search and rescue

What kind of lights would they use if they were searching for a lost hiker at night.

My guess would be spotlights for long-range illumination, and LED's for hiking and close range activities (as well as longer runtimes). Dual Luxeon-5mm LED or Luxeon-Xenon hybrids may be good. From reading old posts I know there are a couple of CPF'ers who are into SAR, but I can't remember their nicks right now...

Headlamps with Xenon bulbs and LEDs for low. Along with longer throwing lights. Some people use expensive lights some use mags and such. A Streamlight Stinger / Ultra Stinger with a couple (2-3) extra freshly charged batteries would go well with a nice headlamp. An Inova 24/7 (emergency light) might be nice too.

I'm into SAR, but not professionaly though, I'm a volunteer in Red Cross. However, Red Cross is the biggest contributor to the SAR service in Norway.

The missions we have can vary greatly in type and terrain, even within the same mission we can go from fighting our way through the bushes to wide open mountain areas. This makes it difficult to find a light that is perfect for all situations we encounter, the need for long runtime makes it even harder (in the worst case scenario I would need light for 12 hours). I'm pretty new to CPF so I have not yet found the perfect light, but I have ordered a Turbo 3x3 from Elektrolumens that I have big hopes for. In addition to this light I'm planing on using a high power incan for long range spotting, i.e. one of the hotwire lights (400 to 800 lumens). I still waiting to receive all my hotwire stuff so I don't know what setup I'm going for yet.

So what did I use before, and what does everyone else use around here? I'm sad to report that the standard is a Maglite 3D and a LED headlamp, but I know better now /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
I was actually quite unaware of all the fabulous flashlights that existed, until I found www.flashlightreviews.com in my search for a review on the Princeton Tec Yukon HL headlamp. And then there was the link to CPF on that site... not good for my wallet.

I'd say there is no perfect light you need at least 2 or 3!!
Just my 2cents

You have a point. You need a far-thrower to see anything further away and a smaller light (maybe a G2 or kl1+e1e) to see something closer without losing night vision.

-tom

I do some SAR as part of a rural fire dept.

Usually we don't go out at night looking for lost people, it's too dangerous. We wait for daylight.

Our night ops are mostly limited to MVA's where there is no driver with the vehicle or there is the possibility of a missing passenger. The person could have been thrown clear during the accident or wandered off deliriously. These searches require a close to medium range light as we perform a grid search, everyone standing 20-30 feet apart and covering an area section by section. Sadly, these searches are often futile as it was involving a DUI who left the scene to avoid being charged. We still have to search until they are found at home, a friends house, or the hospital.

Ocassionally we use spotlights to locate a vehicle that has left the road and ended up in the creek or river. It amazes me how often someone will call that there has been an accident and can't or won't tell us exactly where.

I use my U2 most of the time. We have spots on our rigs and I now have a new Thor waiting for the next car hiding in the river.

Greg

You really need several types of light for SAR operations. General low level lights for night navigation, orienteering, and basic night time stuff (low level long duration LED headlamps like Petzel are pretty much the standard). Then you will need some high powered lamps for actually trying to find things at night.

Depending on what your tasking is, lithium batteries are nearly ideal. They pack great power per weight as compared to most other cell types. Especially if you have to go on foot to get to the search area.

The tools will really depend on the tasking. But here are some suggestions/uses.

High output/low throw flood light. These are ideal for medical use where you need lots of bright light in close. Those light diffusion white plastic lenses are great for this, it keeps you from getting blinded while giving great working light.

Low output navigation lights. These are ideal for moving at night, checking maps, and produce enough light that you can get a radio call of, "I see lights, I think its the SAR team"

Medium output lamps with long runtimes. These are great for searching areas on foot.

Big spotlights are nice for searching, but once something is found, they are typically extra weight, and usually heavy.

Ideally in a SAR operation, you will have different lights to share among the group. Everyone doesn't need a spotlight, or a close in medical work light, but everyone needs a navigation light, and perhaps a medium thrower for close in searching.

Sounds like a SF M3T with FM24 beamshaper that could flip up for throw, flip down for flood, plus a couple dozen CR123a batteries, and good LED headlamp would accommodate most SAR. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Forget any non rechargable lights except for a good luxeon
1 or 2 headlamp. I would look at either a stinger with the hp head and one of the replacement 3000 or 3600 mah batteries available on the net. That should give you pretty descent throw and almost 3 hours of light. An extra battery
and you are good for a night. For a little more throw a mag charger with a 3800 or 4000 mah battery should give you two plus hours run time. Add an 1160 bulb and you got a lot more light. Wilkey (ginseng) was running a modified 1160 with an extended battery pack a while back it supposedly had a 3 plus hour run time with 550 lumens.

It has been a while since I did and searches proper, but I still do a lot of that kind of thing in various other contexts. Here's what I like:

A quality headlamp with the following features:
- enough light for off-trail (15+ lumens, floodish)
- 48 hrs worth of battery time
- rain- and dunk-proof
- "coldable" batteries (lithium or alkalines on a cord)

A headlight like that is required for making/breaking camp in the dark and bad weather. If you have to evacuate someone, a headlanp is essential -- you need both hands available to carry a litter.

