Packrafting Gear List Explained by Ben Kilbourne

When the snow starts to melt on the high plateaus above the canyon country of Utah, intermittent rivers start to flow, and I start refreshing the USGS site every few hours looking for an upward trend that means it’s time to go boating. Often these rivers flow between February and May, so this gear list is a direct reflection of that. In the high deserts of Utah in mid-March anything could happen. You could see rain one year, snow the next, and even some 85-degree days that leave you squinting through the glare for a shaded alcove under which to hide. Because of this variability, the gear list I have made accounts for chillier spring weather scenarios. I will offer some suggestions for pushing this list towards summer.

This list is also mostly tailored for rivers maxing out at about Class II. I am interested primarily in using packrafts as a means of expanding the backpacking experience, not as tools for getting an adrenaline fix. I’m going to assume that if your trip has a backpacking emphasis, as mine do, then you will not often be carrying everything you need for a real whitewater experience and will be portaging anything higher than Class III.

This list is also designed for trips around five to seven days long and can accommodate longer or shorter routes with minro modification. Much of this list will look a lot like a typical backpacking gear list with an obvious focus on carrying a lot more weight than one normally would, and trying to keep it all dry.

My gear list is broken into the following categories to make it easier to describe and read about. If you’re not interested in a section you can scan ahead to one that holds more interest.

• Hiking Clothes
• Backpack
• Shelter
• Sleeping
• Cooking
• Electronics
• Water Storage/Treatment
• Boating Clothes
• Clothes for Camp and Sleeping
• Accessories
• Boating

Hiking Clothes

Typical hiking clothes in the Mazatzal Wilderness

Item	Purpose	Weight
Rab Forge Crew longsleeve shirt	Warm when wet, not too hot when it’s warm out, and dries very quickly in camp.	5.6 oz
OR Sun Runner Cap	Modular. Full sun protection when you need it.	2.8 oz
Salomon Sense Ride 2 10.5	I hike in these, wear them in the boat, and wear them wet around camp.	22.4 oz
Native Kodiak Sunglasses in hardcase	Helps with glare on water.	3.8 oz
Black Diamond Alpine Carbon Cork Trekking Poles	Durable, light enough, stiff, and have very little vibration.	16.3 oz
Darn Tough 1/4 Sock Cushion	Incredibly durable.	3.4 oz
Salomon Agile 7” Short M with brief removed	Any quick drying, light short with small pockets for lip balm or pretty rocks will do.	3.4 oz
Saxx Kinetic Boxer Briefs	These keep things in order and dry very quickly.	2.9 oz
Outdoor Research Surge Running Gaiters	Any light gaiter will do.	1.1 oz
Outdoor Research ActiveIce Spectrum Sun Gloves	Saves me the effort of reapplying sunscreen to my hands throughout the day.	0.8 oz

Almost all backpacking-focused packrafting trips start with some walking. My usual setup emphasizes clothes I can wear both while hiking and floating, and which dry very quickly. Many things on my list are typical backpacking items, so I won’t discuss those in detail.

The Rab Forge Crew Long-Sleeve Shirt is a merino wool baselayer with some added synthetic material to aid in durability. This is by far my favorite hiking shirt I’ve found. It’s warm when it’s cold or wet, not too hot when it’s warm out, and it dries very quickly in camp. I almost always hike, paddle, and sleep in this shirt for the duration of a trip.

For shoes, I would recommend any light trail running shoes that drain well. So far, my best backpacking shoe experience has been the Salomon Sense Ride 2 Trail Runners with Superfeet Carbon Insoles in them. Without the Superfeet they’re great for running, but they don’t give me enough support for hauling 42 lbs around on my back. This was a much better option than a boating specific shoe like the Teva Original Universal sandals which are about 11 oz a pair in men’s size 10. There are times I’ve wished I had a camp shoe, but it really wasn’t that big of a deal.

I prefer hiking in shorts in most conditions. All I really need in a short is something that is quick-drying, light, and has some small pockets for lip balm or pretty rocks. Usually, I do not wear shorts in the boat unless it’s quite warm. For underwear, I like the Saxx Kinetic Boxer Briefs because they keep things in order and dry very quickly. For socks, I recommend the Darn Tough 1/4 Sock Cushion. I have two pairs of these that are going on six years old. What more can I say? They’re incredibly durable socks.

It’s nice to have a pair of polarized sunglasses for hiking, but they’re more important for boating when the angle of the sun creates a blinding glare on the water. Chums are might also be a good idea so the river won’t swallow your glasses.

Backpack

Hiking with the Seek Outside Divide 4500 Backpack in Canyonlands.

Item	Purpose	Weight
Seek Outside Divide 4500	This pack is comfortable, durable, water resistant, and versatile. I don't think there's a better option out there.	55 oz
Zpacks Packliner Dry Bag	Ensures that everything will stay completely dry.	1.8 oz

I recommend the Seek Outside Divide 4500 for packrafting. The best packrafting packs on the market are being made by Seek Outside. Their Gila, the Divide, and the Unaweep backpacks are comfortable, durable, water-resistant, and versatile packs for boating.

What do you want in a packrafting pack anyway?

