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| Three Soldiers Don Their Battle Gear (ca 2009) photograph by Sgt. Ferdinand Thomas |
In the United States’ military, soldiers call their gear “molly,” for older soldiers, it’s called TA-50. British soldiers call it “kit,” and German soldiers call it something in German.
Either way, kit is all the stuff a soldier carries when they go into battle.
A few words of caution before I begin.
Many, many people have very different ideas on the type, amount, quality and need for tactical gear. Remember those opinions! Others lose focus and start buying unneeded guns and tactical gear instead of much needed water, food, and medical supplies.
With that said, I will continue ...
This kit is important. It helps a soldier fight and survive. For us, our kit is going to help us survive.
Now, I am going to use a couple of ways to write about your kit. The first method is going to be a layered approach. The next method is going to talk about specific equipment.
The Layered Approach
In the layered approach, we use a method similar to getting dressed, a base layer, next a mid-layer, and finally an outer layer.
Before I start, remember your threat analysis, your pocketbook or wallet, and watch those opinions.
Base Layer/Personal Equipment
This equipment is carried in your pockets and on your pants' belt. It is always carried with you. Did I mention, this gear is always carried on you?
Fire Starter
Bic Lighter, matches, and many other things are carried to start a fire. Heck, some people still carry flint and steel.
Light, Flashlight, or Torch
One of my cousins and his partner are cavers. They explore and chart routes through caves. They always carry three sources of light on them when they are in a cave. If you have even been in a cave with all the lights off, you know why.
Now, some people will buy an expensive flashlight like a Surefire ($75-150) and think they are done.
Maybe not because a Surefire flashlight is really bright but it only lasts about 2 hours on the high power setting. If you need a light to last longer, you might need something like a Photon Light (14 hours), a Maglite (26 hours), or a cellphone.
Knife, Scissors, or Other Cutting Instrument
Another cousin is a school teacher; she is prohibited from carrying a knife, so she carries scissors. Some people (a few terrorists) got around a similar restriction by carrying a box cutter or razor knife.
Besides deciding if you are going to carry a knife, you are going to have to decide which type of knife you are going to carry.
Fixed Blade or Folder
To me, a fixed bladed knife is stronger but you will need to carry it in a belt sheath. Additionally, a big knife can do a small knife's tasks, but a small knife can't do a big knife's job.
A folding knife can fit in your pocket, but some of the larger knives will need a belt sheath, too. Plus, a folding knife can be carried in your pocket and no one will know you have it.
Inexpensive or Expensive
I can tell you from personal experience that you will be very, very, very pissed when you lose your $200 special-ordered hand-made knife. Heck, I was pissed when I lost my $50 Buck 110, but I have never been very angry over losing any of my inexpensive imported knives.
Protection
A gun or a knife, it's to be used to protect your life.
But there are more choices!
Saps, batons or collapsible batons like the ASAP. Sprays and Stun Guns round out some more of your choices for protection.
Check your local laws, just to be legal.
And, buy the best quality that you can.
Now, some people will suggest carrying more items. Such as ...
Multi-tools
I bought my first one, over 20 years ago. It was a Leatherman PST. OK, I lied it was fifty years ago and a Swiss Army knife. Don't ask me which one because I have had about five different models over 50 years, and they all were very good multi-tools.
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Leatherman “Core” with medium screwdriver blade missing
As you are trying to choose from the many varieties of multi-tools, please remember, you are going to need to practice using the multi-tool. As you practice with your multi-tool; it will get broken. Plus, if it’s legal, each member of your family will need one, too.
So, you might want to purchase an inexpensive one first. Plus, the modern multi-tools usually are carried on the belt, so you will need a belt sheath, too.
Compass
There are a wide range of choices, from price to quality, for compasses. You will have to choose from little button compasses to $100 military-issued tritium lensatic compasses. All of them you will have to practice with, and don't forget Global Positioning Systems (GPS). They may have a place in your kit.
Don’t forget the spare batteries, for the GPS.
Pocket Survival Kit or Survival Tin
John Wiseman, author of the SAS Survival Handbook, introduced the world to the survival tin. The survival tin is a small pocket-sized metal container. This container holds many items that can be used in a survival situation such as matches, tinder, string, large trash bag, and other items.
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Contents of a Home-Made Survival Tin
Some people say the survival tins are as good as a 72-hour kit. Others say a survival tin is all you really need to carry when you go into the woods, and others (myself included) say you need a little bit more to survive 72-hours. So remember, watch those opinions.
Mid-Layer
The mid-layer is equipment that is carried in a pouch, vest, or harness. The gear carried in a vest or harness is more extensive than the stuff carried in your pockets. It also makes surviving a little easier.
