Hi Tom
Haven't had a chance to get the fleet yet, but I did get to play on the Mark-7 during training last summer.

Some of the ideas presented here are great: I really like the idea of some sort of solar panel to help recharge electronics. Also, is there an internal light? Even during the day, it got really dark once the overhead cover was drawn shut. Something, even a basic red light, would be nice. I assume this would be a huge budgetary headache, so perhaps any crank-powerd lights for inside use?

The boat gets pretty warm with 20 people crowded into it, and everyone started sinking to the center. Which was nice and warm, minus the water we'd pulled in while boarding. Perhaps something can be done to help sailors hold onto the perimeter? Either small loops, carabiners, etc?

You know, having one knife means it's bound to go overboard. A second, or even third, would be nice. And, yes, something a little more practical than the Camillus would be nice as well.

Maybe more 2-qt water storage bags? There's going to be a LOT of thirsty people after the second or third day. What is there in the way of repair equipment with the desalination pump?

Thanks for your (and your co-workers') hard work. I'm sure it's a PITA to restock, repair, update, upkeep, revamp, and test these boats. Personally, though, I'm glad we have them on all the ships!

MRE heaters would make much more sense for cooking -- just add water. I'm not sure having a flame on a raft at sea is a wise idea, melting nylon and all that.

There is an internal light which can be switched off during the day. We are looking at some new lighting systems using LEDs which will burn for a much longer time. The current system is rated for about 12 hours or so total burn time IAW SOLAS.



There are internal life lines around the inside perimeter.



OK, I'll guess I should revisit the knife.



One reason we use bottled water is that the containers can be reused to store water from the desalinator which will produce up to 35 gallons per day, far in excess of the minimum required for 25 people. In theory, if the desalinator in one raft didn't work, a desalinator from another raft could adequately produce water for both of them. The desalinators have undergone rigorous testing and the likelihood of failure in a short period of time is very remote.

As far as I know, we're the only ones to put any sort of extra water storage bags in a life raft.

We use bottled water because pouch water leaked too much from low temperature extremes and the the drop of the life raft into water. All survival gear must survive the impact of the life raft in its container dropping from a height of 65 feet into the water. In tests we lost up to 30% of the pouch water. The bottled water is much more rugged, can be rationed easier with its graduated bottle, and the bottle can be resealed and refilled.

Best of luck to you when you get to the fleet.

Regards,

Tom

Some of the very good non-pyro signal devices like the green laser flare use CR123's as well as some of the raft lighting systems we're looking at. It's easier to find a good LED flashlight with good qualities using a CR123 battery, than it is to find certain types of strobes and signals in AA. CR123s are relatively cheap in quantity and it's easy to pack lots of extras in a small space.

Our existing flashlights are hideously outdated. Though I can get over 40 hours of burn time out of a pair of five year old alkaline D-cells (if they're not corroded), it's a feeble glim of light. At the very least it would be better to put in a Terra-Lux Ministar LED replacement bulb than what we have now, but my plan is to completely replace the flashlight.

Tom

No flame is not good, especially if there is fuel around. If the MRE heater somehow got damp prematurely, could it damage the raft material? I'd have to look at the implications of storing something like that inside a raft for five years. I see the point of wanting to heat liquid for hypothermia victims though.

We were thinking that using body heat to warm the bottled water would be an option. When I was in the Army and first used the MRE's there were no chemical heaters. We would warm them some by putting them in our pockets to help decongeal the grease.

The food ration can be crumbled into the water to make a sweet drink to treat hypothermia if the person is conscious. Body heat could them warm the drink so it would not cool the victim

Tom

Good thread. As a retired Navy type I was able to use this gear in training (aviation gear, not identical but close) and carried some of it daily for years. It was good gear back in the day but it definitely needs to be updated. One of the reasons we considered it good though was because it ALWAYS worked. I don't remember a piece of gear ever failing.

The question of whether they ever test it and does it work when wet. . . when I first read those questions I almost choked from laughing, but then I thought a bit and wondered about some of the really early gear that was for show. Remember the life boats and "flotation" vests on Titantic, not quite enough to go around, all show. The gear now is tested hard. The gear we used in training was the same piece of gear they used the week prior and they'd use it again for the next class. It was used hard week after week after week. That was the same gear issued in the fleet.

There was a pilot who went in the water very near an aircraft carrier. Everyone on deck could see him floating as could the helo crew that would pick him up. But he still lit off every piece of signaling gear he had, that's what they're for, why waste them -- they all worked. Confidence builder.

Thanks Tom.

Some of the gear I had has already been replaced, I bought some of it cheap on eBay and ya'know what, it all works.

Hi Tom,

How about some Cyalume lightsticks? There cheap enough and might help to conserve the battery life of the flashlights.

Mike
LifeView

Mike,

What's the shelf-life on those things? I recall those being looked at in the 1990's, but for some reason they were rejected. I'll have to dig through the test reports to see if a reason was given not to use those.

Tom

I'd recheck chem-lights in general since they come in various wavelengths which go from white, to green to red and IR. They run cool, don't use any batteries and their shelf life is very long. Maybe it's a cold or high (how cold/how high) temperature issue.

Tom,
The rated life is 4 years, but they are probably good for more.
Mike