# Extra Kit



## Danny (9 Feb 2004)

What is some extra kit you guys bring with you on a ex? I mean kit that wasnt issued? (ex-folding chairs,etc)


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## Yeoman (9 Feb 2004)

jumpmaster knife
green wool balaclava
hatch camo shooter gloves
cadpat valise (from peacekeeper)
sometimes depending on the weather I‘ll wear a set of matterhorn USMC boots
I use to wear one of them old 3seasons lbv that was issued till the tact vest came along.
Greg


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## D-n-A (9 Feb 2004)

Mag Light
OD Nomax Flight Gloves
USGI Polypro socks
OD 3L Camelbak


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## bagpiper (9 Feb 2004)

In the CF do they let you bring and wear pretty much anything you want on ex‘s? Or do they set strict limits?


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## Yeoman (9 Feb 2004)

depends on what unit you are with.
some it‘s only what‘s issued to you.
some they allow it so long as it looks a) olive drab b) cadpat
some allow whatever you want so long as it‘s issued to one of the nato countries (except the uniform, must wear the uniform issued to you)
but mainly the first two I stated are the ones you‘ll run into most often then not.
I forgot I had a maglight and a camelback too.
Greg


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## brin11 (10 Feb 2004)

Food


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## Infanteer (10 Feb 2004)

Food is a crutch....


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## Marauder (10 Feb 2004)

... and sleep is for the weak and undermotivated!!

 

"I‘ll sleep when I‘m dead" RIP Warren


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## Padraig OCinnead (19 Feb 2004)

1. Reinforced rubber liners for valise and ruck. Green outside and black inside. Super tear resistant and virtually water proof. (I tipped a canoe in rapids, my ruck went into water for 200-300m and kit inside ruck stayed bone dry)

2. polypro long johns (lightweight or medium)


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## combat_medic (19 Feb 2004)

1. For colder exs, I bring a small MEC stove and brew kit for brewing up
2. Folding S&W knife
3. Paramedic scissors
4. Mag light
5. Small red LED light on dog tags
6. Good gloves
7. Baby wipes


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## Franko (19 Feb 2004)

Coyote with heater


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## D-n-A (19 Feb 2004)

I use a garbage bag to line my ruck an valaise.
Baby wipes are something I forgot to add, great to have. And ziploc bags.


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## Righty (19 Feb 2004)

I use a garbage bag to line my ruck and valise....because my sergent told me to.....


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## chrisf (19 Feb 2004)

An excellent reason for doing most things...


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## Sh0rtbUs (19 Feb 2004)

whats the deal with K-bars? I want one (not like Im gonna be using it). Can you request specific kit or are there alot of annoying regulations involved?


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## stukirkpatrick (20 Feb 2004)

Bungee Cords are useful to have.  Barring that, bring paracord.  You never know when it might come in handy.


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## andrewvalentine83 (20 Feb 2004)

Good luck getting issued a KA-Bar!  If you really want one, they go for about $110 in most surplus stores.  This is the model I have, and I‘ve seen alot of other troops carrying around the same one:  https://www.kabar.com/product_detail.jsp?productNumber=1217&mode=category&categoryId=1,2,3,7&categoryName=Military/Tactical


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## AlphaCharlie (20 Feb 2004)

why do you want a knife? isnt your bayo good enough?


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## Sh0rtbUs (20 Feb 2004)

Cant take the bayonet home though. I think I might just do what you said Infantry Soldier, and buy my own. Can you request specific kit? Or is it more of a "you get what we give you" sorta deal?


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## kurokaze (20 Feb 2004)

you can get good hunting knives for a heck of a lot cheaper than a k-bar. I believe I paid about $40 for mine.  Looks, weighs and feels like a k-bar, but has a stainless steel blade.  Only downside is that it doesn‘t have a rubber handle.

I bring my gordini gloves with me on winter ex.  Only gloves I‘ve ever seen that work as advertised (i.e. 100% waterproof)

Never could justify spending the money for a cadpat valise.  But I did buy the polarfleece sleeping bag liner from them.  Best investment I‘ve ever made.  Keeps you a **** of alot warmer during the winter that the standard liner and can be used as a stand-alone sleeping bag in the summer (+ ranger blanket).

I also bring an LED flashlight (just gotta find one in red) just in case, a lighter, hexamine tabs, bungee cords + tent pegs, my orders format aide de memoir, china markers, permanent markers, dry erase markers, map kit & EXTRA TOILET PAPER!


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## andrewvalentine83 (20 Feb 2004)

The bayonet is fragile and you can‘t cut s*** with it.  A buddy of mine broke about four of them on his MOC.  You‘d have a pretty tough time trying to break a KA-Bar, they‘re pretty heavy duty.


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## para paramedic (20 Feb 2004)

kurokaze, MEC carries LED flashlights in red and many other colours.