If you decide to build and stock a survival vest, pouch, or harness, I urge you to buy quality when you purchase your pouch, vest, or harness because your pouch will be repacked or refilled many times.
Now which one? A vest, a pouch, or a harness.
A vest doesn't stand out, much; it just makes you look like a photographer or fly-fisherman. A pouch doesn't stand out either, unless you are a guy and most guys usually don't carry a shoulder bag. A harness, like the Israeli combat harness, will stand out. Actually, wearing a harness shouts survivalist!
Vest
There are many pros about a vest.
*Everything has a place and everything is in its place.
*Vests can be worn under a coat for added warmth and concealment of the vest.
*Vests come in various colors, but the colors are usually limited to green, khaki, or black.
Now most people think of something like a photographers or fishing vest for a survival vest. They are great. Most have about 10 outside pockets, 4 inside vest pockets, and one or two pockets on the back of the vest. They can carry a lot of ‘stuff.’
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Duluth Trading Company Vest Outside (Left) and Six Inside Pockets (right)
However, I would suggest you consider an ordinary work vest, for your mid-layer. The typical work vest has 2 outside pockets and four to six inside pockets. These pockets, with proper thought, will allow you to carry the essentials for survival.
As an example, the outside pockets can carry a pair of gloves and thermal hat for the winter. The inside pockets of the vest can carry a small water bottle or water filter, two or three 55-gallon plastic garbage bags to improvise a shelter or wet weather coat and pair of pants, a small compass, and a notepad with a pencil to leave messages for potential rescuers
Lastly, wearing a workmen’s vest, you don't standout; you're just someone wearing a vest to keep your body warm and your arms cool, especially if you are trying to blend in as a tradesman.
A Pouch or Purse
A pouch and purse also has many of the same pros as a vest, but there is one con. A pouch usually only has one main pocket with several other tiny pockets, so everything is usually mixed up inside a pouch. Plus, there is limited space when compared to a harness.
Harness
A harness is usually used or reserved for tactical or combat situations because they are designed to carry supplies for combat. My brother, Spartan, uses an Israeli combat harness (remember those threat analysis) for one of his mid-layers. I prefer the US Army LBE (Load Bearing Equipment) because it is inexpensive ($50 compared to over $200 for an Israeli combat harness) and the LBE can be tailored to different rifles or missions.
L.B.E or TA-50
I have a pistol belt, two rifle magazine pouches, two canteens with canteen covers, one canteen cup, an open bottom canteen cup stove, and a butt pack. All of these items were standard US military issue. I use a FMCO LBE H-Harness 8 point suspension instead of the Y-straps normally worn by 1980s era US military soldiers. The 8 point suspenders have a first-aid pouch attached with one or two first-aid dressings inside of it. I also have a nylon grease gun magazine pouch. I use this magazine pouch as a dump pouch for my empty rifle magazines.
My combat kit is modified. I removed the hooks that are on the H-harness. These hooks attach to the pistol belt. The hooks were replaced with 550 cords to prevent the metal buckles digging into my tender skin.
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Modified Butt Pack with Added Pockets
The butt pack is also slightly modified. The big flap that closes the pack has a pocket added by sewing a piece of green nylon material. I also added a pocket to each side of the butt pack. All three pockets have velcro closures and are sewn on the inside of the butt pack.
On the outside of the butt pack, I carry a poncho liner wrapped in a poncho inside a water-proof bag. The bag protects the poncho and keeps the poncho liner dry.
I was going to write and tell you what I have in my butt pack, but then I remembered. You and your family must decide, using your threat analysis, what you are going to carry in the butt pack, or even if you and your family are going to purchase any tactical kit.
MOLLE
Another quality mid-layer is the MOLLE Fighting Load Vest (FLV). They are similar to the LBE, but they are a vest with many different attachment points, compared to the LBE, for your gear. Just like the LBE, you will need magazine pouches, two canteen carriers with canteens and a canteen cup. A butt pack and a couple of smaller pouches to carry your first-aid dressings will round out the needed equipment.
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Front and Rear Picture of a MOLLE Rig
There is also non-standard tactical gear. This gear is manufactured by various private companies, but the gear may or may not be used by the military. It is usually very expensive when compared to used, surplus military TA-50 or MOLLE gear.
Outer Layer
The outer layer is a backpack. The backpack carries the stuff to make your life easier, more food, more water, better shelter, and better medical items. There are so many differing opinions on what to carry; you will have to decide for yourself.
Remember, just like the emergency evacuation kit, you are going to have to carry this pack. The heavier it is the slower you will go, and the more energy you will use to move. So choose your items you are going to carry then practice carrying it.
If is too heavy, or even slightly heavy, go through the bag and remove some items. Once you have done this, try it on again. If the bag is an OK weight, take the bag outside and practice with it.
