicle, the butt pack got in the way for that.

Do you think you could post or PM me a photo of your 24 set up. Thats actually kind of what I was thinking about doing and a particular vest had been recommended to me by an army nurse/medic friend currently in Iraq. The vest he recommended is the one he wears "outside the wire"

[sarmed1]

I use a large Butt pack and chest harness (radio type with an extra pocket)for 24 hour gear, add on a small day pack for 24+ (that attaches to my 72 hour pack) and carry usually a small med bag (pacific rescue products) that actually attaches to the leg similar to the military gas mask bag.
I keep everything but the 72 hour bag in a flight kit bag that also holds my basic rope rescue harness, water rescue PFD, throw bag, knee pads and orange spray paint...and has room for a few other odds and ends to get dropped in.

Additionally I have a mobility bag that I keep with my 72 hour gear.  Its my military one (sans uniforms.)  Its designed to have everything I need to deploy and be personally self suffecient for up to 30 days I beleive (excluding things like food, water and shelter)...additional clothing, personal hygeine etc etc.  A good idea to think about if CAP is going to deploy assets longer than 72 hours for DR type missions.

mk

[SARMedTech]

Odd you should say that. I am using a butt pack as well for my 24 and I just got my medics thigh drop rig today from the same company. I am using it for first aide blister repairs, etc. I also have a medium sized ALICE that I can use for my 24 that will have the more advanced first aide gear in it. My 72+ is a CFP-90 and with it I still wear the thigh drop medics rig and use the CFP's assault pack as my advanced 72+ med kit. I also now have an electronic thermometer, glucometer and a pulse oxymeter that also monitors heart rate. I think after all my bluster about taking med care of our folks in the field, I finally have a gear set up, packs and supplies, etc that I feel good about being able to stabilize and triage with. Im also packing a START 2 aide kit and triage tags, plus BP cuff, stethoscope, etc...all as ultra light as I could get. If somebody insists on croaking out in the field, it wont be cause I didnt try.

[bosshawk]

To SarMedTech: my survival vest is a plain old photographers vest with about four big pockets on the front: nothing on the sides or back because that gets real uncomfortable in a light plane seat.  If I can figure out how to do it, I will try to send you a photo of the vest.  Since both my personal airplane and the CAP planes that I routinely fly have extensive survival kits in them, I only put supplementary stuff in my personal vest.  Since I am an old guy, I have some prescription medicine, several signaling devices, water, a whistle, some hard candy and gum, a knife and a black plastic bag(great poncho)plus some stuff that I can't remember.

In CAWG, we wear nomex and full boots and I require nomex gloves for any crew that I fly.  I know what you mean about fire damage.

I am particularly strange about survival in light planes(especially CAP) because I have had five friends killed in CAP crashes.

[SARMedTech]

To SarMedTech: my survival vest is a plain old photographers vest with about four big pockets on the front: nothing on the sides or back because that gets real uncomfortable in a light plane seat.  If I can figure out how to do it, I will try to send you a photo of the vest.  Since both my personal airplane and the CAP planes that I routinely fly have extensive survival kits in them, I only put supplementary stuff in my personal vest.  Since I am an old guy, I have some prescription medicine, several signaling devices, water, a whistle, some hard candy and gum, a knife and a black plastic bag(great poncho)plus some stuff that I can't remember.

In CAWG, we wear nomex and full boots and I require nomex gloves for any crew that I fly.  I know what you mean about fire damage.

I am particularly strange about survival in light planes(especially CAP) because I have had five friends killed in CAP crashes.

Colonel-

Thanks for giving me a gear geek fix and i look forward to seeing a photo of it for my collection of information on tactical geek gear. Not that you are a geek. I am also particularly strange about survial in light a/c as I recently lost a cousin in a light a/c crash near Denali in Alaska as he flew over doing a survery flight for the Forest Service. Though I dont intend to learn to fly, I have a particular fondness for pilots and especially the CAP pilots with whom i am proud and honored to serve. I joined CAP in honor of the memory of my cousin who loved to fly more than anything else in the world. I am fiercely passionate about CAP ES because I want to be able to help pilots in distress in teh way I wish I could have helped my cousin. I have a sort  of strange fear of fire and particularly fear being burned, but I will wade into any a/c crash to help a pilot CAP or otherwise. My ES gear contains nomex gloves, a set of non-reg (shhhh! dont tell) nomex coveralls, a nomex balaclava and a whole lot of burn trauma medical gear. I hope one day to meet you sir to thank you for your service and throw you a sharp salute and thumbs up as you take off. Beer and steaks are on me when you land. UhRah and Semper Vi.

