Re: Packing List
Posted: 13 Jul 2014, 14:15
Updated Packing list 2019
Minor update for 2020 in this colour
About These items i have all tried personally over the course of some 30 years, serving in two armies and doing a lot of walks in rough terrain. These work for me! There are other solutions, brands and personal preference or experience. In the end, its your choice and your money. If you never been in the forrest, these items listed here will work. If you are a seasoned pro, you might go for different solutions/brands than i do.
Carabiners – You probably don’t need a full-size climbing carabiner. Get one of those little screw-gate links at the hardware store. You can use it to secure your gear without having to re-tie the para cord every time you move it. Also usefull in combination with a daisyrope in base.
Lights - You need a light for different situations:
Weaponlight - Whatever light you choose for your gun, make sure it's an LED. LED lights are great because they're very shock-resistant and don't need to be replaced like bulbs do. The bad thing about LED lights is the brightness of most of them don't throw a very bright light beam for a very long distance. The LED lights that can do this are usually a bit more expensive. My opinion? cry once and fork out the cash for a quality light. The industry standard is around 65+ lumens minimum for a decent weapon light. I recommend an Olight S1A Baton, uses AA (R6) batteries and goes for bout 40€. I have it on a Viking Tactics mount with a quick disconnect, if i need to crawl in a tunnel where my rifle dont fit. The use for one on Berget is limited, but it is sometimes very usefull, like inside buildings.
Keychain lights - Other places to put a light are easy, where do you use light at? I use a Traser H-3 Tritium light that glows for 10 years. Use green colour as this is the most easy to see. Cost bout 14€. I use it in all the big bags I use… and even some big pouches that I use often. Here’s why: I can’t see inside the fucking bag. A headlamp can’t look straight down into my accessories pouch on my chest. Put a light on a piece of para cord and safety pin that fucker in there or have it around your neck on a piece of para cord. It’s a solution, but not the only one. If you use it in the field, make sure it is not bright white. Forrests on maps tend to be harder to see with red or green light, try to mark those areas in a darker colour before heading out.
Other recommendations are an Olight I3T, goes for bout 20€ uses AAA and is usefull as a backup/handheld light, you can paracord it around your neck or use the clip to put in on your cap too.
Spare batteries - Make a list of all the electrically-powered shit that you carry with you and bring spares for all of it.
If you're smart, you'll have most of your shit set up so that it uses the same types of batteries. Have a place to put them, tape them together with duct tape. Tip: Leave rechargeable batteries for non-mission-critical shit like your mp3 player. Cold will deplete the charge on a rechargeable battery like there is no tomorrow.
Lithium batteries aren’t too adversely affected by cold and have a longer storage life than alkaline batteries. They’re more expensive, but if I’m going to bet my life on a battery, it’s going to be a lithium. I only use AAA (R3) in my stuff, AA (R6) is an option. For the guns i use the same type of LiPo, connectors and magazines, so i dont need to change shit out on my rig just because my main gun went down with the flu.
Rifle Sling - very personal preference. Mount it so it does not get in the way of optics, if you dont want a sling, use a carabiner and some paracord to attach it to your shoulder when you need two hands for map reading or shoving non-friendlies around. Two-point is the better option for those long marches. Just make sure you dont have a metal attachments to your gun, use paracord between gun and sling to keep the noise down. Same goes for most metal-on-metal items.
Radio - Platoon leaders and above will get Berget-issued Puxings wich are really good. Get a PTT and headset since they only include a monofon. Dont forget to charge them each night.
For Intra-squad/platoon chit chat/Fire net/whatever, i recommend the Baofeng UV-5R. Comes in 20+ different versions and even some different brand names, but only have minor differences. Cost about 30 €, is dual-band VHF/UHF for all commonly used frequencies. If you are unsure how to charge them, buy a battery case for 6€ so you can use AA or AAA batteries. For comfort i advice to buy a PTT and a Bowman-style headset. If you worry bout range, wich you should on berget, you can replace the antenna with a forrest antenna like the Nagoya 771. These radios can be a bitch to program as Baofeng doesnt support shit. The easiest way to do it is to buy a USB-cable, Download the Open-source application CHIRP and this handy file of frequencies, Thanks to Thinker from Airsoft Sverige. An english manual that you can actually understand can be found here, thanks to Lennart Lidberg
Boots – Get seriously good boots. And i do mean the expensive ones like Loewe, Haix, Meindl, Hanwag etc. And make it Goretex too. Make sure to walk them in properly before gamestart! Many have their own preferences on what type of boot you should use, I use Bergstiefel, leicht from the german army for more than 20 years now. All the above make civilians versions of them. Others are just as good. Rule of thumb, if its cheaper than 195€, find a better pair.
Socks - Wear wool socks, even when it’s as hot as the surface of the sun. Wool wicks moisture, you’ll figure it out. Smartwool is touted as being one of the best. But almost any brand will do. Put fresh ones on each morning, and after each rain.
Base layer Transports moisture away from your body as quickly as possible through capillary action. Wool is excellent for this too as it keeps warmer than modern function clothing. This might change in a few years tough.
Mid layers It can be cooler on Berget, down to 0 degrees celcius.This layer adds warmth. So make sure you have a mid layer for those moments. Get a really good fleece to have under your field jacket. My new favourite is Stellar Equipments Mid Jacket 2.0, goes for 99€ and is almost a softshell too, but others can be found for as little as 35€ for a "Norge"-shirt. these dont need to be in your factions camoflage either, just like rain gear. This should keep you comfy down to minus 5 degrees celcius.
