Table of contents

The Second Edition has an all-new format, with additional chapters and far more detail than ever before:-

INTRODUCTION

  • 1a: The reasons behind this book
  • 1b: A microscopic introduction to cave rescue
  • 1c: Loads and Forces in a rescue system
  • 1d: The way cave rescues 'work'
  • 1e: Paperwork and management

CASUALTY CARE

  • 2a: The premises of Casualty Care
  • 2b: Bending rules, and patients
  • 2c: Clinical Spine Clearance
  • 2d: Suspension trauma
  • 2e: What skills to know
  • 2f: Medical Comms
  • 2g: Casualty Microenvironments
  • 2h: Suits of Armour and Dragons

ROPE & CORD

  • 3a: Construction and materials
  • 3b: EN, NFPA & UIAA standards for rope
  • 3c: Choice of rope diameters for rescue
  • 3d: The Nylon and Polyester Debate
  • 3e: Accessory cord
  • 3f: Transport and storage of rope
  • 3g: Washing and drying rope
  • 3h: Breaking in new ropes

INTRODUCTION TO KNOTS

  • 4a: The elements of a knot
  • 4b: Permanent knots
  • 4c: Knots in cord and tape
  • 4d: Freeing tight knots and the prybar krab
  • 4e: Why knots are weak
  • 4f: Knots we don't want you to use
  • 4g: Cowstails

ESSENTIAL KNOTS

  • 1. Figure-8
  • 2. Figure-9
  • 3. Stein Knot
  • 4. Yosemite Mountaineering Bowline
  • 6. 'Alpine' Butterfly Knot
  • 7. Italian Hitch
  • 8. Tensionless Hitch
  • 9. Classic 3-wrap Prusik Knot
  • 10. Hedden Knot
  • 11. Klemheist Knot
  • 12. GARDA Hitch
  • 13. Tape Knot
  • 14. Double Fisherman's Bend
  • 15. Triple Fisherman's Bend
  • 16. Barrel Knot
  • 17. Constrictor Knot
  • 18. Dog & Tails

FORCES & FRICTION

  • 6a: What exactly is friction?
  • 6b: Friction and real-world equipment
  • 6c: Friction values for devices and edges
  • 6d: Vectors and finding the Force

PULLEYS & DESCENDERS

  • 7a: Pulleys
  • 7b: Choosing your pulleys
  • 7c: Ratchet Pulleys
  • 7d: Descenders

HARDWARE & FABRICS

  • 8a: Karabiners
  • 8b: Maillon Rapides
  • 8c: Slings
  • 8d: Polymers used for textile equipment
  • 8e: Common chemicals and their effects
  • 8f: Materials used in commercial ropes
  • 8g: Rope clamps
  • 8h: Energy absorbers
  • 8i: Swivels

STRETCHERS

  • 9a: Basket litters
  • 9b: Neil Robertson Stretchers
  • 9c: Cocoon Stretchers
  • 9d: Spinal splints
  • 9e: Vacuum Splints
  • 9f: Foam Sandwiches
  • 9g: Stretcher lifting geometry
  • 9h: Bridles for horizontal lifting
  • 9i: Is length important?
  • 9j: The 'safety link' in a stretcher
  • 9k: Casualty fall arrest harnesses
  • 9l: The barrowboy

ANCHORS

  • 10a: How strong should an anchor be?
  • 10b: Slinging
  • 10c: Natural anchors
  • 10d: Props
  • 10e: Ground stakes
  • 10f: Camming devices
  • 10g: Bolts and hangers
  • 10h: Rigging to anchors
  • 10h: Classes of anchor

BELAYS & BACKUPS

  • 11a: The forces during a fall
  • 11b: Belay devices
  • 11c: Fall arrest lines
  • 11d: Backup systems
  • 11e: Sharing anchors
  • 11f: Routing the backup line

SIMPLE HAULING

  • 12a: Lowering systems
  • 12b: The goals of hauling systems
  • 12c: Rope capture systems
  • 12d: Where to put the hauling party
  • 12d: Mechanical Advantage
  • 12e: The V-rig - 2:1 advantage
  • 12f: Pulley systems with friction
  • 12g: The block and tackle
  • 12h: The Z-rig - 3:1 advantage
  • 12i: Multiplying mechanical advantage/
  • 12j: More than 3:1
  • 12k: Jiggers
  • 12l: Inchworms
  • 12m: Load release hitches

COMPLEX & SRT RESCUE

  • 13a: Counterbalance systems
  • 13b: Passing rebelays and deviations
  • 13c: Quadpods, tripods and headgear
  • 13d: SRT rescues
  • 13e: How much is too much?

TRAVERSES

  • 14a: The knotty traverse
  • 14b: The Tarzan traverse
  • 14c: Highline traverses - simple style
  • 14d: Tensions in highline traverses
  • 14e: Building highlines without computers
  • 14f: Materials for runaway lines
  • 14g: Highline traverses - crane jib style
  • 14h: Cableways

SPECIAL RESCUE

  • 15a: Expedition Rescue
  • 15b: Expedition First Aid supplies
  • 15c: 'Rescue' gear for an expedition
  • 15d: Self-contained rescues
  • 15e: The alert system for remote areas
  • 15f: Large animal rescue
  • 15g: Lifting rocks

WINCHES

  • 16a: Styles of winch
  • 16b: Powered ascenders
  • 16c: Precautions using powered winches

EQUIPMENT CARE

  • 17a: Cleaning your gear
  • 17b: Inspection procedures
  • 17c: Frequency of inspections
  • 17d: Labelling
  • 17e: Inspecting textiles (ropes & webbing)
  • 17f: Inspecting metal
  • 17g: The impact of legislation
  • 17h: Destruction, Death and eBay

REFERENCES & LINKS

  • 18a: Official standards and information
  • 18b: National rescue bodies and links
  • 18d: UIAA Standard Equivalents
  • 18e: References used in the text
  • 18f: Media credits and contributions