Priorities of Purchase; Progressively Building a Rifleman’s Kit on a Budget

This article is not for most of you readers, as you probably already have at least a basic understanding of what gear you do and don’t need. I am not writing this article for you, I am writing it so you can show it to your friends who are just breaking into the realm of preparing for the coming fight, and need a little guidance. At the very least, read it so you can make recommendations to them so that they will be assets, not burdens, when you eventually strap up and take them on a patrol.

WARNING: Opinion

If you’re just starting out into prepping and you’re looking to build up a fighting kit, all of the info out there can be pretty overwhelming. The natural tendency is to focus on the cool-looking points of your gear, but this can be counter-productive, especially when you have a fixed income. For example, it’s natural to immediately buy an AR with a bunch of accessories, and maybe splurge on a high-end plate carrier and plates because that’s what you see all the “cool guys” wearing, and you need body armor right? The problem is that you just spent a ton of money on your rig, and you haven’t invested into some other basic things you need to sustain yourself during operations, like a good pack, ammo, or even canteens.
In this article I will list the purchasing priorities for building a rifleman’s kit piece-by-piece, so that you can efficiently build up your gear and yourself to be as ready as possible for when it’s time to defend yourself and your liberties. I am trimming away all of the tacti-cool fat and unnecessary gear so you can make the most out of your limited budget and keep your priorities straight.
I must note here that this is not a post about prepping. Things such as alternate energy, homesteading, and water purification are indeed important, but are beyond the scope of this article and my expertise. Perhaps someone more knowledgeable than I could write up a similar article along those lines later on. I am writing purely from the perspective of someone who is gearing up for a potential civil conflict/WROL scenario looking to make themselves an asset to their family, their team, and their country. Again, everything you’re about to read is my personal opinion based off my experience, feel free to disagree with anything I say.
 

Rifleman’s Essentials

This is the bare minimum of what you need to be proficient in a firefight, and thus where you should start.
The first step is simple, as a rifleman you need a rifle. Notice I said a rifle, not a rifle with a scope, laser, bipod, and flashlight, those are much further down the list. I’m talking about a bare-bones rifle with iron sights AND THAT’S IT. For now.  Also note that rifle was singular.  It’s better to have one rifle and a full kit and ammo than ten empty weapons collecting dust. There’s too much that goes into weapon selection to cover here in depth, so I’ll be brief. Your rifle should if possible meet the following criteria:

  • It should be easy to feed. 6.5 Creedmore or .300 BLK are neat cartridges, but you can’t afford to be paying over a dollar/round. These days the best choice is probably 7.62×39, which can still be had for 40 cents per round. This is, however, a call you should make yourself. If magazine-fed it should use affordable, commonly available mags.
  • It should be reliable. There’s a lot of gimmicky weapons out there, try to stick with combat-proven platforms that don’t have a tendency to go click when you need them to go bang.
  • It should, if possible, be matched to your environment and mission profile. To determine this you will need to consider how you will be operating. At what distance will you most likely engage targets? Will you need to make shots through brush, or is your terrain more open? An accurate survey of your surroundings will determine factors such as caliber, barrel length, etc.

If you have a limited selection, any rifle is better than no rifle. Even if you have a bolt-action Mosin-Nagant or a hunting rifle, you can be effective with it if you train accordingly.
Next you need the ability to feed said rifle. You should purchase 1,000 rounds of whatever caliber you are running, put it in sealed ammo cans, and DO NOT TOUCH IT. This is your emergency reserve, you only pull it out if you need it to protect life, liberty, and property in SHTF. Buy in bulk online for the cheapest prices. Any ammo you buy beyond this you can shoot in training.
Also in the realm of feeding your rifle, you need additional feeding devices (magazines, stripper clips, enblocs, etc.). For a start, you need to be able to carry at least 120 rounds on your person plus whatever’s in the gun, so at a minimum 5-6 magazines or that equivalent amount in stripper clips. If you can get more, get more. You can never have too many magazines, but at this point 5-7 will suffice.
Now you need a way to carry all those magazines on your body, so you should get some kind of load-bearing gear. There’s a ton of articles, videos, and posts about different kinds of kit so I won’t go too in-depth here. Suffice to say that you don’t yet need body armor, just a way to carry your combat equipment and ammo.
Medical equipment is next. You need a trauma kit to quickly mitigate life-threatening injuries so you can survive the trip to the hospital/casualty collection point. You need items like quick clot, bandages, chest seals, etc. in your IFAK somewhere on your gear. You also need tourniquets, 2-4 of them. Get the same type so you only need to practice one way, and then get an extra one to practice with. Make sure your IFAK is somewhere you can easily acces it, i.e. NOT on your back.
You need a way to carry water on your load-bearing kit. You won’t last long in combat operations without water, so you need to have some on your gear. Camelbacks work great, but make sure you have extra bladders in case it pops. Canteens work as well, but if that’s all you have then you will need to get used to drinking a whole one-quart canteen all at once to prevent a half-full canteen from sloshing and making unwanted noise. It is possible, Marine Recruits do it every night in boot camp before going to bed.

Sustainment Gear

Now that you have all the Rifleman’s Essentials, you need to have the ability to sustain yourself in combat operations for a few days or even weeks. Sustainment gear satisfies basic human needs for survival such as water, food, and shelter, to keep you alive during extended periods of time in the field. For our purposes, we will assume a 1-week field stay without resupply.

First and foremost, you need a pack to carry everything. There’s a ton of models out there, so let me save you some trouble. Get a medium ALICE pack, preferably with a frame. It’s simple, been in service with the military for decades (even though no longer issued, trust me it’s still in use), and is big enough to hold everything you need without a lot of extra space. It’s also much cheaper than newer packs of comparable size and durability, making it ideal for the budget warrior. That’s my recommendation, do with it what you will.

If you haven’t already, get a sling for your rifle. Slings are useful for saving your arms during long patrols, stabilizing the rifle in a prepared firing position, freeing your hands for other tasks, and keeping accountability of your weapon so it’s ready to go at any time. Get an easily adjustable 2-point sling, single-points are only good for CQB and in mounted vehicle operations. My personal go-to is the Blue Force Tactical Vickers Sling, but there are other good ones out there.

