Equipment Pack Essentials - What is packed inside a life raft? 

By: SurvivalAtSea.com | Liferaft Services

You've had an emergency on your vessel at sea, and now you and your passengers have piled into your life raft. After taking a head count and checking for injuries, you'll want to take inventory of your supplies. So, what items are packed inside a life raft? This is a loaded question; depending on whether you have a commercial or recreational life raft and the particular model you have will determine the contents inside.

What's packed inside my commercial liferaft? 

Requirements from the US Coast Guard or international SOLAS regulations determine many items inside a commercial raft's emergency pack. The amount and type of emergency equipment depend on which raft you have - usually based on how far you plan to go offshore. If you plan on purchasing an inflatable buoyant apparatus (IBA) for commercial use, you can expect the included equipment to be bare-bones. These rafts contain small equipment packs inside. You'll find very basic items like a repair kit, manual pump, signal mirror, flashlight, extra batteries, and sometimes hand flares.

Commercial IBA Equipment Pack List:

• Bailer
• Sponge
• Topping-up Pump
• Sea Anchor
• Repair Kit
• Flashlight (including extra batteries and bulb)
• Whistle
• Signal Mirror
• Hand flares (depending on brand)

Similar to an IBA, a commercial USCG-approved coastal life raft will contain one small equipment pack. A coastal life raft is essentially an IBA with a canopy attached overhead. A coastal raft usually includes the same items found inside an IBA. IBAs and Coastal rafts are best for vessels that intend to stay inshore, typically in more heavily trafficked areas, where swift rescue is likely in the case of an emergency. 

Commercial Coastal Equipment Pack List:

• Bailer
• Sponge
• Topping-up Pump
• Sea Anchor
• Repair Plugs
• Flashlight (including extra batteries and bulb)
• Whistle
• Signal Mirror
• Hand flares (depending on brand)

The next step above IBA or Coastal rafts is a SOLAS life raft. SOLAS rafts have approvals for vessels traveling farther offshore and contain additional equipment. SOLAS rafts are available with either SOLAS A or SOLAS B equipment packs. SOLAS equipment packs include items useful in an offshore emergency, such as signal flares, fishing kits, repair kits, food and water rations, etc. In general, a commercial vessel operating within 50 miles of shore in US waters would be covered with a SOLAS B pack.  

SOLAS B Equipment Pack List:

• 3 USCG/SOLAS hand flares
• 2 USCG/SOLAS parachute flares
• 1 USCG/SOLAS smoke signals
• One flashlight
• One flashlight bulb
• Extra batteries
• One signal mirror
• One signal whistle
• One bailer
• Two paddles
• One topping-up air pump
• One sea anchor
• One spare sea anchor
• Two sponges
• Repair kit (glue, patches)
• Repair plugs
• Rescue quoit and line
• Survival instructions
• First aid kit
• Fishing kit
• Can openers
• Floating safety knife
• Thermal protective aids
• Anti-seasick tablets
• Seasickness bags
• Drinking cup

For federally documented commercial vessels looking to travel beyond 50 miles, the Coast Guard requires that the life raft on board contains a SOLAS A emergency pack. SOLAS A emergency packs are the most extensive packs for commercial rafts, containing all of the above equipment found in a SOLAS B plus several items. A SOLAS A pack includes twice the number of distress signals and the addition of food and water rations.

SOLAS A Equipment Pack List:

• 6 USCG/SOLAS hand flares
• 4 USCG/SOLAS parachute flares
• 2 USCG/SOLAS smoke signals
• 2400 kcal food rations per person
• 1.5l drinking water rations per person
• One flashlight
• One flashlight bulb
• Extra batteries
• One signal mirror
• One signal whistle
• One bailer
• Two paddles
• One topping-up air pump
• One sea anchor
• One spare sea anchor
• Two sponges
• Repair kit (glue, patches)
• Repair plugs
• Rescue quoit and line
• Survival instructions
• First aid kit
• Fishing kit
• Can openers
• Floating safety knife
• Thermal protective aids
• Anti-seasick tablets
• Seasickness bags
• Drinking cup

What's packed inside my recreational liferaft? 

Recreational liferafts have a wide range of varying equipment depending on the particular brand and model. Since the US Coast Guard does not regulate recreational life rafts, these rafts are not required to include any specific survival supplies inside. The manufacturer determines the equipment inside their recreational raft models, which is usually in line with the distance from shore the raft is designed to be used. Coastal recreational life rafts will contain little-to-no equipment inside them; one can expect to see a flashlight, spare batteries, a first aid kit, anti-seasickness tablets and bags, a couple of hand flares, etc. The Superior Life-Saving Coastal Surge is an excellent example of a recreational coastal life raft with a basic survival pack.

Superior Coastal Surge Equipment Pack List:

• Equipment Bag
• 2 Paddles
• 2 Sponges
• 1 Whistle
• 1 Owner's Manual
• 1 Survival Manual
• 1 Waterproof Flashlight (torch) w/Batteries
• 2 Spare Batteries
• 1 Spare Bulb
• 1 Signal Mirror
• 36 Anti-seasickness Tablets
• 6 Anti-seasickness Bags
• 2 Red Hand Flares
• 1 Topping-up Pump w/adapter
• 2 Leak Stopper (small)
• 2 Leak Stoppers (medium)
• 2 Leak Stoppers (large)
• 1 Floatable Bailer
• 1 First Aid Kit 

 A recreational raft that contains an offshore equipment pack will have all the same equipment found in a coastal raft in more significant quantities, plus a few extras (food and water rations, parachute flares, fishing kit). Recreational life rafts that hold ISO approval may contain a few survival items required under ISO requirements (thermal protective aids). The Superior Life-Saving Offshore Stream is an excellent example of a recreational offshore life raft that contains the equipment pack below.

Superior Offshore Stream Equipment Pack List:

• Equipment Bag
• Paddles
• Sponge
• Whistle
• Owner's Manual
• Survival Manual
• Waterproof Flashlight w/Batteries
• Spare Batteries
• Spare Bulb
• Signal Mirror
• Fishing Kit
• Floatable Bailer
• Anti-seasickness Tablets
• Anti-seasickness Bags
• Red Hand Parachute Flares
• Red Hand Flares
• Topping-up pump w/adapter
• Leak Stopper (small)
• Leak Stoppers (medium)
• Leak Stoppers (large)
• First Aid Kit
• Drinking Water (500ml per pack)
• Graduated Drinking Cup
• Food Rations (2400 kcal per pack)
• Floatable knife (on raft tube)

There are many other equipment pack variations in recreational and ISO-approved liferafts, but that should give you a general idea of what to expect. Whether you already own a liferaft and aren't sure what's packed inside, or you're shopping for a new raft and not sure what would be the best fit for you, we're happy to help. Call us at 207-363-0220 or Contact Us here.