What to bring to the Field- Tips and Tricks

[Jarnhamar]

And you've done this lots, right?

The best reason to bring a big honking Rambo knife is to split kindling, which is important if you're canoe camping.  :

Have I killed a sentry with a knife? No not yet..

But stemming from ex spartan bear there were numerous instances were opfor came upon sentries and required to dispatch them.  After even just that ex rocking blanks and west kit I'm a believer and will always carry a decent sized blade.

A good counter argument is if someone carries a bayonet why need a Rambo knife?

Still I'm making myself sick trying to decide if I should carry my Gerber mk 2 or buy a SOG seal elite blade.
Won't be chopping kindling (have a tomahawk for that) but it makes me feel badass and in war morale to physical is 10 to 1 right

 

[daftandbarmy]

Have I killed a sentry with a knife? No not yet..

But stemming from ex spartan bear there were numerous instances were opfor came upon sentries and required to dispatch them.  After even just that ex rocking blanks and west kit I'm a believer and will always carry a decent sized blade.

A good counter argument is if someone carries a bayonet why need a Rambo knife?

Still I'm making myself sick trying to decide if I should carry my Gerber mk 2 or buy a SOG seal elite blade.
Won't be chopping kindling (have a tomahawk for that) but it makes me feel badass and in war morale to physical is 10 to 1 right

Yes, of course. After all:

Voodoo's melée weapon is the tomahawk axe.

http://medalofhonor.wikia.com/wiki/Voodoo

  ;D

 

[Redeye]

Way back in my day, we had the old combat scarf to fill the same role as a shemagh.

I miss mine today.

I still have one somewhere - it's a little heavy in the summer - but they are a pretty cool piece of kit.

I've heard people come aboard other people about shemaghs and it's ridiculous. They work, and generally they're tolerated even if not issued because everyone knows how useful they are - which suggests, well, never mind, I'm going to start talking sense.


I still have one somewhere - it's a little heavy in the summer - but they are a pretty cool piece of kit.

I've heard people come aboard other people about shemaghs and it's ridiculous. They work, and generally they're tolerated even if not issued because everyone knows how useful they are - which suggests, well, never mind, I'm going to start talking sense.

I'll add another piece of kit that I love - a Jetboil or MSR Simmerlite stove. I keep one and a few little things of ramen, coffee, hot chocolate, etc in one of the accessory pouches from my small pack - comes in handy on long shifts etc. Jetboils are pretty jammy - but I have an MSR because it runs on napatha which is easily to acquire (and you can fly with the fuel bottles as long as they're emptied and washed out), not so with propane bottles. MSR makes a variant that will burn damned near anything - diesel, mogas, avgas, napatha - but it costs more and I've never seen a need. Don't get a Whisperlite - a canteen cup won't stand on it, but it will on the Simmerlite.

 

[malone_703]

I don't have a Jetboil, but I was the only guy in the section with Nescafe 3 in 1s.  Another good thing to bring to the field, half decent instant coffee.  Walmart in Pembroke has 3 in 1 now, but if you want to be a big wheel you can get Starbucks Via.

I stored all my spare clothes in ziploc bags.  A bag of shirts, a bag of socks ect.  Then I switched to a dry bag, clothes that are low on the priority list (spare uniform) are at the bottom and socks at the top.

I brought spare boots for years, then I got issued Gore-tex socks.  If you haven't been issued some do what you can to get issued a pair.  If your boots are wet put them on, if you think you'll get wet put them on.  Gore-tex socks have replaced my Neos.

That's all I can think of right now.  I'll add more as I think of it.

 

[Jarnhamar]

Yes, of course. After all:

Voodoo's melée weapon is the tomahawk axe.

http://medalofhonor.wikia.com/wiki/Voodoo

  ;D

That dude is so fake. I can barely pull my tomahawk out on the fly- it's impossible to put it away without asking the dude behind me for help. 


Years later I still find myself still toying with kit layouts. For me the must haves are;

Thermal top
snugpak softie jacket
gore text stealth suit
headlamp
LARGE RAMBO LIKE FIGHTING KNIFE
softie sleeping bag4Bivy Bag
ranger blanket
shemagh

right behind  must have;
MSR pocket rocket-butane fuel-canteen cup-cup a soup/mr noodles/hot chocolate
field pillow
SOG tomahawk

I'm a big fan of NEOs and gore text socks but I've often found that when in the woods you go above your knees in water anyways so bringing goretexy socks and NEOs can be moot. 

