For the past three years 6 firefighters from Metro Vancouver Canada fire departments and a BC Ambulance Paramedic have competed in the GRIMP Day (www.grimpday.com) competition in Namur, Belgium. The team is sponsored by Arc Teryx (www.arcteryx.com), PMI (www.pmirope.com) and Ronin Rescue (www.roninrescue.com). This does influence some of the gear used, however all gear was picked by the team prior to deployment and the providers were sourced out, not the other way around.
Each member wears a class 3 harness of their choosing. There are a combination of Heightec Matrix, Petzl Navaho Bod Croll Fast, PMI Avatar and Yates Voyager harnesses worn. Each member has their own preference for comfort. On the harness each member carries or wears:
12 X Caribeeners (Team member preference, Rock Exotica Rock D, Rock Exotica Pirates, Petzl AMD’s, generally fast and light)
3 X 120mm slings (Black Diamond, Edelrid, nylon not dynema)
2-3 X 240mm slings (As above)
1 X SMC Mini Rig plate
1X Rock Exotica single sheave omni block pulley
1 X Rock Exotica double sheave omni block pulley
1 X 7 or 8mm 30’ cordage
1 X jigger (min 6’ long when fully deployed, either a home made with 8mm cordage and CMC Pro Series pulleys or a Rock Exotica Aztek and stored in a Maxpedition pouch on the back of the harness)
1 X travel restraint (Primarily a Petzl Grillon in a Maxpedition mag drop pouch on the leg)
1 X Petzl ID
1 X climbing quick draw
1 X rope grab (Team member preference – combination of Sterling hollow block prussic and SMC Grip)
2 X Short Cows tails (Petzl Janes or PMI Dynamic Sewn Lanyard)
1 X Long Cows tail (Petzl Janes or PMI Dynamic sewn Lanyard)
2 X Back Up Devices (Team member preference however primarily Petzl ASAP, ASAP Lock (with Absorbica lanyard) and ISC Reds)
1 X Foot Loop (Team Member preference)
1 X Etrier (Team member preference)
1 X Rescue knife (usually a Petzl Spatha)
1 X rope gloves (PMI)
1 X Helmet (Kask Super Plasma)
1 X pair of Arc Teryx Drac Cotton pants (knee pads optional)
Each member also carries an Arc Teryx Khard 45 Pack with the following:
300’ of PMI Extreme Pro Rope
1 X Rock Exotica Kootenay Ultra or SMC Kootenay HX Pulley
1 each of PMI 5’, 12’, 15’, 25’ Sewn Webbing loops
MPD Kit (CMC MPD, 2 short pre-sewn CMC or PMI prussics, 1 single sheave Rock Exotica omni block swivel pulley, 1 double sheave Rock Exotica omni block swivel pulley all in a LBX tactical pouch)
1 X SMC Rope Tracker
2 X PMI Supermantle’s
The team also split up the following kit between members for use:
Conterra Edge Bot
Conterra Clamp Bot (Citadel Edges are brutal)
PMI Hasty Harness
And the team has a Cascade Rescue Advance Series Model 200 MAX Rescue Litter with two pieces of a PMI Tarantula for patient attachment. The team uses a modified bridal consisting of two Purcell prussics on the upper attachments and a 8’ jigger as the lower attachment all rigged into a Conterra Focus Rigging Plate.
