Krill Lamp

Krill Lamp

Postby Knuckles » Sun Feb 12, 2012 11:52 pm

Publish Date: December 20, 2007

Some of us are addicted to the gear we have access to. If there's a D-ring to tie it to, a strap to cinch it to, or a pouch to hold it: we want it. One little gem I've seen used by a few individuals in the black-ops community is the Krill Lamp (Kriana Corporation; www.kriana.com). Obviously, I had to have one.

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The Krill is, quite simply, a battery powered light stick. It uses electroluminescent technology similar to a flat-panel television. There is a layer of light emitting phosphor sandwiched between two sheets of conductive material. Upon activation with batteries, it "glows." The electroluminescent sheet is rolled and inserted into the impact-resistant clear polycarbonate body and held in place by a metal clip at the rear. There is a black plastic top with a lanyard hole, matching black plastic tail cap combination on-off switch, and it is controlled by a tiny chip. There are o-rings on the tail cap that keep the unit watertight to 150 ft. Additionally, Kriana products are 99% American made (the chips are the only piece in the unit not made or assembled in the USA).

Illuminating Details

Krills are manufactured in several different configurations. There is the Original (360-degree light), the 180 (only half of the unit is clear, the other half has hook and loop tape), and both models come in an "Extreme" version which gives you more light but less life. They are available in seven colors: Green, blue, white, yellow, orange, red, and infrared.

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The lamps take either two AA batteries or two AAA for the Micro Krill. Kriana reported that the batteries give an average of 100 hours of full light for the standard version, and about 30 hours from the Micro version. The unit itself lasts over 3,000 hours. The green "360 Extreme" version puts out approximately 10.5 fL (foot Lamberts) of NVG compatible illumination. For a comparison, a red chemical light stick puts out about 8 fL. The Krill puts off a "cool" light that does not emit any heat nor attract insects. There is also a 6 x AA "torch" model that stands 14-in. tall and puts out an impressive 30 fL.

I ordered the Krill Micro Extreme in green straight from Kriana's 1,900 ft2 production facility in Prescott, AZ. The factory produces approximately 10,000 of these units every month. They shipped promptly via USPS Priority Mail, delivering it to my doorstep a mere 72 hours after ordering. The brown box enclosed a blister clamshell holding the lamp and an instruction leaflet. My total cost including shipping was about $34.00.

It is a neat little unit. It provides that eerie green glow you get from a chemical light, but bright enough to light up the inside of your car and allow you to count meter change in total darkness. While hanging off a tac-vest, it provides enough light to guide, without emitting night-vision destroying glare.

True Enthusiast

I had the opportunity to speak with Kris Pauly, the inventor of the Krill lamp. Kris, a former stock broker, resides in Prescott with his family and oversees the Kriana Corporation's operations. Kris is a man with a passion for his product. Since the Krill's inception back in the 1990s over 350,000 units have been delivered worldwide. The Krill is currently being used across all branches of the military, and Kris has sent thousands to Iraq and Afghanistan. With the US military using more than 100 million chemical light sticks annually, there is a huge market opportunity for his product.

Possibly the best application that Kris shared, was the use of the Krill in Afghanistan for medical evacuations. Special Forces used the chemical lights to mark their location for helicopter extraction, but snipers could use that same signal to hone in on their target. The standard-issue chemical lights don't turn off, which is where the Krill steps in: A long-lasting identifiable light source that can be turned off when necessary to escape enemy fire.

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Because of its military use, numerous myths about the indestructibility of the light abound. So I had Kris explain the testing process that the Krill actually underwent. He gave his initial 20 production units to the USMC Recruit Training Center in San Diego with instructions to "break them." Some time later, a Sergeant brought him two broken units. One had a sand-fouled O-ring and flooded as a result, and the second one left this world at the hands of a vengeful Drill Instructor. It seems the DI was fed up with one of the recruits, so he gave the recruit one of the Krill lamps and told him to "go throw this against a wall until it breaks." After six hours the recruit returned with his mission accomplished.

NASA put it through testing to replace the chemical lights used for astronaut recovery operations. It passed every test, but the engineers told Kris that it would cost over $75,000 to refit the flight suits with pockets designed to fit the larger Krill lamp. This application was the catalyst for development of the Krill Micro, which fits into any standard chemical light stick holder.

Field Test

To really see how durable it was for myself, I soaked my Krill in a Bell jar full of water overnight (on); I threw it down my stairs and then back up again; stomped on it with my boots; and let my cats bat it around the living room floor all night. It never once flickered, dimmed, or hesitated to provide full light output. In fact, the entire unit looks good as new. The polycarbonate didn't scratch and the black plastic is still shiny. All things considered, I would say that the Krill lamp is a very durable piece of kit. But, just in case you do find a way to break it, Kriana provides a one year warranty.

I can foresee a thousand uses: Hunting, fishing, backpacking, camping, canoeing, and the list goes on. Kris also agrees that children are magnetically drawn to this device. If you have kids, and you buy one of these for your kit, buy one for each kid while you're at it, or you'll never see yours again. For about $25.00 it is just too cool of a device to not tuck into your vest or Velcro on the back of your CQC helmet. When everything's on the line or for training, gaming and fun, the Krill lamp cannot be beat.
Please buy your gear from Rick Fisher; perhaps he can buy a Life.
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Knuckles
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