Field Gear

[USSoldier11B 0]

Well after a solid amount of time with the MOLLE II system I have made some conclusions.

Fighter Load Carrier System: I love it! It's by far the most comfortable yet. I have been in the Army long enough to have experienced three different sets of Load Bearing Equipment. The old ALICE H and Y harness system was ok comfort wise although it put too much weight around the hips since practically ever piece of equipment was attached to the pistol belt. Also all of the pouches utilized snaps which were unreliable and often resulted in lost equipment when crawling around or busting through rough terrain, thus a good soldier was required to dummy cord everything to him with 550 cord. Then came the LBV, which had a nagging tendency to dig into the back of the neck. Since all of the pouches were sewn onto the vest you didn't have a choice when arranging your magazine placement etc. The FLC however, has thin, wide shoulder straps that sit well and do not inhibit shouldering your weapon. The option to place your pouches practically anywhere is great, especially for us Southpaws. Everthing is buckle velcro, or snap velcro which is much more secure.

MOLLE Ruck: I appeciate the modular concept, but I have to say I hate it. Of course I hate the ALICE pack as well, but for different reasons. The MOLLE ruck with all of its seperately attached components makes for a load that tends to shift on you. The frame is too large and made of some pretty flimsy plastic that while lightweight, is bound to break on a rough jump. Also the pack is too wide, frankly I though the military would finally design a ruck that was tall and thin with a contoured internal frame like a good civilian pack. I do however, like the idea of the seperate sleep system carrier. A good ground pounder always packs his heavy stuff higher up since it's easier on the hips, so with the Alice you had to dig everything out to get to your fartsack. I also like the side pouches and the claymore pouch on the back which makes getting to stuff you need fast much easier. The system can be converted in minutes to accomidate for rifleman, grenadier, gunner, medic, shotgunner, etc etc etc.

Assault pack: The Assault pack that attaches to the MOLLE is great. It's just about the right size and comfortable and itegrates with the camelbak system (a godsend invention for a thirsty troop on the move). With the FLC and the Assault pack you can carry adequate equipment to get you through a 24 hour mission where you aren't going to be sleeping, or aren't going to need your bag, plus you don't have to take it off to jump in a chopper or other vehicle.

Modular Sleep System: I've always liked it and it's been around a while longer than the rest of the MOLLE system. The U.S. military made a huge jump from a canvas/cotton Civil War technology fartsack. The Gortex Bivy cover keeps you dry in the worst of weather and you can also throw up a simple ponch hooch for extra protection. The whole thing is still a bit bulky, even with a compression bag, civilian adventurers still have the advantage of having lighter, more compact bags that are just as warm. The thermarest pad I'm a fan of, having used it in Alaska where the ground is perpetually cold and will suck the life out of you even through your bag.

MICH: The MICH helmet is a vast improvement over the K-pot. It's lighter, smaller (some of the German WWII-esque "flare" was removed), and has great padding. The chin strap is more comfortable and secure and is finally made of nylon instead of canvas which tends to get stinky and give you some funky rashes in humid climates. Finally, the MICH doesn't require any modification for airborne ops. Most of you U.S. personnel probably haven't gotten this piece of equipment.

Interceptor Body Armor: Everyone knew that the old flak vest wasn't good for stopping much else than what it was named for. I like the Interceptor body armor despite that it's pretty heavy with the trauma plates in, but hell I'd rather been uncomfortable and sweaty than bleeding to death. I've heard claims that the Interceptor with body armor will trauma plates can and has stopped 7.62 x 39 rounds.

BDU's: The military seems to have caught new BDU fever since the USMC got the MARPAT. Now the Chair Force is testing some blue and grey tiger stripe stuff that looks pretty goofy, but it's supposed to make them less visible on a flight line. I don't particularly see a need to change from woodland camo or 3 color DCU, although I'm sure the Army will have a digital pattern within a few years because we can't stand it when the Marines get new stuff and we don't.

