Portable Anchors

4 Fundamentals of Force Multiplier Mechanics

Force multipliers and the four fundamentals of mechanics are important to understand in order to be a successful creator. The force multiplier is the means by which you can increase the force that you output, while the four fundamentals of mechanics are what keep your creation stable and functioning. If you want to be a …

4 Fundamentals of Force Multiplier Mechanics Read More »

Confined Space Rescue Split 4:1 Raise

Excerpt Taken From Rigging Lab Academy’s ~ Confined Space Rescue: Technician course Confined Space Rescue Split 4:1 Introduction With the introduction of Petzl Grillons, AZTEKs, and other small mechanical advantage devices, a lot of people don’t use a rig split 4:1 anymore. If you don’t have access to a Grillon or small mechanical advantage systems …

Confined Space Rescue Split 4:1 Raise Read More »

How to Use The Arizona Vortex Guidebook

Photos © Reed Thorne The ARIZONA VORTEX (or AZV) is so named from its development in the rugged highlands of Northern Arizona’s Oak Creek Canyon through the rigging and rescue school, Rope That Rescue. Reed Thorne, the school’s senior instructor developed the current Version 2 AZV with the help of Rock Thompson at Rock Exotica …

How to Use The Arizona Vortex Guidebook Read More »

Floating the Litter Using an A-Frame and Gin Pole Trackline

Steep angle litter work can be about as difficult as any high angle rescue. The main reason is that the litter attendants will have to pick and choose the terrain while still maintaining patient contact and visual. This isn’t always doable and often teams are working with minimal personnel so choosing a system that works …

Floating the Litter Using an A-Frame and Gin Pole Trackline Read More »

How can rescue trainers use computers to find hidden treasures?

I have been sharing about my sojourns… which are really about your journeys and your journeys are about your vision for the future. Everything I have taken on has been anchored into something all y’all have gone through… I know this because you told me so. Early on I in my career I was embarrassed …

How can rescue trainers use computers to find hidden treasures? Read More »

What’s the #1  leadership and team building mistake rope rescue technician’s make?

The year was 2003… almost 5 years post my bellwether event in Sedona. These “leaders” had shown me not just an existence of something new, but of a direction of a trend of things to come. During these years, I had taken other courses and had become much more familiar with “the vertical terrain”. Mind …

What’s the #1  leadership and team building mistake rope rescue technician’s make? Read More »

What would you say to a nervous rope rescue technician about getting started with leadership and team building?

I found myself in a very compromising predicament. I had been running my gear company for less than a year and had been in search and rescue or the better part of 2 years and felt comfortable with what I had understood rope rescue to be. Fast forward a bit… I am standing on Bell …

What would you say to a nervous rope rescue technician about getting started with leadership and team building? Read More »

“You grow by putting yourself in an uncomfortable position. And I think we’ve done a lot of that in the last three days.”

Hey friend! Are you a rope rescue professional that wants an easy to understand framework that explains how two tension systems and high directionals work? Are you working with the your team and wanting them to understand two tension systems and high directionals, but don’t know how to go about retraining your individual team members or even the entire …

“You grow by putting yourself in an uncomfortable position. And I think we’ve done a lot of that in the last three days.” Read More »

Technical Rigging – Anchors Part 1

Technical Articles | Anchors Part 1 This will be the first of a two-part series on anchors. This section, purposely, will not include situations that necessitate vehicles, pickets or other such portable anchors. Nor is the series meant to be an exhaustive source of information… there are numerous books on this subject. If you have …

Technical Rigging – Anchors Part 1 Read More »

Elevated Anchors – Setting Up For The Resultant

The use of elevated anchors, i.e. high directional anchor systems, is a mandatory requirement of NFPA 1670 for rope technicians. Having said this, it is impossible to discuss one facet of rope rigging and not address all the many other aspects at the same time. A rope system is like a living breathing thing; like …

Elevated Anchors – Setting Up For The Resultant Read More »