[bosshawk]

If you ever get to California, I'll hold you to that threat of beer and steaks: some of my favorite combinations.

[SARMedTech]

If you ever get to California, I'll hold you to that threat of beer and steaks: some of my favorite combinations.

Wait...California is real? Ive never been further west than the home of my heart: Albuquerque, NM. Now thats a steak and beer town. Santa Fe is different. I think they outlawed meat-eating in a city ordinance there. My one true desire in life is to go back to NM,( take a look at the spot where I almost croaked it when I found that it is possible to put your head through a windshield), run EMS calls and join a CAP squadron in Albuquerque

Yes...beer and steak....the only true food groups.

Stay safe up there, Sir.

[WoodlandSARman]

Do people keep them in the GT vans anymore? I know after missions or SAR ex's we would restock them and leave them in the van so you were not having to worry about going home to get it or having to lug it all around in your POV.

[Stonewall]

Do people keep them in the GT vans anymore? I know after missions or SAR ex's we would restock them and leave them in the van so you were not having to worry about going home to get it or having to lug it all around in your POV.

Most vans in CAP are used for more than ES.  So if you had a model rocketry day for the cadets , you'd be heading out in the van with space occupited by gear.  Or, what if your gear was in the van you didn't make it to a misison, they'd be lugging your gear around for no reason.

Personally, being a gear queer, my gear has always been too much and too expensive to be carting around in my POV and I certainly wouldn't consider leaving it in a van where I don't have eyes on for any amount of time.

[0]

I keep the bulk of my gear in my trunk.  The only thing I don't keep there is the water which I fill when I leave.  But if I'm not home I just run to the store and grab a couple of water bottles.  I also keep a set of utilities in my trunk so I can just throw it on over whatever I'm wearing. 

[ladyreferee]

I have three large plastic bins in my basement with the names of the individuals in my family who are GT.  24 hr, 72 hr, and camelbak fit in each one.

I carried my camelbak for one week in the trunk of my car until I saw that the mice attacked the neoprene on the hose!  Ugh!

[ThorntonOL]

So far for my gear i have the Space blanket (a generic one) haven't even thought about getting it together until recently. Decided to start getting it so I can get more stuff signed off. Just have to wait to get some funds to get some more stuff.

[RiverAux]

Most vans in CAP are used for more than ES.  So if you had a model rocketry day for the cadets , you'd be heading out in the van with space occupited by gear.  Or, what if your gear was in the van you didn't make it to a misison, they'd be lugging your gear around for no reason.

So you take 10 minutes to unload the ES gear if it takes up so much space that you can't fit cadets in to go to something else.  No big deal, but can be a real timesaver when you've got a mission response. 

[sarflyer]

At my squadron office.  That is our rally point for all missions.

[Eclipse]

I was out cleaning the garage and doing my "r's" from this week's mission anyway, so since the thread is still alive:


This is in the truck 80-90+% of the time, as much because its a convenient place to keep it.
24/UDF/comm gear (plus) on the left, base gear (printer, paper, clipboards, other) on the right.


(Note the SERE Guide courtesy of and autographed by CT's own Stonewall)

Radios and accessories in the top compartment, (yes that's a small LED task light) tac vest, SARMED Vest, butt pack, water,
maps, leg bags (first aid & "other") 750Watt inverter, batteries, all sorts of flashlights,
spare vests, etc. Because of the radios, this one has a combo lock on it, and its plenty heavy
enough to discourage it walking when locked.  72-hour gear is the addition of an Army semi-soft
pack and 10-man tent (or my camper-trailer).

I have more of these containers for restock, camp food, and whatever else.  They're waterproof and
can serve as table and stools once in camp or the ICP.  I can tie them down to the hard-cover of the
truck bed when necessary to open the truck bed up for other stuff.

I've passed a few of them out to people at the top of my Christmas card list, and these have logged a lot of CAP miles
and activities for me.

[isuhawkeye]

great kit

Looks like you have your act together

[Michael]

At the moment my gear is totally disassembled.

Mostly my food needs restocking, but generally I keep my gear loosely packed in the basement.

[Fireball]

I keep all my kit, GT, AC,or MB in my living room ready to rock n' roll. Fortunately (or unfortunately) my wife has seen me in action and realizes that seconds count. I used to keep my AC and GT kits in my car so I could respond from work if I had too, but my employer decided that emergency personnel cannot leave work (fire, ems, CAP, etc..) so now I just roll on my days off.

I use a CFP90 for my 72, a Camelbak H.A.W.G. for 24, and I keep my flight kit in a USAF issue flight helmet bag. My Mission Base kit is a brief case and a hardsided portable file carrier.