- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 60
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.
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 60
kurokaze, MEC carries LED flashlights in red and many other colours.
*hastily takes notes for when he hopefully starts BMQ*
*hastily takes notes for when he hopefully starts BMQ*
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 410
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..
Luckily, it didn‘t fly towards any of us troopies..
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 410
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.
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.
tree hugger
Full Member
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 210
I like to bring a small thing of purel. Some take a ziploc baggie for their ciggies.
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 210
Field Library For them Loooonnngg Stand-To‘s
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 60
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.
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 210
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!
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!
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 210
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.
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 210
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.
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.
G
gi jew
Guest
the best advice i can give you is bring socks lots of socks. other stuff are nice too but wet feet suck.
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 210
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.
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.
- Reaction score
- 6
- Points
- 430
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...
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...
D
D-n-A
Guest
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.
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.
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 210
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.
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 60
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.
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.
