Looking for an old ASC article - The Soldier's Ruck

There used to be an article posted here, around the time of OpCT2, that listed good equipment options for First, Second and Third line gear. I don't remember who wrote it, but it may have been Adrian,and it was called (I think) "The Soldier's Ruck"

Anyone know where the article went too?

Thanks,

Morb

[ValkXB70]

I have a copy of it on my computer at home. I will send it to your wolfpack email tonight.

[Malinak]

Maybe sent a copy to Meat or Hojo so that they can put it back up on ASC to share with the world?

That would be good, and thanks Valk. I suspect there may be a problem with my wolfpack account tho - could you send to robmo(at)sympatico(dot)ca?

[ValkXB70]

Yep I will do that. It shall be disseminated to the masses once more.

Emails sent to those who asked. Article PM'd to Meat and Honest John.

Thanks, got it. Noticed it's signed "Hammer". Hammer - If you still have the original with the pics, I'd love a copy bro.

[hammer]

Sorry Rob, I don't even have the original article, much less the pics.

[ValkXB70]

Would you like a copy of your article?

[hammer]

Sure, can't hurt. Perhaps you can post the text on this thread?

[NewBie]

here is the link

http://web.archive.org/web/200208152...icle/longgame/

Oh dammit....why didn't I think of that? Good one Newb. Fuck...what do I do for a living again? Sigh....

Hammer, I'd like your permission to reproduce this article to use as a handout for the upcoming newb day and future "intro to milsim" days. I will certainly credit you with it's creation. Do you object?

[Blackthorne]

I have multi-day camping experience, but allot of what was in here was stuff I never would have thought of.

Also helpful as a loadout for moderators (I'm the only mod so far for Humanities Hammer) minus the AEG's and ammo.

Excellent article!

[ValkXB70]

THE SOLDIER'S RUCK

A SUGGESTED KIT LIST FOR OP CT2
You've just spent a fortune on a new AEG a uniform and an LBV. You look in the bathroom mirror and see a carbon copy of a SEAL/Delta/Force Recon/SAS operator. You're even counting down the days until Op CT2. There is just one small problem. This is your first 24hr game, and you don't have the slightest idea what you need to bring...
This guide is written to help you prepare for Op CT2, or any other airsoft event you may go to. If you have ever wondered what you should put in all those pockets of your vest, then read on!
The focus of this guide is on MILSIM. In real life, soldiers have to carry a lot of weight on operations, so they are always trying to cut the weight down by bringing only the bare essentials... in other words, only the things they need to carry out their mission.
That is exactly what I have done here. Based on my soldiering experience, and what I know about Op CT2, I have listed the things I am brining, that will let me play for 24 hours without resupply. Remember that this is just a guide. Your list might be very different from mine, as you may have totally different needs. This is just to help you get started.


The picture above shows what I carry for my Fighting Order. Fighting Order describes the equipment you carry in your webbing or your vest. This is all the equipment you need to fight and survive with for a short period of time. This set up is ideal for a normal day of airsoft, but if you don't mind the discomfort, you can stretch this out to a full 24 hours.
My fighting order includes the following:
1. Ammo
2. FRS Radio
3. First Aid kit
4. Map, Compass and pace beads
5. LED Light
6. FMP (Notebook)
7. Energy bars
8. Multi-tool
9. Water (not shown)
Ammo:
The first thing you should consider is ammunition. How many BBs will you need? Op CT2 has an ammo limit of 350 rounds per rifleman. This translates to about 6 M16 mags for me, hence that's what I will be carrying.


FRS Radio:
You may not need this in a regular airsoft game, but on a large field like Op CT2, it is a VERY good idea to invest in one. A radio helps you coordinate with your teammates, it keeps you informed as to what is happening in the game, and in an emergency, you can use it to call for help. If you don't want to get an FRS, make sure you stick to someone who has one.


First Aid Kit:
With any luck, nobody is going to need a first aid kit in an airsoft game; but whenever you are spending time in the woods, far from immediate help, it is always a good idea to have something just in case. I personally assembled the above first aid kit. It probably has more things than you would need. The following items are in my kit:

1. Band-aid: For small cuts and scrapes
2. Gauze pads: For more serious cuts
3. Bandage roll: Used to secure gauze on wound
4. Triangle bandage: Used for slings, tourneqette
5. 2nd Skin: Treat blisters and burns
6. Mask + Latex gloves: For your own protection
7. Alcohol wipes: Clean around wounds, your hands
8. Casualty assessment sheet: Records casualties vital signs
9. Tweezers: Remove small embedded objects

You may wish to add some anti-biotic cream, painkillers, allergy medication and perhaps a bee-sting kit to your first aid kit.