The first basic human need for survival is water. You cannot carry enough water in your pack for a week’s worth of combat operations, so you need a way to purify/filter water in the field. I highly recommend Sawyer Mini water filters. They’re small, weigh almost nothing, re-usable for more water than you will ever drink in your life, and only cost about $20 each. You should also have about half a gallon more water in your pack in addition to what’s on your gear, so two additional canteens will do nicely.

The next basic human need is food. Technically, you can survive for 40 days without eating before facing any permanent harm to your body, but you’re not planning on merely “surviving” are you? We’re talking about combat operations, and whether it’s patrolling, manning an observation post, or getting into gunfights, there’s a lot of physical exertion involved and you need calories to keep going. If you can get them, military MREs are a great option that is lightweight, compact, and calorie-dense. Plan on eating 2 per day, field strip them, and put them in your pack. If you can’t get MREs, there are similar options on the civilian side of the house, Mountain House being a great one. Canned chilis and soups are also decent options if you have nothing else, but they get heavy. Camp stoves, while nice and compact, are luxury items. Up to you if you want to spend your money on one, but if we’re trimming all the fat, save your money.

The final basic human need is shelter, or protection from the elements. This will vary greatly depending on your environment. If you live where it gets chilly at night, you will need a compact sleeping bag. If you’re further north you will need two sleeping bags, a lightweight one for summer and a heavier one that can stand freezing temperatures. If you live further south, you can probably get away with just a light blanket or even no warming layers at all in summer. If you live in mosquito country, you may choose to invest in a bug net for sleeping in just your clothes.

Unless you live in an arid climate, you will have to contend with rain at some point. During the daytime this may not be an issue, but being wet and cold at night trying to sleep is miserable, and could be lethal if you get hypothermia. Invest in a military surplus GI poncho or tarp, and learn how to make a Royal Marine Rig or lean-to out of it. Sleeping under a tarp may not be appealing to many, but it is well worth it not to carry around a tent everywhere. You will probably also want a sleeping pad, both for comfort and to keep your sleeping bag dry and out of the mud. Sleeping pads are also a lifesaver when you’re resting on your elbows for hours in an observation post.

Speaking of rain and mud, you will need some kind of rain gear to wear with your kit. Rain jackets, like Gore-Tex, are probably your best bet. Ponchos work but not with every type of load-bearing gear.

A great tool to have for field living is a good fighting knife/bayonet. Besides poking the blood out of people, a large (5”-8”) fighting knife can be used for a huge number of tasks in the bush, such as building a shelter, preparing a fire (tactical situation permitting), opening cans, cleaning fish, etc. Trust me, you won’t regret having a good knife somewhere on your kit.

Force Multipliers

Once you have the Rifleman’s Essentials and the ability to sustain yourself for up to a week during operations, then you can begin investing into force-multipliers. Force-multipliers are so called because they are tools which greatly enhance, or multiply, your lethality on the battlefield.

  • Another rifleman. Yes, that’s right, you shouldn’t be preparing and training alone, you are much more effective as a member of a team. Even if you just have one buddy working with you, it’s a huge leap in combat ability. Don’t just assume that if a civil war breaks out the militias will come to recruit you, you are the militia. Get a buddy, then get two more, and boom you got a fire team. And if you want to learn how to train up the other members of your fire team effectively, I have a class for that.

  • Night vision. The ability to move and fight at night is a massive bonus, especially for us as civilians. Our friends at Ready Made Resources have a great selection of NVGs at pretty decent prices, so go check them out. Now, be cautious here. You will need to save up a few thousand dollars to get a good quality night vision unit, and this will take time. You will be tempted to spend your money on other things as you save up, RESIST THE URGE. If you constantly say to yourself “yeah, I need night vision, but I can buy body armor and a cool scope right now,” you will never get your NVG. This needs to be a priority, so be patient.  This is such a high priority that I’d even recommend selling any extra weapons/gear you have to get night vision sooner.  I did, and have no regrets.

  • IR laser. Once you get your NVG (yay!) you will next need a way to aim your weapon using it. The most common way to do this is with an IR laser mounted on your rifle. There are a ton of expensive lasers out there, most of which cost over $1200. I highly recommend ordering a Perst-4 out of Russia. At $450 it’s a cheap, rugged military laser with great ergonomics, with the added bonus that it’s a full power class 3 laser.

  • Radios. Absolutely necessary if you plan to coordinate a large squad, or work alongside another team. With radios you can call for medevac, send tactical reports, and coordinate with an extraction team. Baofeng UV-5Rs are pretty good for the price, get a couple of them so you have somebody to talk to. Eventually you may choose to get a more advanced radio, but keep the Baofengs for your friends and teammates to borrow. While you’re at it, get trained so you can make the most out of your investment.

Once you have these investments out of the way, you can begin to add little bits and pieces to your gear as you train and find out what works for you and what doesn’t. Get to a training course where you can experience running your kit and find out what changes you need to make. Grab your sustainment pack and go camping with it for a couple days, see how it works for you. The more you train and practice using your gear, the more context you get for how to make practical investments in equipment that is useful and not just “cool looking.”

Additional Investments

I would like to add a few final notes on some other pieces of kit that you will at least consider buying during your journey, to put them into context as to their actual utility.

  • Body armor: Good kit, will stop incoming rounds to vital areas of your body. However, this must be weighed against the fact that it is heavy and uncomfortable, so you should do a realistic evaluation of your level of physical fitness as well as your mission profile. If you plan to wear body armor, plan to do a lot of workouts with it on. Don’t just look at yourself in the mirror and take it off, wear it for a couple hours walking around the house. Go for a run with it on. If you can’t run/jog 3 miles with your armor on without stopping, you’re not ready to use it as your main kit.