Shell Layer/rain gear The best option is a hard shell jacket from Norrøna or Arc'teryx, but they cost a small fortune. You can find a decent one from Helly Hansen, Haglöfs, Berghaus and others for 150€ in a funky colour, wear it under your field jacket. Budget tip: Used german army gore-tex jacket can be found for as little as 35€. A tarp or poncho is light and nice, but not good enough for hard rain. Gaiters is a good idea after it rains, as the grass will be wet for hours afterwards.
Insulation Layer Not really needed, but if you easily freeze in the morning, or have a cheap summer sleeping bag, its really comfy to throw on under the shell jacket. Synthetic down is almost as good as real down, but dries much more quickly. Should keep you warm down to minus 20 degrees celcius.
Rifles Most will use a class 2 rifle. Whatever your preference, it should have a 14" barrel, use DEANS connectors to the battery and be less powerfull than 1,69 Joules. Be extremly meticiously bout zeroing the sights! A bonus if everyone in the squad use the same type of magazines, so you can swap if need be. Learn and train re-load drills!!
GPS - Small, easy-to-read, back-lit, uses readily-available batteries. I like the Garmin Foretrex 101, 301 or 401. It can strap to your wrist, uses AAA batteries, has a backlight, 500 storable waypoints... stay away from the 201 though, it's a rechargeable unit made for sailing. Whatever you choose, make sure everyone on your patrol knows how to use it. The more GPS units, the merrier. If you know mapreading by heart, you can even go without one on Berget. I dont bother with one at all these days.
Compass – The GPS may trick you, but a compass and map never lie. Never assume your patrol will run you through known areas and back to base. What if you have to be quick reaction for another patrol or contractors or a downed helo? The compass is more reliable than a GPS. I can always tell my buddy on the radio "I'm on the north side of the house" or to that effect if I can easily reference a compass. Leave the digital bullshit alone for this tool; they're slow, they need to be calibrated a lot and they take batteries. --- SPAM !!! --- that.
NOTE: Photo-luminous shit is inconvenient and I think the fucking designers that use it are borderline insane. It doesn’t last that long, so to get the glow-in-the-dark-shit to work, you shine a bright light on it. It fades quickly however, so you have to periodically re-charge it. It basically comes down to you using your light to see in the dark, rather than reading your watch or compass via some glow-in-the-dark bullshit. Long story short, use tritium, it glows for about ten years… not five minutes. Suunto and Silva both makes really good compasses, some where the dial is tritium-lit, and they track very well, isn’t liquid-filled (bubbles in a compass are bad) and goes for about 35 euro. Stay away from US-made Silva ones, this is a completely different company and has nothing in common with the Swedish one.
Watch You most likely have a smartphone for taking photos of bad guys, know the time etc. But a analog wristwatch is more reliable (change battery before leaving home!). It can also work a an emergency solution if your compass is lost. KHS makes decently priced, 200€, one with Tritium dials.
Water bottles/ canteens - Some prefer the old-fashioned canteens, but I like the Nalgene 32oz (almost a liter) bottle because I can see what the contents are, it doesn't hold bad tastes, it's easily cleaned and I can measure and mix stuff in it. Canteens have a narrow mouth, can’t accept ice cubes and will warp or melt when holding very hot water. The cons are: wide-mouth bottles spill easier while drinking, especially in vehicles. There are solutions for this, but they cost extra. My favorite cost extra is called a ”Capcap”, funny name… bloody great item. A very nice extra is the Source Convertube that extends the Nalgene (and many other bottles too) with a drinking tube. Civil versions cost like 17€ while the military one ("SNEP") cost like 30€. Might be better off buying the civil one and camoflage it a bit as it comes in shiny blue.
Cup - Whether you're on a patrol or pulling shifts on an OP, being able to heat what you eat is a fucking huge morale boost. Hot coffee on a OP shift can really assist in keeping your head straight. Get a metal cup for whatever water bottle you use and grab a fistful of heat tablets before you head out the door. Olicamp, Tatonka, Helikon-Tex and Vargo make cups that fit perfectly under a Nalgene bottle. Cost about 15€
Paper/ Pen/ Pencil - You’ll need to write, the shit you write in combat is usually a little more important than normal shit. Keep in mind that sweat and water will destroy regular paper. Use waterproof paper or index cards. Rite-In-The-Rain or Snugpack waterproof index cards are great. Ink will run, so consider your favorite brand of mechanical pencil as well, I like the size 5B, they tear paperless and break lead less. plus you can sharpen them easily in the field.
Mosquito reppelant Buy the local brand Djungelolja. it works, has 20% DEET, 'nough said. also get a mosquito net for your headgear, works both as a camoflage of your face and disrupts the shape of the human head.
Knife The best option in the forrest is an Axe. My choice since many years is the Gränsfors Small forrest axe. Cost bout 120€. With it i can easily build a Spanish rider, a bridge or a house. However, on Berget you cant cut down trees, so a knife is a better option. Something you can use to cut with that you can get to easily. Leave the Rambo III Special Ninja Edition bullshit at home. I recommend a Finnish Sissipukko, excellent in the woods, can be drawn silently, well secured so it doesnt come loose when rolling into an alternative fire position. Its Carbon steel so you want to give it a bit more love than stainless steeled ones. goes for bout 80€. Budget alternative: Morakniv Kansbol goes for as little as 25€.
