Your Gear, Your
Life, Our Packs: With a number of mediocre packs for technical
rescue, rope access and general climbing on the market and few really new or
innovative, Raven Technical Systems was
born. Raven is all about passion for innovative, highly advanced, functional
and bomber designs. Raven is set to excite an already demanding customer base
with a quiver of packs and systems that incorporate a sleek look, patent
pending suspension systems, practical and organized gear management and an
incredibly long pack life.
Raven is dedicated to designing and selling
the best backpack systems and accessories for technical rescue, rope access and
long haul hiking in the world. The days of funky
fitting and heavy packs are gone. Raven’s ergonomic designs add
comfort and functionality not seen anywhere else. For years, most of us have
slogged through hostile environments or showed up on scene only to find our
packs either trashed or gear severely missed placed. Not any more! Try Raven
Packs… They are simply the most unique out there, the innovation standard
for rescue and access personnel.
WHAT MAKES FOR
THE "RIGHT" TECHNICAL RESCUE AND RIGGING PACK FOR YOU?
Raven innovates, designs and produces entirely
unique packs for technical rescue and rigging. As a result, Raven conducted a
year-long
investigation of what makes an outstanding technical rescue and rigging pack.
Raven found both some typical answers—and some
that were surprising and enlightening. As expected, organization,
efficient use of space, the ratio of weight to cubic-inch capacity, comfort,
and cost were major considerations. However, Raven dug deeper and asked: Who
needs something specifically designed for technical rescue and
rigging—something more than just a recreational pack doing double
duty?
As research continued, specific requirements were found (which fueled designs) related to
the most demanding users, and the conditions they faced. First on the list
were Wildland Fire
Fighters. Of prime importance was their need for a lightweight, rugged
pack for personal gear, shelter, fire lines, food, and equipment specifically
designed for clearing.
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Second, Raven heard from EMS Personnel working as first responders in both
rural and urban environments. Generally, they wanted ideal storage for medical
gear and personal essentials. They also needed packs that are light, while
offering plenty of room for equipment
Third, the Mountain Rescue and SAR Members (search and rescue volunteers) often find
themselves in the most extreme mountainous, desert,
wetland, river, and even urban environments. They said that packs
are their bread and butter—their lifeline to the gear that will keep them
alive, and hopefully those they’re rescuing, as well. Comfort, weight, and capacity were
their primary concerns. After this, they listed efficiency-of-use. Top loading
systems were predominant in the industry’s offering to this market, and
proved popular. They were, however, split on the use of recreational packs
(mountain and day), believing that while these packs had their place, they were
not ideal for professional use (hence the unique back-load/lay-out options for
instance).
Last, but certainly not least, are the Industrial and Access Professionals who need their
packs to carry everything from personal safety equipment, to general and
specific rigging pieces, as well as instrumentation. Again, the demands and
resulting design, of their packs is very similar to that of the mountain rescue
and SAR members. The differences between the two revolve around organization
and the need to protect instrumentation. Many times, in lieu of harnesses and
carabiners, these Working-at-Height
Professionals need to pack in non-destructive monitoring and testing
equipment that needs more protection and shock-proofing than general
riggers’ gear
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challenge...put us to work on identifying Raven pack benefit-features that
match your unique mix of tasks...click here.
Materials are also an important consideration in the choice
of packs, and should be matched to users’ needs. In general, rescue pack
material is nylon Cordura (or a generic
equivalent) or other nylon fabrics like ballistic nylon, pack-cloth, or rip
stop. Other materials might include hypalon, PVC or even canvas. However, even hi-tech backpacks made with expensive
materials are not always ideal choices. For instance, an adventure
racing pack made with advanced lighter materials would not be the best choice
for mountain rescue or a SAR member needing to porter a large amount of rigging
gear. In this case, the lightweight advantage of the adventure racing pack
fails to provide the abrasion resistance and strength needed when the packs are
exposed to environments were only the toughest materials perform well. That is
not say that weight isn't a factor, but it is only one consideration.
Size is another.
Normally, packs are available as small to mid-size; (2200 cubic inches and
under) or large to extra-large (over 2200 cubic inches). Options start with
fanny/lumbar packs and move through all the various ranges of a full size pack.
The pack’s intended purpose and the environmental conditions it will
encounter typically dictate the ideal size and construction
materials.