  • Ballistic helmet: Same deal as with body armor, protection at the cost of added weight. This time the weight is on your head. If you’re not used to wearing a kevlar helmet on your head for a few hours, I can tell you right now that it sucks. Your neck gets tired, parts of your skull get more pressure than others and start to hurt, and it makes you sweat. The new helmets aren’t immune to this either. I’ve worn LWHs, ECHs, OPS-Core high cuts, and MICH helmets, they all suck. Still a good thing to have, but if you’re gonna plan to use it for the real thing, make sure you use it in training a lot.

  • Optics: Red dots, LPVOs, fixed magnification scopes, etc. Whatever you get you should get for a purpose to enhance your existing skill. There’s a reason I put this so far down the list. If you practice and get good with your iron sights, you will be good with an optic. You will also have better context to decide what kind of optic you actually need/want. Magnification helps with target ID and longer ranges, illuminated reticles assist with aiming in low-light situations. Don’t buy cheap scopes, you get what you pay for with optics. I’ve seen amazon/wal-mart red dots randomly shut off due to recoil and even snap off the rifle during shooting.

  • Fore-grips: There is no objective “best option” here, it is literally user preference for comfort and has little to no effect on your shooting.

  • Weapon lights: Unless you’re on a SWAT team, tac-lights have no place on your rifle, the risk of accidentally hitting the on switch and getting you or your teammates killed is too great. If you do get a tac-light for that 1 in 1,000 chance that you actually enter and clear a dark structure, get a light with a QD mount that allows you to keep it in your pack until you need it, and take it off when you’re done.

  • Other rifle accessories: Before you put anything on your weapon, ask yourself, “does this make me more effective?” If the answer is yes, buy it. If the answer is no or probably not, save your money.

  • Handguns: You don’t need a handgun unless you conceal and carry. The reason is that there is nothing your handgun can do that your rifle can’t do better. The myth that “a transition is faster than a reload” is only true if you suck at reloads. You can better use the weight and space that your holster takes up by holding extra rifle mags instead.

  • Assault Packs: These are actually great for carrying stuff that you’d use on a 1-day patrol when you don’t need everything from your sustainment gear. Ideally, you’d get one that either fits inside or clips onto your sustainment pack. Use your assault pack to hold 1 day’s worth of chow, extra ammo/batteries, and anything else that your specific mission requires. Avoid the ones that strap directly to your plate carrier/vest, as you need to remove your fighting equipment to get anything out of it.

  • Magazines and ammo: This is never a bad idea. You can always use more mags and ammo, and so can your buddies if they’re running the same caliber as you (they should be).

  • Camouflage fatigues: Get a pattern that matches your environment and helps you blend in. If working within a team, try to have everyone wear the same pattern to avoid friendly fire. Keep in mind, however, wearing a “uniform” makes it easier for an enemy to PID you as hostile, but if you’re wearing a bunch of tactical gear with a rifle they can probably PID you anyway.

I hope this helps someone. As I stated at the beginning, everything here is simply my humble opinion, you are welcome to disagree with me in the comments.

Semper Paratus, Semper Discens, Semper Fidelis.

Spread the love
        1       
1
Share

Share This Story, Choose Your Platform!

About the Author: admin

83 Comments

  1. Anonymous April 7, 2021 at 06:32

    4.5

  2. Anonymous April 7, 2021 at 06:32

    4.5

  3. VAdeputy April 7, 2021 at 06:35

    Excellent article. Thank you sir.

    • Mike April 7, 2021 at 07:01

      Thanks man! Been wanting to write this one for a while.

      • VAdeputy April 7, 2021 at 21:43

        Mike (and everybody else),
        I have a handgun i got in a trade a while back (lightly used Beretta 92G). In addition to my issued firearms, it complements my sole personal handgun, a G19. It is also an off the books weapon…. Feasibly i could get $6-650 for it.
        I have a white phosphor PVS 14 that im currently just rocking with the skullcrusher mount. I feel like i need a helmet (like maybe an Ops Core Fast) and an IR laser (like maybe a Holosun LS117IR) to effectively utilize my PVS14.
        Should i sell the Beretta and buy those items, knowing that it may be the only off the books gun i may be able to get for a couple years ?
        Thanks.

        • Mike April 8, 2021 at 05:53

          I would say no, a skull crusher is a viable way to use the PVS-14 since it covers only one eye. That said, bump helmets aren’t that expensive (some are, but you’d be paying for overpriced brand names). You could even screw a helmet NVG mount plate to a bike/skateboard helmet and that would work too for not much money.

        • Johnny Paratrooper April 8, 2021 at 09:04

          A Beretta is a fine pistol. I would say keep it. And to reference what Mike said, A skate board helmet modified with mounting plates or an airsoft helmet(quality) would be a good investment. I have a half dozen or more combat/carry pistols from quality manufacturers and I intend to keep them all.

          • Mike April 8, 2021 at 09:26

            My buddy actually went the airsoft helmet route, spent about $40 on Amazon and it’s surprisingly good quality.

        • SOG April 8, 2021 at 10:59

          https://www.hardheadveterans.com/?msclkid=12782154343018599bd5413b2d560b32
          I have found ACH helmets for cheap at surplus stores, these helmets linked are better, they have rails for your ear pro/comms etc.. NVG shroud etc. the holoson laser is legit, i would grab a helmet first though, get either a ballistic or bump helmet to hold your nods and ear pro
          keep the pistol sell some other items or save for a helmet and IR laser
          https://tnvc.com/shop/steiner-tnvc-tor-mini-ir-vpc-variable-power-control/
          maybe sell a spare on the books pistol?

          • VAdeputy April 8, 2021 at 13:30

            thanks for the link to the mini steiner IR. I hadnt seen that one before. Would rather buy that than the Holosun.

  4. Anonymous April 7, 2021 at 07:00

    5

  5. Shillelagh Pog April 7, 2021 at 08:13

    The mention of no need for WML is heresy is most circles. I, however, tend to agree with your assessment. Keep it off until needed. Even with a light that you can “lock out” (Inforce WML) , it will get you in trouble when you think its unlocked, and its not. Nice article.

