>Jim wrote: >I am not really familiar with the "belt pack" so I went to the W. Marine Catalog to see what I could learn. ...No picture of the belt pack inflated so it left me wondering if this just inflates around the waste? The Sospenders website does not illustrate the belt pack in an inflated mode either. However, the Landfall website has an illustration of Mustang's belt pack in a deflated and inflated mode. I assume the Sospenders unit operates the same way. When inflated, a life-vest "device" extends from the top of the belt pack. There is an opening in the inflated section that appears to be where the wearer would put his/her head after the device is inflated. This will put some of the inflated pouch behind the head in the same manner as a conventional life vest. If I am interpreting the product correctly, I see one major flaw in that the wearer must be conscious in order to slip the inflated "vest" over his head. An unconscious person will not be able to do this unless someone does it for them. So while it may turn an unconscious person onto their back, it does not appear that the device will automatically support their head or help hold it clear of the water. Also, it is not clear in the small photo what secures the inflated vest around the neck after the wearer has put his head through the hole. Unless there is some positive restraint that I can't see, I could conceive of somebody's head slipping back through the hole, particularly if the water was rough. So while this sort of device is certainly better than wearing nothing, and its ease of wear would encourage people to wear it, I don't feel it offers a particularly desirable level of protection. My wife and I use the Sospenders auto/manual inflating vest-type preserver. While it's more bulky than the belt pack, we find that once it's on we forget about it entirely. It does not hinder our movements at all, be it on the boat, launching a dinghy, getting into a dinghy, rowing a dinghy, getting the dog in and out of a dinghy, etc. We've worn them for 10 to 12 hours at a stretch after which we had to remind each other we still had them on. With its long collar that's already secured behind the wearer's head, it seems to me this type of device will do a far better job of positioning a victim in a safe breathing position, particularly if he or she is unconscious. My only complaint about the Sospenders vest-type PFD is that we wish it were a little longer, particularly my wife. The equivalent Mustang unit is apparently longer than the Sospenders, so were we to be in the market today, we'd probably opt for the Mustang PFD. But I wouldn't switch from the vest type to the belt pack, as I feel I would be giving up a significant level of protection and gaining little in terms of comfort or ease of wearing. And while price is not always a valid way to judge the value of a product, the fact that a belt pack costs $69 or so while a vest-type inflatable PFD costs from $169 to several hundred may be an indication of the level of protection one gets from the devices. Or not..... ______________________________ C. Marin Faure 36' Grand Banks "La Perouse" Bellingham, Washington