*hastily takes notes for when he hopefully starts BMQ*


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## Korus (20 Feb 2004)

On my SQ this summer, a Sgt from the engineers was demonstrating windlassing for constructing wire obstacles. The Bayonet he had borrowed from one of the troopies to do it with promptly snapped, sending the blade spiralling into the air.. 

Luckily, it didn‘t fly towards any of us troopies..


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## kurokaze (20 Feb 2004)

> Originally posted by para paramedic:
> [qb] kurokaze, MEC carries LED flashlights in red and many other colours.
> 
> *hastily takes notes for when he hopefully starts BMQ* [/qb]


Would you happen to know the make/model?  My local MEC only seems to carry white LED flashlights and the website doesn‘t seem to say much.


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## Redeye (20 Feb 2004)

Shortbus, you get scale of issue, and that‘s it.  You don‘t get a choice of items.  It‘s not Burger King, you get it their way or nothing.

As for knives, a good quality folding knife is more than sufficient, something like a Gerber Gator or a Spyderco folding knife.  A Ka-Bar is large and ungainly, doesn‘t make much sense since you‘ll have to try to conceal it.

I have a Grohmann #4 Russell-pattern knife (like the "jump" knife but larger, it‘s smaller than a Ka-Bar and I still find it impractical in the field - I got it as a gift and really only keep it for "ceremonial" purposes.  My Gerber Gator does most of the real work where needed.


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## tree hugger (20 Feb 2004)

I like to bring a small thing of purel. Some take a ziploc baggie for their ciggies.


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## Cpl. Williamson (20 Feb 2004)

Field Library For them Loooonnngg Stand-To‘s


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## Infanteer (21 Feb 2004)

I don‘t know how the engineers do things but in the infantry we watch our arcs on a stand-to‘.


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## andrewvalentine83 (21 Feb 2004)

Get some hex tabs and take the ziploc bag they come in.  There‘s just enough room for a pack of smokes and matches from your IMP.  Don‘t forget to keep your matches dry!  Nothing‘s worse than having 6 useless packs of matches on you.


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## portcullisguy (22 Feb 2004)

Ziploc bags, Ziploc bags and more Ziploc bags.

I ziploc everything, after spending a summer doing SQ/BIQ at Meaford, where it goes from bone dry to soaking wet in seconds flat.  And where sadistic MCpl‘s (the only kind there should be, IMO) like to do waterproof tests on your kit, when you think an unlined ruck or spare socks wrapped in a shopping bag in your buttpack are waterproof enough.

For Christmas I received the fleece sleeping bag liner from Canadian Peacekeeper.  I have already used it, although not yet in the field.  It seems warm enough and should be a great bit of kit.

Other than that I try to keep things super high speed, low drag.

I have the red LED flashlight on a paracord around my neck, and have even learned how to de-rust it (I‘ve had to use my mouth to keep the light on and work with two hands before).  I may move it to the dogtags if/when I get them.

I keep my simple Cold Steel 3" folding knife on paracord as well, in my pocket but tied off on my belt.  There is enough play so that I can use it properly.  Nothing worse than too short of a lanyard.

My brew kit sucks and needs major improvement to keep it all (a) waterproof, (b) self-contained, and (c) readily and easily accessible.  Right now I keep odds and ends in either the ruck, the util pouch, or the butt pack.  But the hexy tabs are always separate from the food/tea/goodies, and the heater stand is in the canteen pouch anyway.  I like the Brit brew kits and may be able to find enough room on the belt for an additional pouch that is just brew kit stuff, perhaps in a ready-to-go mess tin/cooking stand.  Still searching.  Ideas welcome.

I always had sock liners, too, from MEC again, but they‘re crap and I jsut got the new socks from the CF and I might just stick with those, since they have a liner sock too.  Gucci insoles are a must for long marches.

I just ordered knee pads for promotions... I mean for FIBUA and sect attacks.  I murdered my knees on the Meaford tank ruts last summer, and don‘t want to repeat the performance or MIR visits this year.

I also just ordered up a camelback.  I haven‘t tried this kit, but I found that breaking out the canteen on the move was a pain in the arse while holding the "Rifle, 5.56mm, C7".  And I don‘t believe in slinging it.  Any comments are welcome from anybody who has tried this kit.

I hate crap in my pcokets, so I keep it to a bare minimum in the field and I don‘t even carry my wallet.  Just my mil ID card in the inside pocket, as suggested, and my regimental coin, just in case!  And a ziploc in a front pocket containing matches and chapstick, and sometimes skeeter juice.

Unless forced to, I will now only keep a bare minimum of spare cbts in my ruck.  Socks and undies mostly, and if they make me, spare cbt pants and shirt.  Otherwise, the load adds up.  Spare ammo and food wieghs enough as it is.

