Here is my latest SAR kit... it's been a while since i've posted an update, and I had an hour to kill so here it is.

Not shown : rappelling rope, team-issued radio, other clothing (such as a wool hat, down vest)

Shown under the stove : Evazote bum pad (closed-cell foam)




(1) Osprey Stratos 32
(2) Ziploc baggies + paper bags (to collect evidence)
(3) Radio pouch
(4) Accessory straps
(5) Safety hat (w/Petzl Tikka XP, not shown)
(6) Reminder card (bring fresh water, cell phone, etc.)
(7) Utility pouch 1/2 (signal mirror, Heatsheet, XL orange garbage bag, MP1 tablets)
(8) Utility pouch 2/2 (duct tape, cord, whistle, zipties, candle, Sparklite, pencil, keychain compass/thermometer, Bic lighter, matches, safety pins...)
(9) Hygiene kit (TP, sanitizer, toothbrush, earplugs, mirror, wipes, towel in silnylon bag
(10) GMRS radio + mic, spare AAs
(11) Survivor buff (bandana)
(12) Ironclad gloves
(13) Silnylon tarp, prefitted with ridgeline, prussiks, etc...
(14) Climbing carabiner
(15) Sighting compass + whistle on length-adjustable neck cord
(16) Bahco Laplander saw
(17) SOG Flash II
(18) Short gaiters
(19) Spare merino wool socks
(20) 100 oz hydration reservoir
(21) Bic lighter and mini LED lamp on ID necklace
(22) Maxpedition H-1 pouch with Legend HCx GPS attached
(23) Personal FAK
(24) Windscreen, foil, paper towel, ustensils
(25) Hot chocolate pouches in Ziploc baggie
(26) Food
(27) Flagging tape
(28) Rite-in-the-rain pad + Space pen
(29) MSR Windpro stove + canister
(30) GSI hard anodized cookset

Voilà! Comments or questions are welcome.

Obviously you have been/are around law enforcement. Very few folks know about the paper bags and why.

Looks to me like you've done this at least once.
Only a few questions: More food? PLB? I assume you also have an assigned radio from your department. A GOOD strobe and or a smoke signal?

You mentioned repel rope, but where are the other climbing gear than? I only saw one carabiner. Also the helmet shown, doesn't look like it's mend for climbing.

Maybe a extra emergency blanket/bivy in case you got caught in bad weather with the victim.

The rest looks good. Maybe ad a PLB?

Unless you're conveying information that's color coded, why carry blue and yellow flagging? In my experience, fluorescent pink and, to a lesser extent, fluorescent orange have the highest visibility in most environments.

Always bring an extra paperbag for the guy who's never seen "wet evidence" to hyperventilate into.

desperado, is there nay other reason for the paper bag other then unclegoo's reason??

Fluorescent pink and orange are also extremely common in the woods - maybe he uses blue and yellow just to differentiate his marks from others that came before him? fwiw I sometimes carry red with a black stripe flagging into the woods but have never had cause to use it.

Seems like a time-tested kit to me. I like the reminder card, fresh water and cell phone, I need to deploy that on my go bag for disaster assessment callouts.

"Wet" evidence needs to have airflow around it or it can be compromised further than it would by normal organic reactions. I was taught that most all evidence goes into paper bags at a violent crime scene or unattended death.

Kinda like you don't want to store your wet gear in a plastic bag. There is nothing worse than wet or burned evidence anyway. You don't want to compromise it after having had to deal with it.

I don't know where my surveyors got it, but we use a orange/silver reflective tape. It is nice in the dark because when hit with a flashlight it really stands out. Something to consider.

I'm curious, how do you attach the Bic lighter to your ID necklace?