That's 99% of your usage. The other 1% is for throw.

A good throw flashlight is also real handy for things like seeing across streams: "Is that clothing, or just light fungus on wood?" You need a tough, bright light for that, but an hour of runtime is sufficient. Usually a flashlight is better than a headlamp, since you can pass that around a lot better than your head.

Scott

It depends on if you're searching or tracking. Tracking requires very little light, and it works best in a headlamp fashion. I use a PT Matrix myself. If I can't see it with the headlamp, I use my Ultra-G. Spotting is something I leave up to my SMD+. If I'm packing it in, I'm going to carry only as much as I need, and that means AAs to me. .

ACMarina, 'twas you I was thinking about in my forst post! I just recognized your avatar from some other post.

So, under what circumstances you absolutely go out on a night search?

I do volunteer SAR, but our emphasis is more urban (USAR) rather than wilderness search and rescue.

We're all issued headlamps. They're pretty basic incandescents, and were selected partly for cost, and partly because they are used by wildland firefighters.

Besides the headlights, folks bring a fairly wide variety of flashlights, differing by taste and budget. I personally carry a Surefire C3 with Pilas for throw, and a L4/McE2S, also with Pilas for close-up work. I also keep a UK eLED 4AA with a traffic wand in my vest pocket.

I typically also have an Elektrolumens XM-3 and Hyper-Blaster 1R in my callout bag "just in case." In a protracted disaster, AA and D batteries will be easier to find than CR123s.

The Streamlight Twintask 3C is a pretty popular light among team members. There are also some regular Mag C and D models, as well as the occasional Stinger.

My Inova XO3 runs for over 2.5 hours on a Pila 168S so that would be a decent option if you have to use it often.

If I really had to go out and do SAR on a pretty regular basis, and for long periods of time, I'd want a batterypack backpack feeding a 3x LuxIII light. With a backpack battery the body of the light could be really small and fit the hand well. I think a cut down Maglite C model with a brightness knob in place of the tailcap, and a larger head to house the three LuxIII's would be perfect for SAR.

i'm not sure what the most popular lights are, but SAR teams here are required to use lights that accept lithium batteries in the winter. so that narrows it down quite alot.

the most numerous companies i see are Petzl and Princeton Tec. but i admittedly did not get very far in my SAR training due to lack of funds, so others probly have a better perspective.

USAR, IMO, means C cells. I've been through floods, tornados and hurricanes, and C cells always seem to stick around. When I get called out on that kind of stuff, I tend to stick with something waterproof. I was using my dad's Pelican Super Sabrelite until I realized I was down to my last bulb and that the design is so old that I can't get bulbs anymore, so now I use a Kohler Bright Star 3C Responder, with an Epieon LED module. Sure, it cuts the HL rating out, but it's still better than the cheepie lights that are issued to us. Once the "disaster" is over, I'm more than happy to use my good lights; The A2 is my go-to light for administrative purposes, and it most recently served a tour with me in the wilds of Alabama during the hurricane season.

Most of the guys on my team are using LED headlamps of some sort. About half are still carting around the issued light, a cheepie 2D light of less than dollar bin quality. The other half are using Maglites of some sort. I'm the team flashaholic by far, with my assistant in second with his SF collection and our safety guy in 3rd with some cool LEDs he has accumulated through his career in the military, as an LEO and SWAT Team member.

The one thing I try to do is keep a couple lights that use every different kind of battery there is, so in the event that I could only use battery X I wouldn't be out of luck with no light that uses said battery.

GreenLED, I'd go out at night any time that I'm needed. Especially with a lost person, you're going to start at the point they were most recently seen. The longer it takes to start searching, the farther away the person could potentially be. A healthy person in decent weather who is just lost wouldn't be as critical as someone who is injured, or an elderly person who hasn't had their medications. It's all relative, really.

I am beginning training for my local SAR team now. I was thinkin for headlamp a PT EOS (since i've read good things about here). Would the high setting give enuf throw to be useful? the runtimes on high is 2 hours regulated than 4 after...but those are on alkalines (according to Flashlighreviews)...would the times be better or worse on lithiums. im not sure what other light to carry? most of the guys settle for the maglites, but now that i've been exposed to CPF...i feel i should kno better. wat about the surefire L2 or L4? I already edc the A2...just not sure if it has enuf throw.

are there lights that attach at the forearm? it might be a good idea to have the 'throw' light attached so u can still keep ur hands free? just a thought.

[ QUOTE ]
ACMarina said:
The one thing I try to do is keep a couple lights that use every different kind of battery there is, so in the event that I could only use battery X I wouldn't be out of luck with no light that uses said battery.

[/ QUOTE ]

You might want to check out Walmart, when I was there yesterday I came across a flashlight with a selector switch on it that allowed ot to use either AA, C, or D cell batteries /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif It was on clearance for $4!

Im no sar however i do a lot of hiking.

I find that leds (5mm) are great for walking and general use and battery life. Xenon Lith (SF's) are the king in my opinion for throw and brute power.

I dont feel that luxeons come close to brute power and throw like Lith Xenon's