Rescue Talk™
Everyday Carry: Instructor Kanen Blackwell
What I carry on my harness has changed quite a bit since I first started instructing. Back then, I had everything under the sun hanging from it. You could hear me coming across the Training Center because I sounded like somebody beating pots and pans together. All that equipment also gets heavy. When you wear a harness all day, unnecessary weight eventually catches up with you.
These days, I keep things as simple as I can. For a piece of equipment to stay on my harness, it needs to help me teach, help me reach a student, or help me solve a problem if something goes wrong. Ideally, it does more than one of those things. If it only serves one narrow purpose, I probably do not need to carry it.
Starting With the Harness
I use the Petzl AVAO harness. We have several different harnesses at Roco, so I had the opportunity to try a few before settling on it. The AVAO fit me well and was comfortable enough to wear throughout a training day.
It is also the harness we use at my fire department (Baton Rouge Fire Department). That familiarity matters. I already know how to adjust it, where everything sits, and exactly how I want it to fit. I do not have to figure it out each time I put it on. From there, I build my everyday carry around the equipment I am most likely to need.
My Progress Adjust
I keep a Petzl Progress Adjust-I Progression Lanyard attached at my ventral connection. It gives me a quick way to secure myself when I am working near an open hole, approaching an edge, handling a basket, or entering another situation where I need an additional point of attachment.
I want it already connected and ready to use. I do not want to wait until I am standing near an exposure to start digging through a bag for fall-restraint equipment. This is probably the closest thing I have to a security blanket.
It does not matter how experienced or careful you are. You can know the hole is there, see the edge, and understand the hazard. It still only takes one misstep, trip, or slip for the situation to change completely. I always want some way to secure myself near an edge or opening.
Gloves and Tool Leash
My gloves stay attached to a Petzl Toolink-style leash. The leash can serve several purposes if I am inspecting the scaffold or working with a tool, but most of the time, it keeps track of my gloves.
I can disconnect them when I need them without worrying about dropping them or leaving them somewhere on the prop. When they are not on my hands, I know they are attached to my harness. It is a small thing, but it solves a common problem without adding much weight.
Ascender and Carabiner
I keep an ascender toward the rear of my harness on a Petzl SPIRIT carabiner. That gives me a quick way to grab the rope if I need it for an ascent or demonstration. Keeping it behind me helps it stay out of the way while still being easy to reach. It is also a relatively light setup, which helps it earn a permanent place on the harness.
Twenty Feet of Personal Rope
Toward my left hip, I carry 20 feet of 9.5mm Sterling rope. I keep it daisy-chained so it remains compact instead of hanging loose. That short length of rope is one of the most versatile things I carry. I can use it to back up something the students are doing, demonstrate an anchor or rigging method, or teach a knot while we are out on the station.
It is the same type of rope we use for our traditional vertical Stokes basket bridles. It holds up well and has proven highly resistant to normal wear and tear. More importantly, it gives me a teaching and problem-solving tool.
What’s in the Tool Bag?
I also have a Petzl tool pouch that I can keep on my hip. I do not carry it everywhere. If we are working in a relatively controlled area and the additional equipment is not necessary, I may leave it in my bag or in the classroom to reduce weight. When the work involves more exposure, the pouch comes with me.
Inside, I carry a GRIGRI, Micro Traxion, small rigging plate, VT Prusik, a few slings, a ROLLCLIP, and an assortment of carabiners. That includes Petzl Am’D carabiners and a pear-shaped WILLIAM carabiner, which gives me room to build a Munter hitch if needed.
“The exact equipment matters less than what it allows me to do. With those pieces, I can improvise a small haul system, capture progress, build a lower, create a backup, or help a student who has gotten into a difficult position.”
I can also use the equipment to position myself while teaching. If a student is suspended, working through a pickoff, or operating inside a space, I may need to get close enough to see what they are doing and coach them through it without interfering. My equipment can help me reach that position and remain secure while I teach.
Why an Instructor Carries Rescue Equipment
As Roco instructors, we are there to teach, but that is not our only responsibility. We also have to be prepared to act if a student gets into trouble. We cannot assume the other students will be able to solve the problem. For some of them, it may be the first time they have ever touched a rope. If something goes wrong, the instructor must be able to use the students’ equipment or immediately deploy personal equipment to correct it.
That is one reason Roco instructors are held to a higher standard. We are not there simply to repeat information. We are there because we can perform the work. We need to be able to recognize a developing problem, stop the evolution, and make sure everyone remains safe.
Most of the ideas behind my setup come from watching others, studying incidents, speaking with instructors in our space, and considering the problems they have encountered. I would rather carry a few carefully selected tools and never need them than discover too late that I cannot reach or assist a student.
Adding Another Layer of Protection
As students progress through a course, we begin giving them more room to work. In an advanced class or refresher, we may allow a team to solve a problem with limited instructor input. That is how they learn to use their skills and make decisions together.
Sometimes a student system may meet the required safety standard, but I still see an opportunity to add another layer of protection. That may mean placing an additional sling or backup into the system. The students still need to understand the risks and learn to manage them.
“My job is to give them enough freedom to learn without allowing that freedom to become unnecessary exposure. “
This becomes especially important because Roco uses live patients during much of its training. Students treat a live patient differently than they treat a mannequin. They move more carefully, communicate differently, and begin thinking about the person in the basket as an actual patient rather than another piece of equipment.
That realism improves Roco training, but it can also introduce added risks. Much of what I carry exists to create a third, fourth, or fifth layer of protection for those students. No one should get hurt while taking a class intended to make them safer and more capable.
Build the Kit That Works for You
What I carry works for me. It is not necessarily the exact setup every instructor or rescuer should copy. Other instructors carry different equipment for different reasons. That is one of the things I enjoy about conversations like this.
“I want to know what others carry, but more importantly, I want to know why. “
If their reasoning makes sense for the work I do, I may add something similar to my kit. If it does not fit my needs, I will leave my setup alone. The goal is not to hang as much equipment as possible from your harness. The goal is to carry equipment that you understand and can use when it matters.
For me, every item must answer the same questions: Can I use it to teach? Can I use it to position or protect myself? Can I use it to help rescue a student? If a piece of equipment can do more than one of those things without adding unnecessary weight, it may earn a place on my harness. If not, it stays in the bag.
Here is Kanen’s full gear list:
- Sterling VERTAC 40
- Harness: Petzl AVAO
- Gloves: Roco Rescue Tech² Gloves
- Petzl TOOLEASH
- Petzl CONNECT ADJUST Lanyard
- Black Diamond 10 mm Dynex Runner (30 cm)
- Petzl CARITOOL (20 ft of Sterling Tactical Response Rope, 9.5 mm)
- Petzl SPIRIT Carabiner attached to a Petzl ASCENSION Ascender with a CMC BOOST Foot Loop
- Petzl INTERFAST for attaching Petzl TOOLBAG 3 L
- Sterling Flex Hitch Cord, Eye to Eye
- Petzl ANNEAU Sling, 120 cm
- Petzl ANNEAU Sling, 60 cm
- Petzl GRIGRI with Petzl SPIRIT Carabiner
- Petzl ROLLCLIP A
- Petzl PAW S
- Petzl CROLL
- Petzl MICRO TRAXION
- Petzl TIBLOC
- Petzl Am’D Carabiner
- Petzl WILLIAM Carabiner
- Petzl OMNI Carabiner
Want to see how this equipment is used in an actual rescue system? Explore Roco’s hands-on rescue training courses or contact our team to help choose the right equipment for your rescue needs.
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