Kit list suggestions?

[Korus]

Actually, I‘m over 6 feet tall, but I‘m all legs. I think that‘s why the ruck hangs so low on my back -- that, plus the shoulder straps may be framed wrong. I‘m going to take a look at it tonight.

I‘m pretty tall, with long legs too. I find the best is to just lower the butt-pack on my webbing, so that when I put the ruck on, it pushes the butt-pack a bit lower, and below the ruck. It works good for my body-type, but some people could get annoyed with the butt-pack too low.
Just remember that the shoulder straps on your ruck should be very tight when you have it on, and this will cause it to ride higher on your back.

More questions:

3. Wash basin .. where‘s the best place to keep it so it doesn‘t get trashed?

-Put it in your sleeping bag valise, at one of the ends. That‘s the best place to put it, but it can still get trashed.. The only non-trashed one I‘ve seen so far was the brand-new one I was issued..

4. Is a shaving kit necessary on the weekend Ex‘s. Do they do inspection?

-Shaving kit is necessary. It‘s very easy to get yelled at for not shaving.

5. Camo paint -- I can‘t find the sticks (do we even get issued those in the Res?), is the other (i.e. commercial stuff) alright?

-Ask your QM. They should have some in tube-form, if not you could probably borrow someone elses.

 

[Pikache]

More questions:

1. What about Gortex socks? When do you need ‘em?
-When you know you are going to go into swamps and wetlands. Helps if you are wearing Mk3 combat boots.
Also, if your boots get wet, put on a new pair of socks and then the goretex socks and you are good to go.

2. Scrim ... do I need it? Where the heck do I get it (other than on CDNpeacekeeper.com)?
-scrim is part of basic camouflage. you can make your own scrim. make strips of random assortment of green (I prefer two types of green), brown and black. use old t shirts. ALso, do ensure you have a helmet net to put your scrim on.

3. Wash basin .. where‘s the best place to keep it so it doesn‘t get trashed?
-What Korus said. Having said that, I personally don‘t the metal issued one. I use baby wipes to get rid of scrim and for other hygiene needs, I wet the end of a towel and scrub the needed parts.
Also, you can get black collapsible wash basin.

4. Is a shaving kit necessary on the weekend Ex‘s. Do they do inspection?
-must stay clean. no inspection.

5. Camo paint -- I can‘t find the sticks (do we even get issued those in the Res?), is the other (i.e. commercial stuff) alright?
-bug QM

 

[Tyler]

As for helmet scrim, get some. When things get close in dense brush, a bare helmet (or something similar) is all it takes to expose you. The helmet cover might be CADPAT but it is still very shiny.

Helmet nets should be standard issue and most QM‘s should have rolls of ‘hessian‘ (coloured rolls of burlap), get some of that if you can and don‘t use black. Tan, brown, and green will do.

Tyler

 

[Tyler]

Oh, one more thing.

If there is a Canadian Tire or camping supply place near you, get some stuff called "Camp Soap". It‘s green in colour, about $3.50, and comes in a squeeze bottle. By far it‘s the absolute best stuff to use when removing cam paint, nothing that I have used so far can beat it.

 

[Stinky-Herbie]

Heres two cents,
Pack light, freeze at night, on offensive....
on defensive, if you can truck it,you dont have to ruck it.
In my experience, going with the entire 64 pattern ruck is acceptable, (be prepared for the occasional hack for wearing it from the "jumpers")
then remind them that the ruck is only nicknamed "JumpRuck"and that everyone had them prior to the 82 pattern, I tell people I got mine from my dad when he was in the Navy, that usually curbs the comments.
My rule of thumb for the Fart sack is Biv Bag two halves and flanel liner for below 0 degrees celcius, and remove one half of the bag for above 0 degrees, this frees up room in the valise for extra socks and beef jerky.not to mention, smokes dont usually get crushed when surrounded by the sleeping bag.
Have fun, drink lots of water, and if you need to take a dump, dont put it off for porcelin,Find a tree and get rid of it, you will be warmer and healthier.

 

[combat_medic]

1. What about Gortex socks? When do you need ‘em?

When it‘s wet, or there‘s a good chance that it‘s gonna get that way. Here in Vancouver we should ALWAYS have them, as the only time it‘s dry is when you‘re indoors. Even if it doesn‘t rain, the ground is pretty soggy. Just use common sense on that one.

