Miners trapped in Chile...... for a looong time!

What lights and batteries would you send down the the 33 miners trapped in the the SAN JOSÉ MINE, in Chile, and why?:

SAN JOSÉ MINE, Chile — Through a skinny borehole from the surface, the 33 miners trapped more than 2,000 feet below the parched earth here have gotten a gel-like substance to keep them alive, tiny lights to illuminate the darkness and encouraging notes from their families waiting above.

http://tinyurl.com/2cncc36

A few HDS lights and a box of CR123s would be an obvious choice.
On the other hand, if they cannot leave their shelter, a few dozen tritium markers would probably be enough, if a bit depressing as a light source.

I think what they actually will send down there are simple AA laterns or perhaps even safety lights that run with lamp oil.
3-4 months is a long time, I hope they will all make it out alive and sane.

Quark AA because they'll only have to change the batteries once.

Honestly the heat from a lamp might do them good. How will they supply breathing air down there? I don't know very much about mine rescue. I'll say that the 68cm tunnel size is shoulder width - you need about 90cm to crawl.

AnAppleSnail said:

Quark AA because they'll only have to change the batteries once.

Honestly the heat from a lamp might do them good. How will they supply breathing air down there? I don't know very much about mine rescue. I'll say that the 68cm tunnel size is shoulder width - you need about 90cm to crawl.

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erm....dunno about you but mines are HOT....I'd want a cool running light if I have to be down there to feed my family

They say that the heat is around 32c (89f) to 36c (97f), humid.

They probably don't want the heat from a lamp

Wow. My heart goes out to them. I cant imagine being trapped in such a small place, in total darkness, with limited food and water.

I have no idea what the protocols are for such a situation, but 33 men in such a small place... even dealing with biological needs such as urine and defecation is going to be horrible beyond words three months from now...

I have spent time in the military and like to think of myself as mentally stable, even in adverse conditions, but in a situation like this, keeping myself sane would be one of the biggest tasks on the table. Illumination would be key for sure.

QUOTE "No one, he said, should assume that any miners will emerge in good mental health"

I wish the miners and their families luck. I will pray for them... I am at a loss for words.

I second the HDS lights, as simply programming them and playing with the features would be a great pastime!

Those miners are lucky, because there's actually a chance for them to survive, most entrapped miners perish due to a lack of oxygen and/or food or water.

But, man, several months with 32 other mine in a dark, hot, moist and small place? I imagine this as a hell. We had people during WWII here who hid in mines to avoid being enroled by the Nazis, but they actually could leave their shelter, under death threatening conditions.

If it's really dark, your eyes adapt to the darkness and the light of a match will hurt. Therefore the choice of HDS lights, programmed on the lowest Low, that will probably be more than enough. Somebody playing with a light and strobe the place might start a tragedy, nobody will think it's funny.

Thus, some lanterns that spread dim light 360° will be best in this situation...

Henk_Lu said:

Somebody playing with a light and strobe the place might start a tragedy, nobody will think it's funny.

Thus, some lanterns that spread dim light 360° will be best in this situation...

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Good point Henk_Lu, I was more trying to shed some humor on a terrible situation, but you are 100% correct.

On a serious note, can programmable lights like HDS be a "poor" choice to send if it requires complex programming or certain level of skill to figure out how to use (which can be rocket science to non-flashaholics) or people in high stressed, dangerous conditions?

For non electrical lantern recommendation I'd be worried of increased risk of fire or CO or fume buildup in confined, packed space with fatiguing and mentally stressed individuals.

mega_lumens said:

On a serious note, can programmable lights like HDS be a "poor" choice to send if it requires complex programming or certain level of skill to figure out how to use (which can be rocket science to non-flashaholics) or people in high stressed, dangerous conditions?

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Indeed, that's why I said "programmed on Low". If you program all levels on Low, disable customization, the HDS is as foolproof as a light can be, all clicks will either get you light or shut the light off.