Boots: In 229 years I don't think the Army ever got footwear right. I put different soles on my boots since I don't care much for the Panama sole. It has good traction but the heel has a tendency to make your foot roll and twist your ankle when you get tired and wobbly legged. Heel and toe caps make ofr blisters, although you can cut them out with some effort, these little do-dads make it easier for REMF's to spit shine their boots. The USMC got new boots and I've heard good things about them, although all of this is a moot point for me since we can wear pretty much anything in my unit as long as they are black. This brings me to another point. Black? Nothing in nature is black expect for soot, coal, and obsidian, so unless you plan on fighting on a volcano.....We should go to the Suede tan DCU color. No polishing.

MOLLE Ruck

Assault Pack

FLC

MICH

New Chair Force BDUs

[redliner47 0]

wow, and i thought the Army's new BDU's looked odd....

[Rishon 0]

Damn! Nice post there 11B. I Love the Interceptor, It's got this bulky feel to it. I like the MOLLE Ruck because it's not as big as the ALICE (from what I've heard) and Again it gives you that bulky feel.

Your damn right about the footwear. I hate the Panama sole and I'm glad we get new boots with the BDU's. (I'm laughing my ass off about that REMF Comment)

The FLC is......interesting, it keeps your ammo, 'nuff said.

Again, Great Report, Hooah 11B.

[redliner47 0]

the ALICE pack was...well, it took some getting used to

the MOLLE system is very "user-friendly" i guess thats the best term that would fit

[monty67t 0]

What's up my fellow soldier? Monty here, Delta Co. 4/101st Aviation Regiment, Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Here is a couple pics of the new Army uniforms for everyone to check out.

Are those ugly or what. Sounds like less maintenance though.

Monty

[USSoldier11B 0]

I agree about the Interceptor. It's snug and fits in pretty tight, I feel safe in it.....until they stick me in the turret of a HMMWV in the lead vehicle of a convoy. (which is now my official convoy position....I figure it's either due to my superior skills on the 240 or maybe Top doesn't like me)

Quote[/b] ]Monty here, Delta Co. 4/101st Aviation Regiment, Fort Campbell

Do you know a soldier named Sgt. Griffiths? He just came to our unit from an Avn unit with the 101.

[Rishon 0]

Well, I like it, In the desert they are supposedly as good as MARPAT, which blends in like Magic.

Woodland, I'm not sure about, you'll kill them before they see you anyway. Camo never saved my life. Never wanted it too.

-edit-

CRAP, They stuck you in a HMMWV Gunning position?! Good luck man!

[monty67t 0]

Quote[/b] ]Do you know a soldier named Sgt. Griffiths? He just came to our unit from an Avn unit with the 101

No, I just got here a couple of months ago.

Monty

[USSoldier11B 0]

I don't know, those BDUs would take some getting used to. I don't need a pocket on my calf, just sounds like a good place to get rubbed raw if you put stuff in there. I don't like the pocket design on the blouse. What is that? Rank right in the middle of the chest? I think we should go back to sleeve rank insignia.

[Rishon 0]

I agree, we should go back to Sleeve Insignia but, Meh, we get alot of crap we don't want.

[ralphwiggum 6]

I agree about the Interceptor. It's snug and fits in pretty tight, I feel safe in it.....until they stick me in the turret of a HMMWV in the lead vehicle of a convoy. (which is now my official convoy position....I figure it's either due to my superior skills on the 240 or maybe Top doesn't like me)

maybe they saw you driving a hummer in OFP? :P

good to see you back.

[USSoldier11B 0]

thanks....but I'm too busy stealing tanks to be driving HMMWV's.

[GoOB 0]

Chair Force

What next? Pencil pusher battallion?!

Those new BDU's look... Well, crap! Probably pretty effective though

EDIT: With that chair force joke I wanted to ask the question: What is chair force?

