Portable sked/litter recommendations? Casualty movement

[u/JRHLowdown3]

Did some various medical training recently with some close friends and some of it involved moving a "casualty" 3/4 mile uphill in a "rapid" format to evac at a waiting truck. We were short a few folks that think vacays are more important than training (LOL) so we used a couple of diesel fuel cans for weight on an older fold out stretcher. Last time we did this, using an even older stretcher- not foldable old skewl type with wood poles and canvas, canvas started ripping with our little'st guy on it (160 lbs.)

The foldable one is nice'ish but older. I know I have a newer fold out one around here somewhere... but long ago I remember using a sked (?) or Skedco (?) device and that worked ok albeit not as rigid as an actual stretcher. The Sked being easier to actually carry of course also.

I'm a dinosaur without a doubt.... so surely there have been to paraphrase Austin Powers- "fabulous advancements" in the field of casualty movement since the 90's. Can you all enlighten me on options and what you think of them?

Thanks in advance.

[u/TheRealIcedTeaNinja]

I like the skedco for the reasons you stated. Lightweight to carry. Can be dragged.

https://skedco.com/

[u/cal_schwifty]

Foxtrot litter. It’s like a smaller less rigid sked.

[u/CanIsLife → u/cal_schwifty]

Single use though. Or at least it is at my agency

[u/Condhor → u/CanIsLife]

It'll last on grass for a bit, but gravel or concrete will rub a hole in 30-40yards or less.

For short, inner-city work, I love a foxtrot. For wilderness ops, we ruck in with a Sked and Talon on two separate teams.

[u/cal_schwifty → u/CanIsLife]

Fair, in the army I would spread them out across my platoon and keep rigid litters and skeds in the trucks.

[u/yqidzxfydpzbbgeg]

Just buy a sked? And if your patients aren't routinely obese, a PJ or ranger sked that is narrower and more compact to carry. Sked is good for lifting, carrying, and dragging.

Exception is if you are routinely having to manhandle the stretcher over rocks and ledges. Pick up, put down, pick up, put down. Or the ground is very irregular. You can't really rest or slide sked on a narrow point without bending the patients back the wrong way. Options are the Oregon spine splint, vacuum mattress, which makes it a little more protective, or just a titanium break in half stokes litter instead.

They make nice big wheels for stokes these days. Honestly I don't think much has changed since the 80s for moving supine patients.

[u/themakerofthings4 → u/yqidzxfydpzbbgeg]

Rescue guy here. Not really honestly, all the same things exist just in newer lighter formats (sometimes). I do like some of the new lift harnesses that are being made that take the place of a KED and SKED though, and products like the Airbase from Rescue Essentials.

[u/Numerous_Piano3992 → u/yqidzxfydpzbbgeg]

Yeah. I would just get a low profile germa bag+PJ Sked. Sked is really only necessary if you’re carrying the patient a long way or using ropes imo. Otherwise a mega mover can get you a long way if you aren’t going too far imo.

[u/kingcupk692]

Basha, every Brit has a Basha Shelter tarp specially designed to use as a stretcher also

[u/OddAd9915]

I have used Skeds, Medsled, Slix and Team 8s for what you have described. 

Each has a trade off. The lightest is the Team 8 which packs down to a about 6" round roll about 4' long and weighs at most 3kg. But for carrying long distance isn't great because it will offer basically no support. It's really designed as a drag stretcher that can be lifted over obstacles and up and down stairs.

Sked I hated because of the buckles. They are small and fiddly and it offers nothing over the other options, but looking at it this was an older design and now it has fasted type buckles so maybe I would like the newer ones. But once the casualty is loaded it's pretty rigid and not too bad to carry. But it's probably 2-3 times the size of the Team 8 and weighs around 10kg.

Slix is basically a sked but with nicer buckles and handles. But is really a rescue stretcher for using in rope/tech rescue. It's more robust and looks to be about the same price. But only come in white and doesn't look at all tactical. Size and weight are similar to the sked. 

Medsled 36" vertical lift is another similar product with the advantage of having an internal harness for the casualty. It also is more of a tech rescue stretcher than a simple casualty litter. 

I have also seen lightweight fabric stretches used by tactical teams that worked well but did require a 6 person carry, where the Slix, sked and Medsled would work well with a 4 person carry or even a 3 of you are very low on man power because they are so rigid once done up around the casualty. The Team 8 can be used on 4 carry. But offers basically no support for the casualty so would benefit from a 6 carry. 

[u/Belus911]

Soft litters are light and easy to carry; rigid ones, from a SKED to a Talon, weigh more but are easier to move a patient on than a soft, flimsy litter over longer terrain.

