Gear I won't ever deploy without

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JAG2955
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Gear I won't ever deploy without

Post by JAG2955 »

1. Magpul P-mags: I used some extensively in the pre-deployment cycle, and they are without a doubt the single best thing that you can do for an M4/M16. I deployed with four, gave two to a buddy, and tcourtplayer was nice enough to hook me up with 7 more while I was still out. The only malfunctions I had during training was when I was not using Pmags. I was most surprised when I let loose a full mag of blanks without a jam at 29 Palms. Pmags rock.

2. Good medical gear:
A. REAL tourniquets. We got the chance to do some really neat live-tissue work with tourniquets. CAT tourniquets made by North American Rescue are my preferred brand if I'm putting them on myself. If I'm putting them on someone else, I'll use a SOF-T, because you can crank it down harder, but the locking design is difficult one-handed. I carried 3 tourniquets on my kit.
B. A good first-aid kit: I replaced my lousy USMC issued pocket-type with a Maxpedition FIGHT kit. Having the kit on a removable velcro platform is awesome. No longer do you have to fiddle with a full pocket on your kidney, you can pull it off and work off the ground, then slap it back into place whenever you're done. It is larger than I wanted, if I had time to design my own, I'd make it only half the size.

3. Combat Man-purse: I kid you not. I bought an active-shooter bag made by 5.11 for $36 bucks. I put extra ammo, extra medical gear, NVGs, survival gear, flashlights, batteries, and water in it. It rode next to me in the MRAP, and I could easily sling it on or off when getting in or out. This freed up my vest a whole lot, which helped with movement. I'm not a big guy (5'11", nearly 200 lbs), but I still have trouble fitting through the MRAP front doors.

4. Open-top magazine pouches: I had four on my vest, one mag in the M4, and the rest in the combat man-purse. Three were made by Diamondback Tactical, and one by Esstac. I liked them for their speed of use, as compared to something velcroed down. Now, since we were mounted all the time, dust wasn't as big of a deal. The Pmags are also nearly sealed on the bottom, as compared to the USGI mags.

There's just a few things that I really felt made a difference, leaving out minor things like flashlights or weapon accessories.
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Combat Controller
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Re: Gear I won't ever deploy without

Post by Combat Controller »

Superb! I am really glad to hear it. The P-Mags are getting quite the rep these days. Seems the military allows you to bring your own mags... interesting.
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Mud_Dog
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Re: Gear I won't ever deploy without

Post by Mud_Dog »

CombatController wrote:Superb! I am really glad to hear it. The P-Mags are getting quite the rep these days. Seems the military allows you to bring your own mags... interesting.
That is quite interesting, but will a P-Mag fit in a M249?

Usually I like to bring along some entertainment myself(I think there was at least a pack of cards per squad at the very least) as well, electronical or otherwise. It can get pretty boring when you're "off-duty."

I also liked the FOX brand kneepad/shin guards they actually issued us. The best part about these was that you could easily put them on under your trousers and with boots on, they would not budge no matter how much you moved around in them. I can't say enough about how much these help with IMT in urban and rocky areas. Plus no one could kick me in the shins! :lol:

Baby wipes, specifically the Cottonelle brand. They're biodegradable so you can use them in port-o-johns, or even as a "field bath." You can get pretty rank out there in the field, and nobody wants to be cooped up in the back of an oven hot Bradley with 8-9 other rank Joes.

A good, sturdy pair of sunglasses and a medic's cravat were on my person everytime I went out into a dusty and hot environment.

That's all I can think to add myself.
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JAG2955
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Re: Gear I won't ever deploy without

Post by JAG2955 »

I never tried the M249 with the P-mags, but I have read about it being done. With as loose as that magwell is, I believe it.

I'm so glad that the Marine Corps is getting away from the crappy ESS ballistic sunglasses and going to ballistic Oakley M-frames. I wore them every day.
BadgerAZ

Re: Gear I won't ever deploy without

Post by BadgerAZ »

Re first-aid kits:

A former Army physician told me that Army medics are no longer to allowed to use Celox in the field. He specifically cited problems with contamination of the powder in dusty field conditions and dangers of Celox powder being blown into the eyes, which can cause significant harm to ocular tissue.

Is this accurate, and is it limited to Army or are all the services discontinuing field use of Celox? Is there anything being offered in its place, or is it back to PPP (Pad, Press, Pray)?

Thanks for any info.
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blackeagle603
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Re: Gear I won't ever deploy without

Post by blackeagle603 »

Thanks for this. I'm editting down for a gift list for a young Marine about to deploy. You may recall my posting after his boot graduation last fall.