  6. Black3 April 7, 2021 at 08:27

    The assault/day pack is the origin of the bugout bag, which was nothing more than a SERE kit that sat under the top flap of the ruck so you could grab it if you had to dump ruck and bugout.

    • Mike April 7, 2021 at 10:18

      Interesting. No unit I’ve ever been in used them that way, we just used them as patrol packs to hold necessary equipment when going out for 1-3 days. I imagine SOP varies from branch to branch and unit to unit though.

      • Black3 April 7, 2021 at 10:33

        Yeah. Even going out for only a couple days, the loads were soul crushing. Which is why the bugout bag came around. Some ammo, food, signal and other miscellaneous stuff to get you to the PZ. But that also goes back to the survive out of your pockets, fight from you LBE and work out of your ruck. But I’m old enough to still remember suppressed Hi-Standard .22s in the arms room.

        • Mike April 8, 2021 at 05:55

          Personally, I have my SERE/FRAGO kit in a butt pack on my war belt, wo it’s with me whenever I’m wearing my kit. I use an assault pack for any additional mission-specific gear.

          • Black3 April 8, 2021 at 14:02

            Survival kit in the pockets Supplementes by what’s on the belt. The bugout bag had some food, I used MRE cakes or Powerbeats, extra ammo, a smoke grenade, some other miscellaneous stuff I won’t list here. Like I said, something to keep you going if you have to dump your ruck and run.

  7. Tmac78 April 7, 2021 at 09:04

    Great article. I will use it myself, and pass on to others.

    • Mike April 8, 2021 at 05:56

      Thanks! I’m glad this was helpful.

  8. Matt April 7, 2021 at 09:28

    When taking NC Scout’s Scout Course, during one of the exercises with OPFOR my rifle developed a malfunction where the cartridge case got jammed up above the gas tube (it was later removed by NCS with a pair of needle nose pliers). So for the remainder of the engagement I was left as nothing more than a spectator.
    Granted we were using blanks in a training scenario, but had it been a real world engagement a sidearm would have been a really good thing to have had. Could the rifle have been cleared by someone with more experience quicker than I could? You betcha. Would doing so at what was essentially CQB ranges be a good idea? I’m a newbie, but pulling a pistol and continuing the fight seems like a better idea.
    I love to hear your thoughts on this situation and ones like it.
    Matt

    • Mike April 8, 2021 at 06:47

      The reason it’s common wisdom to have a sidearm on your kit is because everyone sees SF guys doing it. The reason SF guys do it is because they do CQB a lot, and in that environment a pistol makes sense in case your weapon goes down.
      The reason I don’t recommend it to Guerrillas is because guerrillas shouldn’t be doing CQB in most cases. CQB, clearing rooms and buildings, is way too hazardous and always has a high casualty rate. The strength of an irregular force is its ability to travel light, strike quickly, and disappear, all traits that don’t lend themselves to CQB. I’ll grant that there are exceptions for those in urban areas, in which case a sidearm could be very useful, but they’re the exception not the rule.
      Your situation on the scout course is why I carry a multitool with pliers on my kit. If you’re in a field environment with a team and this happens, and you’re engaging an enemy more than 50 yards away, you don’t help your team by pulling out your pistol. Suppression needs two things, volume and accuracy, and you just can’t be accurate enough at those ranges with a handgun to make a difference. The best course of action is to communicate to your teammates that your rifle’s down by yelling “BLACK! BLACK!” and then ducking behind cover to take whatever action you need to get your weapon back in the fight.

      • Badlands Rifleman April 8, 2021 at 13:51

        I hope a lot of people read this response by Mike, he should do a whole article on it in fact.

      • Matt April 8, 2021 at 15:45

        Considering your assumptions, I would agree with your points.
        I guess I didn’t phrase my original comment clearly enough. I didn’t say that we were doing CQB, I said that we were at CQB ranges. Ten yards or less. People might say that that’s unrealistic, yet that’s how the scenario unfolded.
        Being virtually on top of the BGs, on the “X”, both sides engaged, and with little cover (for us) seemed like a bad time to go for a multitool, which I do carry BTW. Besides, I was at the time the element lead in charge of other newbies that I wasn’t familiar with. Didn’t seem like a good time to duck behind a rock and say “Go get ’em guys!”.
        I was Air Force, not Army. If while leading a flight had my primary weapons gone down my first instinct would not have been to duck out of the fight. It would have been to continue to lead and use what I had left, which is what I tried to do in the above scenario.
        Matt

        • Mike April 8, 2021 at 17:33

          Ah, I see. That specific scenario where your weapon goes down 10 yards from the enemy with no cover is a hell of a thing. Perhaps a pistol could have helped there, but in all likelihood it wouldn’t have made a difference because in that scenario you’re already dead. This is an unfortunate scenario for everyone involved, but it doesn’t change my answer.
          I can draw a couple of lessons from your experience. First, we trust our lives to our equipment. I get that blanks can play hell with any weapon system, but the fact remains that in this scenario you’re “dead” because your weapon failed you. Second, it’s important to run immediate action drills with your teammates so that in a scenario like this, you CAN trust them to do what needs to be done even if you get taken out of the fight. Once again, I understand that this was a class of students who only just met, but the lesson stands. Finally, no matter how many things we do right, sometimes the cards aren’t in our favor and we don’t come home. It’s not easy to swallow, but it’s something that we must accept.
          With respect Matt, combat on the ground is a completely different beast than it is in the sky. If you were engaging a threat that your secondary armament was wholly unsuited for, and you knew that in a couple seconds you could get your primary munitions back up, would you still choose to prosecute with your secondary armament? It’s not “dropping out of the fight,” it’s getting back into the fight ASAP with your most effective weapon.