1. I think the most important feature is comfort. You want something that is going to ride well with 45 lbs. Seek Outside’s superior suspension system does this well.
2. Next, is versatility. You either want a pack that allows you to attach weirdly-shaped items like paddles and PFDs all over it, or you want one that is large enough that you can put everything inside. On a recent trip down the Verde River in Arizona, I was able to fit my boat, PFD, and helmet inside the pack. Only the paddles and water bottles had to be on the outside.
3. A packrafting-specific pack should be both durable and water-resistant. The Xpac VX42 used by Seek Outside doesn’t absorb much water and dries very quickly.
4. It should also be nearly waterproof. This feature keeps the majority of water out even after a complete dunk.
5. Weight might be the least important feature of a packrafting pack. Comfort under heavy loads should take precedence over this. I would recommend finding ways to save weight elsewhere. That said, I do try to veer away from packs heavier than 3.5 lbs in weight.

For a number of years, I used the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Porter 4400 pack. This is a decent all-around packrafting pack with good features and good materials. It is, however, excruciating to wear. When I’m wearing the size HMG recommends the shoulder straps dig into my trapezius. It also has no load lifters, so the load rides back a bit. I am much happier with the Seek Outside Divide. When trips are more hiking-oriented and/or in warmer weather I sometimes take a Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest 3400 Pack which I’ve augmented with load lifters.

A pack liner, such as the Zpacks Packliner Dry Bag, is also an essential piece of packrafting gear! Pack liners are also much more effective than pack covers for packrafting. If you flip your boat, which you will, everything will remain completely dry.  

Shelter

An assortment of zipperless shelters.

Item	Purpose	Weight
Zpacks Pocket Tarp with Doors	Modular, no zippers, light.	5.2 oz
MSR Groundhog Stakes	Durable, light. The Y shape allows them to wedge between rocks horizontally.	0.5 oz each

I use a Zpacks Pocket Tarp with Doors. I don’t know if there’s an ideal packrafting shelter, but there are a few features I’d recommend having:

• Modularity. When dealing with cold, wet, muddy, rainy, windy conditions I want to have a shelter that can be set up without an attached inner. That way I can float into camp, set up the tarp, and get inside completely muddy and wet if need be without getting the floor of the shelter messy. I can then deal with all my wet gear and change into dry clothes before setting up my sleeping area. Floorless shelters offer a nice place to play cards or cook together when it’s raining or snowing.
• Long guylines for dead-manning stakes in sandy beaches. I’m almost always pitching my tarp on beaches with less than ideal soil. This means I’m anchoring my stakes with rocks, or burying them in the sand. Make sure your guylines are long enough to accommodate these conditions
• No zippers. Choose a shelter without a zipper because sand will get embedded in the coil making it difficult to zip or cause it to separate. If you do have a tent with a zipper take extra care on beaches to keep sand out of the coil and consider carrying a couple extra stops and sliders for field repairs.

As for stakes, I like MSR Groundhog Stakes because the Y shape allows them to wedge between rocks horizontally when they won’t otherwise hold in sand. They’re also quite durable and decently light. I wouldn’t recommend titanium shepherd’s hooks for packrafting if you think you’ll be camping on sandy beaches.

Sleeping

Arc UL 20 and Borah Bug Bivy inside the Zpacks Pocket Tarp

Item	Purpose	Weight
Borah Gear Bug Bivy Long/Wide	Separate sleeping area prevents condensation from tranfering from tarp to inner while packed up.	6.8 oz
Nunatak Arc UL 20	Light, comfortable, edge tension control.	23.2 oz
Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Xlite Large	Large size worth the extra weight. Very comfortable.	16 oz
Sierra Designs Animas Pillow	This is one of the cheapest, light inflatable pillows I could find.	2.1 oz

I also like having a designated sleeping area that is not attached to the tarp, such as the Borah Gear Bug Bivy. If the tarp is wet in the morning from rain or condensation I can pack it up separate from the bivy, thus keeping the bivy from getting wet, which keeps my sleeping bag from getting wet. For the last four years, I have slept in the Katabatic Gear Alsek Quilt for almost all packrafting trips. I now use a Nunatak Arc UL 20 Quilt. Any high-quality three-season quilt should do. But these are my two top choices. Check out my Arc UL 20 review here.

I prioritize a good night’s sleep so I’ve been using a large Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Xlite for a few years now. When I roll onto my back the 25” width keeps my elbows from sliding onto the ground. And when I’m on my side I can sleep in all sorts of various positions without ever feeling like I’m at risk of falling off a cliff. The only downside is the noise. If your camp partners can’t handle the hamster-cage sound don’t buy this pad. I’d also recommend taking a pillow such as the Sierra Designs Animas Pillow. This is one of the cheapest, light inflatable pillows I could find. It’s half the price of the Sea to Summit Aeros Pillow and basically seems like the same thing.  

Cooking

Cooking in the rain with an MSR Pocket Rocket Deluxe Stove

Item	Purpose	Weight
MSR Titan Kettle 0.85L	Light enough and durable. Fits stove, small canister, and tea inside.	4.4 oz
Snowpeak Spork	Any spork will do.	0.6 oz
MSR Pocket Rocket Deluxe	This stove seems better in the wind than some other similar models.	3 oz
Widemouth Nalgene 16oz	Basically this is a mug with a sealing lid so I can carry my tea with me on the trail or on the river.	3.2 oz

In canyon country during the spring the wind blows fairly consistently, so choose a stove that can handle it. Camp is often made on beaches where there are no windbreaks, so you often have to rely on the wind-resistance of the stove. Lately, I’ve been using the MSR Pocket Rocket Deluxe which is decent in the wind.

