When I go shopping for
gear, I use the Internet a lot There are so many places to get gear
online, that is saves me time. Several online stores will also list
the dimensions of the items including the weight. The weight of an item
is crucial in deciding which model or brand to buy. The rules that I
use for shopping are simple. First, I need to know what I am looking
for, or what I need. Then I search all the brands, and models that will
perform the function I need. I give most consideration to the weight
of an item, and then I compare prices. Sometimes the difference between
one brand and another may be 2 ounces, but the price might be $20 more.
This is very expensive weight reduction. If cost was no issue, go with
the lightest thing you can find. Otherwise, follow these rules.
“Save
weight, and you save time and effort.”
Here is a sample list for Personal Mandatory Equipment.
- emergency strobe (not a flashing light)
- survival mirror
- survival blanket
- compass
- lighter
- knife (locking blade, 2.5")
- whistle
- headlamp
- first aid kit
Emergency
Strobe
I will cover each item seperately. First is the emergency strobe. Some
races will allow you to use a flashing light in place of a proper strobe.
I have seen the LED lights for bikes used for this purpose. They are
lightweight, and can be used for your mountain biking section as well.
These range at about 3-4 oz. and from $12 to $20. You can also find
several types of flashers that are smaller, slightly lighter, and about
the same price.
There
are some events that require a proper strobe. The typical strobe you might
find is approximately 1 inch by 4 inches, and takes a "D" cell
battery. There is another made by Princeton Tec, called the AquaStrobe,
that you can find listed as a diving light. It weighs about the same as
the flashers, it only takes 1 AA battery, has a burn time of 8 hours,
and it is waterproof to 2000 ft.
So, should you get a flasher, or a strobe? I recommend the AquaStrobe. If you really need the strobe for rescue, you will be happy to have a light that can be seen up to 3 miles away. This will allow the search party to find you. Since you are a beginner, you must consider the possibility of rescue.
Survival
Mirror
A survival mirror is basically a 2"x3" piece of reflective plastic.
Some of them have a hole in the center that allows you to aim the reflected
light at a search party, or a helicopter. They weigh about an ounce, and
cost around $8.
Survival
Blanket
Also known as a space blanket, it looks like really thin shiny tin foil.
It is basically a reflective material that helps to hold in body heat.
You can also get it in a bag form (survival bag) that are great for sleeping
in. The bag is $10, and the blanket is $4, so you might try making a bag
out of a blanket, if you want to save a few bucks. Caution: Once you unfold
these things, they are impossible to fold back up the same again. They
weigh about 4 oz.
Compass
To fulfill the basic requirements you can get by with a compass from Crackerjacks.
There are watches and whistles that also have small compasses in them.
However, I feel that everyone on a team should be involved in navigation.
Generally a compass will weigh 2-3 oz. The more options that a compass
has, the more expensive it will be. I recommend getting one with declination
adjustment. You can get one with a sighting mirror that is very useful
in shooting a bearing. You can also pass the sighting
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