Extended Duration Pack

Your 72-hour pack is your life-line and existence. This should be designed for the long haul of at least six or more miles; the longer and tougher assignments. Consider if you are doing this is winter or mountainous terrain. This will cause your pack to vary in size and description depending upon the user and the type of frame most suitable and comfortable for the task. In the summer you may only need a small external frame pack to store all of your items, but in the winter you may need a large internal frame pack to store the same items plus all of the items to keep you alive in the winter. Remember that this pack should be designed for a two to seven-day stay possibility, but still don't over pack. People going on long trips tend to try to bring everything that they own, and often use very little of that. Consider where you might go and what you will truly need when you are packing. With proper training and foresight many problems can be avoided and you can still be comfortable both at the site and while you are working your way there. The following should be the items that you bring in your 72-hour pack. This does not mean that you should leave your 24- hour pack behind. You should pack it inside this pack, attach it to the outside, or take items that you feel are necessary out of it and place it in your 72-hour pack for long trips. Don’t forget to consider if you will be hiking to a base camp and then searching in the local area. You may need both sets.

2 to 3 days of food: Food is a definite necessity of life, and you will need plenty of it while searching in the wilderness. Make sure that you bring food that will not only keep you going, but does not drag you down or spoil easily. You have to be able to eat it without getting sick, and be able to do your job later. Breaking down MREs or camping food to useful parts can save you a lot of room in your pack, which can be used for other items.

3 to 4 quarts of water: Water is another essential of life. Since you are obviously expecting to be away from good facilities to replenish supplies, it is a good idea to bring extra water. Purifying water or using chemicals to clean water is great, but it is normally still safer to just bring good water with you. Many personnel use 2 liter soda bottles or Gatorade Ô bottles to carry extra water in their pack, but remember to use plastic bottles to avoid breaking glass.

Spare poncho or shelter or both: A spare poncho can often be used as a shelter, but it is normally much easier to bring a shelter with you. Additionally, it is safer to bring a shelter with you. A shelter designed for the conditions you are entering is better than trying to build one from what you can find when you get there. Also, if you bring a spare poncho you can better protect the shelter you bring with you, or at least make your campsite more user-friendly. Another point needs to be made know also. Most tents don’t work well when they stay wet for long periods of time, especially balled up in a bag in your closet. When you get home, air out your tent so that mold doesn’t grow in it and make sure that you repair any holes or tears. A good tent can be used for many years if you take care of it.

Sleeping bag or bedroll: Rest is necessary to you performing your assigned tasks on missions. To do this you are going to need to have a dry sleeping bag or bedroll appropriate to your current conditions (keep it in a waterproof bag). In the summer you probably will not need a very heavy sleeping bag, but a summer weight bag is not designed for arctic winter temperatures. Use your brains, and don’t forget that there is often snow or freezing conditions in some areas of the country year round. Just like your shelter, you need to take care of your sleeping bag. Air it out after every use. Make sure that you repair any holes tears or other problems when they happen. There is no reason to make the problem worse by letting the filling pour out of the bag. Don’t let these problems sit. The next time you go to use that sleeping bag may be during a mission, and you won’t have time to get a zipper fixed or sew up a hole. Additionally, make sure that you keep your sleeping bag clean. During field activities we recommend that you roll up your sleeping bag during the day so that the inside does not get dirty, wet, and you don’t have any woodland creatures waiting for you when you go to use your bag. When you come out of the field make sure that you clean the sleeping bag according to the manufacturer’s instructions. A clean bag should help you feel better when you are in the field, and will also keep you healthier. For most rescuers in most parts of the country, synthetic insulation is best for sleeping bags. It is difficult to keep your sleeping bag dry, and natural insulation like down (the small underfeathers of water birds like ducks or geese) will become useless as an insulator when wet. Synthetic insulation bags (including the US Military intermediate and cold weather bags) are much better when wet than natural insulation bags (including the older US Military mountain sleeping bags). Whatever kind of sleeping bag you use, the most important factor in having a warm, good nights sleep is having an insulating layer under you. Your own body weight will compress the insulation in your sleeping bag so that it's essentially useless - use a foam pad for insulation. Air mattresses tend to leak, and will allow air inside the mattress to circulate, causing you to sleep cold. Closed cell foam pads (ensolite, etc.) are not as comfortable to sleep on as open cell (sponge rubber foam) pads, but insulate much better. Open cell foam tends to absorb water. Some pads combine the features of air mattresses and both closed and open cell foam. These are self-inflating foam pads such as the Thermarest Ô brand. They are comprised of an air mattress filled with open cell foam to reduce heat loss, and a waterproof cover to prevent absorption.

