Chem lights are old tech. They suck. With good compact LED flashlights and lithium batteries, really no need for them anymore for most general lighting uses. They have a relatively short shelf life and and brighter ones expire in as little as 18 months, and then must be disposed of, performance drops way, way down in cold temps, are really, rally messy if leak, stains are permanent, must be kept from being exposed to air in their special packaging and if it is punctured, they are toast. High pressure packing often bursts the packing or the tube., so they must be kept in a hard case inside such packing, no off switch, 360 degree light requires special holder for directional use, even then they put out only modest amounts of light not focused at all... I could go on and on. All around a tech that was great in its time, now irrelevant for general lighting uses. In those rare instances where chem light type lighting would be useful, one of the Krill or LED versions are much better. They last longer, are more reliable and can be switched on and off as required.

If you decide to include lighting devices that utilize AA batteries, you may want to consider KRILL lights, as an alternative to the chem.-lights.

Kriana Corporation - KRILL Lights

Pete

How about the Spyderco Atlantic Salt Knife



details at,

http://www.knivesplus.com/spyderco-knife-salt-sp-c89pyl.html

I'm SO glad that someone mentioned the Rescue Streamer...I couldn't remember what it was called!

Does anyone know...the LED version Tom referred to, is that the $1500 bit that's on the front page of the website? Or possibly a military only item?

Forgive my ignorance of such things, but how much value does a whistle have in the middle of an ocean? Not going to help a helo crew, or make a sound over a ship. For the size and weight, why not include it, but how much practical application would there be?

Just looked at Glo Toobs when the Krill lights were mentioned. While the Glo Toobs are much smaller (possibly negating the usefulness for this application) the new Glo Toob Lithium models run on 123's.

As an aside, I have found that chem lights on a break away lanyard are ideal for keeping track of young children playing at the campground after dark

Hey, Tom. I just wanted to ask if you could do us, especially me, a favor and let us know what all your kit will include when you make your decisions and finish up. I’ve already learned quite a bit from you and this thread, such as the availability of a RescueStreamer with lights and the fact that Green Laser Flares are NVG compatible. (I was actually going to post a warning about green laser NVG compatibility, but I read Doug’s review again which said that it was only a prototype version that was incompatible. Apparently production units work fine with NVGs.) I would really appreciate seeing what your final verdicts are and why you chose them once the time comes around.

Thanks in advance!

I certainly will. There is a lot to think about, and some testing to do down the road as well. I have already gained some useful insights into some of the gear that should be updated.

It's tempting to want to put every conceivable gadget in the raft to make it a bit better, but I have to balance a lot of factors in making any changes. If the survival equipment starts taking up a lot more volume, it makes it more difficult to pack which can directly effect the inflation reliability of the raft.

In dealing with about 9000+ life rafts, I have to be prudent on the additional costs incurred in putting new or more equipment inside. I like to exceed USCG/SOLAS regs were possible, but it gets hard to justify going higher if it costs a fortune to do so.

Sometimes I have to ask the question like, "is it better to have a better knife or a better flashlight?" or things to that effect.

It's very similar to decisions you make when you buy a car. Do you want or can you afford the safest car on the market, or do you settle for one that's good enough? Do you carry the highest levels of insurance for your person and property?

Please keep any suggestions or ideas coming.

Regards,

Tom

I would replace the old Camillus with something more along the lines of a Victorinox or even just a decent one handed folder such as a Spyderco Salt etc. Have you thought about maybe adding a Photon or Inova microlight they are lite weight and can last for a very long time heck a gerber infinity even though it runs off a single AA instead of a cr123 will last forever off the one AA it's small and waterproof it doesnt create alot of light but you dont need it search buildings and stuff you need it to help illuminate a fairly small enclosed area. One question does the kit include waterproof sunblock, it helps to keep the skin oiled and prevent sunburn and would also might prevent salt water boils. I'd be intrested in seeing a detailed list of whats in the fishing kit and whats in the fist aid kit.

If hypothermia is a main concern, why not include either:

1. 25 heatsheets or emergency bivvy bags
2. 25 el cheapo mylar blankets (See if anyone makes a jumbo size)
3. 25 'contractor' size garbage bags

teach

( #2 would cost about $10 per raft in bulk, maybe less.)

Tom;

I'm a mathematician by training, and an IT security consultant by profession, and most of what I know about survival comes from reading this forum, so you've already had far more knowledgeable folks than me comment on your selections. I guess the only suggestion I could come up with that hasn't been given already is that the two life rafts with PLBs aboard should be separated as widely as possible, to reduce the risk that both will be destroyed by the same event. Alternatively, they should be in the locations that are statistically the most likely to safely deploy from, if such statistics exist. (For example, a life raft in the bow of the ship might not be accessible if there is a fire in the forward part, whereas a life raft amidships would probably be accessible from at least one direction.)

Mathematically, there's a thing called the law of diminishing returns, which I'm sure you're aware of. Basically, it states that if you can save 100 lives by spending a million dollars on safety features, you will save maybe 150 lives by spending two million, 175 by spending three million, etc. Some people argue that if spending an additional ten million dollars will save even one life, it's worth it, but where do you draw the line?

I always figured that the cost of a human life should be measured in other human lives. If your "safety measures" will save 1 life, but will be just as likely to kill 2 SAR personnel, then it's worth than a waste of taxpayers' money. Your example of putting a PLB on every life raft becoming a safety hazard when they all go off at once, for example. In the Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race disaster, several yachts were evacuated with the emergency beacons still transmitting, which resulted in multiple SAR crews investigating the same yacht, long after its crew had been rescued.

So if anyone criticizes you for not putting in their favourite piece of gear, don't lose sight of the trade-off in safety that results from adding "just one more thing".