On recce course the nav points will be conveniently across (literally)  neck deep ponds which negates a lot of stay dry kit

 

[armyvern]

Sorry for getting every one wound up about the shemagh, but just saying to watch out about it. I got mine in Bosnia in 2003 from the 9th/12th Lancers when I was on exchange with them. I've worn it forever, no one said a word to me till I was at the School in Gagtown, some Infantry WO jacked me up saying that I couldn't wear it because I hadn't been over to the sandbox. I just laughed at him told him to get of my tank.

...
Shemaghs are the cats ass; they are an awesome and versatile piece of kit that should, I believe, be issued to every troop. I've had one for 15 years now.

Being wary about them though is a fair assessment. It is dependent upon your CoC - not some Pte or Cpl who insists that if you haven't been there, done that - that you are not "entitled" to wear. That's a horseshit statement from those types; sadly the CF has more than a few of those types these days.

Owning one is a smart move: whether your CoC wherever will allow you to wear them though is a different matter. If they do, you're in. If they don't ... pray for them to be posted out --- soon.  Else one would still own one when they finally have a CoC or a posting to a location that does allow their wear.

The issues with wearing them (or not) are caused exactly because they aren't issued kit (at least to the general masses - they have been bought and given out in-theatre to some). We had troops wearing them last year in-theatre and I had zero issues with that - I never said a peep. The RSM however was not of the same mindset. The rule came down that they "were for wear OTW only" as there was no requirement to wear them inside as our 14 hour workdays in KAF for 9 months with 12 days of HLTA were, apparently, a "pretty jammy go". I chatted with RSM, but lost. The very next day, I watched, very frustratedly, as our AoA troops who worked their asses off in 50 degree temperatures to pull the Leo armour were engulfed in a massive sandstorm (as was I, but I wasn't doing the manual labour) ... they were absolutely encrusted in crap. Behind their BEWs, their clothes, their entire faces and hair ---- everything. I'm sure that Jesus wept.

Had that sandstorm occured the morning before when they were still wearing shamaghs, they'd have been able to wipe the constant sweat from their heads, faces, eyes and the shemagh itself would have wicked much of the moisture from their uniforms. As an added bonus, they'd have been able to pull the shemagh up over their faces to protect their eyes and keep the dirt out of them during the sandstorm; best of all, they'd not have had to inhale all that infamous KAF poo dust and dirt into their lungs for the duration. All because they were slotted into an inside the wire CFTPO instead of an OTW CFTPO. No change to 'the rule' occured. Apparently, the only people who sweat, work hard and get dirty are OTW and it is a fact that sandstorms obviously stop dead in their tracks when they reach the wire of KAF.  :

 

[Armymedic]

I'm a big fan of NEOs and gore text socks but I've often found that when in the woods you go above your knees in water anyways so bringing goretexy socks and NEOs can be moot. 

As much as I love NEOs, their water holding capacity after getting into knee deep water, or even snow, makes me tend to leave them behind with my second dry set of boots if those are the conditions we are walking through.

BTW, I think this is an awesome discussion thread.

 

[Loachman]

if you want to be a big wheel you can get Starbucks Via.

Like these guys: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRIriU1ApVc

Yes, it's been posted here before, but I am sure that there are those who have not seen it. For those who have, enjoy it again.

 

[daftandbarmy]

...
Shemaghs are the cats ***; they are an awesome and versatile piece of kit that should, I believe, be issued to every troop. I've had one for 15 years now.

Being wary about them though is a fair assessment. It is dependent upon your CoC - not some Pte or Cpl who insists that if you haven't been there, done that - that you are not "entitled" to wear. That's a horseshit statement from those types; sadly the CF has more than a few of those types these days.

Owning one is a smart move: whether your CoC wherever will allow you to wear them though is a different matter. If they do, you're in. If they don't ... pray for them to be posted out --- soon.  Else one would still own one when they finally have a CoC or a posting to a location that does allow their wear.

The issues with wearing them (or not) are caused exactly because they aren't issued kit (at least to the general masses - they have been bought and given out in-theatre to some). We had troops wearing them last year in-theatre and I had zero issues with that - I never said a peep. The RSM however was not of the same mindset. The rule came down that they "were for wear OTW only" as there was no requirement to wear them inside as our 14 hour workdays in KAF for 9 months with 12 days of HLTA were, apparently, a "pretty jammy go". I chatted with RSM, but lost. The very next day, I watched, very frustratedly, as our AoA troops who worked their asses off in 50 degree temperatures to pull the Leo armour were engulfed in a massive sandstorm (as was I, but I wasn't doing the manual labour) ... they were absolutely encrusted in crap. Behind their BEWs, their clothes, their entire faces and hair ---- everything. I'm sure that Jesus wept.

