SAR Essentials Store:
The Ten Essentials Plus

The ten essentials is a term first made popular by The Mountaineers. They promoted ten critical items that you should carry with you anytime you venture into the woods.  Over time several different lists have been developed and additional items have been added.  In the field of SAR, you not only are worried about yourself, but also your teammates and the subject.  It is possible to spend a lot of money or very little in assembling these items.  To that end we have complied two different lists.  One is the poor man's version.  This list is for people brand new to SAR and still not sure it is their thing or simply someone with little cash reserves.  The second list is for those serious about SAR, hiking or camping, survival, or just like buying neat stuff.  Just click on the link to find out more information.*

| Map & Compass | Light Source | Sunglasses | Food/water | Clothing | Shelter |Matches | Fire starter | Knife | First-Aid | Flagging tape | Whistle | Water filter | GPS | Insect repellent | Sunscreen | SAR Pack | 2- Way Radio |
Item	Pointers	Poor Man's	SAR Standard
Map	You always need a detailed map.  For SAR work, a 7.5 minute USGS map is the most common. Next, make sure you know how to read the map.  Finally, if you get lost, lose the map, and staying put doesn't make sense, then pick a bail-out direction More info	On most searches maps are issued to the SAR teams. Spend 10¢ to make a copy of a map.	Paper USGS Quads Maptech Topos on CD Seamless detailed color digital Topo with UTM overlay capability.  Future of SAR. Delorme Street Atlas Helps you get to the search with a laptop. Lack detail for land nav. GPS and Topos
Compass	Compass should have 2 degree increments, be liquid filled, and a clear base.  A mirror allows more accurate sightings plus can be used to signal and shave.  Make sure you know how to use it. More info	You finally have to spend some money.  Suunto a good bare bones compass.	Suunto MCA-D -Orienteering style with sighting mirror Suunto Advizor Watch A watch, compass, altimeter, temp, etc
Flashlight Headlight	Let me tell you about the hike that was intended to last only a few hours in the daylight but then.... (Reading trail signs from the light of a pager is a real bummer) You should also add extra bulbs and extra batteries. New LED technology means you don't have to carry extra bulbs.  Even nearly dead batteries will still produce useful light. More info	Mini-Mag Not bright enough to search with, but it will get you out of the woods.	Petzl headlamps - A hands free must for every serious searcher. 4-D Cell Mag Light A big, bright light great for serious night searching LED Flashlight With LED bulb batteries last 10X longer. Bulbs burn for 100,000 hours LED bulbs
Sun glasses	Included on the Mountaineers list because at high altitudes you go snow-blind.  A bad place to be blind.  Make sure glasses stop 99 percent of the UV light, if they don't they may do more harm than good.   More info	Cut out some cardboard in the shape of the silly 3-D glasses and then make two slits to see through.  You will look like a dork. DO NOT use for driving! For SAR teams in the East, consider Safety glasses when busting through brush in the middle of the night	Safety glasses Sunglasses
Food/water/ Canteen	Extra water is critical.  Even when it is cold out.  Carry high energy food such as GORP, energy bars, or Pemmican. Tend to snack on your emergency food? Consider a can of sardines or tuna. More info	A one liter plastic bottle of water or soda will also serve as a canteen. (99 cents)	CamelBak water carriers are great because they encourage steady drinking. CamelBak accessories   Nalgene bottle Platypus system
Extra Clothing	The idea is to bring enough clothes to get through an unplanned bivouac in worst case weather for the outing.  Avoid cotton.  More info	Suggestions	SAR Uniforms and clothing North Face Jacket's & shells Marmot Thermals Sierra Designs Rainwear
Shelter	Extra clothes alone will not get you through that unexpected bivouac. More info	Five large plastic leaf bags. Once again you will look like a dork if this is also your rain gear.	Survival bag/ bivy sack Polar Liner Bag (30" x 76")
Matches	Make sure to either carry waterproof matches or a container to keep them waterproof. 35mm film can works great. More info	The local bar.  Dip the heads in candle wax to waterproof. Strike anywhere and 35mm film canister.	Waterproof Matches Brunton Helios Stormproof Lighter Light a fire even in 70 mph winds
Fire starter	Great in wet emergency conditions More info	Lint from the dryer after a load of cotton.  small candle, strips of waxed cardboard	Fire Sticks
Pocket Knife	A basic tool.  Do you need a corkscrew?  All depends.	No a butter knife from the kitchen is not good enough.  A small Swiss Army Pocket Knife however does the trick.	Leatherman Tool
First-Aid Kit	The goal is to carry items for minor injuries and those items that cannot be improvised. Be sure to carry any required prescription medications.  i.e. inhalers, epi-pen.	Borrow, beg bandages, medical tape, etc.Simple kit	Pocket Watertight Kit Even if purchasing a kit you may still need to add medical gloves, CPR mask , etc. Adventure Medical First-Aid kits
Toilet Paper	Think about it. May double up as firestarter.  A lot better than using your map.	Take from home, put in a plastic bag.  If forced to improvise in the woods, make sure you know about "leaflet three let it be!"	Biodegradable Toilet Paper How to Sh*t in the woods: book
Whistle	Avoid metal whistles unless you like to freeze your lips during cold weather.	The loudest whistle You will want it if you are the one lost!	The loudest whistle Orange! Two tone
Fluorescent Flagging tape	Required for Search and Rescue work.  Used for marking clues, evac routes, boundaries, etc.	Typically issued by SAR team.	Fluorescent Flagging tape
Water filter	All water in the backcountry is suspect. More info	Carry lots of water and really hope you don't run out.	Water purification tablets Water filters
Insect Repellent	Things that bite make searching difficult and the wilderness no fun. More info	Wear long sleeved and long pants.  The poor man scratches a lot.	Insect Repellent -in foil packets.  Perfect for field use
Sunscreen	More of a high altitude issue but sunburn is never good.  Use at least SPF 15 More info	Consider using small travel bottles.	Sun Screen - SPF in foil packets.  No need to worry about a mess in your pack
GPS	Not really required, but sure is a useful adjunct for land navigation.  With selective availability turned off, I routinely see accuracy down to 11 feet. More info	Not a poor man's tool.	Garmin GPS 12 - Fast, accurate, powerful.  A standard for several federal agencies. Garmin eTrex Summit -Also able to tell barometric altitude.
Paper & Pen	Important to take notes out in the field	Regular paper in a plastic bag.  A pencil always works when wet.	Rite-in-the-Rain waterproof paper and pen
Day Pack		It is possible to carry all of your items in your pockets.  BDU pants make this even easier.  A small fanny pack or day pack gives more space.
Talk about Radios	1-2 mile range.  No FCC license required.	A longer range VHF radio will be issued on most searches	Motorola TalkAbout -Ideal for either a command net to be operated among base, or for intra-team communications off the main tactical net.  Also good for convoys to the search.
Finally the most important item to always bring along: Common Sense.  It is common sense that teaches limits and the value of training.  All the gear is worthless without common sense.  Which is priceless.

* Full disclosure statement.  dbS Productions will make a small commission (5-10%) on many of the items recommended through an affiliation with SAR Camp, Amazon.com, Backcountry Store , US Cavalry, and This small commission helps maintains the website and supports SAR research.

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