Multitool - What do you need a multitool for? I guarantee someone makes a tool that does what you need. Find one that fits your needs, a good pouch for it on your rig is invaluable as well. Adjustable nylon pistol magazine pouches work great for this purpose. Make sure it has at least a blade, can opener, bottle opener, scissors, pliers, a file and some scredrivers. I personally prefer the old Gerber Scout 600 for bout 55€, but most will do just fine as long as they are not made in china! If you only will get one knife, get a multitool. Or at least a Swiss army Knife if you are on a budget, these can be found for bout 25€.
The cool flipper-style folding knives are near useless in the field. Leave them at home.
Eye Protection - Whatever it is, make sure it's EN166-certified. Get one for sunny days and a clear one for night ops. Keep the spare in your pack, no need for it in base when your main ones just got shot to pieces! Dont get a yellow cool shooters version, you´ll get tired after three days use. Eyepro sucks? Start saving up for that seeing-eye dog.
Zip-ties - A handy place to put zip ties is behind pouches or woven into PALS webbing. Check to make sure it doesn’t interfere with your kit or shooting. If you can't figure out a use for zip-ties then you just need to off yourself.
Medic kit – We are in a civilized place with a hospital just 10 klicks away, so no need for that tourniquette or israeli bandadge. Get some plasters and some painkillers + something to sterilize open wounds. If you are allergic to something or have some medical condition, get stuff for that too, and make sure your mates know about it and what to do in an emergency.
Keep some stripes of white cloth so you can resupply your medic after he saved your arse again.
Bungee Cords – If I had enough bungee cords I could probably conquer Poldavia. They can be seriously helpful for keeping stuff around in the vehicle or keeping the kit together on a rig. Get one or two, they are cheap too.
Gloves – Use gloves, don't use gloves... do what you want, they're your hands. Just keep in mind that Charlie is smelly and dirty and that you'll be handling everything from mines all the way down to hanging out with broken glass, jagged metal, industrial adhesives, solvents, shit like that. Like I said, they're your hands. Get an extra pair just to be safe. Mechanix are good, i recommend the version "Fast fit" as these do not have velcro. Goes for about 20€.
Bandanna - Handkerchief, bandanna, Shemagh, rag, same thing... lots of uses. Carry a few. Dust mask, sling, t-kit, blow your nose, clean your lenses, stuff a bullet hole, whatever.
Lighter - Cheap pressurized butane ones are best. My favorites are Bic, no child-safety shit, adjustable and they're translucent so I can see if it's almost empty. Keep 2 of these around, 1 in base, 1 on you. Just to be safe, have a fire rod as well. These can take a punishment and will work in high winds.
Electrical tape – you can’t fit a roll of 100MPH tape into your kit, but this stuff works well in a pinch. Black is prefered. Hang a roll in your pack for instance.
Sunscreen - A tube of chapstick can be important if sitting in the sun for too long with sensitive skin, The unscented stuff is made for babies and comes in a pink and white tube. Go ahead and laugh but they are the best.
Shit paper - Bring a short roll of the good stuff from home and fold it down flat and stuff it in a waterproof plastic bag. HQ will have some spare ones. If you wanna prevent Klingons, put some individually-packaged handi-wipes in your base gear too.
Hot sauce – Speaking of , the menu isn't that diverse. Bring some with you in case someone’s always stealing the stuff. I like Habanero Tabasco myself but Curry will do the trick too.
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Fuel Pills/Heat Tabs - Fuel tablets like the one Esbit makes are so fucking useful I have no clue just how to explain how motherfucking useful they are. Yeah I do... cold food sucks. If you can smell it, then the packaging has a hole in it, use some tape to re-seal it. These stink, so I usually tape them up as soon as I get them. not as effective as gas cookers, but they are damn small and cheap and get the job done. Esbit also has a folding stove that fits into almost any pocket or pouch and cost like 3€.
Ear Protection - For sleeping next to a walrus or when you need to talk after a demolition breach. Safety pins can hold these inside a pouch pretty well... so you don't have to dig for them. Use a drop of alcohol in your ears every other day to reduce the risk of ear infections.
Binoculars/Monocular - compact and as high-powered as you can afford. Not being able to ID anything sucks ass. A scope on the gun with 5x magnification saves space and weight. Some people use their scopes to identify friendly forces, from a distance this can make you look like a threat to a dumbass that doesn’t have an optic. Just play it safe and try not to aim at friendlies, OK? Dont go for chinese crap, buy a well-known brand that will last a lifetime. Steiner is top of the line, but there are many cheaper alternatives.
mp3 player - Rock out. Just start thinking about how you're gonna load it, power it, shit like that. Oh yeah, don't bring that shit with you on missions. I'll fucking kill you. If you fall asleep in a truck during a mission, expect someone hitting you with something heavy… maybe in the face.
Safety Pins – The kind you get off an ammo bandolier are the best. Black, strong, rust-resistant… they’re great for staging earplugs, index-cards, LED lights, chemlights, signal panels, whatever. For pockets, sew in a D-ring so you can attach it there.
