Kit loadouts.

Hi Owen, Buck, etc.

Thanks for the info.

I knew you guys wore webgear like us. I find it interesting how much water you
carry. We never (okay, I've never been to the hot parts of the world) carried
more than 2 canteens. Even those were a pain in the
ass - sloshing around. And most of the time, it was one. Our packs
sometimes wayed upwards towards 80 pounds but rarely. Of course, being
Canadians, and on excercises, being issued grenades was unlikely and being
issued an oversupply (re:adequate amount) of ammo was also unlikely. And whats
a mine? <grin>

<Keep in mind, my background is Primary Infantry Reserve so we only had some
of the good kit>.

We too didn't drop backpacks officially until we had a place to do it,
but unofficially just about everyone said it went bye-bye the minute
the fighting started. That matches with what Buck said.

I think our loadout for webgear was 1-2 canteens, medkit, dry socks,
6-10 mags, grenades when and if, usually a knife, bayonet, some had
small field binos, some facepaint, KFS, spare ammo for the support weapons
(sometimes this was in the ruck). Generally, whatever could fit on your LBE
(including ammo pouches, buttpack, canteens and any other pouches). A lot of
folk learned quickly that where you located your pouches had a lot to do with
how comfortable it was to lie
down/crawl or crouch. In the winter, of course, you end up with a lot
of bad weather gear too. Same with NBC conditions.

The poor b*st*rds who got stuck as radioman generally got to hump the
PRC-77 and often to dig the Lts fighting positions too. What a
wonderous job.... RTO was a bad TQ to have.... or admit to. As of course was
driver as it continuously got you dragged to stupid places if you had your
military license.

I never actually thought of using camelbacks. That makes SOOOo much sense.
What a great idea. Works for biking, no reason it wouldn't be great for the
bush. An insulated khaki bag containing a camelback would be small, fit on the
back, and let you carry a rack of indispensable fluid in the rougher areas.

> Thomas Barclay wrote:

> Hi Owen, Buck, etc.

Being one who's spent a lot of time in Africa, Middle East, and Central
America, we take as much water as we can physically carry. Even a temperate
zone like the North East if we are doing any rucking we hump lots of water. A
Typical guy has at least 2x 1 qt canteens and 1x 2 qt canteen. That's issue.
Usually he adds more to that. In our unit we carry 2 1qts, 2 2qts, and a
camelback. Plus on any type of desert op we carry even more we have 1 gallon
plastic blivets that go into the ruck. the most I've carried is about 4
gallons. (that would be in desert)

If we have vehicles there's at least a case of poland spring plus 2x 5 gal
cans of water.

Note that in arid climates units should have an enforced water plan. The
Israelis came up with this (though I don't don't it was invented earlier)
where they sit there and watch you drink a canteen of water down whole every
hour. The alternate to this is heat casualties, which are as serious as bullet
casualties.