          • Matt April 8, 2021 at 19:49

            “With respect Matt, combat on the ground is a completely different beast than it is in the sky. If you were engaging a threat that your secondary armament was wholly unsuited for, and you knew that in a couple seconds you could get your primary munitions back up, would you still choose to prosecute with your secondary armament? It’s not “dropping out of the fight,” it’s getting back into the fight ASAP with your most effective weapon.”
            There are several points there to address. I can give a short correct answer that’ll definitely lead to misperceptions. Or I can give a more lengthy answer which will paint an accurate picture, but it’s quite long and out of scope for this article. What do you want? Would a PM to you be more appropriate?
            Matt

          • NC Scout April 8, 2021 at 20:28

            I am very excited to read this. Seriously cool conversations!!!

          • Matt April 8, 2021 at 21:22

            Well, since the Boss wants to read my drivel . . . .
            “With respect Matt, combat on the ground is a completely different beast than it is in the sky. If you were engaging a threat that your secondary armament was wholly unsuited for, and you knew that in a couple seconds you could get your primary munitions back up, would you still choose to prosecute with your secondary armament? It’s not “dropping out of the fight,” it’s getting back into the fight ASAP with your most effective weapon.”
            Air ops in a high threat scenario is in many respects quite similar to ground operations and it’s planning. Things like Lines of Communication to avoid, weather, ingress and egress routes, use of terrain to include military crests, formations, comms plans, reactions to threats (immediate action drills) both offensively & defensively, safe areas, friendly forces (air & ground), enemy forces, target layout, effects required and weapons & delivery profiles to accomplish that, enemy surface and air defenses, coordination with friendly forces (other missions, air defenses, tankers, AWACS), etc., etc., etc. In other words how to get to the target, destroy it, and get back without being seen or engaged.
            True aerial maneuvering (dog fighting – though I hate that term) is indeed quite different, but that’s rarely done nowadays. Air combat in the Sandbox(es) is different because, well, let’s be honest, that’s about as tough as kicking puppies. Also what is different is what happens when you find yourself on the ground in gomer territory, at least in my era – no one is coming for you, even if they knew you were alive. It’s just you (and maybe a backseater if you’re lucky), your .38 revolver, and the ziplock bag of cartridges they gave you. But I digress.
            I will say that my primary mission was as a “mud mover” – air to ground bombing. But we also did a lot of air-to-air and were good at it. Plus even on a bombing mission, you can quickly roll into an air-to-air role, and back to your primary mission quite easily.
            But to answer your question – no. All fighter missions are flown in formations. Those formations are setup to maximize the offensive & defensive capability of the flight (just like a fireteam’s formations). Each aircraft provides visual and offensive mutual support for the other. I support my wingman and he supports me. My element supports the other elements and they support us.
            If I have a weapon problem I can’t just edge off to the side to fix it. First, you’ll never catch up with the formation. Second, leaving the formation takes away mutual support from the others. I might audible targeting assignment changes to maximize the remaining firepower. I might shift the formation to one more appropriate. But you have a mission and you press on to accomplish that mission to the maximum extent that you can. In modern fighters, if a weapon goes hung the system automatically steps to the next one. If a major system goes down that precludes a whole class of weapons, the likelihood of restoring is fairly remote.
            Sometimes an aircraft’s crew may decide that they’re incapable of accomplishing the mission. In that case it may RTB along with another aircraft to provide mutual support. Worse case is an aircraft being lost, in which case the odd man out will be folded into a (hopefully prebriefed) alternate formation.
            But in all cases, accomplishing the mission is primary as there are other people who will be effected by the outcome and are counting on you.

          • Mike April 9, 2021 at 01:57

            That was a fascinating read, thanks for sharing Matt!

        • Johnny Paratrooper April 8, 2021 at 18:02

          Building on what Mike responded; In that scenario, all the enemy forces should be dead before you realize your weapon is down and attempt to correct the issue after you identify the problem. In training, gun fights last a long time because no-one actually dies. In real life, one side starts losing guys fast. A team, properly trained of course, would be able to pick up the slack because of your weapon malfunction. These lessons are reasons for keeping fresh extractors and springs in your firearms. Or, assuming the weapon has a low round count total on the parts, properly cleaning the weapon. Carbon builds up underneath the extractor, and makes for wild ejections or weak ejections. I only have to fire a few magazines before my AR’s have a considerable amount of carbon under the extractor. A team of properly trained and disciplined men will have clean weapons and overlap their sectors of fire during contact without even talking (and not be using blanks, which are notorious for malfunctions)
          Have faith in your weapons. The problems that occur in training are not indicative of real world scenarios. Training just helps you work out the kinks. I enjoy training because I like to test my gear, kit, and most importantly, learn how to move with my guys. My weapons testing occurs primarily at the range. If your weapon works fine on the range, but coughs and chokes on blanks in training, your weapon will function fine in combat with live ammo. Also, the specific malfunction you had is notoriously rare.
          I have no second guesses about bringing one AR to a fight.

          • Matt April 8, 2021 at 20:21

            Johnny,
            I see your points. So by losing the pistol and the two spare magazines what do I gain? I won’t have any additional places to carrying AR magazines and the weight loss is minimal. I find the weight of the gear in my cargo pockets more annoying than the weight of the pistol. About the only plus that I can see is putting a Ka-Bar on my belt where the pistol used to sit.
            Matt

  9. BB April 7, 2021 at 10:17

    Excellent article and summary of priorities.
    Only thing I would move up in importance is the optic for your rifle. With LPVO options at around $300 on sale (e.g. Vortex 1-6×24) plus desired mounting hardware, my opinion is that is money sell spent to significantly improve shooting performance and target identification. For ME (opinions and such!), that was a purchase ahead of the NV equipment.

    • Mike April 8, 2021 at 07:06

      This is the sort of thing that would be determined by your operating environment. If your expected engagement range is 400m+, an LPVO works wonders and may be higher on the list.
      The reason I didn’t list it as a priority was because it’s not an absolute necessity. Keep in mind, the $300 that an LPVO costs could be the difference between 3-5 months worth of saving for an NVG for some people, and I believe that it’s more important to have the ability to maneuver and fight at night than to add a little accuracy during the day.
      I’m also trying to discourage the mindset that you can buy skill through accessories. The fundamentals of marksmanship should be learned first and a base of skill established before a new rifleman looks into buying accessories (like magnified optics) that enhance his skill. In my opinion and experience, if a shooter can’t be fairly accurate with iron sights, an LPVO is wasted on him and his money is better spent elsewhere for the time being until he “earns” his optic.

