Reliable gear saves lives. Routine maintenance transforms good equipment into mission-proof equipment. These tips focus on the highest ROI tasks for crews under pressure.
Daily Pre-Departure Checks
Field Repairs That Last
Use marine grade epoxy for microfractures and reinforce with mesh where possible. Heat-shrink and dielectric grease protect exposed wiring in humid compartments.
Lifecycle Management
Track service intervals for helmets, suits, and tanks. Rotate gear to even wear, and quarantine items that fail inspection until fully cleared.
Inventory Control
Use barcodes or QR tags on critical spares and consumables. Log check-outs at the compartment level so shortages are visible before departure. Establish par levels for O-rings, fuses, clamps, and epoxy; when levels dip below thresholds, auto-generate a restock task so maintenance debt never accumulates.
Calibration Discipline
Pressure gauges, oxygen sensors, and leak detectors drift over time. Schedule calibration windows tied to mission cadence and record results in a visible ledger near the tools. When readings disagree, treat the instrument as failed until verified—faulty calibration is more dangerous than no data at all.
Documentation That Gets Used
Rewrite technical steps as short, numbered actions and add photos where ambiguity exists. Laminate these one-pagers and mount them next to equipment bays. The best documentation is the one that gets used under stress—opt for clarity over completeness, and keep revision dates prominent.