Navigation kit:
These items may not be necessary for a normal airsoft game, but they are nice to have in a longer game on a larger field. I've spent quite a bit of effort developing these items to suite my needs, but for the average player, all you really need is a small notebook, a pencil, a simple compass, and a small flashlight like a mini-maglite.

1. FMP (Field Message Pad with zip up cloth cover, for jotting things down in a hurry)
2. Map (Laminated to prevent damage from weather)
3. Laminated paper (Lets you erase what you have written)
4. Grease pencil, dry-erase marker, and pencil (Can write on laminated maps and erase)
5. Compass (Suunto or Silva compass with sighting mirror and adjustable declination)
6. Pace (Ranger) beads (Helps you remember how far you have walked)
7. LED Light (Red light for use at night - small and lighter than maglites)

Energy Bars:
You might not always want to carry a full meal with you if you are only going to play for half a day. Energy bars are perfect for keeping your energy levels up and stop the growling in your stomach. They are compact, light, and need no preparations to eat. If you don't like energy bars, high calorie chocolate bars like Snickers or Mars bars are a reasonable substitute.

Multi-Tool:
Some people like to carry knives into the field, but I prefer a good multi-tool instead. A knife is usually designed for one or two specific purposes, requiring you to carry several to do the job, whereas a multi-tool often has more features than you will ever use. I haven't yet come across a situation where a knife could do what my leather man can't do. You can't fix your AEG with a knife, but you can do it with a good multi-tool! For survival purposes, I'd take the leather man over a knife any day. Of course, if your sole reason for bringing a knife is to look cool, then by all means bring it.

Water:
For those of you who live in Southern Ontario, you know how hot it can get in the summer time. Dehydration and heat exhaustion are very serious dangers. Drinking plenty of water is VERY NECESSARY in order to prevent yourself from becoming a heat casualty. I cannot emphasize this point enough. You can live without food for a few weeks, but you can't live without water for more than a few days.
The recommended daily water intake is 2L. Most people drink less than that. When you are playing outdoors the whole day under the sun, you should drink at least 3L of water a day. For your fighting order, you probably won't need more than 2L of water at a time, since you can always go get re-supplied back at the base camp. Because I plan on playing without re-supply, I will be carrying 7L with me in several camelbacks bladders or canteens. There are several ways you can carry water:

1. Hydration System (Camelback, Hydrastorm, Platypus, Source all have 3L versions that let you drink hands-free while on the move. If you don't already have one, a camelbacks is a very worthwhile investment).
2. 1 quart canteen (Hard plastic canteen holds about 1L of water)
3. 2 quart canteen (Flexible canteen holds about 2L of water. Can be collapsed when empty)
4. Bottled water (Why not? Sure it's not exactly military, but whatever works!)


Marching Order:
We've just discussed Fighting order, the things you need for a short duration mission. Now we will discuss all the other extra things you want if you plan on staying out for a longer duration.
Most of this equipment should be put in a patrol pack or rucksack of some sort, which you can leave at the base camp, or take with you if you so desire. What I have listed here are also just minimums. If really want to be comfortable, you can bring much more than that. At the end of this guide, I will list some of those things.

Food:
For a 24hr game, you will probably need between 3 to 4 meals. Unless you plan on bringing a barbecue, you might want to keep your meals relatively simple. If you don't mind bringing a stove and cooking, you can bring some canned foods, or some dehydrated camping foods. These are great alternatives to military rations since they are just as compact and light. Unfortunately, you probably can't eat them without boiling in water, which will require you to stop and light a stove.
For the full milsim experience, you can purchase either American MREs or Canadian IMPs. These can be eaten cold, or hot. Typically, MREs and IMPs are heated by either putting the packets in a canteen cup of water heated by hexamine tablets, or they can be placed inside a MRE heater bag and chemically warmed with very little water usage, and no visible heat signature.
Inside a full IMP, you will find a main meal, a dessert item (such as fruit, apple sauce, cherry pie, etc,) a packet of bread, jam/honey/peanut butter packs, packs of coffee or tea, sugar, coffee whitener, a wetnap, a paper napkin, a long plastic spoon, and a small roll of lifesavers. In breakfast meals, you will find a packet of chewing gum, and a packet of cereal. In the lunch meals, you will find a chocolate bar and a fruit drink mix. In the dinner packs, you will find a pack of cookies, as well as a packet of either instant rice, instant soup, or instant mashed potatoes. Having eaten both MRE and IMPs, my preference is on the Canadian ones. You should be able to find them for sale at under $8 in surplus stores. If they are older than '98, then don't buy it.

