It is best if your 24 pack is a dedicated piece of equipment, used only for SAR. Most members keep them in their vehicles so wherever they go, their pack goes too. The following list contains suggestions of gear that has been proven in the field, starting with the essentials, but you may add items or substitute to suit your own needs. Try to keep it as light as possible, if it exceeds 25 lbs. there is probably something in there that you don't really need.

The essentials:  

1) The Pack itself should:

• Fit you well and feel comfortable and secure fully loaded.
   
• Be of internal frame construction with 2200 - 3500 cubic inches capacity.
   
• Have a wide and padded waist band with a quick-release buckle.
   
• Have compression straps and gear tie down points for versatility.

2) Clothing - Layering is the Key - Synthetics are best - Cotton can kill you

• Inner layer should be of polypropylene, thermax, capilene, or equal. These materials  wick moisture away from your skin to keep you dry.
   
• Mid layer insulation of pile, fleece, or wool. All these trap air to keep you dry, and  keep a lot of their insulating power when wet. A polar fleece pullover is great. Fleece  pants are so toasty on a cold rainy night.
   
• Socks- again should be of polypropylene, wool blend, capilene, or equal. You should have  a pair on your feet and a spare pair in your pack. Some people like to wear a thin liner  pair inside the main pair.
   
• Gloves or mittens, same materials as socks - consider Gore-tex over-mittens for really  cold and wet weather.
   
• Outer layer- or shell to keep the wind and rain out. Gore-tex or similar products are  great, but can be expensive. Plain old yellow rubber or urethane coated rain suits do the  job, and are cheap, but don't allow moisture generated by exercise to escape. A Gore-tex  parka and rain pants are the best. Make sure rain-pants have zippers in the cuffs, it  makes them much easier to put on over boots
   
• Gaiters are great and help keep your feet dryer.
   
• Wool or fleece hat, 80% of your body heat is lost through your head
   
• Brimmed Cap, ballcap to keep the sun off your face.
   
• Good Hiking Boots, Leather is the best for water-proofness, but the synthetics are also  popular. They have to fit well! Break them in before you get called out for a search. If  you have limited funds your boots are not the place to skimp. Well made boots properly  water-proofed and taken care of will last a long time.
   

3) Water and Food - Keeping hydrated and energized are the key. Drink often and remember to fuel your body when it is working hard.

• Two 1 quart water bottles, wide mouth Nalgene works well.
   
• Food items should be of non-perishable variety, require no cooking. Power Bars, Cliff  Bars, BTU Stokers, trail mix, dried fruit, jerky, basically anything that will give you  energy and nutrients and keep well in your pack. Keep it all in ziplock baggies.
   

4) Tarp or Bivi Sack, for shelter on a stormy night.
 

5) Two large plastic garbage bags, get the heavy duty ones, 40 gallon size.
 

6) Two Emergency blankets, the shiny silver mylar kind. One for below you and one to cover you or your subject.
 

7) Nylon Cord, 50 feet of it for rigging a tarp shelter. Parachute cord or similar.
 

8) Pocket Knife or Leatherman Tool- Swiss army style works well.
 

9) Personal First Aid Kit and latex gloves
 

10) Whistle, Nickel plated brass or plastic is fine.
 

11) 1 roll of fluorescent flagging or grid tape
 

12) Headlamp, Petzl makes several styles. The Micro and Zoom are both good.
 

13) Mini Maglite, is a good spare flashlight.
 

14) Spare Batteries and Bulbs, always carry both for both lights.
 

15) Navigation Kit, Pack it in a large size ziplock bag. It should include:

• Good quality compass
   
• note pad and water-proof ink pen
   
• local area hiking trail maps - Mt. Tam, Pt. Reyes, the Headlands
   
• UTM grid template
   
• small aircraft signaling mirror

16) Water Purification, Iodine tablets or crystals work. Pump filters are good but can be bulky and expensive.
 

17) Sunblock and chapstick
 

18) Sunglasses
 

19) Water-proof Matches or Pocket lighter, keep them dry.
 

20) Toilet Paper, Don't pack an entire roll, just enough for a few trips to the nearest bush, sealed inside a ziplock bag. Eco-considerate people pack out their used TP sealed in another ziplock bag for disposal in a toilet later. If the fire danger is not an issue TP can be burned and the ashes buried along with your "deposit". Make sure you do not pollute watercourses or lakes, and that your cat hole is dug into the top 4" to 6" inches of topsoil where it will biodegrade the best.
 

21) Stash of Cash, It's a good idea to keep five or ten dollars in your pack in case you need money for a meal out, gas for your car, or phone calls.
You may consider purchasing your own of the following gear, but the unit can usually supply these items when they are needed.
 

• Climbing Helmet and Harness, carabiners, and webbing
   
• Leather work gloves
   
• Cyalume chemical lightsticks
   
• Yellow Nomex fire resistant jacket

This looks like a lot of gear and yes, it can get expensive quickly. The best way to start out if you're on a tight budget is to improvise. There are places like Wilderness Exchange in Berkeley where you can get good used gear at a substantial savings. Ask others in the unit if they have any gear that they are upgrading and want to sell off. Check out garage sales and the classifieds. With a little thought and ingenuity, you can put together a good 24 hour pack for much less than it would cost to buy all the stuff new.

Prepared by Jim Freed