an Avon in a hard case but didn't like the idea of it getting cooked in the tropical sun year after year. I think that the vacuum pack isn't the way to go any more. I thought that it would keep everything nice and dry but after the trouble I had I will just pack it my self every few years. Dan calls it "self certifying" and I think he's right. To pay that kind of money just to have them fuck it up really turned me off. With water inside the raft you never know if you have a leak. On top of that, you never know if one of your batteries fails and splits open. How many flashlights and and cameras have you lost over the years because of the batteries going bad? I'm done with that worry. I left the old Avon fiberglass canister in place on the foredeck and built up the inside with fiberglass to make it stronger, put two hinges and a latch on it and use it to hold my diving equipment. I'm not a fan of life rafts out on the foredeck where they can get washed off or be hard to get over the side in rough weather. INHO they should be in the stern or inside the cabin next to the hatch.