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M6 Red sled USAF survival sled


phantomfixer
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phantomfixer

No pics and need info on what I think is the M6 survival sled. It is painted red about 3 feet long and maybe 18-20 inches wide???

I have a line on one and wanted to know the value before I pull the trigger...asking price is 200.00 empty, but still painted red with USAF ANG markings on it...

it is decent condition has years of service life usage ...chipped painte etc..no dents and nice markings....good seal and latches

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  • 1 month later...

I was finally able to pic this up....very little info on the web though...it came form the 166th MAG flying C97's out of Wilmington DE. The sled is dated 1966...very cool piece of local ANG history

 

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...would anyone have a pic or details about the rear stenciling? like what is says specifically...I doubt I would try a resto...I like the USAF look to it...seems some guys buy em to use as sleds and storage containers, hunting camping etc...I was thinking a book shelf in the man cave....or fill it with ice and fill it with Erdingers..... :rolleyes::):lol:

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Found some more info on these...Made by Bellanca Acft Man. (located across the hgwy of the 166th!!!) NSN 1670-00-234-8354 made of magnesium alloy type A-16 and weighing only 25 lbs....

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No doubt, it looks like it would do the trick well. Better than what I use now for sure. Really like the locking top feature with tie-down points.

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Yeah it is neat...might try to flip it on the bay...but man is it cool...would make a good travel container on top of the old Cherokee...or camping gear...or a book shelf next to the 101 ejection seat... :lol:

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  • 3 weeks later...

That seemed to be the big issue with several people interested in it...was something like 200.00 from the East coat to Washington..

 

But hey if you are ever in DE... :lol:

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  • 3 months later...
Sgt. Swigart

Wish I could take it off your hands but I think shipping would kill me on it.

 

That is what I was thinking the shipping is going to be high. I have found that large items are tough on E bay.

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  • 3 weeks later...
phantomfixer

well I could always strap it to my Cherokee and use it as a luggage container.....right now it is still sitting in my room behind some parachutes

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  • 1 month later...

Arctic Survival Sled or Red Sled - when I was stationed at Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton OH our Wing flew with them 1986-1989. The kits were equipped to support 10 individuals (based on the number of compressed sleeping bags it could hold, the SRU-15/P Sleeping Bag Container, Parachute Bailout type) along with other items mukaluks, gloves, fire starters, rations, arctic saw, arctic shovel, candles, etc. The red sled along with mandatory clothing items issued to aircrews for all flights going over an area that had a certain temperature or certain arctic-like areas.

 

Our aircraft (EC-135 and EC-141A) usually carried three of them along with two 20 man life rafts. I know I have some lessons plans and material on them, which I will look around and see what I can find. I think the "M6" identifier you are using was for the M6 Survival Rifle which was located in the early red sled kits and E-2 kits. Unfortunately our red sleds did not carry any weapons. In early 1990 we got rid of the red sleds and replaced them with metal boxes which could hold 15 sleeping bags so our planes only needed to carry 2 meaning more space available on the aircraft. I personally transported five of them up to the USAF Arctic Survival School at Elision AFB (Fairbanks Alaska) and used one during Exercise Brim Frost. The others I sent over to DRMO were I bought one for a ridiculously low price. Unfortunately, it was procured at one of my assignments. I had used it for some cold weather mountain training while there and had stored it on base when someone determined that they needed it more than me.

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phantomfixer

Hey Kas...

 

Bummer yours was stolen......here is a replacement for ya!!!

 

good to here from someone who actually used them...operationally....very little info on these guys, and good to know they were used for an extended period of time...a very bulky item...I would think would be great in its element, if needed for its intended purpose

 

I have one of the SRU-15.. I use it for winter hikes along the AT...best sleeping bag I have...

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Phantonfixer,

 

Yeah, the Red Sleds worked great., I used one on survival events in Alaska, CA, Ohio, and in Greenland. Used some candle wax (from the kit's candles in a can) and waxed up along the runners to help it glide easier. Ours sleds had straps on the front so they could be dragged pretty easily in the extreme cold were the snow tends to be drier vs. a wet snow (ski snow vs snow ball snow). We also had metal straps with cutters attached to keep items from getting pilfered which happened a few times.

 

I joined the USAF - graduated tech school as a Survival Instructor then they changed the name to SERE (Survival Evasion Resistance Escape) Instructor to finally retire after 27 years as a SERE Specialist, so used all sorts of aircrew and field survival equipment under a variety of environmental and hostile conditions. I have used the compressed sleeping bags, though the bolt through them is pretty silly. The USAF went to compressed down bags without the bolt so no holes, but I still have a couple in their original fiberglass container. The story goes they had to stencil "SLEEPING BAG" on the outside of the container because some pilot ejected in the arctic and sat on the fiberglass case, when he was rescued he came back and bitched to the Life Suppoort folks that he about froze and only had this piece of "plastic to keep his rump out of the snow" tossing the sealed container onto the table during his debrief. The story goes that the Life Support Tech grabbed the container, pulled the wire free, and opened it up to show him the sleeping bag he could have been using.

 

Ever used the walk-around sleeping bag from the F-111? I have one I used for hunting and field work, plus one of those still sort of sealed (with the safety scissors still lanyard to it) with my hit and run stuff, just not much need for it were I live now.

 

Was actually looking at purchasing another one, but as Sgt. Swigart pointed out the shipping makes it cost prohibited

 

Kas

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phantomfixer

I think I came across the F111 walk around bag on the net while searching USAF survival sleeping bags....looks like a green Michelin man?

I pulled this pic off the web...

I took two SERE courses at DAFB...the local SERE instructor offered day courses and week long courses "in the field" at a state park, to learn basic survival skills...very informative...this was between gulf wars when we were constantly deploying when Saddam rattled his sword...or refused weapons inspectors...

 

great classes and a great SERE instructor...you guys have a great job...

 

 

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I think I came across the F111 walk around bag on the net while searching USAF survival sleeping bags....looks like a green Michelin man?

I pulled this pic off the web...

I took two SERE courses at DAFB...the local SERE instructor offered day courses and week long courses "in the field" at a state park, to learn basic survival skills...very informative...this was between gulf wars when we were constantly deploying when Saddam rattled his sword...or refused weapons inspectors...

 

great classes and a great SERE instructor...you guys have a great job...

 

 

 

phantomfixer,

 

Sorry for the delay in responding back to you on this.

 

You are exactly correct we used to call it the Michelin Man suit. They work well in the cold, but you have to be careful on how hot you get under it, once you stop the sweat will start to freeze and if that's all you have...it gets mighty cold. I have one still in the container, mostly, with a pair of scissors attached that I likely going to put on ebay. Its not doing me any good here in the desert and I hate to just have it sit in a storage box.

 

Have you plans for the red sled? Are you going to try and restore it? If you do, I would appreciate any updated pictures, I am sorry I "lost" mine.

 

Glad to hear you had a good experience with your SERE courses. If you can remember the instructors name I might know him, its a small career field. I will not lie to you, I LOVED my job. It was a lot of fun and I enjoyed teaching and learning about SERE. I felt lucky to happen into it, I joined the AF to be a crypto-linguist and saw the film on (at that time) being a survival instructor. Spent 27 years in the career field and then have been working jobs to support SERE and rescue operations/personnel recovery for DoD and the whole of government since.

 

Take care and good chatting with you,

 

Bryan

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