Electronics

Item	Purpose	Weight
iPhone SE in case	Phone is used for pictures and also for navigating both while hiking and on the water.	5.4 oz
Garmin InReach Mini	This is nice for peace of mind.	3.6 oz
Black Diamond Revolt Headlamp	I really love not having to buy batteries.	3.6 oz
Goal Zero Flip 10 Power Bank	With three or four rechargeable items in my pack it’s a good idea to make sure I’ll be able to use them for the duration of a seven-day trip.	2.5 oz

Boating does not require anything different with regards to electronics. I carry a phone for navigation and photos. I also carry a Garmin InReach Mini for peace of mind, which came in handy on my last trip. My friend was unable to pick us up at our planned exit point due to rivers flooding the road. She sent me a message and we were able to reroute and walk to a road where she could get us. There are no special packrafting considerations for headlamps or power banks. All that said, you are more likely to get these things wet while boating, so store important electronic items in drybags.

Water Storage/Treatment

Silty water in canyon country.

Item	Purpose	Weight
Platy 2.0L Bottle	Light and durable. My go-to water containers.	1.4 oz
Aquamira	If the water is clear Aquamira works great.	3.3 oz
Sea to Summit Folding Bucket 10L	For settling dirty water in canyon country.	2.8 oz
Platypus GravityWorks Water Filter System – 4 Liter	Only necessary for group trips.	11.5 oz

I prefer the Platypus Platy 2.0L Bottle for most trips. These bottles really hold more like 2.3 liters, so three of these is close to 7 liters. Seven liters is about 15 lbs and that’s about the heaviest water haul I want to deal with in the desert. Adjust accordingly.

I use Aquamira for water treatment when I can. If the water is clear, Aquamira works great. In canyon country things are different. The rivers are filthy, dirty, silty sleuth streams, and need to be settled in a bucket like the Sea to Summit Folding Bucket 10L before filtration. Alternately, I have also filled up my boat and let the water settle in it overnight.

On desert trips consider having some redundancy in your group. Have someone who is willing to destroy their cartridge for the greater good in a Platypus GravityWorks Water Filter System – 4 Liter, and then rely on Aquamira when you come across clearer water.

Boating Clothes

Rain jacket and bare feet on the Verde.

Item	Purpose	Weight
Outdoor Research Interstellar Jacket	Critical for boating! This, like other 3-layer waterproof breathable jackets, does the job on the water and can handle short-lived thunderstorms.	11.8 oz
Outdoor Research Helium Pants	Keeps splash and wind off your legs.	5.4 oz
Patagonia Capilene Thermal Weight Zip-Neck Hoody	Lighter than merino and very warm. Consider the crew neck if the hood seems redundant.	7.8 oz
Showa 281 gloves	Light and completely waterproof. Essential for paddling.	1.8 oz
Kokatat Meridian Hydrus 3L drysuit	Only necessary for colder trips, ideally with fewer hiking miles.	53.7 oz
Kokatat Launch Socks	Only necessary for cold, boat-dragging trips like the Dirty Devil River.	6 oz

I usually wear a minimum of rain pants, a hiking shirt, and a rain jacket while boating. If it’s cold, I’ll add a mid-layer such as the Patagonia Capilene Thermal Weight Zip-Neck Hoody to the mix. This is my favorite mid-layer/baselayer crossover piece. It’s lighter than merino and very warm. Consider the crew neck if the hood seems redundant.

In the boat, the main purpose of a rain jacket is to keep your torso moderately dry and block the wind. Without some sort of rain layer, it could be easy to get to hypothermic conditions quite quickly while sitting in a boat. Though you are often paddling, the level of exertion sometimes drops to zero as the current sweeps you lazily downstream. These moments, if accompanied by rain or wind, provide the right conditions to make you start shivering. So, bring a rain jacket! I know you’d probably have one anyway for backpacking trips, but I want to emphasize that this is one of the most important pieces of packrafting gear.

Rain pants may be the second most important piece of packrafting gear. It took me a few trips to figure this out. For a couple of years, I hauled a wetsuit all over the desert with less than satisfactory results. Wetsuits are made to keep you warm while in the water. As soon as you emerge from the water and the wind hits the neoprene, you start to cool down quickly. In the case of packrafting, water will spill over the tubes onto your neoprene-clad legs and then the wind will hit them and start wicking that moisture away. This in combination with sitting for hours on end creates conditions ripe for my legs to go completely numb, which they have a number of times. Rain pants are a much better option. Water will pour over them too, but when the wind comes, they will block it, and you will be much warmer than you would be in neoprene.

Often, I wear only underwear under my rain pants and the Rab shirt under my rain jacket. Light neoprene pants or baselayer bottoms are also sometimes a good idea under rainpants. If I’m making an effort to keep my feet dry I may wear the Kokatat Launch Socks inside my shoes. If I’m going this route I may be also wearing my Darn Tough hiking socks as well.