  10. SOG April 7, 2021 at 10:49

    surefire scout has a definitive setting that must be cranked via the bezel on white, off , on IR, so for those wanting a WML this is a good option as its near impossible to fuck it up, also the plunger area has a rotating bezel that you can essentially disconnect the battery lead. so its off off,
    NODS, agreed sell off shit to fund it. you wont regret it,
    https://www.hardheadveterans.com – helmet for your grape under $500
    we all know where to get plates for under 250 LAPG so boom 750-800 you have a helmet and plates.
    I would add to this list ear pro with integrated comms, electronic ear pro either under your lid or on arms attached to the cool guy helmet
    last on list of CIV DIV Operator is some form of sound mitigation for your rifle.

    • JB April 7, 2021 at 17:34

      The assumption I take it is that one is operating from safe areas from which to resupply from. When the balloon goes up some may have that luxury. But such areas will be full of enemy spys and agents where comings and goings of persons will be will watched. This is where being able to turn into grey men is essential. As is a hide side to stash kit before entering the presumed safe area. So packing civi clothing is essential as is carrying a concealable handgun. Life expectancy as a guerilla fighter depends on many factors, including the creativity of the individual.
      I would still pack additional kit for backwoods/jungle survival as its both light and occupies little space such as fishing line, snare wire, cordage, metal canteen cup, and high grade machete. Fire starting kit is essential. One never knows when he will have to E&E to the backcountry and live off the land.
      Once you run out of batteries those expensive NVG and laser designators are costly weight and become junk. Until they are designed to operate from common disposable batteries available at any fish camp or truck stop I will defer buying them.
      My AO is on the edge of a major southern city adjacent to an endless swamp plentiful with wildlife both edible and man eating. Its where I will operate when the balloon goes up.

      • Mike April 8, 2021 at 06:03

        PVS-14s run off of AAs, dude.

        • Johnny Paratrooper April 8, 2021 at 09:10

          And, they will go about 40 hours on one AA battery. If not twice that long.

        • SOG April 8, 2021 at 10:52

          a lot of haters on tech and NODS i dont get it, you can grab a kids toy or a remote out of the average house and have AA batteries for years. or use rechargeables! not an excuse to not have forcemultipliers, and its not a paperweight when you find a new set of batteries its a set of nods again hahaha
          been down range used NODS and FLIR, would rather have then not!

          • wwes April 8, 2021 at 10:57

            I don’t have decent NODS, just cheap gen 1, but I agree with what you’re saying. To me, saying that we shouldn’t worry about NODS because batteries might go dead is like telling us not to have radios and comms gear because we might not be able to power it. Knowing that batteries might get harder to obtain, we should be keeping plenty of extra batteries along with ways to charge them.

  11. Razorback Trapper April 7, 2021 at 12:44

    Great write up! I have a buddy I train with that has been asking me all these questions. I’m sending this his way.

    • Mike April 8, 2021 at 06:16

      Thanks man! I’m glad I could help!

  12. Tommygoonz April 7, 2021 at 13:18

    Generally speaking, I would group slings up there with med kit and water. When friends ask me what to get, I tell them AR-15, as much ammo as they can afford, at least 3 mags, and a sling.

    • Patriotman April 7, 2021 at 13:28

      Add a zero to that mag count

      • SOG April 7, 2021 at 15:05

        agreed right now water bottles,canteens and camelbacks are not at risk of being banned. you can score that whenever, magazines plus up now.

  13. Johnny Paratrooper April 7, 2021 at 13:42

    “The next basic human need is food. Technically, you can survive for 40 days without eating before facing any permanent harm to your body, but you’re not planning on merely “surviving” are you?” – Mike
    This is not technically true and is a misunderstanding in the survival community. You can flush the electrolytes out of your body if you don’t eat and you will drop dead from a heart attack within a week. Even the 20 year old men will die from this. High School Girls who are anoxeric die from Electrolytic Shock Induced Heart Attacks all the time. Not eating is very dangerous. People in prison can sit in their bunk and go on hunger strikes for MAYBE 14 days before they have heart problems and kidney problems. But a guerrilla hiking through the mountains or desert will die of starvation in less than a week.
    The rest of the post is great work brother.

    • Mike April 8, 2021 at 06:14

      It is true. My father has done this at least twice, going 37-40 days fasting while only drinking water. Granted, the 40 day number assumes that at the start you are a healthy, well-fed adult, and that you don’t exert yourself a lot during that period. After about 10 days the hunger pangs went away, but once your body is about to experience organ damage at the end of that term, they come back hard.

      • Johnny Paratrooper April 8, 2021 at 09:00

        Are you serious? That’s amazing. A family friend of mine starved herself to death one summer, she died of a heart attack at 15 because she didn’t have any salt or electrolytes in her body. And another friend of mine in the Army was in the weight loss program because this guy was sloppy(he was a slob). He starved himself to lose weight and ended up as a heat casualty within a week. It took his body like 2 years to recover. I was told fasting is fine, but starving yourself is terrible for you.

        • Mike April 8, 2021 at 09:20

          Dead serious. Like I said, this doesn’t work if you’re physically active, and my father wasn’t. Your body will tell you when you’re about to take it too far, ignoring that results in injuries.

        • wwes April 8, 2021 at 09:51

          I haven’t seen any students die from anorexia or anything like that, thankfully, but I have seen students have serious medical issues from eating disorders on a few different occasions. I do believe that they were the result of the students nearly starving themselves for much longer than a month though, and being fairly active. Even being out in the heat and sweating a lot can mess you up if you don’t take in electrolytes along with water.

          • Ultra Maroon April 8, 2021 at 21:53

            I used to run marathons, and after every marathon there were always a few who got too depleted of sodium and required medical care. I remember one who died. They said the swelling in the brain was the cause of death. Also, one time I had just started bicycle training I did 50 miles and got depleted of glycogen. I got so sleepy and dizzy I stopped at this church and took a nap on the porch.