Backpack Most will get back to base at night for some sleep. So you dont need to haul all your gear all week. Get a smallish backpack for the bare essentials, no bigger than 20 liter capacity: Food, ammo, spare eye-protection, water, clothing. I use a Tasmanian Tiger 15 liter pack called Essentials pack, goes for around 50€. This way i wont be tempted to stuff it with shit i dont need. Always pack light, after four days your back will thank you for every gram you didnt carry.
Belt or rig Logical ergonomics dictate that whatever your job and stature is, you will have the most muscles in your legs. Not the shoulders or hands. Your combat gear hence should be put on the hips to minimize fatigue. The number one priority is what you use during a plastic fight: Magazines and your CQB-pistol. Number two is a light and a radio. Number three is a small multi-purpose pouch (grenades or more magazines, Begadi makes a Mag sized utility pouch that fits three AR-style magazines). The rest goes into your backpack. Use a beltpad or beltsleeve to prevent webbing burns and to add a column or two of molle mounting space. At least one of the magazine pouches for your main weapon should be optimised for duel situations, like Templar Gears Fast magazine pouch.
Lots of magazines makes a chest rig a crucial addition. The three front-mounted magazine pouches should be of single magazine depth. Try to find a small or micro-sized chest rig to keep the weight to a minimum.
Tie your shit down – Learn an End-of-Line Bowline and maybe a Double Figure Eight knot. Use tie downs. Put a little carabiner on the end of your tie-down to attach it to your helmet, your rack, etc.
If it’s mission critical, tie it down…
Put your shit on and shove yourself into as many positions as possible with it. Know it, know what you can do with it, but more importantly... know what you can't do with it. Run, go prone, march, rehearse. Just make sure it fits. You can thank me later.
Mark your shit - Use name tapes, laundry markers or both. Remember, there's only one thief in the army... everybody else is just trying to get their shit back.
Other stuff
It's good to pack some shit that'll keep you comfortable... but there's a time and place for everything. I'm pretty sure you don't need a carton of cigarrs for a patrol. Nor your favourite teddybear. Bare essentials is what you need, the rest you keep in base. Don't do anything because it looks cool, Don't bullshit yourself: If you don't need that ninja sword... ditch it. Looking cool is not the same as being efficient... chances are you're the only one that thought you looked cool anyway. Do it because it works. If you have to convince yourself it works, it probably doesn’t work as well as you think. Always refine your tactics, techniques and procedures.
Stage magazines everywhere, be like the fucking ammo Duracell rabbit. I seen effective players going thru 15 mags in a single fight and they still had to re-load before the fight was over. Go figure. Plus they are plastic and light compared to the real deal.
Know your routes. Know your alternate routes. If you don’t have alternates, your plan is incomplete. Memorize key areas and routes from the map.
If it'll make your job easier, buy it. Or you'll regret it later, out in the field, and miserable... where it's not available.
If you’re out for a long walk, maybe think about bringing something small and calorie-packed shit. You don’t wanna go overboard with the energy bars and fucking red bull, good as it is. Get a zip-loc plastic bag and fill it with nuts, raisins, dextrose and chocolate. Its called "Fjällsnus" and is what long distance cross-country skiers use during competition, works for you too. Pre-pack one for each day before leaving home.
Don’t be a dirty bastard. Shower, clean up after yourself, keep your gear clean. . Don’t be the arse that takes all the hot water, refuses to clean anything or becomes a card-carrying member of the save-the-piss-tree-foundation (A piss-tree is a tree with white shit-paper around it, you go there to piss) Hey Princess, you’re not the center of the fucking universe. Keep your tentarea clean enough for everybody to feel like home. And make sure theres a 5 meter gap to the next tent or you will have to move the tent in the middle fo the night, fire safety can close down the entire site! Bring a heavy duty shovel to dig trenches around your tent, or it will float away when it rains. It always rains on Berget.
Speaking of tents, if you dont bring your own, be there early so you get a tent without holes. Sleeping in a dry tent is bloody marvellous compared to waking up in a damp, wet place freezing your nuts off and all your gear being cold.Berget now has new tents wich have no holes. But lack heaters. So be sure to have spare clothing packed water tight.
Washing and teethbrushing is done without clothes on the upper body, even in winter. After you put your shirt back you will know why...
Check your vehicle before EVERY run. If you can't, at least pay attention. Get out, kick the tires, check the fluids, look underneath, get to know your truck. End result: make your truck reliable. Basically, baby it before you have to beat it to death.
"--- SPAM !!! --- it… Let’s go” usually kills you. Have a plan. Or better yet, have plan, a backup plan and an emergency plan.
Not knowing shit sucks! Keep everyone informed. Ask your officers for new info. you can alsways pop into HW and ask, even get a cup of coffe. Situation might be that we dont have time for a long, hot shower together, but you will at least get some info.
Third day is when all the broken legs appear, old skiiers truth. Fridays are the days where most mistakes happen. Be prepered for that and expect yourself to make stupid mistakes you normally dont do. Write it down helps a bit but rest & refit even more: Take a few hours off, have something hot to drink, a shower and a quick wank. It really fucking helps morale for everyone around you.
The biggest difference between a good palyer and a newbie, is that the good player shoots a lot more accurate and presents a smaller target. Take good care of your aiming device, clean it, zero it in each morning. If you use optics, make sure to have a kill flash or scope extender to prevent reflexes from the sun. My advice on set-ups for rifles is a 4x or 5x magnifying optic with iron sights as backup. Spend a bit more on these as the chinese crap is inaccurate, inconsistent and bleeds often.
