What’s in your fanny pack?!
One of the goals of the Moab BASE association is to share useful resources and informations.
As part of this we will be sharing some local jumper's kit, what they chose to carry, and why.
Glen Maxson
“I carry a first aid kit at all times while jumping in Moab.
My background for where I came up with this kit comes from my experience in the military, then as a paramedic for the past 12 years, 6 of those as a SWAT medic, then as an instructor of combat medicine contracted with various three letter government agencies.
This kit based on MARCH acronym, a system to help you remember the priorities of care for traumatic injuries.
Massive hemorrhage: CAT-T tourniquet. Controlling a “massive bleed” is the most time sensitive task in trauma and a severed femoral artery could result in death in a mater of minutes. Though it would be very unlikely that this injury would happen from a BASE injury it isn’t impossible. I would not want to be trying to improvise a tourniquet in a life or death situation that’s why I carry a real one. Get it from a reliable source and pay the money. North American Recuse makes this one.
Airway: NPA nasal pharyngeal airway. Helps keep an unconscious persons airway open. You need some training on this.
Respiration: nothing in a basic kit, though if you are a paramedic there are a few very invasive skills you can do...lots of training required I won’t get into the specifics.
Circulation: AkA not “massive hemorrhage” training will help you tell the difference.
Combat gauze: regular gauze will work but combat gauze has a special ingredient that helps blood clot faster... you can use the stuff for massive hemorrhage where you can’t get a tourniquet...again training is required you can’t put it everywhere!
Hypothermia: nothing in the kit, but you should have a canopy, jackets, whatever you got.
That covers MARCH now for the other things:
-Chem light: To mark your position for rescue if you got busted on a sunset load.
-Radio: Nothing fancy its a low frequency radio and it works great! Being able to communicate from the bottom of a cliff to the top is huge! This may be one of the most important pieces of equipment to carry..don't forget to say over...over.
-In-Reach...just get one. Yeah its expensive but when you need it you will be happy you have it. It could for real save your life or limb...you can also link it to your phone to send text messages.
-Tape: Always useful
Not pictured: pull up cord, break cord, 550 cord, carabiner and sling, and sometimes a laser.
But none of this is a useful as having good judgment. Jumping in good conditions, and below your ability level. You should also get some medical training wether its a CPR course, a first aid course, an EMT, Paramedic, Nurse, Doctor, Witch Doctor.......or even the First Responder to a BASE injury course that I wrote and taught last year at Turkeyboogie !... if you are Jack Lane I’ll even teach you some skills in your van on a wind day!"
Steph Davis
Fanny pack
3 aluminum carabiners
Pull up cord
Break cord
Garmin inreach
PLB device
SAM splint (or something comparable)
Whistle
Lighter
Knife
Medical supplies
Pain reliever
Alcohol wipe
Medical tape
Bandaid
Combat gauze (gauze w/ pressure bandage)
Antiseptic wipe
Butterfly bandage
Small gauze pads
