Hot Racking
Encyclopedia
Hot racking is the sanctioned practice within military organizations of assigning more than one crew member to a bed or "rack" to reduce berthing (sleeping) space. The practice dates back at least to the sixteenth century, and today is particularly applied aboard submarine
s, where maximization of space is especially important. Generally, the lowest ranking members of the crew are required to hot rack. Hot racking is sometimes utilized in jails and prisons to deal with overcrowding.
Also, 'hot racking' has come to refer to people in the navy who wear their uniform to bed without either showering or changing, (i.e. hot rack).
Depending upon the watch system, two, or even three people may end up sharing the same bunk
. The term comes from the military slang
use of the term "rack" for a bed or bunk. With more than one crew member assigned to a rack, it is possible that a crew member returning from a duty shift will lay down on a rack immediately after it is vacated by another crew member about to start a shift. The rack is therefore said to be "hot." That is, warm from the vacating crew member.
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
s, where maximization of space is especially important. Generally, the lowest ranking members of the crew are required to hot rack. Hot racking is sometimes utilized in jails and prisons to deal with overcrowding.
Also, 'hot racking' has come to refer to people in the navy who wear their uniform to bed without either showering or changing, (i.e. hot rack).
Depending upon the watch system, two, or even three people may end up sharing the same bunk
Bunk bed
A bunk bed is a type of bed in which one bed frame is stacked on top of another. The nature of bunk beds allows two people to sleep in the same room while maximizing available floor space...
. The term comes from the military slang
Military slang
Military slang is an array of colloquial terminology used commonly by military personnel, including slang which is unique to or originates with the armed forces. It often takes the form of abbreviations/acronyms or derivations of the NATO Phonetic Alphabet, or otherwise incorporates aspects of...
use of the term "rack" for a bed or bunk. With more than one crew member assigned to a rack, it is possible that a crew member returning from a duty shift will lay down on a rack immediately after it is vacated by another crew member about to start a shift. The rack is therefore said to be "hot." That is, warm from the vacating crew member.
See also
- Hot deskingHot deskingHot desking originates from the definition of being the temporary physical occupant of a work station or surface by a particular employee. The term hot desking is thought to be derived from the naval practice, called hot racking, where sailors on different shifts share bunks...
- SeabasingSeabasingSeabasing is a naval capability that provides commanders with the ability to conduct selected functions and tasks at sea without reliance on infrastructure ashore. It describes the concepts and methods for sustaining large military forces during operations at large distances from traditional...
- Work shift