2. Scrim ... do I need it? Where the heck do I get it (other than on CDNpeacekeeper.com)?

Never pay money for scrim. You can make it yourself in an afternoon, and every CQ carries around extra t-shirt bits and such for just that purpose.

3. Wash basin .. where‘s the best place to keep it so it doesn‘t get trashed?

At home!!! In my entire military career, I have NEVER EVER seen someone bring one (outside of being told to on basic training). Being in an infantry unit, everyone packs pretty light as you have to carry everything you‘re bringing.

4. Is a shaving kit necessary on the weekend Ex‘s. Do they do inspection?

Unless you want to get charged, bring it. Don‘t bring anything super high speed; just a disposable razor and some cream, a small mirror and baby wipes.

5. Camo paint -- I can‘t find the sticks (do we even get issued those in the Res?), is the other (i.e. commercial stuff) alright?

The sticks are AWFUL!!! You should get issued the tubes (1 brown, 1 black, 1 green) even in the Res. You may not get them in, say an artillery unit, or rear echlon units unless you‘re going on a particularily tactical ex.

As for wearing boots to bed, that‘s another common sense judgement call. If you‘re sitting right near your trench and have a pretty darned good idea that you‘re going to get bumped, then sleep so that you can be ready to fight within seconds. However, if you‘ve had the time to set up Mod tents, are completely non-tactical, and have hot and cold running water available; chances are you have time to take off and put on your boots at night.

Yes, from a medical and comfort perspective it sucks to sleep in wet boots, and makes your feet feel crappy, but having a bullet in your head because you didn‘t get to your trench in time is a much poorer medical/comfort judgement call. Just like all kit choices you‘ve been asking about, ask yourself:

1. How far will I have to carry all this, and am I physically able and willing to do so?

2. Do I need this to survive? Can I make do without it?

3. Is there a better alternative?

4. Is this mission essential kit?

Example: a canteen cup can be used to shave in. You have to carry it anyway, it‘s mission essential, and you don‘t have to carry a huge, cumbersome wash basin.

 

[Stinky-Herbie]

Combat_Medic,
FYI, Artillery is a combat arms Trade, NOT a rear echelon trade, and Unless you have served as a medic with a field unit, and know for sure,What they can and cannot be issued, or how they operate, Maybe try using Field Amb as an example.
I am currently a serving Artilleryman, reg force and do not appreciate being misrepresented,especially by other trades.

 

[Jarnhamar]

But artillerymen are even father back from the frontlines than the medics


(j/k)

 

[Pugil]

A small advice, if you on range exercises or any exercises that you know that youll just sit on your butt, you can bring as much as you can for you own comfort. You can even bring a laptop or even a radio to kill the time. But if you go on a long patrol ex where you have to carry your rucksack, you should pack only the essential, because the ammo and equipment needed for the mission will be distributed later. Also bring small treats that you can store in your pockets, they are energy booster.

 

[combat_medic]

M.A.W.: I spent quite a while with artilleryman, in Shilo last summer and on many courses, and they were the ones who told me that they don‘t bring cam with them, and almost never have it issued, unless they‘re going on an ex that‘s particularly tactical.

I‘m sorry if you felt misrepresented. It was by no means my intent, but rather what all the artillerymen I know have told me.

And I‘ve spend my career serving with the infantry, so I know that the artillery is a combat arms unit. I also know that the point of camouflage in the artillery is to cam your position from the air. Short of infantry skills exes, I‘ve never seen or heard of an artilleryman camming their faces on a gun position.

 

[humint]

You can take a lot of useless cr@p with you -- that‘s for sure. I have found out (from Sgts and WOs with 25+ years experience in infantry) that half of my kit is useless (depending, of course, on the Ex and weather).

1. The wash basin is useless. It‘s going with me on BOTP, but after that, I‘m using it to store marbles. Shaving is just as easy with your canteen cup. Plus, the basins all look like munched tinfoil after a day of rucking it.

2. The clothe liner for the sleeping bag is cr@p. It tears and bunches up. Yes, it helps to keep the bag clean -- but you can/should wash it down after every Ex anyway. The bivy bag is brilliant. If you expect to get bumped, use the bivy and the ranger blanket instead of the sleeping bag (if possible).

3. Get rid of the air matress and get a foam one -- at least for winter to put some space between the frozen ground and your body. I‘ve found that, after conducting patrol for nearly 24 hours, I can sleep on rocks and a tree stump.

