first wood trail search and rescue!

hey guys..here's a little backround..I work at a College and University as a security officer..there is a lot of trails (300 acres+)..tonight I receive a call that 2 girls went into the trails and were lost..I had my Solarforce L2p with R2 and my Itp a1 on me..I usually carry my masterpiece, but I took my scoot to work tonight and didn't pack it..

long story short..went into the trails..gave my partner my Itp (yeah he doesn't have a light, some people are dense)..my L2p was amazing in the trails..couldn't be happier..Itp was decent also for it's size..didn't end up finding the girls first time in and backtracked out of the trails..called the police for backup and 1 constable showed up..he was packing a strion LED which was a nice surprise..back into the trails we go..ended up finding the girls after 2 hours of searching..and many trails explored

my L2p couldn't have served me better..so bright in the bush and registered a 3.74 volts after around 1.5-2 hours of usage..the strion led was nice also, but not quite as bright as the L2p..was glad he showed up packing something useful..he was a great guy also..

story is..the girls entered the trails at 8pm and it gets dark at 8:30..none of the two had a light and ended up screwed because of the dark..I explained to them that a simple EDC would have saved them from spending the night in the woods if we hadn't have been around..whatever..falls on deaf ears i'm sure..

was a great night though of flashlight usage, and 2 girls made it home safe..first time my L2p has been tested in this environment and it made it through with flying colours..appreciate all the knowledge i've acquired in the forums..my 4D maglite would have been lacking tonight!

cheers and thanks!

Thats a great story and glad you found the girls.

How did you find the L2 in real life use? We often pick lights for this and that reason but did the L2 really meet your requirements?

vudoo said:

Thats a great story and glad you found the girls.

How did you find the L2 in real life use? We often pick lights for this and that reason but did the L2 really meet your requirements?

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thanks!

yeah I couldn't have used a more perfect light for the situation..I bought the L2p to stay on my belt as a duty light to fall back on for all my work needs, but this trail rescue really stretched it's legs for what I had originally intended it for..it's nice to have a light on your belt at all times that is small enough to not worry about and can back you up in pretty much every situation..my masterpiece would have been brighter, but the L2p filled the trail with plenty of light and it lasted long enough to get us in and everyone out safe..the police officer was sparring with his strion..he was turning it on and off and letting the L2p do most of the work..I wonder if he hadn't charged it in awhile? I had just charged my L2p's 18650 the night before and am glad I did..no worries about it lasting the trip..

i'm more than pleased with the L2p and the R2 bulb as a trail rescue light..

pounder said:

the police officer was sparring with his strion..he was turning it on and off and letting the L2p do most of the work..I wonder if he hadn't charged it in awhile? I had just charged my L2p's 18650 the night before and am glad I did..no worries about it lasting the trip..

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Whats the point of carrying a light if you don't keep it charged up? :thinking:

It was a good job yours was fully charged. Have you considered carrying a spare 18650 battery or 2xCR123 primaries (if the L2P can accept it) in case of emergencies? That way you can be 100% sure the batteries are fresh.

vudoo said:

Whats the point of carrying a light if you don't keep it charged up? :thinking:

It was a good job yours was fully charged. Have you considered carrying a spare 18650 battery or 2xCR123 primaries (if the L2P can accept it) in case of emergencies? That way you can be 100% sure the batteries are fresh.

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yep good point..I have 2 rcr123's as spares that I usually carry, but I have purchased a couple cr123 lights that have taken the cells currently..the wife is always on me about my lights and batteries..you know wives lol..but I will order some spare 123's and 18650's especially after tonight..the worst thing in those trails would have be running out of battery power..man was it dark..

pounder said:

yep good point..I have 2 rcr123's as spares that I usually carry, but I have purchased a couple cr123 lights that have taken the cells currently..the wife is always on me about my lights and batteries..you know wives lol..but I will order some spare 123's and 18650's especially after tonight..the worst thing in those trails would have be running out of battery power..man was it dark..

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I've got a small velcro pouch that i carry on my duty belt which holds 4 CR123's. Given that in the dark woods you probably don't need to use the max setting, a fresh light and some reloads for it will last a good long time.

Also, a good floody, headlamp with long battery life is a godsend for wilderness search and rescue. Keeps your hands free. You then have your uber-bright handheld for spotting things.

If it's available in your area, with that much woods i'd see if anyone offers a wilderness first responder course. Consider what you would have done if you got there and one of the missing students was injured.

great story pounder....

i can't get over the fact that your partner does'nt have a light. as you say some people are dense.

victory said:

I've got a small velcro pouch that i carry on my duty belt which holds 4 CR123's. Given that in the dark woods you probably don't need to use the max setting, a fresh light and some reloads for it will last a good long time.

Also, a good floody, headlamp with long battery life is a godsend for wilderness search and rescue. Keeps your hands free. You then have your uber-bright handheld for spotting things.

If it's available in your area, with that much woods i'd see if anyone offers a wilderness first responder course. Consider what you would have done if you got there and one of the missing students was injured.

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yeah I have plenty of empty cases that I could toss batteries into..ill be ordering some shortly..

and we are trained in first responder first aid and cpr..basic stuff like splints, treatment of wounds, etc..i'll look into getting us trained geared to wilderness..i'm sure it's available here..we are the second largest city (land wise) in Canada and there's only 56 000 people..wildlife is all around us..

Pounder,

Good work, glad your story had a good ending.

+1 on carrying spare cells. I added an expandable thumb drive carrier on each of my work lights holsters, its just the right size for an 18650 or 2x CR123s.

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thanks man!

great story pounder....

i can't get over the fact that your partner does'nt have a light. as you say some people are dense.

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yeah..after last night I guarantee he will have something to bring to work..as my co-workers that were relieving me said "they couldn't have picked a more perfect person to be on duty when they got lost" :laughing:

pounder said:

yeah I have plenty of empty cases that I could toss batteries into..ill be ordering some shortly..

and we are trained in first responder first aid and cpr..basic stuff like splints, treatment of wounds, etc..i'll look into getting us trained geared to wilderness..i'm sure it's available here..we are the second largest city (land wise) in Canada and there's only 56 000 people..wildlife is all around us.

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Unfortunately, i can't help you with that as i am unfamiliar with what is available outside of the States. I received my wilderness EMS training in Maine. It's very different when equipment is limited. often improvised and your best choice may be walking the victim out. Big eye opener. I was definitely spoiled having ambulance full of specialized gear to drive around in.

Thanks for sharing that great story pounder.

We have a great corn maze and cemetary tour up in these parts in the fall. It is truely amazing how many people do these things at night without a flashlight!