[hellfish6 7]

I never minded the ALICE LBE - I had four ammo pouches on mine, but I always wore it as high on my chest as I could, like an AK-47 chest rig, because it allowed for good maneuverability and less noise when I ran (also because that damn belt would always rub up against my formerly bony hips).

As for the new BDUs, I welcome them. They look wierd, but they sound like they're much better designed. I never cared for the current BDUs, I never felt comfortable in the field with them. Something was always chafing or rubbing or a seam was too tight or too loose. Plus, those damn pocket buttons would push into you if you were wearing a full combat load plus body armor.

Are you deploying to Iraq, USSoldier?

[ran 0]

For me it's a combo of SASS clothes with an Arktis Alice vest or Molle-Strike vest when working in European envirronment (if anything, I still have my old Arcadis and got my hands on an Elite one). All these goodies are in french C/E camo.

When going in some sandy/Dusty place, I have my "taylor-made"" flightsuit in french desert camo with a tan Molle-Strike system (from blackhawk).

When I need a relatively discrete look, I have several 5.11 clothes sets from Royal Robbins.

I'm going to try out a set of Chiruca boots on my next go, but from the time i've spent wearing them in "normal" condition they seem quite comfy and relatively good at what they've been ment for.

Not much to comment about those since they fit me quite well in my opinion, I'll have to comment on the Molle though :

My friends who got to actually use first generation Molle gear had a pretty bad opinion of it. The appearance of the Molle-Strike or Molle II changed the opinion of most of the people I know, and it's getting more and more popular, the only backdraw with it being that it doesn't exist in french C/E or daguet camo as far as I know (yes, I like to keep some coherence in the color of my gear , but as long as you have access to Black Green and Tan, it's not much of a problem).

[Baron Hurlothrumbo IIX 0]

FOr the 50th time:

'The Army' doesn't use any of that stuff.

The US Army does.

The Army = trademarked/ copyrighted whatever of the British Army.

If you mean the US Army, say the US Army.

UK kit:

PLCE (Personal Load Carrying Equipment) = decent enough. We do a lot more tabbing in general than the US so we need comfortable gear. Current bergan is ok, could use more pockets. Can cause serious chafing on back if running with it for long distances, but I don't think there is anything that doesn't. Webbing: The straps can slide too easily meaning you have to tape up the rear ones (leaving the front ones undone for quick removal if needed.) Can be uncomfortable on bony hips / without padded belt. Carries load quite well though. Running with all the pouches full of sand is not a problem for the webbing.

Daysack (rocket pouch) = wank. Too small, too tall. Most guys just have a DPM civvy daysack instead.

Sleeping system : too big when packed. As said earlier about US equipment, there are far smaller civvy versions with same season ability. Bivvy bag is ok,

Helmet: IF it fits you and is properly adjusted, then it is fine, although completely useless except for as a crash helmet and protecting against shrapnel- like most helmets.

Body armour : flak jacket. Very hot. Designed to keep you together after being hit, rather than to stop bullets. With plates, probably ok.

DPM combats: Aside from the fact that the ripstop trousers were never issued due to cost issues, and have to be purchased if wanted by individuals, and the ease at which the lightweight standard issue (DPM) trousers tear (one weeks shooting guarantees ripped combats). They do dry very fast and are quite comfy. Jacket is rainproof if idiots don't make you iron it. Overall a lot better than the temperate kit.

Waterproofs - very good. Work fine. Trousers tend to slip a bit, need better fastening.

Having rank slides in the centre of the chest works ok. Can be a bit hard to see sometimes but so can arm rankslides.

NBC : it WORKS better than US equipment (hence why you saw US generals and Saudi Princes on the news wearing it instead of US gear) - but it could be more comfortable/ less hot. Although I wouldn't sacrifice protection for them. Can be difficult/ painful* to shoot in the respirator if you aren't used to it.