Drysuits and HMG packs in Utah in the winter

What about a drysuit? Great question. I have used the Kokatat Meridian Hydrus 3L Drysuit for spring packrafting, and it is really incredible to be dry all the time. But drysuits are very heavy, which brings up further questions. What if it is going to be raining when you’re hiking? Are you going to hike in your drysuit or carry an additional rain layer? Answers to such questions will be dependent on expected temperatures and length of the hike. If you’re looking at daytime temperatures below 50 degrees and frigid water temperatures with a good chance of dunking, maybe consider hauling a 4 lb drysuit in your pack. If temps are closer to 60 during the day, there’s a chance of sun, not a huge chance of full submersion, and you have a long hike in addition to your float, maybe don’t carry a drysuit, and plan to stay warm and dry other ways. Some considerations for this scenario could be:

1. Don’t fall in! I understand this is sometimes easier said than done. But the subtext is don’t take risks. If you know the air and water are cold, portage any rapids that have the potential to get you wet.
2. Improve your fire-building skills.
3. Carry an emergency blanket.
4. Check-in on your partners frequently. Look for blue lips, chattering teeth, and fogginess of thought. And don’t be afraid to be the one who says, “Hey guys I need to pull over and get warm.”

Finally, I want to emphasize the importance of a good pair of waterproof gloves for boating. The Showa 281 gloves are the best I’ve found so far. I have tried the Mountain Laurel Designs Rain Mitts and the REI Co-op Minimalist GTX Mittens as paddling gloves with decent results. The MLD mitts seem a bit thin, and the fit is very strange. I’d recommend the REI ones over the MLD for fit and durability. But the Showa gloves are probably a better option than either of these, mostly because they’re completely waterproof.

Typical clothes for boating include rain jacket and sun hat.

Clothes for Camp and Sleeping

Item	Purpose	Weight
Patagonia Capilene Thermal Weight Bottoms	Lighter than merino and very warm.	4.8 oz
The Montbell Superior Down Parka	Great all-around backpacking and packrafting insulation layer. Light and inexpensive.	8.7 oz
Outdoor Research Backstop Sensor Gloves	Temperature dependent. I like gloves that are touchscreen compatible.	2.2 oz
Outdoor Research Peruvian Hat	Fits under the sun hat for those chillier hiking days. It can also be nice during chilly floats and to sleep in.	1.8 oz

In-camp clothes will not be any different from those you would wear on typical backpacking trips. Something like the Patagonia Capilene Thermal Weight Bottoms will be the first thing you put on after you throw your wet rain pants over a branch to dry. Even if my hiking shirt and fleece are still a bit wet I will usually just throw an insulation layer like the Montbell Superior Down Parka over them and let my body heat dry them out. This works well in the west, but may not work as well in more humid climates.

Accessories

Some packs have an abundance of straps for attaching oddly shaped items.

Item	Purpose	Weight
Adventure Medical Kits Ultralight/Watertight Medical Kit	I usually add a few extra Ibuprofen, Benadryl, Claritin, and Lactaid. You never know.	3.6 oz
Peregrine Compact Toothbrush	It's a toothbrush.	0.4 oz
Eagle Creek Pack-It Specter Quick Trip	I keep most small accessories organized in this bag.	1.7 oz
Dr. Bronners Travel Toothpaste 1oz	Tastes good.	0.5 oz
Thinksport Everyday Face SPF 30+ Tinted Sunscreen	Smells good and doesn't turn my English skin purple like some mineral-based sunscreens.	3 oz
Ziploc bags	I always carry a few extra. They come in handy for keeping things dry.	~
The TentLab Deuce #2	Avoid searching for the right digging stick in moments of post-coffee desperation.	0.6 oz
Cleanwaste GO Anywhere Toilet Kit Waste	Some rivers require wag bags. Check regulations.	2.6 oz
Fat Daddio's Anodized Aluminum Pie Pan, 12 Inches	Some rivers require fire pans. Check regulations.	9 oz
Suunto M3G Global Compass	Light, durable, reliable.	1.6 oz
Victorinox Classic SD knife	Light and has scissors. The scissors are great for cutting patches with rounded edges if your boat springs a leak	0.8 oz
Alpacka Basic Repair Kit	In addition to this, some folks also carry some Tyvek tape wrapped around a lighter.	1.4 oz

Most of the accessories in this list are going to look pretty familiar with a few exceptions. For many packrafting trips you will need Wag Bags with a designated drybag to contain them. Many rivers like the Green and Colorado require that you poop in a bag and pack it out. Write “POOP” on this drybag with a sharpie so that you know what it was used for and don’t accidentally use it as your food bag on the next trip, wondering what that subtle odor is every time you open it. The Cleanwaste GO Anywhere Toilet Kit Waste Bags can be found at your local REI and work fine.

Many rivers also require that you carry a fire pan. Check the regulations carefully, but the Fat Daddio’s Anodized Aluminum Pie Pan, 12 Inches meets the regulations for many rivers and is 9 oz. You will usually only need one of these for the entire group.

If your river is in a National Park or National Monument, there may be a National Geographic trails illustrated map for the area. These are nice because they are water-resistant so you can tuck them in your PFD pocket and consult them when you know there isn’t a fast-approaching rapid. If I’m in a lesser-known area, I usually print out 7.5-minute USGS topos of the area and double bag them in some Ziplocs bags.