As one can see, a general description of a good pack is
determined by the purpose of the
pack and the needs of the user. Consider a Ski Patroller pack for a lift operation. It could
range from a small to a mid-size fanny pack that would include essentials for
first-on-scene response, all the way to a more BLS style fanny/lumbar pack for
patrollers that might cover larger areas, such as those with backcountry access. Shovels, harnesses, shelter,
extra clothing, medical aid ECT… are all considerations for these users.
What about the Nordic
Patroller? What is the terrain and distance covered? Generally
snowmobiles are used for ALS, transporting the patient, and carrying the larger
packs, so small to mid-size packs are better suited for the Nordic Patroller.
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challenge...put us to work on identifying Raven pack benefit-features that
match your unique mix of tasks...click here.
SAR Members need packs
that contain essentials for a minimum of 48 hours, and the fire service needs
packs that are pulled from the rigging and dropped—always ready to deploy
at a short distance from the staging area. Mountain rescue personnel likely
want a pack that top loads, but also offers multiple access points for
essentials. Their needs are similar to those of SAR, but certainly nothing like
that of the fire service. Even so, durable material, ergonomic fit, carrying
capacity, amenities, accessories, and function are all issues that are major
considerations for these users.
Furthermore, the Wilderness Environment Workers & Rescuers is
something that most pack manufactures have a tough time figuring out—just
look at all the "options" available. The tendency to produce a pack for all
purposes will eventually yield products that are well-suited for none. Users
always tend to fill a pack to capacity, and many times the load is more than is
required for the job at hand. The results of this "kitchen sink" method are usually a sore back, sore knees, slow
progress, and a less than timely response. It is easy to understand
what drives manufacturers to produce the all-in-one model. No one can afford to
have dozens of packs, so having a pack that has multiple purposes and functions
is high priority; but is it optimal? This question can only be answered by the
needs of the user
Consider
hydration. It is always an issue for rescue personnel. And keep in
mind the seasonal issues that impact a users choice of rescue
response gear. Do you need more water in the summer than winter? Not always.
Hydration bladders are great, but they certainly take up a lot of room at the
beginning. But if water is close by during a summer response, then a filtration
system that saves space is a better option than hauling a lot of water. The
choice between water bottles and bladders is often times a personal preference,
and one that will influence a user’s consideration of the ideal
pack.
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challenge...put us to work on identifying Raven pack benefit-features that
match your unique mix of tasks...click here.
What about the need
for hardware? Many times the injured, lost, or stranded need
attention that requires pulleys,
carabiners, harnesses, helmets, rope, webbing, and a lot of other
essential rigging material. Do you divide this gear amongst the other member
(and thus run the risk of not having what you need what you need it) or do one
or two team members carry the essential rigging gear, while someone else
carries their personal equipment (not a very smart move to be without your own
essentials). Choices like these pose quite a problem—one that needs to be
addressed in the choice of packs, and well before leaving the staging
area.
Trauma and Rescue
Packs are the workhorses for the Fire Service, as well as Industrial, EMS, military, and Tactical/Law
Enforcement Personnel. These packs can, and do, carry the gamut of
gear and equipment required by these users. Whether the needs are medical,
technical rigging, or anything in between, these packs need to be rugged, use
space efficiently, and must accommodate multiple functions. One time a pack
might be used in a confined space
evacuation during an USAR
operation—flown in by helicopterand lowered down to an awaiting LZ. Or the
same pack might be carried by a strong-legged SAR member, or dropped off by a
snowmobile. As a user’s
needs change, the pack must accommodate these changes.
Wildland Packsare an interesting bunch too. Many
cover the multiple disciplines; wildland
fire line crews, initial attack crews, and rescue operations by the
same personnel or by search and rescue members of another unit. Designs that
meet the unique needs of these personnel differ quite a bit from those produced
by most pack manufacturers. For example, the support, compression, and harness
system should keep the load more on the lumbar region than higher up (as seen
by most other packs). This offers advantages and disadvantages, but many
USAR, Wildland and some SAR
Members prefer to keep the "ride" lower since it is easier on the
body and minimizes the chance of getting things caught on low lying
obstacles.
As the reader can see, Raven's
research has shown that what determines the ideal technical rescue and rigging
pack is defined by the demands of the user; the specific equipment
they need; and the nature of the environment in which they need to excel. While
most users do not want to maintain multiple packs, they need to seriously
consider the trade-offs between a multi-use pack and one designed for a more
narrow purpose. In the end, the user will be the best judge of the ideal pack
for their needs, but only if they take into consideration all the issues raised
in this white paper.
Give us your pack frustrations...ask us to solve your
challenge...put us to work on identifying Raven pack benefit-features that
match your unique mix of tasks...click here.
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