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Personal gear in your vest

A

a_m

Still learning how much I don't know.
None
For all you Tac guys, what do you choose to carry for your personal gear? Can you see any problems for carrying a small hiking style gps? I know that most guys try to get a camelback integrated (at least in in the desert), but what else?


If my search-fu is weak, just lock this thread.
 
insanebikerboy

insanebikerboy

Internet killed the television star
pilot
None
Contributor
I doubt this applies to the Tac guys, but most helo guys carry a box of rubbers in our vests. For you, maybe a bottle of KY? :icon_tong:D
 
A

a_m

Still learning how much I don't know.
None
insanebikerboy said:
I doubt this applies to the Tac guys, but most helo guys carry a box of rubbers in our vests. For you, maybe a bottle of KY? :icon_tong:D
Click to expand...

You need all that rubber to patch your Hyd leaks? That's all I could think you would need it for.
 
Huggy Bear

Huggy Bear

Registered User
pilot
alabama_matt said:
For all you Tac guys, what do you choose to carry for your personal gear? Can you see any problems for carrying a small hiking style gps? I know that most guys try to get a camelback integrated (at least in in the desert), but what else?


If my search-fu is weak, just lock this thread.
Click to expand...


Usually, nothing extra. It's easy to get complacent.

For OEF and OIF however, I put a lot of thought into it. I had an extra radio, a prc-90, an extra gps, some extra water, a good knife - one that was sturdy enough to dig with and dark so it wouldn't give away a reflection, and lastly extra batteries for both my primary and secondary radios. I was never one to carry a lot bullets - I never planned on pulling a Frank Luke (bonus military history nerd points if you know who he is).
 
FLYTPAY

FLYTPAY

Pro-Rec Fighter Pilot
pilot
None
The ghost of Frank Luke just gave me a message. We are never allowed to mention Chuck Norris' name again. This is sort of like giving Doug Masters in Iron Eagle the Medal of Honor but not really. Bada$$ gets into a little trouble, steals plane for Maverick hunting trip, waxes a couple bad guys, wounded, kills 7 Germans, awarded posthumous MOH. Not being there myself, I doubt that since it apppears his last stand had no witnesses (all witnesses dead), it would stand up to todays "extremely high" standards of awarding the MOH. Some people get MOH for jumping on a grenade, and some don't????

"Under threat of arrest for going AWOL, Luke took off without authorization, flew to the front, shot down three observation balloons but was wounded by antiaircraft fire. He landed in German-held territory along the Somme River. Surrounded, Luke pulled out his Colt 1911 and opened fire before he was killed. He was found a day later with an empty gun and a bullet hole in his chest with 7 dead Germans in front of him. He was awarded a posthumous Medal of Honor in 1921."

insanebikerboy said:
most helo guys carry a box of rubbers in our vests.
Click to expand...
You told....we never asked:D...at least you guys are safe when you "go up to the mountain".:D
 
Uncle Fester

Uncle Fester

Robot Pimp
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
We picked up small Garmin hiker's-style GPS units before our last boat trip, mostly because after two or three training sessions on the new survival radios with the integrated GPS, no one had any clue how to really use them. Plus, the subsequent "Navy buys non-waterproofed radios with exploding batteries" thing.
 
HeyJoe

HeyJoe

Fly Navy! ...or USMC
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
Huggy Bear said:
Usually, nothing extra. It's easy to get complacent.

For OEF and OIF however, I put a lot of thought into it. I had an extra radio, a prc-90, an extra gps, some extra water, a good knife - one that was sturdy enough to dig with and dark so it wouldn't give away a reflection, and lastly extra batteries for both my primary and secondary radios. I was never one to carry a lot bullets - I never planned on pulling a Frank Luke (bonus military history nerd points if you know who he is).
Click to expand...

Shame on you, Huggy! That's required knowledge for boys in blue. He's the Arizona Balloon-buster who ended up a loner after losing a wingman. Specialized in knocking down heavily defended balloons. Incredible string of victories until he couldn't make it back and was forced to crashland behind enemy lines where he continued the fight on the ground with a pistol. USAF honors him with Air Force Base named after him in were else: Arizona
 
FlyinSpy

FlyinSpy

Mongo only pawn, in game of life...
Contributor
alabama_matt said:
For all you Tac guys, what do you choose to carry for your personal gear? Can you see any problems for carrying a small hiking style gps?
Click to expand...
I had a Garmin Etrex Vista that I would carry in the breast pocket of my flight suit, under all the other gear. My rationale was that I could lose things that were in the vest pockets (even if they were tied in), but things that were under all my gear would tend to stay with me longest. The Vista was small enough that it wasn't terribly uncomfortable, even under both a torso harness and Airsafe. (I had a knife and a flashlight in the other pocket.)

I also loaded the Garmin with the Afghanistan map base from here (https://tsunami.tec.army.mil/Products/GarminMapSupport/index.cfm, CAC card needed), and then uploaded FOB locations as waypoints. This would have made the device infinitely more useful than telling me I was 8496.2 miles from my driveway, or that the nearest Krustyburger was in Karachi at a bearing of 093 degrees....

It also made the Garmin a controlled item, which is why the PRs would keep it between flights.
 
ACowboyinTexas

ACowboyinTexas

Armed and Dangerous
pilot
Contributor
For OEF and OIF I always carried an extra pack of smokes and lighter in a ziplock bag. And a Gerber MkIII Survival knife. Now I need ot get on NKO and do my "Smoking Cessation" GMT for May.
 
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