I will say it, again. After you have made the many decisions about kit, you will have to practice with your kit and its contents. So, get out there and practice with your kit.
Appendix A: Common Mistakes
The first common mistake is focusing on buying kit instead of other critical supplies such as water storage containers; chlorine bleach or water filters for water treatment; canned food that your family normally eats; long-term food storage such as wheat, white rice, dried beans, and oats; and medical supplies such as a first-aid kit, bandages, triple antibiotic cream, and other critical medical supplies.
Needless to say, you get the point that the supplies you need to have; before you buy any tactical equipment; is almost endless.
With that said, the next common mistake is buying lesser quality gear. If you find yourself in a tactical or combat situation, you need quality kit, not equipment design for airsoft. Current military gear and surplus gear, just not from these United States, is rugged, long lasting, and inexpensive when compared to quality civilian gear. Plus, it’s plentiful.
A similar mistake is paying too much for your family’s gear. Yes, it would be cool to own a handmade, Damascus steel, and limited-edition fixed blade bush knife, but a $20 stainless-steel Swedish Mora bushcraft knife will be more than adequate. Plus, you can buy yourself a couple more inexpensive knives, so you won’t be too angry, if you lose the Mora knife. And, that leads to my next point, not practicing with your kit.
You and your family, if you decide to purchase kit, need to practice with your kit, making sure it is properly fitted to the person wearing the gear, replacing kit that doesn’t work for that person, taking care of it by cleaning and repairing the gear, and getting use to the gear’s quirks.
The last common mistake is thinking that prepping is a fashion show. It isn’t. Prepping is about learning skills and storing the supplies that will be important during an event. Not, whether your MOLLE gear is completely these United States’ new, high-speed camouflage or part British desert camouflage pattern and part United States’ desert pattern.
Appendix B: Other Information
Smart Cords or Lanyards
Remember me telling you about being pissed over losing a $200 knife. Well, one way of preventing losing your gear is to use smart cords.
Some people call them "dummy cords." My thought is: if you use dummy cords you must be very smart. Let me tell you a story.
When I was younger, my mother would take a shoe lace, run it through the arms of my coat, and tie my mittens to the end of the shoe lace. I would run around outside, take my mittens off to make snowballs, and never lose my mittens.
Flash forward about two decades, a few years in the military, and to the great state of Montana for a two-week training mission. Before we went to the woods, I took a length of 550-cord and ran it through the sleeves of my field jacket and tied my gloves to the ends of the 550-cord. I was joked.
‘Dude, does your mother dress you?’ ‘Man, how old are you?’ and ... You get the point.
Well, we start running around in the woods and people start losing their gloves. Remember, it gets cold, very cold in Montana. People started using wool socks as gloves. Me, I still had mine.
Then, I start seeing others with their gloves tied to their field jackets. The coolest was seeing the battalion’s Sergeant Major and the Colonel wearing their gloves on smart cords.
So, how do you make smart cords or dummy cords?
Basically, you take a piece of strong cord and tie it to the object you want to keep from losing then the other end is tied to your clothing or your gear. The string should be long enough that you can use the tool with the cord still attached.
Once you are finished, you wrap the cord around the item and put the item back in its place.
Warning:
Do Not, Don’t, Never wrap a smart cord around your neck or other part of your body because the smart cord could get caught on something chocking you, cutting your skin, or breaking a bone.
What Should Be In Your Kit?
There are many opinions about what should be in your kit. Some people suggest carrying a lot of gear, and some people suggest carrying a minimal amount of gear.
My suggestions:
Learn some skills and practice those skills.
What do I mean by that?
If you can build three or four different types of shelter using just a blue tarp, a knife, and some 550-cord, you don't need to carry a tent. Plus, a blue (or any other color) tarp can be used for many other uses such as an emergency litter, improvised kayak, or, in extreme cases, made into clothing.
I cannot emphasize enough; the more skills you have, the less gear you will need to carry
Also realize that your kit is yours, nobody else’s, so you have to carry your kit and be able to use every item. As an example; firefighters, I am told; have to learn the 21 uses for a shovel, so you should learn the uses for all of your kit.
With that said:
I would suggest, in your pockets or purse, a way to make fire, a small knife, and a small flashlight. Plus, a couple bills in the local currency.
For your combat gear, you need a water container and a way to carry it, like a canteen and canteen cover. Next, I would suggest, at least, 100 to 200 rounds of ammunition for your rifle. You also need some way to carry medical supplies, such as an Israeli battle dressing, if you get shot. A belt to put that stuff on and a small pouch to carry some kind of shelter and wet weather gear, like a rain coat and pants.
What to carry in you pack is truly up to you. I hate carrying a lot of weight, so my bag is as light as I can get it.
But, …
I have been practicing my skills for many years. Plus, I plan to bug-out (run away) if attacked.
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