Minor update for 2020 in this colour
About These items i have all tried personally over the course of some 30 years, serving in two armies and doing a lot of walks in rough terrain. These work for me! There are other solutions, brands and personal preference or experience. In the end, its your choice and your money. If you never been in the forrest, these items listed here will work. If you are a seasoned pro, you might go for different solutions/brands than i do.
Carabiners – You probably don’t need a full-size climbing carabiner. Get one of those little screw-gate links at the hardware store. You can use it to secure your gear without having to re-tie the para cord every time you move it. Also usefull in combination with a daisyrope in base.
Lights - You need a light for different situations:
Weaponlight - Whatever light you choose for your gun, make sure it's an LED. LED lights are great because they're very shock-resistant and don't need to be replaced like bulbs do. The bad thing about LED lights is the brightness of most of them don't throw a very bright light beam for a very long distance. The LED lights that can do this are usually a bit more expensive. My opinion? cry once and fork out the cash for a quality light. The industry standard is around 65+ lumens minimum for a decent weapon light. I recommend an Olight S1A Baton, uses AA (R6) batteries and goes for bout 40€. I have it on a Viking Tactics mount with a quick disconnect, if i need to crawl in a tunnel where my rifle dont fit. The use for one on Berget is limited, but it is sometimes very usefull, like inside buildings.
Keychain lights - Other places to put a light are easy, where do you use light at? I use a Traser H-3 Tritium light that glows for 10 years. Use green colour as this is the most easy to see. Cost bout 14€. I use it in all the big bags I use… and even some big pouches that I use often. Here’s why: I can’t see inside the fucking bag. A headlamp can’t look straight down into my accessories pouch on my chest. Put a light on a piece of para cord and safety pin that fucker in there or have it around your neck on a piece of para cord. It’s a solution, but not the only one. If you use it in the field, make sure it is not bright white. Forrests on maps tend to be harder to see with red or green light, try to mark those areas in a darker colour before heading out.
Other recommendations are an Olight I3T, goes for bout 20€ uses AAA and is usefull as a backup/handheld light, you can paracord it around your neck or use the clip to put in on your cap too.
Spare batteries - Make a list of all the electrically-powered shit that you carry with you and bring spares for all of it.
If you're smart, you'll have most of your shit set up so that it uses the same types of batteries. Have a place to put them, tape them together with duct tape. Tip: Leave rechargeable batteries for non-mission-critical shit like your mp3 player. Cold will deplete the charge on a rechargeable battery like there is no tomorrow.
Lithium batteries aren’t too adversely affected by cold and have a longer storage life than alkaline batteries. They’re more expensive, but if I’m going to bet my life on a battery, it’s going to be a lithium. I only use AAA (R3) in my stuff, AA (R6) is an option. For the guns i use the same type of LiPo, connectors and magazines, so i dont need to change shit out on my rig just because my main gun went down with the flu.
Rifle Sling - very personal preference. Mount it so it does not get in the way of optics, if you dont want a sling, use a carabiner and some paracord to attach it to your shoulder when you need two hands for map reading or shoving non-friendlies around. Two-point is the better option for those long marches. Just make sure you dont have a metal attachments to your gun, use paracord between gun and sling to keep the noise down. Same goes for most metal-on-metal items.
Radio - Platoon leaders and above will get Berget-issued Puxings wich are really good. Get a PTT and headset since they only include a monofon. Dont forget to charge them each night.
For Intra-squad/platoon chit chat/Fire net/whatever, i recommend the Baofeng UV-5R. Comes in 20+ different versions and even some different brand names, but only have minor differences. Cost about 30 €, is dual-band VHF/UHF for all commonly used frequencies. If you are unsure how to charge them, buy a battery case for 6€ so you can use AA or AAA batteries. For comfort i advice to buy a PTT and a Bowman-style headset. If you worry bout range, wich you should on berget, you can replace the antenna with a forrest antenna like the Nagoya 771. These radios can be a bitch to program as Baofeng doesnt support shit. The easiest way to do it is to buy a USB-cable, Download the Open-source application CHIRP and this handy file of frequencies, Thanks to Thinker from Airsoft Sverige. An english manual that you can actually understand can be found here, thanks to Lennart Lidberg
Boots – Get seriously good boots. And i do mean the expensive ones like Loewe, Haix, Meindl, Hanwag etc. And make it Goretex too. Make sure to walk them in properly before gamestart! Many have their own preferences on what type of boot you should use, I use Bergstiefel, leicht from the german army for more than 20 years now. All the above make civilians versions of them. Others are just as good. Rule of thumb, if its cheaper than 195€, find a better pair.
Socks - Wear wool socks, even when it’s as hot as the surface of the sun. Wool wicks moisture, you’ll figure it out. Smartwool is touted as being one of the best. But almost any brand will do. Put fresh ones on each morning, and after each rain.
Base layer Transports moisture away from your body as quickly as possible through capillary action. Wool is excellent for this too as it keeps warmer than modern function clothing. This might change in a few years tough.
Mid layers It can be cooler on Berget, down to 0 degrees celcius.This layer adds warmth. So make sure you have a mid layer for those moments. Get a really good fleece to have under your field jacket. My new favourite is Stellar Equipments Mid Jacket 2.0, goes for 99€ and is almost a softshell too, but others can be found for as little as 35€ for a "Norge"-shirt. these dont need to be in your factions camoflage either, just like rain gear. This should keep you comfy down to minus 5 degrees celcius.
