Hi folks, this is my first post and since it deals with search and rescue, well it caught my attention. I'm a member of a wilderness search and rescue team based in Northern Virginia, see us at smrg.org for more info.

I've been using a vest along with a backpack (an Arc'Teryx Bora 35 and most recently a TAD Gear FAST Pack EDC) for several years and thought I'd share my experiences. I was originally using a surplus Aircrew Survival Armor Recovery Vest, Insert and Packets (SARVIP) Vest worn by U.S. military helicopter crews.



Even though this vest was not originally intended for civilian search and rescue use, I was able to adapt it to fit my needs until I could find something better. I needed a vest with numerous pockets of various sizes to carry such things as my handheld VHF radio w/spare battery, GPS, map(s), pad and pens, head lamp and flash light, compass, whistle, lighter and other fire starting implements, spare batteries, flagging tape, medical gear, snack foods, and other odds and ends.

I had been searching to replace my aging SARVIP survival/medical vest for many months. I purchased it used and it started to deteriorate due to the wear and tear from training events and SAR missions. I needed to find a replacement more closely suited for search and rescue purposes before the SARVIP vest fell apart.

I finally found the Medical Trauma Vest manufactured by AWS, Inc., in Fayetteville, North Carolina.



It's a great vest and has served me well on field training events and wilderness SAR missions and rescues for over a year now. I'm in the process of completing a detailed review of the vest from the wilderness SAR perspective. Once a few more details and images are added, it'll be done. I'll post a link to it when it's done.