Boating

The Alpacka Scout is great for most trips I do, but maxes out at about Class II

Item	Purpose	Weight
Alpacka Scout	Very light and packs down extremely small.	51 oz
MTI Journey w/ Pocket	Simple, light, and makes a great cushion to sit on while in camp.	13 oz
Aquabound MantaRay Carbon	Strong and stiff, with very little “flutter.”	30.7 oz

On Class I-II rivers I use the Alpacka Scout, 51 oz. It is light and packs down extremely small. I use this boat on hiking-oriented trips such as those in Canyonlands National Park. If the trip is around 50% hiking 50% floating and Class II or below, I would ideally take the Scout. I’ve used this boat on the San Rafael River, Dirty Devil River, and the flatwater sections of the Green and Colorado Rivers. This changes a bit, however depending on the weather. I get cold quite easily, so I do like having a deck on my boat if it’s going to be raining. And I am willing to carry the extra weight and endure the extra discomfort while hiking just to be more comfortable on the water. If you don’t get cold easily, you might not make this same decision.

The PFD I usually use is the MTI Journey w/ Pocket. It is 13 oz in the small/medium size. There could be a lighter PFD out there, but I haven’t found it yet. This one is simple, light, and makes a great cushion to sit on while in camp. If I was doing anything higher than Class III maybe I’d consider something a bit burlier or with more features, but then the weight is going to start to go up.

The Aquabound Manta Ray Carbon is my paddle of choice. It’s strong and stiff, with very little “flutter.” It does seem somewhat heavy, but I don’t really see a way around this without spending an insane amount of money. But, when you start getting into lighter paddles, the durability is also going to go down.

Scout and Alpacka Classic on Class I water.

Conclusion

While this list is targeted towards shoulder season trips in the southwest, I hope it provides a framework for making packrafting gear decisions in other landscapes. If you know it will be warmer than the conditions I laid out in the intro, you can leave some of these items at home. As well, regulations will sometimes determine your gear list; you will not always need a fire pan or wag bags. Most of all, I hope that this gear list reflects the essence of packrafts as tools for expanding the backpacking experience.

Disclosure: The author owns the products mentioned in this article.

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FROM CARGO PLANE TO GUNSHIP: THE EVOLUTION OF THE C-130 By Matt Fratus

The C-130 has an impressive resume of preposterous accomplishments with few limitations, post-modification. Need to land a massive cargo plane in a football stadium or on an aircraft carrier? No problem. Have an issue with a landing gear in the arctic and need to swap for snow skis with a rocket boost? No big deal. Have a special operation where the troops on the ground require aerial superiority with coverage overhead from the biggest weapon ever mounted on a combat aircraft? Send it.

The evolution of one of the most versatile aerial platforms in modern history came, as the majority of military technological advancements do, at a time of war. When the U.S. Air Force entered the Korean War they had recognized gross limitations in their airlift operations. In collaboration with Lockheed Martin, the U.S. Air Force Tactical Air Command produced two prototype YC-130 aircraft with the capabilities of conducting medium-range airlift missions in remote and austere environments. 

A U.S. Coast Guard C-130 from Air Station Sacramento flies over Lake Tahoe. Photo courtesy of the U.S. Coast Guard.

The proposal of the YC-130 was a risk because investing in a turbo-prop aircraft in the height of the jet-age could have tarnished Lockheed Martin’s reputation if the project had failed. To the astonishment of even the engineers, the C-130 has exceeded all expectations tenfold. Ater a successful test flight on August 23, 1954, its four turboprop engines, each with 3,750 horsepower — built to transport 64 paratroopers (72 soldiers total) — surpassed every requirement of the Air Force for a newly refined cargo plane. Since then, over 40 variants of the aircraft have sailed through the skies in support of scientific research, weather reconnaissance, humanitarian airlift missions, combat operations, aerial refueling, and wildfire suppressant.  

Hurricane Hunters

The Hurricane Hunters were born smack dab in the middle of the U.S. involvement in World War II, and its origins began with a dare. When several British pilots — many of whom achieved the glory of calling themselves “Aces” — were filling the ears of flight instructor Lieutenant Colonel Joe Duckworth with sarcastic remarks of encouragement of his “inferior” flight instruments, he challenged them to a friendly wager. If he could fly an AT-6 “Texan” Trainer into and out of the eye of a hurricane as it came ashore in Gavelston, then they’d have to respect both his aircraft and his instrumental flying technique. 

1st Lt. Ryan Smithies, 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron pilot, flies a WC-130J Super Hercules in the eye of Hurricane Dorian Sept. 4, 2019, off the coast of Savannah, Georgia. During this mission, Dorian was a category 2 hurricane and intensified into a category 3. Photo by 1st Lt. Ryan Smithies/U.S. Air Force.

On July 23, 1943, he and his navigator, Lieutenant Ralph O’Hair, against the rules set forth by his command, flew through the turbulent storm. The winds and rain were so severe that he said it was like “being tossed about like a stick in a dog’s mouth.” When they returned to base, another curious weather officer, Lieutenant William Jones-Burdick, demanded to take flight into the storm’s epicenter to see for his own two eyes. From that point onward, Bryan’s Field became the capital of “instrument flying” and the pinnacle of weather reconnaissance test flights.

Throughout the years, aircraft were technologically advanced and outfitted with improved instruments. The B-17 Flying Fortress and the WB-25 Mitchell flew missions throughout the 1940s. The U.S. Army created the “Army Hurricane Reconnaissance Unit” in 1944, the earliest predecessor of today’s Hurricane Hunters. It was only natural that the WC-130 would join the mix by 1963 and their famous reputation of dependability has been with the unit ever since. The WC-130 is said to be one of the most reliable aircraft in weather aviation history, an accomplishment that remains consistent in many of the platforms’ variants.