1. Main meal packet
2. Dessert packet
3. Bread packet
4. Breakfast Cereal
5. Cookies
6. Wetnap
7. Plastic spoon
8. IMP Heat pack


Protective Equipment:
Depending on the type of terrain you are playing in, protective equipment can be a good idea. In the pictures above, you can see Hatch OD green kneepads (1) and elbow pads (2). Gloves are another item of protective equipment that many often neglect. It is quite easy to get a cut up in the woods, especially when you plan on dropping down on your belly quickly. Having a pair of thin gloves, like nomex flight gloves, will go a long way in protecting your hands.

Miscellaneous Items:
There are some items that I take along which are very useful in the field, even if they aren't necessary for fighting or immediate survival.

1. Zip lock bags (These are your best friends. They prevent things from getting wet, and they can also help you organize items)
2. Camouflage paint (Cam cream, cam stick, camo compacts can all be used.)
3. Lighter/Matches (For emergency use)
4. Paracord (Many uses... a must have in the field)
5. Bug juice (I use 100% DEET, but you may want something less powerful)
6. Bungee cords (Again, many possible uses. Handy to use to tie down shelters)
7. Glow sticks (Useful for marking rendez-vous points, or tent pegs at night)
8. Spare batteries (for radio, AEG, flashlights)
9. Baby wipes (Your field hygiene kit. Great for use as cam remover, and toilet paper)
Snivel Gear:
This covers all the comfort items that are nice to have when you don't want to rough it in the field. These are items that you might want to pack in a rucksack and leave at the base camp, or if you are the type who like to go back to their car at the end of the day, then you can leave this stuff in the car.
Your first concern should be clothing. Since you are in a desert like environment, it CAN get cold at night. Sub-zero temperatures in August are not unheard of even in barren parts of Ontario. So be warned that you should bring some warm clothing. Ideally, they should be fleece jackets, sweatshirts, polypropylene undershirts, or other clothing items that you can wear underneath your combat clothing. This will keep you warm as well as let you retain your camouflage. If you have a genuine combat jacket that is of the same camouflage pattern, then all the better.
You may want to bring a pair of warm gloves, perhaps a toque or scarf. And you will definitely want to bring extra socks. During the hot temperatures in the day time, your feet may sweat. When it gets cold at night, you're feet will freeze. It's always good to pack extra socks inside zip lock freezer bags to prevent them from getting wet. Another method of water proofing your clothes is to line the inside of your rucksack with two large sized garbage bags. As long as you take care not to rip them, your clothing should remain dry.
Now that you are comfortably dressed, let's look at sleeping gear. If you plan on packing light and sleeping with minimal equipment, then a Poncho liner (called Ranger Blanket in Canada) is the perfect thing for you. It is light, compact, and can keep you warm. If this is not enough, you can always bring a sleeping bag. If you are worried about your sleeping bag getting wet, a gortex bivy bag can be used to keep water out of your sleeping bag. A foam or air mattress might be nice to keep your body off the ground, and help keep the sand out of your sleeping gear.
As for shelter, you can either choose to bring a tent, or you can use the old ground sheet and bungee cord method to create a shelter. The good thing about ground sheet shelters is that if you have a few buddies who also have identical ground sheets, you can zip it all together into a large hootch. The biggest problem however, is the fact that you need trees to tie your bungee around. Something that is lacking in the desert. You'll have to get creative in tying down your ground sheet.
- Hammer

[hammer]

Rob, by all means. I'm glad the article is still helping people today.

[MMMiles!]

Thanks for fwding it to me Valk, I got looking around my hard drive for old ASC backups, and I managed to turn up this, complete with retro-styling ASC colour theme:

http://www.airsoftcanada.com/articles/soldiersruck.html