During my early hurricane operations as a U.S. Structural and Rescue Specialist (US&R), I just carried a bunch of baggage over my shoulders—one backpack normally, one inverted across my chest, and possibly a 3rd slung over one shoulder. This gets old quickly if you’ve got to transfer between different vehicles or walk any distance. I’m not exactly generally known as a minimalist packer. As an engineer, I really like redundancy and fully support the “two is one, one is nothing” mantra of backup for backup. But the final result of carrying many overflowing bags looked ridiculous and made it difficult to maneuver around with purpose and efficiency. So ended up buying one big bagSherpa Jr. from Red Oxx Manufacturing, which might function a “mother ship” for my smaller bags and keep my bulky gear in a single place.
No more strapping your boots or helmets to the surface of a smaller backpack because they will not fit inside – Sherpa Jr. it is sort of a black hole that sucks in all types of bulky equipment. It makes my movement easier because I only have one carry bag. It’s one huge bag which you could’t miss or lose. The dimensions of this mother are 27 by 15 by 15 inches. That’s over 6,000 cubic inches, and it is not even the most important bag Red Oxx offers. However, on this case, it seems to me that this size is maximally practical for the whole lot I do. If I had a much bigger bag, I can be tempted to stuff it too, but I’d find it too heavy to lift or carry without stuffing my back.
I once had an equipment room filled with black packs to the purpose where it was hard to inform them apart. Currently, after I buy packaging, I’m searching for a color apart from black. One thing I really like about Red Oxx Manufacturing is that I can order any of their bags in one in all 13 colours, including an awful (in a very good way) brilliant orange or a stunning brilliant blue (they call the colour Mariner). In this case, I purchased a Sherpa Jr. in a limited edition lime green in order that I can easily find my gear, even when it has been tossed into the back of a tractor trailer with similar bags strewn around.
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I actually have seven other Red Oxx bags. Nothing they make is affordable (Sherpa Jr. costs $335), however the construct quality is barely a number of notches higher than what I’m used to from similar items made in overseas factories in Vietnam or Bangladesh. The Red Oxx factory is positioned in Billings, Montana, and is owned and operated by veterans with experience assembling parachutes, so that they know greater than a bit of about equipment to depend on.
Red Oxx Sherpa Jr. Expedition Series
Suggested Retail Price
$335
Infant packages
I covered the content of my smaller 5.11 RUSH72 in RECOIL OFFGRID 52 and 5.11 RUSH12 in 48. I’m in a position to fully load these packages after which just push them into Sherpa Jr., although sometimes I’ll leave these packages empty and just load them individually until I actually have a greater idea of what the mission profile will appear like.
Massive protective equipment
New to this hurricane season, I used to be in a position to switch to Team Wendy’s lighter and rather more comfortable SAR Tactical Helmet. It’s amazing how much less broken I’m after I haven’t any pressure points digging into my head. I also brought a ridiculously heavy pair of Honeywell Technical Rescue Boots that give me quiet comfort knowing that even when I fall in a helicopter crash and my body turns to charcoal briquettes, my feet will still be pink, soft and intact contained in the protective shell arrogance. It’s the little things that count.
“New” drone technology
Most individuals are surprised after I tell them that in the case of advanced victim locating and rescue technology, within the 2021 Surfside (Champlain Tower) condominium collapse in Miami, we used much of the identical technology that my predecessors used after the 9/11 attacks September. attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon in 2001. My primary equipment for monitoring constructing stability was a decades-old, hand-operated total station that did not even know the right way to consult with a pc. By contrast, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) engineers, sent to the collapse resulting from the high percentage of Jewish residents contained in the constructing and community, had more advanced technology and techniques than anyone else.
I take advantage of the drone every week for my “each day job” as a structural engineer and was able to bring it to Surfside but I used to be told they’ve loads of drones there so I’ll give you the chance to see anything I would like over a radio link. So naturally I never had access to a drone while I used to be there. As my friends within the military can probably relate, close air support never appears to be where you wish it most. So now I take my DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise drone with a built-in thermal camera on every deployment and shove an enormous heavy box into my Red Oxx Sherpa Jr. bag. and I’m just coping with the additional weight because I’ll never have this particular problem again.
Making room for mental health
I’ve at all times found it helpful to cover some completely unnecessary personal items, but my psychologist friend, Dr. Meg Fitzpatrick, PsyD NCSP, helped me verbalize it and provides it a reputation for the primary time. She first suggested that I put a mental health bag in my second kit. It’s mostly things that may make me feel higher and – critically – I’ll do my best to essentially disconnect from the network through the few free hours we’ve got. Mine accommodates delicious food that doesn’t spoil and replenishes my body, often a box of Honey Stinger Nut + Seed Bars.
I also add packets of micro-ground easy coffee so I can feel human again with a caffeine boost, even when I actually have nothing greater than a lukewarm bottle of water to combine. Also, I’m throwing in my latest Sitka Ambient Hoody, which weighs practically nothing, but continues to be very warm. Unlike the remainder of my released gear, which is generally a cotton mix, it dries quickly when wet.
I complement them with small samples of something that smells really good. The catch is that it needs to be a latest scent in addition to a scent that I can leave behind and never smell again after deployment to avoid unnecessary triggering. Of course, there are some triggers you will never escape from, however it’s nice to give you the chance to not less than minimize them in the long run.
I hope this Red Oxx sack gives you some good ideas for packing your personal adventures. Finding good gear is like finding good friends, especially as you become older. It’s rare, but when you get it, you’ve it for all times.
concerning the creator
Andrew Schrader is a licensed skilled engineer, business pilot and Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) specialist. He has been seconded by the State of Florida to 4 separate hurricane incidents in addition to the Surfside Condominium (Champlain Towers) in 2021. He is the Chief Structural Specialist for the US&R Florida State Task Force. Find him on Instagram at @reconresponse.
