The Seasonal Swap.

**Winnie** · 10-05-2013, 03:45 AM

It's that time of year, and I'm in the process of seasonally swapping out items from my travel bag. Gone are the sunscreen, sun hat, and long sleeved shirt. In are the woolly hat, gloves and good socks. I check the dates on the food rations and bottle of water and replace if necessary, this time I didn't need to. Most everything else is there all year round.

**Rick** · 10-05-2013, 06:52 AM

Good reminder, Winnie.

And don't forget any water you might have stored in your vehicles. Don't let them freeze and rupture the container they are in. I use a two quart canteen and only fill it half way. I then squeeze the air out and seal it. That leaves room for the water and canteen to expand once it freezes. So far it's worked just fine.

**BENESSE** · 10-05-2013, 10:26 AM

I found it easier not to do seasonal swaps, only tweaks. I have layers of clothing and accessories that work year round and the only thing I check is expiration dates on various stuff. Sometimes I'll swap a newer, lighter, more useful item for the one I already have or add something that I haven't thought of before.
The only thing I haven't quite figured out how to handle is this: Whether to keep all our original and important documents in our BOBs (in addition to scans of the same on memory sticks) or leave them handy where they are now and hope to grab them on the way out. If they're in the BOB, it would be a pita to get to them every time I need to, on the other hand, I hate to risk leaving them behind. Memory sticks are fine but I prefer to also have hard copies, just in case.

What do you all do?

**Rick** · 10-05-2013, 11:10 AM

I have copies in my safe, in my safe deposit box and in my BOB.

**hunter63** · 10-05-2013, 11:11 AM

I carry a one stick in the truck, and one stick in my "bag".....and do a rotation to up date.
I thought I had done a pretty good job, but has left some GS pic's off...and of course the compute went kaput.....DD had them on her phone, so had to reload.

I still use daylight saying time for major change outs, and date checks.....and take out most of the water and possible freeze damage stuff.

Batteries seem to be a big deal.....actually had a flashlight the was working fine, opened it and the batteries were leaking.

Anyone used the water packets that are supposed to be freeze safe?

http://www.amazon.com/Mainstay-Emerg...pr_product_top

**Rick** · 10-05-2013, 03:16 PM

Also a timely reminder to do that pre-winter check up on the vehicles. Make sure everything is in working order, fluids topped off, belts inspected, wiper blades replaced and lights all checked. There are worse things than a wet snowy windshield with the wiper only clearing about 3 inches of window. The resulting wreck is one thing that comes to mind.

**crashdive123** · 10-05-2013, 05:44 PM

What is this thing called snow for which you are speaking of?

**woodsman86** · 10-05-2013, 05:51 PM

It is that stuff I wait for the sun to come out and it disappears.

Fortunately we do not get sustained freezing that can freeze liquids kept in the vehicles. Most of my other stuff stays year-round.

**Rick** · 10-05-2013, 05:56 PM

You know, snow....Seasonal Numbing Of Weather. It's like white sandy beaches without the heat and not being able to feel your nose, toes or fingers at the same time. Come to think of it, it's a lot like getting drunk in a walk in cooler. I've got to believe that a former sailor would HAVE to understand that. Probably even done it ... a few times.

**Batch** · 10-05-2013, 06:32 PM

Originally Posted by crashdive123

What is this thing called snow for which you are speaking of?

I took my first steps in Glasgow, Scotland. I guess I felt that nobody looks bad arsed crawling with a basket sword through the snow. So, I had stand up dust the snow off my skirt.. Uhhmmm... Kilt. and get it done! LOL

Never seen snow since then. Like to tell myself that snow remembers that day some many years ago in Scotland and don't want to part of me. LOL

**crashdive123** · 10-05-2013, 07:59 PM

Oh, OK ---- walk in cooler. Got it. In fact I think I still have the t-shirt.

**Rick** · 10-05-2013, 10:21 PM

My guess is if they had a cooler on any of those sub the navigation equipment was probably partly outside and partly inside. You have to keep some of the gear cool you know. Nothing dissipates heat like cold bottles of beer. So I'm told.

**Winnie** · 10-06-2013, 03:56 AM

Originally Posted by crashdive123

What is this thing called snow for which you are speaking of?

After all these years, and the study cards, and you still don't know? Oh you're such a bad student.

**crashdive123** · 10-06-2013, 05:56 AM

Originally Posted by Rick

My guess is if they had a cooler on any of those sub the navigation equipment was probably partly outside and partly inside. You have to keep some of the gear cool you know. Nothing dissipates heat like cold bottles of beer. So I'm told.

The Nav Center was one of the coldest places onboard. During engineering drills the ventilation or some of the electrical systems were often shut down. When we received any high equipment temperature alarms we reported it to the conn and engineering. Sometimes laughter could be heard from the engineering spaces when a young, frantic sailor from the Nav Center told the guy on the other end of the phone - "It's almost 70 degrees in here - you have to get ventilation back up!" I suppose the laughter was because the temperatures in the engine room, between the main engines was probably running about 160.