Shell Layer/rain gear The best option is a hard shell jacket from Norrøna or Arc'teryx, but they cost a small fortune. You can find a decent one from Helly Hansen, Haglöfs, Berghaus and others for 150€ in a funky colour, wear it under your field jacket. Budget tip: Used german army gore-tex jacket can be found for as little as 35€. A tarp or poncho is light and nice, but not good enough for hard rain. Gaiters is a good idea after it rains, as the grass will be wet for hours afterwards.
Insulation Layer Not really needed, but if you easily freeze in the morning, or have a cheap summer sleeping bag, its really comfy to throw on under the shell jacket. Synthetic down is almost as good as real down, but dries much more quickly. Should keep you warm down to minus 20 degrees celcius.
Rifles Most will use a class 2 rifle. Whatever your preference, it should have a 14" barrel, use DEANS connectors to the battery and be less powerfull than 1,69 Joules. Be extremly meticiously bout zeroing the sights! A bonus if everyone in the squad use the same type of magazines, so you can swap if need be. Learn and train re-load drills!!
GPS - Small, easy-to-read, back-lit, uses readily-available batteries. I like the Garmin Foretrex 101, 301 or 401. It can strap to your wrist, uses AAA batteries, has a backlight, 500 storable waypoints... stay away from the 201 though, it's a rechargeable unit made for sailing. Whatever you choose, make sure everyone on your patrol knows how to use it. The more GPS units, the merrier. If you know mapreading by heart, you can even go without one on Berget. I dont bother with one at all these days.
Compass – The GPS may trick you, but a compass and map never lie. Never assume your patrol will run you through known areas and back to base. What if you have to be quick reaction for another patrol or contractors or a downed helo? The compass is more reliable than a GPS. I can always tell my buddy on the radio "I'm on the north side of the house" or to that effect if I can easily reference a compass. Leave the digital bullshit alone for this tool; they're slow, they need to be calibrated a lot and they take batteries. --- SPAM !!! --- that.
NOTE: Photo-luminous shit is inconvenient and I think the fucking designers that use it are borderline insane. It doesn’t last that long, so to get the glow-in-the-dark-shit to work, you shine a bright light on it. It fades quickly however, so you have to periodically re-charge it. It basically comes down to you using your light to see in the dark, rather than reading your watch or compass via some glow-in-the-dark bullshit. Long story short, use tritium, it glows for about ten years… not five minutes. Suunto and Silva both makes really good compasses, some where the dial is tritium-lit, and they track very well, isn’t liquid-filled (bubbles in a compass are bad) and goes for about 35 euro. Stay away from US-made Silva ones, this is a completely different company and has nothing in common with the Swedish one.
Watch You most likely have a smartphone for taking photos of bad guys, know the time etc. But a analog wristwatch is more reliable (change battery before leaving home!). It can also work a an emergency solution if your compass is lost. KHS makes decently priced, 200€, one with Tritium dials.
Water bottles/ canteens - Some prefer the old-fashioned canteens, but I like the Nalgene 32oz (almost a liter) bottle because I can see what the contents are, it doesn't hold bad tastes, it's easily cleaned and I can measure and mix stuff in it. Canteens have a narrow mouth, can’t accept ice cubes and will warp or melt when holding very hot water. The cons are: wide-mouth bottles spill easier while drinking, especially in vehicles. There are solutions for this, but they cost extra. My favorite cost extra is called a ”Capcap”, funny name… bloody great item. A very nice extra is the Source Convertube that extends the Nalgene (and many other bottles too) with a drinking tube. Civil versions cost like 17€ while the military one ("SNEP") cost like 30€. Might be better off buying the civil one and camoflage it a bit as it comes in shiny blue.
Cup - Whether you're on a patrol or pulling shifts on an OP, being able to heat what you eat is a fucking huge morale boost. Hot coffee on a OP shift can really assist in keeping your head straight. Get a metal cup for whatever water bottle you use and grab a fistful of heat tablets before you head out the door. Olicamp, Tatonka, Helikon-Tex and Vargo make cups that fit perfectly under a Nalgene bottle. Cost about 15€
Paper/ Pen/ Pencil - You’ll need to write, the shit you write in combat is usually a little more important than normal shit. Keep in mind that sweat and water will destroy regular paper. Use waterproof paper or index cards. Rite-In-The-Rain or Snugpack waterproof index cards are great. Ink will run, so consider your favorite brand of mechanical pencil as well, I like the size 5B, they tear paperless and break lead less. plus you can sharpen them easily in the field.
Mosquito reppelant Buy the local brand Djungelolja. it works, has 20% DEET, 'nough said. also get a mosquito net for your headgear, works both as a camoflage of your face and disrupts the shape of the human head.
Knife The best option in the forrest is an Axe. My choice since many years is the Gränsfors Small forrest axe. Cost bout 120€. With it i can easily build a Spanish rider, a bridge or a house. However, on Berget you cant cut down trees, so a knife is a better option. Something you can use to cut with that you can get to easily. Leave the Rambo III Special Ninja Edition bullshit at home. I recommend a Finnish Sissipukko, excellent in the woods, can be drawn silently, well secured so it doesnt come loose when rolling into an alternative fire position. Its Carbon steel so you want to give it a bit more love than stainless steeled ones. goes for bout 80€. Budget alternative: Morakniv Kansbol goes for as little as 25€.