The advantage of the HDS over all other lights is, that it has been developped to work under the worst conditions. With the locator flas turned on, you even find it in a pitch black place. Changing batteries might be more complicated, but perhaps it won't even be necessary...

i dont know what light to seed but some new underware and deoderant might be in order....there going to be sooo stinky they will be able to navigate by the own glow!!!!

but maybe they would need some thing arround 6000k and Verry bright to simulate daylight.

Well I think a Fenix PD30 and using the R4 model with the new low-low.

I'm sure they are tired, stressed and many other things so might as well send them a light already packed with a couple cells.

A pak-lite or a pal light,cmg/gerber infinity,on-off, no messing around with multi mode functions.

Very good thread betalight with some really nice replies. This is a serious matter as the national geographic piece put it and I'd be more concerned about sanitation than light (although that's also very important to lift up the spirits). I have no idea what a mine shelter looks like but it has to have a considerable size because the article mentions a truck being used to recharge miner's lights.
I think important references have been made to food/water, sanitation, morale, activities to keep them busy. Being miners they are probably used to work in a strange environment (that will be normal for them, like having poor light). I'm sure that ought to help coping with lack of natural light for the months the ordeal lasts...? Would the cave-ins provide any light, anyone knows? The group bonding is important but I'm sure that one of the most important things in the end is going to be the will to leave, especially if they have offspring. I don't see the government having lights to fancy (and expensive) to hand out like that. Also because they're hard to find outside the US.
Thus said, I'm glad and I value my Ra Clicky and I am very happy to notice that you fellows do to, based on your answers.
My last word goes out to those in peril, miners and families alike.

HDS clickies are a nice choice. Don't send them the instructions, but tell them how to get into the programming. Let their curiosity do the rest.

derangboy said:

HDS clickies are a nice choice. Don't send them the instructions, but tell them how to get into the programming. Let their curiosity do the rest.

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It's a very complicated thing to programme a RA. I'm not saying it's impossible but I'm certain that would lead to frustration. You don't want to risk that in a stressful environment. It's like starving and having food in front of you but being unable to reach it.

I think this article paints a picture other than the ones we have in our heads.

living-room-sized shelter

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The miners said they conserved the use of their helmet lamps, their only source of light other than a handful of vehicles whose engines contaminate the air supply. They fired up a bulldozer to carve into a natural water deposit, but otherwise minimized using the vehicles.

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The miners can still reach many chambers and access ramps in the lower reaches of the mine, and have used a separate area some distance from their reinforced emergency refuge as their bathroom. But they have mostly stayed in the refuge, where they knew rescuers would try to reach them.

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The only thing that seems strange to me - they already drilled a hole to them. Now they could widen it a bit and get them to the surface using a "Dahlbuschbombe"


Thorsten

Captain Spaulding said everything...

What a terrible situation! :sigh:

:mecry:

mega_lumens said:

On a serious note, can programmable lights like HDS be a "poor" choice to send if it requires complex programming or certain level of skill to figure out how to use (which can be rocket science to non-flashaholics) or people in high stressed, dangerous conditions?

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Well, see it this way: Those poor guys will have one thing in abundance: spare time.
I agree that a HDS might be "too complicated" for the general non-flashaholic, but for people trapped in a collapsed mine - possibly for months - mental stimulus is actually an important thing. Look at what psychological test astronauts-to-be have to go through to make sure they don't go bonkers on a mission. They actually are running a 500+ day mission in a sealed underground structure right now to learn about psychological/physiological effects for a future Mars mission.
And here we have 33 "normal" people forced together in a very much insane situation without any preparation or the proper tools - I guess it's safe to assume there will be a lot of trouble.

I have a good friend who lives in Chile and I've been following this story very closely, hoping that all 33 will be rescued safely as soon as possible.

Here's a pic of some supplies that are being sent down to them. There are the familiar baby soda bottles and, next to the can, some kind of small flashlight.






On a lighter note, while looking for more information, I came across a Chilean Fenix dealer who has a great video of a real world torture test on an LD20. Check it out at the top of the page.

http://www.linternastacticas.cl/