What's In My Pack - Radio Chest Harness edition

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

Just awesome! Thanks for sharing what people use for SAR.

[@chrisbjohannsen]

Neat, I got one of these as a Random Xmas Gift and was surprised (not surprised) to find your video at the top of my search on how to wear it. Thanks Adam.

[@oscaropont]

It would be cool too see your fool sar backpack.

[@K6ARK]

That can be arranged!

[@tawsymposium]

This is great. Very useful for those that like to go off trail. Super interesting as well- always wanted to do SAR. Thanks for sharing!

[@KM4ACK]

Great overview! Thanks

[@digitaldreamer5481]

Aloha Adam, a super great video. I was surprised you didn’t have an extra battery for your HT. I use the same Kenwood mic, very rugged mic. I also carry a roll up J Pole and a roll up solar panel for charging batteries and to power LED lights. I carry a 10 watt A58s Tri Band Baofeng HT w/3500 mAh battery. I also carry 2 rain ponchos due to weather typical of Hawaii. I will watch your video again for the headlamp and compass info. A big Mahalo to you for all the info. 73’

[@K6ARK]

Thanks Todd, I do typically carry a spare battery but not in the chest pack. I'm willing to take off my pack to get to that.

[@longfeather127]

Great Video, I would add a Whistle as a backup to the radio.😀

[@K6ARK]

Yep a whistle is part of the kit. 👍

[@N7KOM]

Great to what the SAR people are carrying. I don't have a chest harness, but I have a lot of the same stuff in my pack! - N7KOM

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

Ohh, thanks for showing off that compass. I didn’t know that one had a clinometer.

[@K6ARK]

Yep! The only other consideration would be the "global" version which will work around the world.

[@JD-gn6du]

Same compass I have in my SAR pack as a back up to my gps

[@LouiseBrooksBob]

Has anyone noticed that they don't seem to make photoluminscent material like they ued to? I have an old Recta compass and I only need to show it to a torch and it lights up like a Christmas tree, but my recent mirror compasses are hardly visible unless I train a high powered LED light on them for a long time.

[@temporarilyoffline]

Great info, Thanks for the vid!

[@3sierra15]

Great video. If you want to start a discussion with your SAR friends, just ask them what they carry and why. Hope you brought your lunch.

[@josempantaleon]

Adam nice video, it is cool that you shared your SAR setup. What you and the SAR teams do is greatly appreciated. As for the harness, you spurred a thought when you mentioned urban areas, while it my look funny something like that in a car could prove useful. Maybe a littlle big for train commuters like myself, but it makes me want to revisit my edc in my work bag. Thanks

[@TomSP9TL]

This looks like the most practical radio harness I've seen. By looking at the size of your Wouxun, my AnyTone D878 should fit in nicely without being too loose in the pocket. The 2nd pocket I would intend to use for my PMR radio (Motorola T82), which is slightly smaller than D878. Thank you for the review! That's the only one I've found on YT. 73!

[@craigpalmer9196]

nice, hillpeoplegear makes some very nice chest rigs

[@wild-radio7373]

Thank you! It's nice to see the similar edc :) glad to know that the #hamFam is good and prepped!♡♡♡ 🤜🏻👍🤛🏻

[@BAdams138]

Thanks; will have to try and locate one of them for ARES work.

[@Mottersmotters]

Great video Adam 👍🏻🇬🇧 Motters M7TRS 73's

[@airliner1980haj]

I also use the bigger coaxsher harness for SAR and Wildland Firefighting and my gear looks pretty similar. Besides our VHF Radios, we use more and more Zello. We set up gateways which are combining both technologies. Here in Europe cell coverage is pretty ok. Well done. Would like to see more USAR communication subjects on the channel.

[@SmokeSignalsRF]

Great job. I wear my chest pack for many various fire department deployments. Besides my FD radio my trauma sheers are critical to have. Suggestion: Consider changing your pen to a Space Pen. I use my Space Pen for FD, EM deployments as well as POTA and any field radio fun.

[@kokadjooutdoors620]

Just ordered this thanks for decent video of product. Mine will be use for wildland fire

[@notsure7874]

My signal mirror is a stainless steel makeup mirror. Credit card sized, fits in wallet along with the cc sized magnifier.

[@realandrewhatfield]

Thanks for the insight!

[@gregh3248]

Love your video's, Love your antennas. I am grateful to know you, and look forward to hiking a peak with you in the near future. SOCAL SOTA 'ROCKS' Thank you for your service in Search And Rescue. EZR 73

[@TheSmokinApe]

Awesome 👏

[@akrasiac]

Thanks for the video. Where did you get the SOAP note and tracking templates?

[@K6ARK]

SOAP notes: www.wildmed.com/product/soap-notes/ The tracking forms are produced by our SAR team and I don't believe they are for sale anywhere. Great tracking info: mantracking.files.wordpress.com/2017/07/kearney-jack-tracking.pdf

[@akrasiac]

@@K6ARK Awesome! Thanks so much!