Multitool - What do you need a multitool for? I guarantee someone makes a tool that does what you need. Find one that fits your needs, a good pouch for it on your rig is invaluable as well. Adjustable nylon pistol magazine pouches work great for this purpose. Make sure it has at least a blade, can opener, bottle opener, scissors, pliers, a file and some scredrivers. I personally prefer the old Gerber Scout 600 for bout 55€, but most will do just fine as long as they are not made in china! If you only will get one knife, get a multitool. Or at least a Swiss army Knife if you are on a budget, these can be found for bout 25€.
The cool flipper-style folding knives are near useless in the field. Leave them at home.
Eye Protection - Whatever it is, make sure it's EN166-certified. Get one for sunny days and a clear one for night ops. Keep the spare in your pack, no need for it in base when your main ones just got shot to pieces! Dont get a yellow cool shooters version, you´ll get tired after three days use. Eyepro sucks? Start saving up for that seeing-eye dog.
Zip-ties - A handy place to put zip ties is behind pouches or woven into PALS webbing. Check to make sure it doesn’t interfere with your kit or shooting. If you can't figure out a use for zip-ties then you just need to off yourself.
Medic kit – We are in a civilized place with a hospital just 10 klicks away, so no need for that tourniquette or israeli bandadge. Get some plasters and some painkillers + something to sterilize open wounds. If you are allergic to something or have some medical condition, get stuff for that too, and make sure your mates know about it and what to do in an emergency.
Keep some stripes of white cloth so you can resupply your medic after he saved your arse again.
Bungee Cords – If I had enough bungee cords I could probably conquer Poldavia. They can be seriously helpful for keeping stuff around in the vehicle or keeping the kit together on a rig. Get one or two, they are cheap too.
Gloves – Use gloves, don't use gloves... do what you want, they're your hands. Just keep in mind that Charlie is smelly and dirty and that you'll be handling everything from mines all the way down to hanging out with broken glass, jagged metal, industrial adhesives, solvents, shit like that. Like I said, they're your hands. Get an extra pair just to be safe. Mechanix are good, i recommend the version "Fast fit" as these do not have velcro. Goes for about 20€.
Bandanna - Handkerchief, bandanna, Shemagh, rag, same thing... lots of uses. Carry a few. Dust mask, sling, t-kit, blow your nose, clean your lenses, stuff a bullet hole, whatever.
Lighter - Cheap pressurized butane ones are best. My favorites are Bic, no child-safety shit, adjustable and they're translucent so I can see if it's almost empty. Keep 2 of these around, 1 in base, 1 on you. Just to be safe, have a fire rod as well. These can take a punishment and will work in high winds.
Electrical tape – you can’t fit a roll of 100MPH tape into your kit, but this stuff works well in a pinch. Black is prefered. Hang a roll in your pack for instance.
Sunscreen - A tube of chapstick can be important if sitting in the sun for too long with sensitive skin, The unscented stuff is made for babies and comes in a pink and white tube. Go ahead and laugh but they are the best.
Shit paper - Bring a short roll of the good stuff from home and fold it down flat and stuff it in a waterproof plastic bag. HQ will have some spare ones. If you wanna prevent Klingons, put some individually-packaged handi-wipes in your base gear too.
Hot sauce – Speaking of , the menu isn't that diverse. Bring some with you in case someone’s always stealing the stuff. I like Habanero Tabasco myself but Curry will do the trick too.
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Fuel Pills/Heat Tabs - Fuel tablets like the one Esbit makes are so fucking useful I have no clue just how to explain how motherfucking useful they are. Yeah I do... cold food sucks. If you can smell it, then the packaging has a hole in it, use some tape to re-seal it. These stink, so I usually tape them up as soon as I get them. not as effective as gas cookers, but they are damn small and cheap and get the job done. Esbit also has a folding stove that fits into almost any pocket or pouch and cost like 3€.
Ear Protection - For sleeping next to a walrus or when you need to talk after a demolition breach. Safety pins can hold these inside a pouch pretty well... so you don't have to dig for them. Use a drop of alcohol in your ears every other day to reduce the risk of ear infections.
Binoculars/Monocular - compact and as high-powered as you can afford. Not being able to ID anything sucks ass. A scope on the gun with 5x magnification saves space and weight. Some people use their scopes to identify friendly forces, from a distance this can make you look like a threat to a dumbass that doesn’t have an optic. Just play it safe and try not to aim at friendlies, OK? Dont go for chinese crap, buy a well-known brand that will last a lifetime. Steiner is top of the line, but there are many cheaper alternatives.
mp3 player - Rock out. Just start thinking about how you're gonna load it, power it, shit like that. Oh yeah, don't bring that shit with you on missions. I'll fucking kill you. If you fall asleep in a truck during a mission, expect someone hitting you with something heavy… maybe in the face.
Safety Pins – The kind you get off an ammo bandolier are the best. Black, strong, rust-resistant… they’re great for staging earplugs, index-cards, LED lights, chemlights, signal panels, whatever. For pockets, sew in a D-ring so you can attach it there.