The Antarctic Program

Described as “the backbone of U.S. transportation in Antarctica,” the LC-130 Hercules burst onto the scene in 1960. An unforgiving environment such as the arctic, with conditions that change in a moment’s notice, calls for a specific aircraft. Sometimes referred to as the “Snowbird,” this modified cargo plane utilizes a ski-equipped landing gear, which prevents uncontrolled sliding on snowy or icy surfaces. When the Snowbird has to land on harder surfaces, the landing gear can be exchanged for a traditional wheel. 

A U.S. Air Force LC-130, a variant of the Hercules, sits on land in Antarctica. Photo courtesy of Air Force Maj. Amanda Coonradt.

In support of the National Science Foundation’s mission, the Snowbird transports groups of scientists and supplies from McMurdo Station — the largest Antarctic station claimed as a territory by New Zealand — to the South Pole for scientific research. A one-way trip is 728 miles, but the Snowbird has the fuel capacity to make it without refueling.

How does the Snowbird get enough umph to be able to lift off from a makeshift airstrip composed of shelf ice? Engineers equipped rockets on the rear to assist with thrust and counter drag and called it JATO (Jet-Assisted-Take-Off). Experiments with rocket-powered aircraft originated around World War II when Ernst Heinrich Heinkel, a German aeronautical engineer, developed them for military aircraft. The JATO system isn’t often used in real-world practicalities, but the Blue Angels’ “Fat Albert” certainly entertains spectators at air shows.

The National Science Foundation also uses the NCAR-130 for scientific research at high altitudes. The payload carries a variety of instruments that measure turbulence, icing properties of clouds, and collects samples from emissions of the oceans and parts of the atmosphere.

C-130 on Youtube

It Did What?

In October and November of 1963 the KC-130F became the largest and heaviest aircraft to ever successfully land on an aircraft carrier. The 85,000 pound behemoth needed to come to a complete stop in only 267 feet on the flight deck of the USS Forrestal without the use of a catapult or an arrestor. Lockheed Martin had a few minor modifications to pull off the feat, including a “smaller nose-landing gear orifice, an improved anti-skid braking system, and removal of the underwing refueling pods.” 

Art E. Flock, Lockheed Martin’s chief engineer, was aboard the USS Forrestal to witness one of the 21 unarrested full-stop landings. “That airplane stopped right opposite the captain’s bridge,” recalled Flock, who was standing perpendicular to the airship. “There was cheering and laughing. There, on the side of the fuselage, a big sign had been painted on that said, ‘LOOK MA, NO HOOK.’” Remarkably, these pilots had zero prior experience flying a four-engined aircraft, and they were able to successfully complete 29 more touch-and-go landings and take offs. During which, they gradually increased the payload to reach a maximum of 30,000 pounds. 

A medical group carries an “injured” patient on a litter to a Multi-mission C-130P during a medical evacuation exercise while at training exercise CSTX 91 at Fort Hunter Liggett, California, July 11, 2012. Photo by Spc. Jacqueline Guerrero/302nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.

The tests yielded results that showed the C-130 needed only 745 feet to take off and 460 feet to land. Lieutenant James H. Flatley III, one of the pilots, received the Distinguished Flying Cross for his participation. 

AC-130 Gunship & Operation Commando Vault

The Attack Cargo-130 gunship (AC-130 gunship), famously referred to by its call sign “Super Spook,” replaced Douglas AC-47 Spooky and flew its first combat mission on Sept. 27, 1967, in Nha Trang, Republic of Vietnam. The following year saw the emergence of the AC-130A Spectre gunship, which supported U.S> Army Special Forces soldiers on the ground with armed reconnaissance and close air support. Different adaptations of the gunship continued to provide valuable advancements in capabilities, and by 1969, the AC-130A had Gatling guns with an analog fire control system mounted on the left side of the airframe. The Surprise Package upgraded its weapons systems and employed 20mm rotary autocannons and 40mm Bofors cannons. 

Its presence in the airspace gained a mythical reputation — it soon was called “Puff the Magic Dragon” in reference to its explosive firepower. The AC-130E was next in line and introduced an active TV system and the 105mm cannon that aided in its fearsome control of the battle space. 

Khe Sanh, South Vietnam, an isolated United States Marine Corps outpost during the Vietnam War, became too dangerous to land due to hostile ground fire and shelling. To accommodate, C-130s used the Low Altitude Extraction System and kept the Marines resupplied with rations, fuel, ammunition and medical supplies. Photo by Senior Airman Mercedes Taylor/U.S. Air Force.

When the C-130 wasn’t turning manmade inventions into scrap metal, it was dropping bombs that turned trees into splinters. These missions fell under the plan Operation Commando Vault, which called for C-130s to carry and deploy BLU-82/B (Big Blue 82) bombs into dense vegetation that wiped out sections of forests. These bombs were sometimes referred to as “Daisy Cutters,” a nickname referring to their ability to clear large landing zones for Huey helicopters.

The process in which they were deployed wasn’t simply “rolled out of the back” as has been suggested by some reports. Rather, the 15,000 bombs were released on the activation of a handle. The bombs’ extraction parachute deployed and helped the bomb drift to its target before it exploded with a large concussive shockwave. The U.S. Air Force used them in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos, and they were ultimately redeployed in Desert Storm as tools in psychological warfare in Kuwait.