      • wwes April 8, 2021 at 09:48

        Also, you can go for a long time with very minimal calories- the friend that came with me to the team leader class fasted for around a month, I think he had a little food, like a few hundred calories a day, but that was it. Many of us are used to eating way too much, I know I am, but once our bodies adapt we can survive on surprisingly little for a long time.

    • SOG April 8, 2021 at 13:58

      anyone seen this Ireland stuff going down? can you whip up an article or analysis, looks like some troubles 2.0 brewing
      JP you have better geopolitical grasp than some of us crayon eaters

  14. Anonymous April 7, 2021 at 16:24

    4

  15. Chris April 7, 2021 at 21:52

    Excellent.
    The following is just my 2cent…..
    May I add respectfully..
    “Consumables” for your ALL your weapons—
    Springs, ejectors, extractors, Firing Pins, FP retaining pins…you aint gonna break your carrier, most likely.
    But , the key, screws for key. Bolt. Gas Tubes, Piston(i have seen them get bent because of wrong settings)
    Etc etc etc
    You guys know
    I say this because, I haven’t seen enough people coming in buying or even asking for, or about parts.
    Which IMO, you should be.
    I have had afew and i always comment “smart move,” to them
    Yup lots of new buyers, i get that.
    But…at least here in my yard.
    75% of our customers have lots of shtuff already, but too many…..Are Not thinking about The Consumables.
    Which by the way, is at least 60% of my work.
    Get these when you can manage.

    • Mike April 8, 2021 at 06:15

      Great point, thanks for adding this!

  16. Badlands Rifleman April 7, 2021 at 23:53

    Good list Mike, Keeping It Simple! I wouldn’t be so bold as to say I know more than you about water disinfection, but I wrote an article last year detailing some very proven methods of procuring water off the landscape, and I think it would go good with your article here. The Sawyer is a great little filter with a .01 micron absolute filler, it’s very effective.
    https://badlandsfieldcraft.wordpress.com/2020/07/20/junk-on-the-bunk-water-kit/
    A couple other items that might go good on your list is good boots and socks.

    • Mike April 8, 2021 at 06:53

      Good stuff man! The Sawyer is great kit and has so far worked out for me, plus it’s cheap and super lightweight.
      I thought about adding boots to the list, but figured it would go without saying. In retrospect, it doesn’t hurt to dummy it down as much as possible, but I wanted to keep the article from being too long.

      • SOG April 8, 2021 at 11:02

        maybe a boots foot care and camo article is in order
        I like this Marine’s series on camo in field good stuff
        https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3khfSiedNsg0jWLjaxxU0beGSCzZJbAa

        • Mike April 8, 2021 at 11:50

          Brent 0331 puts out absolute gold in his video content. If you haven’t already, go watch all of his Infantryman videos, even I learned a few things from him.

  17. NC Sheepdog April 8, 2021 at 08:16

    I would add, keep in shape. Use your gear and learn to carry it. If you can, work out in your plate carrier or ammo carrier if you have them and have the area where no one will be scared if they see you in your kit. I run my hilly driveway and my property with at least my plate carrier and my belt. Once a week I add mags, assault pack and water carrier.
    If you can’t do the above, at least keep in shape somehow. No use to have the equipment and be a detriment to yourself and/or your teammates. Just my humble opinion
    Great article,Mike.

    • Mike April 8, 2021 at 08:37

      Spot on man. Doesn’t matter how much gear you have if you can’t carry it.

  18. Madman_Actual April 8, 2021 at 09:05

    I have two of these packs. One was DEFINITELY in Iraq. The other has some wear on it but both are still in great shape. Highly recommend, especially for the price.
    https://www.sportsmansguide.com/product/index/british-military-surplus-northern-ireland-30l-patrol-rucksack-used?a=2230665

    • Relic 13 April 8, 2021 at 22:25

      Does that pack take the PLCE zip on side pouches ?

  19. SOG April 8, 2021 at 11:15

    airsofters have been making some decent shit lately, 3D printing mounts for sionyx cameras and flir scouts to helmet mount optics
    and as WWES stated above even a Gen 1 NV device is better than darkness. I have one i grabbed a sightmark 2×24 ghost hunter i could literally sell for triple price now on ebay, this stuff, even gen 1 gear is flying off the shelves.

  20. BRUTHA JOHN April 8, 2021 at 15:34

    Three Stimulus Checks, unemployment checks larger than some who work 40 hours. Enough time off with pay to go to Army Basic Training, Marine Basic Training and Ranger School. The last man i tried to train at work collected for 18 months. Got hired off the street lasted a couple off days, never came back. At bare minimum could have joined the YMCA and camped out at the rental range with a G19 and a M4GERY. Maybe a MMA class. Oh no brand new TIMMS, $1400 for a cellphone, flat screen in every room. used vehicle with a paper tag. Have a fake meet up location for people like that.

  21. Joe Peters April 8, 2021 at 15:58

    Thanks for a great article. The one thing I’d add is that GI 1 quart canteens, the metal canteen cup, and hexamine tablets with the wing stove are nice to have and take up minimal space.

    • Mike April 8, 2021 at 16:40

      Agreed, a canteen cup is good for breaking out some coffee powder and a small flame, huge morale booster in a PB.

    • Doc April 8, 2021 at 23:45

      Better than the wing stove is the milspec stove that when inverted, slips over the canteen cup. The whole works fits in the standard canteen pouch.

      • Boat Guy April 15, 2021 at 17:57

        Plus one on the USGI canteen cup and stove. Been around and used them for longer that I care to think of and have yet to find anything better.
        Speaking of USGI gear, I would recommend an E-tool. Yeah, it’s weight but worth it.

        • Doc April 15, 2021 at 21:39

          I agree on the e-tool, but it MUST be genuine USGI. The chinesium crap is a waste of money.