Had that sandstorm occured the morning before when they were still wearing shamaghs, they'd have been able to wipe the constant sweat from their heads, faces, eyes and the shemagh itself would have wicked much of the moisture from their uniforms. As an added bonus, they'd have been able to pull the shemagh up over their faces to protect their eyes and keep the dirt out of them during the sandstorm; best of all, they'd not have had to inhale all that infamous KAF poo dust and dirt into their lungs for the duration. All because they were slotted into an inside the wire CFTPO instead of an OTW CFTPO. No change to 'the rule' occured. Apparently, the only people who sweat, work hard and get dirty are OTW and it is a fact that sandstorms obviously stop dead in their tracks when they reach the wire of KAF.  :

That's exactly why millions of people in central asia and northern Africa have been wearing them since the end of the last ice age. You'd think we'd adopt that, kind of like we adopted to mukluk from the Inuit. :

Speaking if which, I always wore a shemagh in the MEast, and most anywhere else, and when when mountaineering as well as it shields from the intense sun at high altitude and protects from blowing glacier dust, which is as fine as baby powder and gets 'everywhere'. It makes a fine 'field towel' as well when required, or a sling if it comes to it.

 

[TangoTwoBravo]

The Snugpak "softie" has become a treasured part of my kit, along with NEOs.

Always bring civies. Especially if they say "don't bring civies."

 

[Shamrock]

Two laundry bags, even if the kit list calls for one.

 

[Redeye]

That's exactly why millions of people in central asia and northern Africa have been wearing them since the end of the last ice age. You'd think we'd adopt that, kind of like we adopted to mukluk from the Inuit. :

Speaking if which, I always wore a shemagh in the MEast, and most anywhere else, and when when mountaineering as well as it shields from the intense sun at high altitude and protects from blowing glacier dust, which is as fine as baby powder and gets 'everywhere'. It makes a fine 'field towel' as well when required, or a sling if it comes to it.

I have a couple of "civvie" shemaghs/keffiyeh I neglected to bring - but I've picked up a couple for my HLTA in Jordan. They're awesome pieces of kit - I kind of hate that they've become a hipster fashion item now, because I've had them for years.

 

[dangerboy]

Even though it is now heading into the summer season here is a couple of points for winter operations:

1. Clothes pins - these are useful to hang your wet clothing up to dry. If you just hang clothing over the string in the ten man tent the items have a habit of falling off. But if you pin the items they will not fall off and get wet or lost.

2.  Black marker - every 2IC should carry one as there is always one person that deploys without marking his kit. In a tent or back of a LAV there is nothing worse than having kit laying around that nobody knows whose it is.

 

[ModlrMike]

If you're going into modular tenting then one of these things is great:

 

[Jarnhamar]

2.  Black marker - every 2IC should carry one as there is always one person that deploys without marking his kit. In a tent or back of a LAV there is nothing worse than having kit laying around that nobody knows whose it is.

I love when this happens  ;D

 

[OldSolduer]

Donk't foret your sense of humor.....


It's vital.  ;D

 

[Strike]

Flip-flops.

Even if you are told you're going to be stuck in the field for weeks on end, there may be a couple of snivel runs to clean up.  May as well be prepared.

 

[R031button]

Tobbaco, smoker or chewer or neither, having a smoke for a guy that's run out is instant moral.



Alternatively you can wait three weeks and then sell them at a massively inflated price >

 

[Dkeh]

Alternatively you can wait three weeks and then sell them at a massively inflated price >

I have done this, quite a few times. Do I feel bad about it? Hell no, PPPPPP.

The marker is an awesome idea. I have needed one a disproportionate amount of times in the field.

I mark my rucksack with a small piece of colored gun tape (red) on the left shoulder strap, so I can quickly find it when all the rucks get tossed off the back of an MSVS.

I also bring a small flip up battle sight. If I am in a position where I SHOULDN'T be doing too much shooting (I.E signaler), I will usually ask my CoC if I can swap the Elcan for the battle sight. 1 pound may not make a big difference at first, but it DEFINITELY does after 12 hours.  Plus, it is easier to recognize my rifle by the battle sight instead of the sling.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

I have done this, quite a few times. Do I feel bad about it? Hell no, PPPPPP.

So much for your spouting off about keeping up the morale of your section mates.

I don't know how things are done elsewhere, but we used to call that 'buddy fucking' and still do.

Some day, you're going to need something from those guys that you gouged and took advantage of. They won't have forgotten your screwing them over.

Karma is a hard task master. What goes around, comes around.

Normally in spades.