He's getting set to head out to A'stan in Oct(?). Up in 29 Palms right now getting pre-deployment training. Finished training as aviation crash and rescue in San Angelo, TX this spring. Checked in at Pendleton and immediately got put into a Humvee driver's license and issued an M4. They tell him he'll be assigned to drive regular 50 mile supply runs to a fwd base.
"The Guncounter: More fun than a barrel of tattooed knife-fighting chain-smoking monkey butlers with drinking problems and excessive gambling debts!"

"The right of the citizens to keep and bear arms has justly been considered, as the palladium of the liberties of a republic;" Justice Story
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JAG2955
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Re: Gear I won't ever deploy without

Post by JAG2955 »

Is this accurate, and is it limited to Army or are all the services discontinuing field use of Celox? Is there anything being offered in its place, or is it back to PPP (Pad, Press, Pray)?
I don't know what the latest news on it is, but I had heard that they were recalling Celox. It was recalled because due to the granular formula, it is possible that some of the powder could get washed away and cause a clot someplace that you don't want it to (brain, heart, etc.) I'm not sure if they're replacing it with anything, but knowing the military, the Army will replace it with something more expensive, and the Marine Corps will buy the leftover Celox. :D I'd actually be fine with using it on someone about to die, as a bleed out from an arterial bleed will kill before a clot could form someplace bad.

If you have an arterial bleed, and if you take the proper measures, you can control the bleeding with gauze and a field dressing. The key is to stuff the wound with the gauze prior to adding a field dressing and pressure. Or slap a tourniquet on there if it's an extremity.

Just the other day, I was thumbing through my book from the medical training I was given, and saw that I wrote "QuikClot Combat Gauze is 1st line of defense." I bought two rolls of it at the insane price of $36 bucks per roll. You can use the combat gauze variety anywhere, and it removes easier than the powder.

Incidentally, my wife is taking an EMS course, and EMTs are not authorized to use tourniquets here due to the alleged nerve damage that happens. I, however am not constrained by any such goofy rules, and I'll gladly slap one (or more) on an accident victim, and am covered by good-samaritan laws. :D
Rusty Ray
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Re: Gear I won't ever deploy without

Post by Rusty Ray »

No word or a lie: We used to carry tampax (the kind with the cardboard applicator) as well as field dressings. The 'pax is sterile, expands, can hold a lot of blood and (if you leave the string hanging out) easy for the saw bones to remove back at the aid station. A perfect design for, ahem, bleeding entry wounds.

Honest. Rusty :oops:

Oh and edited for a PS: You can use it to start a fire in an emergency. R
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JKosprey
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Re: Gear I won't ever deploy without

Post by JKosprey »

BadgerAZ wrote:Re first-aid kits:

A former Army physician told me that Army medics are no longer to allowed to use Celox in the field. He specifically cited problems with contamination of the powder in dusty field conditions and dangers of Celox powder being blown into the eyes, which can cause significant harm to ocular tissue.

Is this accurate, and is it limited to Army or are all the services discontinuing field use of Celox? Is there anything being offered in its place, or is it back to PPP (Pad, Press, Pray)?

Thanks for any info.
Badger, I'm an Army medic, and I believe you're referring the the first generation of the QuickClot powder. Celox is a slightly different breed, and has fewer problems with causing burns on patients.(Quickclot in essence, cauterizes a wound, sometimes along with burning soft tissue, and blood vessels) I went through the training a little over a year ago, and we trained with celox, I've heard no word down the line that it's been taken out of use. Of course, that depends on the doctors and PA's you work under as well. They have quite a bit of say over what their medics are allowed to do in the field.

The hemostatic agents are not the only way to stop bleeding by any means, the best way to stop a bleed is still with heavy direct pressure and elevation-many are allergic to the stuff in the hemostatic powders anyhow, and wind and contamination pose a problem no matter what you do. For severe bleeds, your best bet is to try to pack as much kerlix in there as you can, get a nice tight pressure dressing, and move quick. (Aside from, of course, the tourniquet. The CAT tourny is one of a medics best friends. Haven't played with an SOF one yet)
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blackeagle603
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Re: Gear I won't ever deploy without

Post by blackeagle603 »

RR,
Funny we got that same advice from the volunteer firemen who led/trained our Explorer Scout Search & Rescue troop back in the 70's. Of course for 14-16 year old boys it was pretty wild stuff to have "feminine products" in your kit. The subject of much <ahem> improvisational humor...
"The Guncounter: More fun than a barrel of tattooed knife-fighting chain-smoking monkey butlers with drinking problems and excessive gambling debts!"

"The right of the citizens to keep and bear arms has justly been considered, as the palladium of the liberties of a republic;" Justice Story
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