4. The caramel and apples dessert in the lunch IMP suck!

5. Baby wipes instead of TP.

6. Bring lots of bungee cords and paracord.

7. Get a camel pack for patrolling.

8. The 82 frame (or whatever it‘s called) is heavy. I‘ll take it on course, but definitely invest in an Alice Pack or something lightweight for Exs. Also, load bearing vests are far better than webbing (much easier to throw your ruck on). However, I‘ve heard that we are all getting new packs and possibly vests in the next couple of years. It will probably take 10 for them to filter down to the Res units.

9. Always bring the Ranger blanket. It is far better than any sleeping bag. It is worth its weight in gold!

No doubt about it, one philosophy stands true: The lighter the better.

 

[ProPatria05]

As sure as there are no atheists in foxholes, anyone who has spent the night looking up at the stars in -25C weather carries both sleeping bags in the winter.

No offense, but anyone who suggests otherwise has either (a) never done it, or (b) done it and froze. If you say otherwise, you LIE.

 

[ArmyAl]

Combat medic
Arty guy‘s do cam up, SOP in my unit, cam up, helmet and webbing worn at all times on the platform. We don‘t serve behind the lines all the time, we have Foo‘s that are attached with the tankers and inf. or are well ahead of the sharp end.
The gun‘s do move forward, and even up to the front, ex. No 1‘s open action, the gun is used like a rifle and you pick off targets in support of the attacking force, really reach out and touch someone, Sniping gun, the gun is hidden out of sight and is deployed like a sniper but with a bigger bang and a hasty retreat as after the 2nd rnd they‘ll know were you are, depending on how close the target is, but with a range of 14 klicks they may just hear you depending on the wind.
We do dig trench‘s for local D, if the gun line is camed but not the faces, kinda defeats the purpose, when a en. recce unit see‘s white face‘s popping out of no where.
One more, once we leave the gun‘s, well we turn into infantry, we do patrols and recce‘s as well, maybe not as eligant as an infantry unit but we can do it.
This is by no means me busting your chops, just giving you some info.

 

[RCA]

Combat medic

Are your sure you were in Shilo. I was there last summer (and the summer before that and before that...) and we always cam. except for the safety bob. Outside the goldern trangle (guns and CP, it was hewlmet webbing helmet. Personal cam was put on before we left M101 and it didn‘t come off until we returned.

At the home unit its SOP. So you info is very suspect.

 

[humint]

I‘m not saying that the Ranger blanket replaces the sleeping bag, but rather that it is more versatile (i.e. when wet, etc). So, you definitely need to bring both (i.e. don‘t leave the blanket behind because you think the sleeping bags can do it all).

Of course, I don‘t know from personal experience -- I‘m only repeating what I was told from the old guys in my Regiment.

You can bet dollars for donuts that I was all toasty warm in my sleeping bag all weekend, and lovin it too!

 

[combat_medic]

RCA & ArmyAl: I can‘t speak much from personal experience, but the few gun positions I saw had them with no camp paint, and bush cap instead of helmet. When I asked them about this, they said they almost never wear cam paint on a gun position for all the reasons I mentioned before.

Either they were lying to me, or that was their SOP. Like I said, it‘s only what I saw and what I was told.

 

[ArmyAl]

By no means am I saying your a liar, you saw what you saw, we all know some units are weaker then others lol.
I cannot speak for other units, mine just happens to be the best LMAO.

 

[combat_medic]

HEY, what a coincidence... so is mine!!!

 

[Korus]

Yikes, my unit is the best too. Maybe we should all form up our own brigade, and leave the others in the dust.

 

[Stinky-Herbie]

Combat_medic,
As far as I can tell, you might have been on ex with a reserve unit,As a reg force artilleryman, I have never been to the field without campaint,
Washbasin, because yes we actually practice field hygeine...I have been tasked to assist reserve units before, and found they are less stringent
about Cam and concealement, than we are, perhaps so they can utilize the minimal time they have more effectivly on Gun Drills.....who can say...
As a matter of fact, when I spent time in the OP,
I was right in front with I39 and thats fairly close, Not to mention attached to an infantry platoon as part of a fighting patrol.Its amazing how easy it is for people to generalize,Because whether we are on the gunline, or in an OP party, the level of tactical prep is pretty much standard in my Regt.