Complete spare uniform and undergarments: When you work, you sweat and get dirty, and thus you will need to change into clean clothes. You should bring these clothes in your 72-hour pack out into the field. If you are out in the field for several days you are also going to need someplace to store your dirty clothes, which will probably be in the same place, your 72-hour pack. Pack things in plastic ziploc bags. Use the bags to organize things, for instance first aid materials, repair parts like spare batteries or duct tape, or clothing. You will not only keep your clothes dry, but also keep the clean clothes separated from the dirty clothes. In packing these clothes, don’t forget that you may need to change more than is normally expected because of inclement weather or tears from an accidental fall or some other odd reason. Be prepared for the worst.

Mess kit: When you are involved in long term operations, you are probably going to have food delivered to you at base camp or you will need to cook some. You will need to have the necessary equipment to do this. You don’t need to bring enough so that you will cook for an army, but be able to take care of yourself. Also, don't forget to bring utensils and cleaning items. Cooking is great, but not doing it properly because of the lack of utensils is not smart. Additionally, if you don’t properly clean out your mess kit after each use then you will not stay happy and healthy. Grease and other food waste products are breeding grounds for germs, and there is no need to get sick because you were stupid. Bring SOS pads or scouring pads, cleaning rags and cleaning fluid to do the job right. When you are done cleaning all the utensils and mess kit, rinse them well to remove any soap residue and then rinse them in clean, boiling water to sterilize them if possible.

Optional items: Depending on the teams assigned task and the amount of weight you can feasibly carry, you may want to bring some additional items to make life easier. The following are a few of those items.

Spare compass: It is always a good idea to have a spare compass. If one is lost or damaged, you don’t want to be lost along with it. Additionally, it is always a good idea to check your compass to make sure that it is reading correctly, and this can be done by checking it against another compass. You can be reasonably sure that it is accurate if both are reading the same. If not, check it against a fellow team mate's compass.

Rope gear (carabiners, rope, extra gloves): Ground teams in different places around the country may routinely work with instructors or trained high angle rescue teams. Those teams may carry extra rope gear to assist or perform extrication under guidance.

Shovel, ax, saw, or other extrication tools: Aircraft are not the easiest things to get into to rescue survivors, and teams will often carry extra tools to do the job. Remember though, that you should not bring it if you don’t know how to use it. Let the professionals do their job. Just because you own it or brought it with you does not mean that you should use it or are qualified to do so. In some cases, you may not even have to use them. No team should bother carrying, buying, or acquiring equipment that they themselves are not competent to use.

Spare flashlight: Light is essential to night searches as well as planning for the next days events. Carrying a spare flashlight just in cases is always a good idea. Another alternative is to bring glow-sticks. These can be used to light up areas quickly and you don’t have to leave your flashlight somewhere. They do have problems though. In the winter, or after a long period of sitting on the shelf, glow-sticks don’t tend to work well. Remember that before you go out into the field.

Stretcher or litter: If you do find survivors you might have to move them out of the area. You are going to want to do this quickly and efficiently, and the easiest way to do this is on a litter. This can be a heavy or light piece of equipment depending upon what you are using. This is normally carried by two people since lighter and smaller litters are normally more expensive and not often available to CAP ground teams. Proper techniques for carrying a person on a litter should be discussed in your first aid course as well as during field exercises. Use the litters provided. It can save you a lot of time and energy from trying to improvise one, and if you use the techniques you will learn, it is much safer for all involved.

Additional medical equipment: Many teams will bring in additional medical equipment, and well they should. The team medic will have to take care of any survivors, and a trauma kit will normally have the necessary tools. Additionally, many teams will bring in oxygen kits or ventilation equipment if they have trained members to use it. Don’t forget that you can only operate up to your training level.

Closing Remarks

It is important for you to solve your gear problems prior to going out into the field. The gear that a ground team member carries is their lifeline, and may be the one thing to save their life. Gear can also be a hazard if not set up properly. Listen to your instructors and staff. It could make your life much easier, and want you to have a good time, but also learn something at this course.