RESCUE AND EVACUATION - Medicine for Mountaineering and Other Wilderness Activities - page 86

if the rescuer could reliably self-arrest—even just lie down—to stop the litter from sliding
downhill, and usually is safe only on soft snow.
Flat Terrain and Gentle Slopes
Ongentleterrain,wheretheriskoftheoccupantandlitterfallingorslidingdownaslope
isminimal,therucksackstretcherissuperiortomostoftheothercommonlyadvocatedim-
provised techniques, although short drags or carries still can play a limited role.
Draggingorcarryinganunconsciousindividualshouldbedoneonlyinthemosthazard-
ous or dire conditions. The person can be dragged without any special device, especially if
wearingsmoothsyntheticouterwear,butasleepingpad,abivouacsack,orsomeotherfab-
ric, such as a tent, is preferable. For very short carries of individuals who are able to assist
to some extent, a simple piggyback carry is a useful method. Even a heavy person can be
carried uphill by a single rescuer, but only for very short distances. It is easier if two other
rescuers are able to help support the weight from the sides.
For longer, but still short, carries, a four-handed technique may be useful. The disabled
person sits between two walking rescuers, supported on the joined right arm of the rescuer
ontherightandleftarmoftherescuerontheleft.Therescuers'otherarmssupporttheback
and the individual's arms are wrapped around their necks. The disabled person can also be
supported between two rescuers on a coil of rope suspended over the rescuers' shoulders,
which has the advantages of leaving the rescuers' outer arms free and having the person's
weight supported by the rescuers' shoulders rather than forearms. The disadvantage is the
need to reposition the rope every time the rescuers change. Two rescuers cannot carry an
adult very far using either method.
For longer carries, the rucksack stretcher is the most useful improvised technique under
mostcircumstances. Stretchers madeoftarps,tents,orblanketswithoutpolesprovidelittle
support for the occupant's back and rapidly become uncomfortable. Rope stretchers are
usually quite elaborate, take a long time and a lot of practice to assemble, and also provide
little back support. Both fabric and rope litters can be made more rigid with poles (ski
poles, skis, or tree branches) but still are more difficult to construct and offer less support
thantherucksackstretcher.Rucksacksarealmostinvariablypresentonexpeditions,where-
as the other methods require special equipment and do not solve the problem of what to do
with the disabled person's rucksack.
Some pole litters are designed to be carried from the ends by two rescuers, which is
practical only for very short distances unless the individual is very light. However, carry-
ing a person in a litter in this manner is sometimes necessary for short stretches on narrow
sections of trails or across bridges.
Travoisstretchersandimprovisedsledsaretheoretically usefulonquitesmoothground,
especiallyonsnow,butaredifficulttoconstruct.Polarexpeditionsandexpeditionsinother
glaciated areas often have sleds available. These can be commercial, heavy-duty sleds or