RMRG Equipment history: New litters!
Dave Christenson
75th Anniversary PUBLIC event details, September 23 - 25, 2022
Rocky Mountain Rescue Group has a long history, over 70 years of providing free rescue services. Perhaps our most used piece of equipment is the litter. The litter is a basket used to protect and support an injured party in an evacuation.
Stokes litter, 1955, RMRG
The first litter used in the group was the “Stokes litter” which was used from 1947-1988. That type of litter was developed by the Navy. It was originally designed by Francis Stokes, retired surgeon general of the Navy. It had a tubular steel frame with a wire mesh “shell”. RMRG modified their Stokes litters by cutting them in half for backcountry portability. We added a tubular sleeve and a turn buckle to secure the two halves of the litter into a complete litter for evacuations. This gave the rescue group the ability to put the 2 litter halves on a metal backpack frame to carry into the field. Often the group carries a litter into a mission in the mountains for many miles. The Stokes litters weighed about 40 lbs. Typically a rescuer carrying a litter into the field also has to attach and carry their own personal pack. Quite a load!
“Super litter” rigged for vertical rescue lower, test tower, 2000’s, RMRG
In the early 1980’s RMRG decided to design and build their own custom litter. After extensive deliberation, we came up with a design. In 1983 we purchased the materials for 10 “Super litters,” and contracted with a fabricator. Unfortunately that fabricator went out of business. It took quite some time to retrieve the materials, engage a new fabricator and make the litters. In November 1988 the first new Super litters went into service. They were constructed with a stainless steel tubing frame and stainless steel sheet sides and bottom. The Super litter provided more protection for the patient than the “Stokes” mesh basket litter. The Super litters weighed in at 45 lbs. Super litters were also carried into the field in 2 halves on a metal backpack frame. Sturdy construction kept Super litters in service for 32 years despite hard use in countless training exercises and evacuating more than 1,000 patients.
New Spartan litter in vertical evacuation configuration, Flagstaff Mountain, 2019, RMRG
As of June 2020 RMRG retired the Super litter and now uses commercially manufactured Traverse Rescue “Spartan” litters. They are quite a bit lighter in weight and also separate into 2 sections for carrying into the field. The construction is titanium tubing with a plastic shell. RMRG spent several years evaluating and testing, we finally chose the “Spartan” litters.
Stokes litter, tryol (high line) evacuation rigging, 1950s, RMRG
Super litter, tyrol evacuation of an injured climber across South Boulder Creek, Eldorado Canyon State Park RMRG
Stokes liter, practice tryrol evacuation, 1950s, RMRG
Super litter on snowmobile sled, practice 2000’s RMRG
New Spartan litter, tyrol rigging, RMRG
New Spartan litter on backpack frame, RMRG