[@w4mkh]

Great video. But, I was surprised that there was no space blanket, fire starters or bandages.

[@K6ARK]

Fire is a four letter word in CA, so we tend to avoid fire starters 😉 Seriously though, the stove and lighter/matches are in the backpack. If the fire starte was more frequently used, it would probably make it into the chest pack. The bandages and space blanket are in the first aid kit which is also in the backpack. That stuff is just too big for the chest pack.

[@TheNoCodeTech]

Hey thats cool

[@aaronsmith22]

Really well done video Adam! I enjoyed watching and learning what’s included in your kit. I have my SAR application in for this seasons academy. W6AEF

[@K6ARK]

Thanks for contributing your time! I've been on SAR for 15 years and the team is my second family at this point. Some of the best dang people I ever met. Hope yours becomes the same.

[@jterrellcreative]

Great video! You mentioned that your antenna is tuned to the 150MHz band that SAR uses. Will that radio transmit on that frequency or only listen?

[@nvrumi]

When you're wearing the chest pack, are you also carrying a backpack with additional gear? I almost always have a small backpack on me (water for me and the dog, dry clothes, emergency essentials). I'm struggling to find a good way to hang a HT off that rig. A chest rig might be the right solution. Those Kenwood mikes are awesome! I have on on my old TH-D7G that just works. I get great audio reports through the local networked repeaters. It's a good speaker-mike. 73 de AG7TX

[@K6ARK]

Yes, always with a backpack. Another good option for carrying an HT on a pack is to use a holster attached to one of the shoulder straps. You will probably see it in some of my other videos, but I often use a Nite Ize clip case, clipped to one of the shoulder straps. I have been using one like this amzn.to/39EneGr for years now. Also, I have 4 or 5 different cases I recently ordered (the Nite Ize is included) that I plan to try out and review in the next week or two.

[@nvrumi]

@@K6ARK I'll be looking forward to the review of the new cases. I experimented with hanging the radio on one of the top compression straps of my pack (Osprey Stratos 24l), but it was too floppy for my taste. I also tried hanging it from one of the water bottle pockets, but that wasn't very secure either. I'll keep experimenting and maybe buy one of the ABBREE chest rigs to experiment with as well. At about $20 it's not a large investment. Thanks again...

[@XwaYdesu]

What kind of case is that you're carrying your spare batteries in? Thanks!

[@riobravomultimedia4104]

What about a chest set up for tiny ht radios??

[@LouiseBrooksBob]

Might the speaker magnet on the HT tend to reverse polarise the needle on the compass?

[@craigpalmer9196]

The D ring is for gloves

[@Ei2iP]

Fishing chest pack? I've lots of them, and they would work.

[@twwtb]

Just wondering how well the mirror in the compass would serve as a signaling mirror. Seems like it would me nice to remove a little weight and bulk in that small pack. Also, how well would either of the chest packs work when a day pack or back pack is worn in addition. Would the combination be comfortable?

[@K6ARK]

The compass mirror will work as a signal mirror, but I much prefer the mirrors with the sighting hole for effective aiming at far-away targets. Aiming a compass mirror is more difficult. The added functionality and effectiveness is worth the weight to me. I almost always wear this chest pack with a backpack. They are designed to be used that way, and carry comfortably. Put the chest pack on first, then the backpack. The chest pack straps and buckles are designed so they won't cause problems with a pack on.

[@twwtb]

@@K6ARK Thank you very much for the clear explanations.

[@DonDegidio]

Hi Adam, Happy Easter. Nice chest pack setup. Like the T-Shirt. :-) Hope the SOTA went well. Are you going to have a MNHR video? Stay safe. 73 WJ3U

[@K6ARK]

No MNHR video from me this week, but I've got a couple on the editing computer right now.

[@rickywatt7599]

Very cool chest rig and equipment. Enjoyed the video. A little surprised you don't have a multi tool (leatherman) in the pack. Do you carry one on a belt or in a pocket?

[@K6ARK]

Yes, in the pack I usually carry a SOG multi-tool (older, no longer available) or a Leatherman Squirt.

[@rickywatt7599]

@@K6ARK that makes sense. I've been carrying the leatherman wave and the fenix PD35 flashlight for a while now. Those are my most essential every day pieces of equipment. Just recently started getting into radios.

[@K6ARK]

I use a Fenix TK-35 as my search light for nighttime searches. I've got a couple of Zebralight AA handhelds too. And on my keychain, I've got a Lumintop EDC Pico - check it out, really cool little light!

[@rickywatt7599]

@@K6ARK those are legit. I love my lumintop AA. How did you get involved with S.A.R?

[@K6ARK]

@@rickywatt7599 I talk a bit about my introduction to SAR in this video interview with ZL4RA. Check it out... kzbin.info/www/bejne/pX3Tm6h5lKiAsK8

[@Lilly-cb2bl]

I know this might be a stupid question but can you wear it on your back?

[@K6ARK]

Reasonable question for sure. It's not well-suited for that due to the strap setup, and would be hard to get on and off. Might also be uncomfortable.