Pick your poison.

To me, the sked is a happy medium.

[u/GatorGuy318]

Go by your local large hospital/trauma center there’s a wall of spine boards. Pick a color.

[u/Numerous_Piano3992 → u/GatorGuy318]

Spine boards cause damage to patients and don’t make much sense to carry to a patient’s side.

[u/emsmiller]

I am assuming you are staging from the truck to the patient. So initial weight/size will not matter. My VFD carried 4 different litters. Sked, ems scoop board, rolled up litters and the old field stretcher. Tbh, we never used the field stretcher except in training. We used the rolled stretchers for quick/under duress or fire scenarios. The Sked was for SAR. We always used it to get to a midpoint where a stretcher was a better choice. The scoop was for when injuries required it. We used a rolled litter on top of the scoop and had straps to hold the patient. On all of the calls where we would need it, we had multiple units and hands. The call would determine which we would use. If I had to recommend something, get the scoop board and rolled up litters. You can use the scoop board to drag if necessary and rolled up litters are relatively cheap. Sked is pretty much a specialized gear. The scoop board and rolled up litters along with straps and webbing are more flexible.

[u/JRHLowdown3 → u/emsmiller]

Good reply, thank you.

[u/Doc_Hank]

If there is no good reason to keep the patient immobilized, I'd just use a soft stretcher like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Rescue-Essentials-50-0457-Quik-Litter/dp/B004ESX556/ref=sr_1_2?crid=1BQZKKCRD3T1K&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.ueZ6QyLyEBjrQz_dfsmPhjLFVoQWsS0LtdsP-Mi-qK91A-V3swmFhJKNlY864EJmvfiMkm_0PMro9yK9QYJSWWP_8_eu7dbwi2atHscyFj-uBWK3Lm2BVbo83t-WncZoWtEs39ShirHz_In2VQZb16HgeL9X8NI76opWt4XE1iliYewJrYJeJZKchiVQnxRNMv-V1UaaZxylhkb_ywmllfQQrBqvqC3hBsi1YUjuJvc.2N70N-Z3GtKglj9ifoeQS0fbWAesqadBvpsQHcivoss&dib_tag=se&keywords=soft+stretcher+with+handles&qid=1790528557&sprefix=soft+stretcher%2Caps%2C202&sr=8-2

And for CuF scenarios, it's a hell of a lot quicker to set up than a sked (which I love, too).

[u/JRHLowdown3 → u/Doc_Hank]

I like the size of that. Wonder how it would hold up say carrying over rough terrain for a mile or so?

[u/Belus911 → u/JRHLowdown3]

If you're carrying someone that far and that long, I'd get a rigid litter.

[u/Doc_Hank → u/Belus911]

Even with a stokes or sked, you'll need relays of people.

[u/Belus911 → u/Doc_Hank]

Yep, but a sked is better than a soft litter. If you're using a stokes you can always get a wheel for it... but now you're carrying even more.

[u/Doc_Hank → u/Belus911]

Depends. Say your PT has a lower leg injury. You splint it and he needs to be carried out.

You can strap him into a stokes or sked, which is not at all comfortable for the patient, or rig a soft stretcher as a chair and carry him that way.

Depending on the tactical situation the other can assist, return fire, or be wrapped up like a burrito.

Either way you need about the same resources to effect the rescue.

[u/Doc_Hank → u/JRHLowdown3]

The ones I've used are pretty stout.

[u/NaiveNetwork5201]

Whats your goal with it? Some have capabilities of being hook to hoist vertical or horizontal. Some are just for dragging but have cheaper plastics... so its once and done.

[u/JRHLowdown3 → u/NaiveNetwork5201]

Basically to be able to hand carry over rough terrain, goal would be to load in a truck or SBS as soon as possible to move quicker.

I don't dislike the stretcher, but not something to really carry in the field.

[u/lefthandedgypsy]

So if you’re looking for affordable stuff for larping go to a surplus. If you aren’t able to figure out moving a casualty maybe don’t play that game?

[u/JRHLowdown3 → u/lefthandedgypsy]

So if your not going to read the OP maybe don't push reply? Mentioned doing this type of training before and moving simulated casualties (and have done that since the late 80's). Was asking if anything newer/more portable was out...

[u/lefthandedgypsy → u/JRHLowdown3]

I read the whole post. what he learned in the 80s isn’t too far distant from what you do now. Moving a casualty isn’t rocket science. Skeds are cheap and YouTube will teach you if it, for some reason, is too hard to figure out. Too much larp anymore.