The BLU 82 - Daisy Cutter on Youtube

For the past 50 years, the AC-130 gunship has participated in support of special operations in conflicts and wars including Operation Urgent Fury (Grenada), Operation Just Cause (Panama), Operation Restore Hope (Somalia), Operation Deliberate Force (Bosnia), and present day operations within the Global War on Terrorism. It remains one of the most durable, devastating, and fearsome aircraft in U.S. military history.

Operation Credible Sport, 1980

When a helicopter collided with a C-130 on an airfield during Operation Eagle Claw killing everyone onboard, a second rescue attempt was put into motion in response to the Iranian Hostage Crisis. A top-secret program at Eglin Air Force Base had developed the “super STOL” — a tricked-out C-130 with a reinforced airframe and strategically placed rocket mortars affixed to its fuselage for control in take offs and landings.    

Just a quick walk around the plane shows the subtle differences like the rocket mounts on either side of the fuselage. Inside, there are many more heavily strengthened structural modifications that were made to withstand the hard take-offs and landings. Photo by Raymond Crayton/78th Air Base Wing Public Affairs.

In similar fashion to the LC-130 Snowbird and its application of JATO rockets coupled with the capability of landing on an aircraft carrier, the U.S. military believed the C-130 was the perfect platform for Operation Credible Sport. The task: landing the 80-ton plane on a 350-foot Iranian soccer stadium. Considering average C-130 needs a runway that is 855 feet in length while most aircraft require a 5,000-foot runway, this Hercules needed some special gadgets to pull off such a daring feat.

Initially, 58 JATO rockets were selected, but training attempts showed that they added too much weight. In total, 28 rockets assisted the C-130 in its descent and added a propulsion capability during its takeoff. Every test was a success, but disaster struck on its final attempt when the plane was 20 feet off the tarmac. Faulty calibration with the rockets had failed and caused the plane to lose lift and smash into the runway. It was engulfed in flames, but no one was injured. The risk was too high to move forward, and the operation was canceled.   

The Forest Service Debacle

A Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System or “MAFFS”-equipped C-130 departs the Black Forest fire June 12, 2013, after dropping a line of fire retardant in northern El Paso County, Colo. An Army CH-47 Chinook helicopter can be seen scooping up water in an effort to aide firefighting efforts. Manned by airmen of the 302nd Airlift Wing, both the C-130 aircraft and members were activated to support wild land firefighting efforts through a request from the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho. Courtesy photo/Travis Leland/Defense Visual Information Distribution Service.

The C-130 exchange program between the Department of Defense and the U.S. Forest Service was filled with controversy, scandals involving the CIA, and crime and corruption later revealed in congressional investigations that have ramifications to this day. The Forest Service acquired 28 to 35 surplus military aircraft —with a value between $67 million and $80 million — for pennies ($15,000 each) in a lopsided trade in 1989. The intention for the fleet of planes was to transform them into air tankers to fight forest fires in the Pacific Northwest. Instead, contractors of the Forest Service illegally used a number of C-130 aircraft to transport cargo around the globe for private companies and covert military operations. 

Some were stripped of their parts and sold for cash, with one businessman pocketing $1.1 million. Others disappeared until they would randomly resurface in airfields in Kuwait as they were suspected of being owned by the CIA . The relationship between the two unlikely partners has a rich history, including the use of smokejumpers in the Vietnam War who acted as “kickers” or loadmasters who dropped emergency resupplies for soldiers in remote parts of Laos. The records for the mystery Forest Service planes disappeared, and the paper trail of their involvement in these projects evaporated. 

A C-130 H from the 302nd Airlift Wing, Colorado Air Force Reserve is dropping a line of retardant on the Springs fire near Banks, Idaho, Aug. 10, 2012. C-130s with the MAFFS 2 system are an important part of the Forest Service’s efforts to fight wildfires throughout the U. S. Photo by Master Sgt. David Buttner/California National Guard.

Gary Eitel, a former Vietnam War helicopter pilot and CIA contractor, was the whistleblower for these secret spying programs. “You look at them, and you think they are firefighting planes. But they are really little AWACs,” Eitel said in an interview with the Associated Press in 1996. “You could fly into foreign countries and hear what pilots are saying to each other, eavesdrop on embassies; you can jam a national communications system with it.”

He testified before Congress in the 1990s after he discovered C-130’s from Australia were about to be transferred from the private sector to South America where they would vanish into the shadowy world of drug smuggling. 

Although the scandal is a dark cloud over the C-130’s wildfire fighting history, these aircraft have participated in wildfire suppression missions since 1974. They use the Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System (MAFFS), which gives these water bombers the capacity to hold 3,960 gallons of water or fire retardant. They are an aerial asset to wildland firefighters on the ground.

Have confidence in firsthand knowledge, and less with every degree of separation.

Focus your attention on the things within your sphere of control or influence.

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3D PRINTERING: WILL A RESIN PRINTER RETIRE YOUR FILAMENT-BASED ONE? by Donald Papp

Adding a resin printer to one’s workbench has never looked so attractive, nor been so affordable. Complex shapes with effortlessly great detail and surface finish? Yes, please! Well, photos make the results look effortless, anyway. Since filament-based printers using fused deposition modeling (FDM) get solid “could be better” ratings when it comes to surface finish and small detail resolution, will a trusty FDM printer end up retired if one buys a resin printer?