Backpack Most will get back to base at night for some sleep. So you dont need to haul all your gear all week. Get a smallish backpack for the bare essentials, no bigger than 20 liter capacity: Food, ammo, spare eye-protection, water, clothing. I use a Tasmanian Tiger 15 liter pack called Essentials pack, goes for around 50€. This way i wont be tempted to stuff it with shit i dont need. Always pack light, after four days your back will thank you for every gram you didnt carry.
Belt or rig Logical ergonomics dictate that whatever your job and stature is, you will have the most muscles in your legs. Not the shoulders or hands. Your combat gear hence should be put on the hips to minimize fatigue. The number one priority is what you use during a plastic fight: Magazines and your CQB-pistol. Number two is a light and a radio. Number three is a small multi-purpose pouch (grenades or more magazines, Begadi makes a Mag sized utility pouch that fits three AR-style magazines). The rest goes into your backpack. Use a beltpad or beltsleeve to prevent webbing burns and to add a column or two of molle mounting space. At least one of the magazine pouches for your main weapon should be optimised for duel situations, like Templar Gears Fast magazine pouch.
Lots of magazines makes a chest rig a crucial addition. The three front-mounted magazine pouches should be of single magazine depth. Try to find a small or micro-sized chest rig to keep the weight to a minimum.
Tie your shit down – Learn an End-of-Line Bowline and maybe a Double Figure Eight knot. Use tie downs. Put a little carabiner on the end of your tie-down to attach it to your helmet, your rack, etc.
If it’s mission critical, tie it down…
Put your shit on and shove yourself into as many positions as possible with it. Know it, know what you can do with it, but more importantly... know what you can't do with it. Run, go prone, march, rehearse. Just make sure it fits. You can thank me later.
Mark your shit - Use name tapes, laundry markers or both. Remember, there's only one thief in the army... everybody else is just trying to get their shit back.
Other stuff
It's good to pack some shit that'll keep you comfortable... but there's a time and place for everything. I'm pretty sure you don't need a carton of cigarrs for a patrol. Nor your favourite teddybear. Bare essentials is what you need, the rest you keep in base. Don't do anything because it looks cool, Don't bullshit yourself: If you don't need that ninja sword... ditch it. Looking cool is not the same as being efficient... chances are you're the only one that thought you looked cool anyway. Do it because it works. If you have to convince yourself it works, it probably doesn’t work as well as you think. Always refine your tactics, techniques and procedures.
Stage magazines everywhere, be like the fucking ammo Duracell rabbit. I seen effective players going thru 15 mags in a single fight and they still had to re-load before the fight was over. Go figure. Plus they are plastic and light compared to the real deal.
Know your routes. Know your alternate routes. If you don’t have alternates, your plan is incomplete. Memorize key areas and routes from the map.
If it'll make your job easier, buy it. Or you'll regret it later, out in the field, and miserable... where it's not available.
If you’re out for a long walk, maybe think about bringing something small and calorie-packed shit. You don’t wanna go overboard with the energy bars and fucking red bull, good as it is. Get a zip-loc plastic bag and fill it with nuts, raisins, dextrose and chocolate. Its called "Fjällsnus" and is what long distance cross-country skiers use during competition, works for you too. Pre-pack one for each day before leaving home.
Don’t be a dirty bastard. Shower, clean up after yourself, keep your gear clean. . Don’t be the arse that takes all the hot water, refuses to clean anything or becomes a card-carrying member of the save-the-piss-tree-foundation (A piss-tree is a tree with white shit-paper around it, you go there to piss) Hey Princess, you’re not the center of the fucking universe. Keep your tentarea clean enough for everybody to feel like home. And make sure theres a 5 meter gap to the next tent or you will have to move the tent in the middle fo the night, fire safety can close down the entire site! Bring a heavy duty shovel to dig trenches around your tent, or it will float away when it rains. It always rains on Berget.
Speaking of tents, if you dont bring your own, be there early so you get a tent without holes. Sleeping in a dry tent is bloody marvellous compared to waking up in a damp, wet place freezing your nuts off and all your gear being cold.Berget now has new tents wich have no holes. But lack heaters. So be sure to have spare clothing packed water tight.
Washing and teethbrushing is done without clothes on the upper body, even in winter. After you put your shirt back you will know why...
Check your vehicle before EVERY run. If you can't, at least pay attention. Get out, kick the tires, check the fluids, look underneath, get to know your truck. End result: make your truck reliable. Basically, baby it before you have to beat it to death.
"--- SPAM !!! --- it… Let’s go” usually kills you. Have a plan. Or better yet, have plan, a backup plan and an emergency plan.
Not knowing shit sucks! Keep everyone informed. Ask your officers for new info. you can alsways pop into HW and ask, even get a cup of coffe. Situation might be that we dont have time for a long, hot shower together, but you will at least get some info.
Third day is when all the broken legs appear, old skiiers truth. Fridays are the days where most mistakes happen. Be prepered for that and expect yourself to make stupid mistakes you normally dont do. Write it down helps a bit but rest & refit even more: Take a few hours off, have something hot to drink, a shower and a quick wank. It really fucking helps morale for everyone around you.
The biggest difference between a good palyer and a newbie, is that the good player shoots a lot more accurate and presents a smaller target. Take good care of your aiming device, clean it, zero it in each morning. If you use optics, make sure to have a kill flash or scope extender to prevent reflexes from the sun. My advice on set-ups for rifles is a 4x or 5x magnifying optic with iron sights as backup. Spend a bit more on these as the chinese crap is inaccurate, inconsistent and bleeds often.