Boots: well we've all seen the reports on how bad the British boots are. Melting in the heat, etc. Although I've had one pair of standard boots for almost 5 years and they are still comfy and waterproof. Soles almost worn right through though. I have done a LOT of tabbing, shooting and obstacle crossings/ courses in them. Even wore them to africa for 5 weeks and they held up pretty well. The inner is now stained dark brown mud, like everything else I took to africa, though, and will not wash out. Lots of cracking of leather, but as I say, they're still waterproof. My other pair is shaping up the same way. Most british soldiers need to buy their own boots, though, for comfort reasons.

Weapons field gear:

The kit for weapons in general in the field is excessively bulky and heavy. The sling on the LSW does not work properly as it is mounted too far towards the butt. Most of the equipment design is at least a decade old. Having said that, it works I'd rather it was bulky, heavy and works, than it was small, light and didnt.

A note on rifle reliability:

The main problem with SA80 (l98a1) jamming/ stoppages is obsessive types in positions of command who insist on full cleaning at every opportunity. That causes the stoppages. The gas parts only really BEGIN to work after a couple of hundred rounds. If you scour clean it too much, like any machine, you wear it down. The parts get scratches in them from cleaning, and accumulate carbon faster, in irregular places. I personally fired a couple of thousand rounds through my rifle over several days, and the only cleaning I did was pulling through the barrel. NO STOPPAGES. This only works on weapons that haven't been abraded and scoured too much in the past. Every report from the manufacturers has stressed this point: do NOT clean it so much! The only real issue is with magazines -the A1 mags are very flimsy and ..crap. / rant.

*it bashes into your eyebrow, more so than the susat and breaks the skin until you develop harder skin there.

[Jinef 2]

Well, I like my flight suit, it's nice and scruffy and considering I hardly ever get off duty I don't need to wear much else. I have some standard boots, they are comfortable and I haven't had any problems but I am not exactly using them as extensively as the infantry. The flight suit has shitloads of pockets for putting pet insects and pens in, we also have a survival vest, it has a light and some other cool stuff on it but if you manage to drop youself in the north sea in 15 ft seas your screwed anywho. The main problem we have is our helmets, the night vision system is heavy on the front so we need counterweights on the back, however they only counter properly with the NVD down, once flipped up you have a strain on your neck, so we are all going to get fucked up necks soon. Also the visor locking system sometimes fails, you'll be happily flying along when suddenly everything goes dark because the visor has fallen down - not useful.

The most important piece of equipment we carry on Royal Air Force seakings is a SBD, the special bashing device. Some people use a two by four, others a wooden mallet, my favourite is a 19th century police truncheon. Basically when the aircraft decides to have a tantrum and all the instruments stop working - you get out your SBD and start utilising it against the offending components.

[Necromancer- 0]

I wear a SAAV during airsoft matches..

Though... I'd like to wear something else with my US Woodland BDU's..

I'm just a tactical gear fashionist.

[Wilco 944]

Comment about the Chairforce, I know you were only joking, but there are PJ's and Air Force Military Police out there on the front lines with the Army and the Marines

[GoOB 0]

EDIT: With that chair force joke I wanted to ask the question: What is chair force?

Ah, so they are pararescuers and the air force MP's? Cool, quite an odd name though!

[redliner47 0]

well chair force is the entire airforce but especially the pilots and such because they sit down in chairs (or cockpits or whatever)

[monty67t 0]

Quote[/b] ]Comment about the Chairforce, I know you were only joking, but there are PJ's and Air Force Military Police out there on the front lines with the Army and the Marines

There is a hell of a lot more Air Force out there than just Pararescue and Security Forces (that's what the Air Force calls their MPs). Just to clear things up.

Monty

[Wilco 944]

I know He said "chairforce", which makes it sound like ALL of the Airforce does nothing.

[monty67t 0]

My god, relax man. I don't know what you do for a living but I am in the military and I can tell you that we constantly make fun of each other. It's just for fun.

Monty

[Wilco 944]

I'm not serious mate, only joking, I know the branches joke about each other, I was born into the military, and my father served 13 years in the Air Force.