          • wwes April 15, 2021 at 22:21

            Agree 100% with this.
            Also, the old german E tools are good, but probably not something you want to carry with you, they’re heavy and bulky. They’re great in a truck though.
            What does everyone think about the gerber e tools? I have seen some up for sale cheap, but I wonder how they stack up to the old school USGI e tools

          • Doc April 16, 2021 at 13:04

            I don’t have any experience with the Gerber e-tool. Some Gerber stuff is made in china, and some is made in the US. I only buy US made gear and my US made Gerber stuff has always been sweet, so that would be my guidance here. YMMV

          • wwes April 16, 2021 at 13:23

            I’m pretty sure the gerber e tool is an issue item, it shows up online with a NSN. The ames E tools are great. I just bought two of the surplus gerbers for $14 each to try out.

  22. Pinot Noir April 8, 2021 at 21:34

    Bucket loads of 60+ year olds can still shoot straight and would rather go to Valhalla than a gulag. Can’t hang with the 18-45 year olds (and neither will you at 65). Thoughts regarding the “old Guard”?

    • Mike April 9, 2021 at 01:50

      Sure. The resistance force needs more than just its trigger pullers, so those gentlemen could do a lot of invaluable work as auxiliaries. Radio operators, intelligence gatherers/analyzers, SIGINT, recruiters, safehouse managers, etc. All of these jobs are just as important as the rifleman, for without them he would be blind, hungry, and alone. If push came to shove, they could be used in a defense if absolutely necessary (defensive fighting is a physical drain as well, just a different kind).

    • Johnny Paratrooper April 9, 2021 at 06:43

      Cut everything in half, by size and weight, and buy an electric bicycle. Or just purchase a quality bike and keep it lubed up and use it regularly. I see 60 year old men on the trail I ruck fly past me like they are Lance Armstrong. The electric bikes get 20 miles now days and can hold almost 300 pounds total. Not bad for less than $1,500. Just make sure you use it regularly and charge it and the battery should last 3-5 years. Most of them seem to be rated for around 800-1,000 charges. I know several carpenters, cowboys, and bikers who are in their 60’s and I wouldn’t want to fight them. With or without a weapon.

    • Matt April 9, 2021 at 23:09

      “Bucket loads of 60+ year olds can still shoot straight and would rather go to Valhalla than a gulag. Can’t hang with the 18-45 year olds (and neither will you at 65). Thoughts regarding the “old Guard”?”
      Pinot,
      Old is a relative term. It’s also a state of mind. Being 65 means you’re experienced, seasoned, wary in the ways of things. I’m not far behind, being north of 60 myself.
      You can’t keep up with 18 – 45 year olds? So what, a lot of 20 year olds can’t either. I seem to remember that an 80 year old warrior by the name of Captain Samuel Whittemore fought in the open frays of the Revolutionary War. He carried a musket, 2 pistols, and a saber to battle. With them he killed two British soldiers, wounded another, and then empty charged them with his saber. He was shot in the face, bayoneted 13 times, and left for dead. When his compadres found him he was trying to reload his musket. Taken to a doctor he was declared “near dead” and sent home to die. He lived another 18 years.
      He had 80 years on him, but he was not old. The British were soldiers, but he was a WARRIOR.
      I know that as you age things don’t work as well as they once did, things hurt. Do what you can to keep strong. Don’t be afraid to fight, just fight smarter. I used to watch old guys flying ancient fighters clean the clocks of young guys flying the new tech. Experience matters. Stay young of mind and press on.
      Matt

      • Mike April 10, 2021 at 04:06

        That’s the most American thing I’ve heard all day, what an incredible story! Thanks for sharing, Matt.

      • wwes April 10, 2021 at 09:30

        Samuel Whittemore was a tough old bird, I’ve always been amazed by his story. Hezekiah Wyman was another one, he was 55 when the British retreated to Boston, and harassed them along the way, riding his horse and popping up and shooting the regulars as they were heading to Boston. He was referred to as “death on a pale horse” after that event by the soldiers.
        Project Appleseed sells pretty cool Samuel Whittemore andHezekiah Wyman “Dangerous old men” T-Shirts too:
        https://store.rwvaappleseed.com/product118.html
        https://store.rwvaappleseed.com/product121.html

        • Matt April 10, 2021 at 14:37

          WWES,
          Thanks! Looks like a couple inspirational t-shirts will be heading my way.
          Matt

          • wwes April 10, 2021 at 21:07

            No problem, I have a few of them myself, people ask about them every now and then. The money goes to a good program too, Appleseed is good for basic marksmanship instruction. I hope you like the shirts!

  23. Alberticus April 9, 2021 at 06:32

    ‘no amendment to the constitution is absolute’ says Joe Biden.
    Black America —
    Biden says the 13th Amendment can be REVOKED and You can be REENSLAVED.
    ‘“No amendment, no amendment to the Constitution is absolute,” says Joe Biden on 04/09/2021
    FIRST they take your guns —
    SECOND they put you in chains.

  24. Harmwulf April 9, 2021 at 14:22

    Nice article Mike. Don’t forget plenty of hand sanitizer to warm up your coffee…
    For load bearing gear, the budget warrior should be looking at surplus ACU/ABU equipment. Dyed tan or green with some camo paint, they are not bad. I ran one of these old airforce fortis harnesses (https://www.ebay.com/itm/294057529322) at scout course and was very pleased with its performance. The H harness is nice because you have a lot of real estate for pouches and you can run it over armor or a chest rig. You can also get very low to ground if you unlatch the front fastex buckles and let it hang from your shoulders.
    Of course they are nearly giving away pouches. All said, a person could probably get a full harness set up with mag pouches, canteens and pouches, canteen cup, ifak pouch, hydration carrier, and bladder for $150 or less.

    • Mike April 9, 2021 at 17:59

      “Don’t forget plenty of hand sanitizer to warm up your coffee…”
      Hahaha, you were at the December Scout course right? I remember your kit, it blended in surprisingly well with your dye job.

Comments are closed.

GUNS N GEAR

Categories

Archives

Spread the love
        1       
1
Share