US ARMY Field Use Review of
Expedition and HydroWell

US ARMY TESTIMONIAL

SUBJECT: Performance Statement

^{We utilized the Expedition and HydroWell water filtration systems while deployed OCONUS to the Philippines. Deployment time varied throughout spring and summer 2007 but each unit was utilized for no less than 90 days. 10 Expeditions and 2 HydroWell systems.}

^{The Expedition water filtration and electrolyte system was utilized by a 10 man ODA during several patrol and training events, each man carried his own Expedition and further utilized the HydroWell in a static location with a local water source fed from a turbid stream in their encampment.}

^{The team Medic evaluated the systems for purity and electrolyte balance with very favorable results, stating "that no like systems exist which can match the HTI systems". "Electrolytes and H2o replenishment was quick, efficient and desirable in taste". The taste was equivalent to lime Gatorade. No detectable amount of color was noted, no amount of dirt, pathogens or vectors were noted. Not a single member was sick by drinking the polluted and otherwise undesirable water.}

^{A key note was made by the Team SGT in that "where as his men could continue patrolling and not run out of water because of the abundance of streams and the product, they would have to wait on their counterparts to receive a resupply with water, thereby increasing patrol time". "The system is filled and goes, producing a drinkable solution within 5 minutes". No more wasting time with a lengthy draw system.}

^{Each team member voiced his desire to see this available in the supply system. One team member stated}

"Where there is no drinkable water because of pollution and disease this gives us the availability we would not otherwise have and replaces much needed electrolytes that bottled water does not provide".

Water utilized varied; brackish, semi clear, turbid and positively nonpotable without the system. The system also worked as a replacement for the Camelback in that if the filter was not required, the water was filled in the clean side port. Filters could also be stored in the rucksack until such time as they were needed.

U. S. Customs would not allow the used filters back in country for evaluation; this was due to health risks associated with unknown environmental issues.

SFC Tom Fountain
ODA 2231
2/1st SFG (A)
Ft. Lewis, WA

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SeaPack Desalination System Turns Salt Water into Sweet Water
by Captain Frank Lanier
Options for securing water at sea during emergency situations have traditionally been limited to solar stills, catchment systems, portable reverse osmosis units, or pre-staging water jugs and jerry cans. These methods all have downsides, however: Solar stills are typically fragile and work poorly in cold or rough weather; manual reverse osmosis units are expensive and require maintenance and considerable effort to operate; catchment systems are weather dependent; and jerry cans are bulky, heavy, and don’t make more water.

There is a fifth choice: Manta Ventures’ SeaPack, a passive, forward osmosis emergency desalination system. Developed in concert with the U.S. Department of Defense, SeaPack converts saltwater (as well as brackish, muddy, or questionable…

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by Zuzana Prochazka
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STAYING ALIVE WITH SEAPACK
Anyone who has bought a life raft understands the need to plan for every possibility. But the raft is only the first step. Here's something to toss into a packed raft or even keep on the big boat. The SeaPack is a passive, forward osmosis desalination system that turns salt or brackish water into a life sustaining energy drink. It requires no electricity, is completely silent, has no parts to maintain or break and was developed in concert with the US Department of Defense.

The SeaPack is a bag within a bag. Add your source water to the outer bag and watch it be pulled through an ultra-tight hydrophilic membrane due to a syrup pack in the interior bag. The filter blocks salt, small contaminates and biological pathogens. Unlike mechanical desalinating, the SeaPack cannot clog, works instantly with no pumping or power, and the process will stop when the syrup pack is exhausted.

The SeaPack will make a pint of solution every five hours and is engineered to produce for 10 consecutive days from first use. Each pack comes with five “sugar charges'' to keep the process going. The system produces a concentrated sports drink intended to replace calories and electrolytes, so unless you're looking to add to your girth, save it for survival scenarios. I sampled a glass which was made from the water lapping at the Annapolis waterfront. As l lifted the glass, I tried not looking too closely at the muddy rainwater in the debris-filled comer from whence the source water came.

The filtered water was crystal clear so I took a sip. There was a bit of a chemical aftertaste and of course, lots of sugar, but overall, perfectly drinkable. You might not be making cocktail ice from thus, but in a survival situation, it's a “no brainer”. The SeaPack has a five year shelf life when stored below 90 F. Depending on storage conditions, that can extend to five years, but the membrane cannot be frozen after initial start and during use. One pack measures 9'' x 13”, weighs three pounds and retails for $100.

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A great review of life saving technology that extends well beyond the life raft.  Ev reviews person rescue lasers, electronics and more specifically, water creation in a life raft.  The SeaPack is highlighted as a breakthrough technology that can replace expensive forward osmosis water makers.

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Boating Gear
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If you plan to head offshore, you might want to put a new SeaPack emergency desalination system ($99.95) into your ditch bag or store one in your life-raft canister.  Designed specifically for emergency use, the SeaPack extracts pure water from seawater (or even muddy water) and transforms it into a high-calorie drink that can provide life sustaining energy without using using electricity or a hand pump.  Just add a special, concentrated sugar solution (5 included) to the inner bad and fill the outer bag with seawater.  The sugar solution's high density draws fresh water through a special membrane to the inner bag, where it forms a diluted solution that tastes like a mild sports drink.  Manta Ventures, LLC, Virginia Beach, VA 757-619-3614; www.sea-pack.com