[@tookthe5th182]

10lbs of stuff in a 5lb pack! :)

[@DENMONKEY]

when you mentioned SAR, i thought this guy knows his stuff and best I give it a watch. then you started to pull the HT out and i'm thinking in my head, don't be a baofeng...don't be a baofeng and then you pulled out a wouxon. Don't get me wrong, I've got a number of puxing and other cheaper radios but for something as important as SAR I would have expected a higher investment than a $150 radio. not having a go, just not what I expected.

[@K6ARK]

I'm curious what makes you think Wouxun is a poor performer. It receives high marks in testing for first and third order dynamic range, and it is capable of full duplex crossband, and dual receive in a single band. I use the same radio for amateur use including satellite repeaters. Have you actually used one? I also use an Anytone 878. Wouxun and Anytone provide some of the only Part 90 certified radios I'm aware of in the dual band analog range. Even using a ham radio, I've got HTs from Yaesu, Icom, Kenwood, and a pile of Chinese beaters, but this is still my preference. I'm curious, what would be your pick?

[@DENMONKEY]

@@K6ARK I'm not saying it's a poor performer but I would expect a higher level of reliability from one of the big 3. The chinese gear is certainly on the improve and I've been very impressed with my ailunce hd1 , so much so that I bought a second. the only issue is theyre direct conversion and not a super het receiver which introduces its own issues in a busy rf environment. No I haven't used a uv9 but have used a few uv5 etc and a mates anytone 878. I quite like the 878. If i was doing something that was such an important job, I'd likely go back to a yaesu vx8dr . great radio, very rugged with a built in tnc for aprs . I believe the 878 also does aprs (analogue) out of the box doesn't it ? I'm not sure what frequencies you use for SAR but if you could find a HT that is a bit more limited in its rx/tx range to those frequencies you use, it will be a better receiver in that area. Whilst that is a benefit of the chinese gear, its also a downfall too. I'll pose this question to you, If you didn't have to pay for it out of your own pocket and it was going to be gifted to you, with money being no concern, what radio would you pick ?

[@K6ARK]

The Yaesu VX series radios - especially the 8R - are poor performers when it comes to adjacent and 3rd order narrow and wide testing. qrpblog.com/vhf-uhf-handheld-performance-comparison/ The Wouxun performs much better. The VX-8DR also does not do dual receive (only dual monitor) which is a very useful function when monitoring a primary and tactical channel. We do not use APRS on our team at this time, but I've been considering setting us up for it. We often operate where there is no cell or APRS coverage, so a self-contained system with digipeater would be necessary. I also have a mono-band Vertex Standard HT (Yaesu's commercial branch) that gets very little use at this point. Its performance is on par with the Wouxun. In really bad broadcast RF environments, I have a small bandpass filter that actually helps a lot, but I use that mostly for SOTA, as our searches aren't usually in areas like that. The VX-8DR is a great radio, but actually an inferior performer in high-RF environments. That shouldn't be a surprise because it's a broad-band receiver with a wide open front end. The Wouxun receives higher marks in testing, and as a full-duplex radio, I'd expect that. I do switch to a mono-bander and/or add a bandpass filter when it becomes necessary, but that's exceedingly rare. So I guess I'm not seeing the basis for the bias against the Wouxun. I don't understand what makes you think it's "unreliable." My years of (ab)use with it in rain, snow, 120 deg heat, sub freezing temps, etc. have indicated otherwise. The radio provides the features I want in a single radio, and performance is better than others. So, other than those mentioned, I'm not sure I'd pick a different one. Options in Part 90 certified rigs are severely limited, especially from the big manufacturers. If I were to ignore the Part 90 rules (as most do) and had to pick one from the amateur radio options, perhaps a Kenwood TH-D72 for it's similar functions and performance, but I don't think I'd want to chance destroying one of those in the field. The VX-8DR would probably be my next choice for it's waterproof rating and solid functionality.

[@KF7UCK]

1. Does it rub your neck? 2. Will it comfortably fit a BK radio? Thx from a ham who also works in public safety. Parallel lifestyles I guess. -KF7UCK

[@K6ARK]

It doesn't handle a BK very well, unfortunately. Best for smaller radios. I've not had any issues with it rubbing my neck when adjusted properly.

[@KF7UCK]

@@K6ARK Grrr. I think I need to size up then. I loathe all of the extra pockets on the bigger ones. I just want to hold a BK, a Motorola 800mhz and maybe some sun screen. I work fire, but we collaborate with S&R all the time. They do all of the hauling while we provide medical care. As a result, the most I ever need from extra gear is a GPS coordinate if we call for a helicopter before S&R arrives. If it’s way off the beaten path, I fall into a support role. Can’t we just have a 2 radio chest rig without 20 other pockets?!??!!?!?!!??

[@IndependentNewsMedia]

Nice video 👍 Chud M1PUP QTH London

[@rodneyjohnson4794]

the straps are too short.

[@K6ARK]

Found them plenty long and actually trimmed them so they weren't flapping around. I assume you're a big dude. I am not.