The short answer is this: for users who already use FDM, a resin-based stereolithography (SLA) printer is not likely to take over. What is more likely to happen is that the filament printer continues to do the same jobs it is good at, while the resin printer opens some wonderful new doors. This is partly because those great SLA prints will come at a cost that may not always justify the extra work.

Let’s go through what makes SLA good, what it needs in return, and how it does and doesn’t fit in with FDM.

WHEN SLA IS GOOD, IT’S REALLY GOOD

Objects with organic curves and no real “up” or “down” are much better suited to SLA than FDM.

The sweet spot for resin printing is this: small objects with smooth finishes, organic curves, and surface details. With SLA, these objects print more reliably and at a consistently higher quality than with FDM — as long as the operator does a good job with layout and support placement, anyway.

A big reason for this is that SLA does not produce layer lines the way FDM does. FDM prints are notorious for visible layer lines, and those lines are at their worst when spread across curved surfaces. SLA still creates objects one layer at a time, but the process doesn’t leave obvious lines.

There is also more freedom in part orientation when printing in resin. Unlike FDM, resin prints are isotropic. In the context of 3D printing, this means that the printed object’s physical properties do not change with respect to physical orientation. As long as a part is supported enough to print properly, a resin printer doesn’t much care in which orientation or at what angle it builds an object; the result will come out the same. This gives SLA printers more flexibility when it comes to part orientation, which helps when trying to keep presentation surfaces and details free from supports.

NICHE APPLICATIONS FOR SLA’S STRENGTHS

One example of a niche for what resin printing is good at is gaming miniatures and figures. Tabletop enthusiasts are buying printers and resin, and designers of gaming-related models are finding success as well. The more successful ones thrive on sites like Patreon, with thousands of monthly supporters.

Engineering applications can have a place with SLA, so long as the objects are small enough. The build volume of most SLA printers is revoltingly tiny compared to FDM, but they make up for it with the ability to handle shapes and details that FDM would have problems with.

BEWARE SLA’S ADDED COSTS

SLA printing brings some annoying buddies everywhere it goes in the form of added costs. These aren’t costs for the machines themselves; hobbyist SLA printers are very affordable. These ongoing costs are for consumables, increased time for upkeep and part processing, and storage space.

SLA requires more setup and cleanup than FDM. Printed parts need to be washed (usually in an alcohol bath) after printing, and possibly post-cured with additional UV exposure. Since resin is messy, disposable gloves and a spill-resistant work area are required. Another thing to consider is that resin isn’t meant to be left sitting in a printer for long periods, so when printing is done for the forseeable future, it’s time to empty the printer and clean the parts.

All of this takes time, but it also takes up valuable space in a work area. Bottles of resin, containers of alcohol, wash bins, gloves, a drip-proof work space, all of it takes up storage and table space. SLA printing as a whole will take up far more room than just the printer itself.

The other thing to consider is the need for manual post-processing. Resin prints tend to require a lot of supports, and those supports need to be removed by hand. These leave behind small marks that may need to be sanded away. With FDM, supports are a last resort that are used only if needed, but with SLA they are the rule rather than the exception.

THINGS FDM IS STILL GOOD AT

A well-maintained FDM printer is a fantastic tool for prototyping, iterating on designs, and creating functional parts. FDM also has other advantages that really stand out when contrasted with resin printing.

FDM is perfectly happy to wait patiently until needed, at which point a print can be started with a minimum of fuss. The consumables are few and reasonably priced. Filament is best stored in a dry environment, but besides that, it doesn’t ask for much. Swapping filament types or colors is simple, clean, and easy. Even a failed print doesn’t usually involve much more than sweeping away a mess of plastic and trying again.

The biggest disadvantages are related to layer line visibility, the resolution of surface detail, and working with curved organic shapes. None of these can be waved away, but they can be mitigated to some extent. Variable Layer Height tries to address layer line visibility, and it is a feature that has worked its way into most slicer software. The ability to render very small details and features can be improved, to some extent, by swapping a printer’s standard 0.4 mm nozzle for a smaller one.

FDM printers are most challenged by being asked to print curved objects that have no flat areas and no real “up” or “down”. One option is splitting these objects into smaller and more easily-printed ones, but that’s not always practical. Printing a tricky model will require supports, and supports with FDM always result in degraded surface quality. Water-soluble support structures can help mitigate this, but doing so requires multi-material printing. SLA, on the other hand, is far more suited to such objects.

IS THERE ROOM FOR BOTH?

Resin prints look fantastic and it may be tempting to think of SLA as superior to FDM, but that is not the whole story. They are different tools, and good at different things. Unless your needs are very specific, you’ll probably benefit from access to both.

If you need to print small objects with good surface finish and detail resolution, and you can deal with the added hassles of working with resin, then SLA is definitely for you. But even if you only print small objects, a working FDM printer can easily earn its place on your workbench with the ability to create functional parts without any significant setup and cleanup. If you’re considering an SLA printer, don’t plan to ditch FDM just yet.

I regularly use both but personally, I always choose a filament-based printer if possible; even if a final model will eventually be printed in resin, it’s simply cheaper and faster and easier to prototype and iterate with FDM.

If you have access to both, has this also been your experience? Do you know of a niche for resin printing that hits the spot in a way nothing else does, the way SLA has done with tabletop enthusiasts? We want to hear all about it, so let us know in the comments.