I currently use the Mark 1 black garbage bag to line my ruck and valise, but also ordered up one of these rucksack dry bags to give them a try.  I keep ripping the garbage bags.  If it works good in the valise, I‘ll get a second for the ruck.

I keep a "hooch kit" in my valise, in a ziploc bag.  It contains a bundle of cheap and/or stolen metal tent pegs, and about a half-dozen black bungee cords.  Everything in once place and kept with the ground sheet so I can set up a hooch quickly.

Other than all that I just mentioned, I don‘t carry much in the way of extra kit.  Even the 2L water bottle I bought doesn‘t seem to be worth it‘s weight, since I can‘t really attach it to my belt (no room), and it‘s just akward in the ruck, if not packed right... besides you never have your ruck when you need it - it‘s always at the platoon hide!  So, I think the camelback will do the trick, as I tend to guzzle a lot of water.

Sorry, that was long!


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## kurokaze (22 Feb 2004)

> Originally posted by portcullisguy:
> [qb] Ziploc bags, Ziploc bags and more Ziploc bags.
> 
> I ziploc everything, after spending a summer doing SQ/BIQ at Meaford, where it goes from bone dry to soaking wet in seconds flat.  And where sadistic MCpl‘s (the only kind there should be, IMO) like to do waterproof tests on your kit, when you think an unlined ruck or spare socks wrapped in a shopping bag in your buttpack are waterproof enough.
> ...


Agreed, Ziploc bags are a must in the field.  The fleece sleeping bag liner is an aweseom piece of kit.  Thing kept me toasty during a winter ex and is great as a standalone sleeping bag for the summer.

Camelbacks are great too.  Try to get either all black, olive or if you can really afford it, cadpat.  With those three you won‘t be forced to wear it under your combat shirt.

As for the dry ruck sack in your valise, you don‘t use the bivy bag?  It has worked well for me in swamp ridden hides of Gagetown.


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## portcullisguy (22 Feb 2004)

Ahh, except my unit doesn‘t have too many bivvy bags, and I haven‘t had one issued yet.  When they do issue them, it‘s only temporary.    

I forgot to mention my purell as well... it can be hard to wash your hands in the field, and it‘s nice to kill some germs before chowing down.  Although you never get ‘em TOTALLY clean...

Oh, and that last essential is a pair of shades, summer or winter.


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## gi jew (22 Feb 2004)

the best advice i can give you is bring socks lots of socks. other stuff are nice too but wet feet suck.


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## Phillman (23 Feb 2004)

Some essentials for the field:

Lots of socks and underwear
Sunglasses (even more important in winter)
Food
Ziploc Bags
Chap Stick
Sun screen
FOOT POWDER!!!!
Toilet paper (2 ply)

Just remember that you might have to carry all this so pack it good.

And be careful with Camelbaks. Buddy on one of my courses this past summer had the bladder of his break while on a ruck march. Water all over his back, down his pants and in his boots.


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## chrisf (23 Feb 2004)

On the subject of camel backs, had an interesting suggestion made to me while I was poking around for one at a few shops... one of the sales people mentioned that some people just buy the bladders and slip them into backpacks, rather then using the purpose made packs by camel back et al (He pointed out several backpacks that had pre-cut holes for the straws)

It then struck me that the bladder would fit rather nicely into the PRC-77 pocket in the ruck... no good for out with webbing, but less chance of being crushed under a might ruck-sack...


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## D-n-A (24 Feb 2004)

thats a good idea, to stick it in the radio pocket

another thing to avoid the bladder from exploding when you wear it on your webbing is not to fill it up to its full capicity, I got a 3Litre one, an I only fill it up with 2 1/4 - 2 1/2 litres, an I havent had a problem yet.


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## Korus (24 Feb 2004)

You can put a bladder in the top pocket/flap on the ruck. That‘s usually what I do, if I have room in it.


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## portcullisguy (24 Feb 2004)

> Originally posted by Phillman:
> [qb] And be careful with Camelbaks. Buddy on one of my courses this past summer had the bladder of his break while on a ruck march. Water all over his back, down his pants and in his boots. [/qb]


Was the ruck resting on the camelback?  That could be why.

I like the radio pocket idea.  It could probably fit in there in the carrier that holds the bladder, too.  Still a risk of it bursting though, if your ruck is packed to the gills.  The top pocket might be best.

I was thinking the camelback is more useful on the webbing march, where you tend to be going quicker and stop less often.


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## para paramedic (25 Feb 2004)

kurokaze,

Sorry about the delay in replying. I‘ve been away from the board for a few days....

To answer your question regarding what kind of LED flashlights are available at MEC, I was just in the Ottawa store last Saturday, and I found a very nice model available in several colours, including red.

Here‘s a link:

 http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_detail.jsp?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=673277&PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=663589&bmUID=1077744239424 

Hope this helps. Cheers.


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