November 30, 2006|Kit Up!
Submitted by Ward of Kit Up!
We've seen reports in Time (sorry . . . promise we don't make a habit of reading it) and CBS affiliate KOVR relating that troops in Iraq and Afghanistan have discovered that Silly String is great kit to find otherwise invisible tripwires. Of course, Silly String isn't standard issue gear, so families and friends have been answering the call and adding it to care packages.
Silly String: It's not just for birthday parties anymore. Don't go door-kicking without it!
November 30, 2006|Kit Up!
Submitted by Gene Schubeck
When I was deployed last year, I took this towel with me. My mission required me to move around Afghanistan and Iraq, a lot. I had to live out of my rucksack. A regular towel would have taken up too much space. This towel packs well, is very light, and is large enough to do the job. It works as advertised: absorbent and easy to wring out. And it dries quickly. You just have to get used to the way it "grabs" at your body; it doesn't feel the same as a terry towel. For personal comfort and lightening your load when you need to stay mobile, this is the kit to have.
Shop for this Packtowel
November 28, 2006|Kit Up!
Submitted by Rayna Quinn
I'm a prior CH-47 flight engineer now attending flight school. I could not have done without my "Bug Out " bag for "away" trips. As all the folks in the rotary wing community know, if you are leaving your immediate training area, you should bring an overnight bag of sorts. Legacy aircraft have a tendency to break down, and missions are ever-changing.
Shop for a "Bug Out" Bag
November 28, 2006|Kit Up!
Submitted by Seth Mills
The ear valve provides noise abatement without shutting off sound. Using these on a range during training allowed me to more easily hear instructions from the tower. Using under combat conditions let me hear what was going on around me, including radio transmissions. These sonic filters give less of a "plugged" sensation, too.
While those wearing normal plugs were chanting, "Say again," under fire, I could hear everything while still giving myself a decent measure of noise protection.
Shop for Sonic Filters
November 26, 2006|Kit Up!
Submitted by Doug Burger (not the guy in the picture)
Bought one of these in the Kandahar PX and used it as a hood two years ago when the outside air temperature was 20 Fahrenheit with gusts up to 50 knots. That's windchill! (And Kandahar is Afghanistan's warm spot.) Our Kawasaki Mule was in the shop and we had to walk about 1.5 miles in that wind and cold from Aviation TOC past the civilian airport terminal. That headover saved me from frostbite. I have carried one ever since when the cold weather comes. Don't go to the Hindu Kush without one.
Shop for the SAS Polypropylene Survival Headover
November 26, 2006|Kit Up!
Submitted by Doug Brunell
In all my years of Army weather support, replacing my issued survival knife with the Gerber Camp Axe was one of the best equipment decisions I ever made. The camp axe was excellent for constructing fighting positions, clearing brush for fields of fire, opening banded ammo crates, and pounding tent stakes. The composite handle made it light, but still tough enough for every chore.
Shop for the Gerber Camp Axe
November 26, 2006|Kit Up!
Submitted by Justin Jackson
Every soldier should have at least a couple of D-rings (carabiners) handy. I keep at least one dummy-corded to my IBA for those fun sensitive item checks. In the meantime, they're not going anywhere. I also used to run my M-4 sling through the ring to make sort of a make-shift tac sling. I have a couple on the bottom of my assault pack that I hook my CLS bag to. I've even acquired one that has an LED light with three different color bulbs in it. With enough time, I could make or fix anything with a roll of 550 cord, a roll of 100 mph tape, and a couple D-rings.
Shop for Carabiners
November 26, 2006|Kit Up!
Submitted by Kathy Baumgarten
During the Iraq invasion in 2003, many of the females on base turned gray-haired . . . seemingly overnight. It wasn't the stress of war. It was the fact that Miss Clairol hadn’t been packed in their kit. A few months later, along with cat food(?) Blonde #2 showed up on the shelves. Resultantly, all the girls went Platinum. There were no barbers for the guys, either. It was hair clippers from home or a bald head. One fellow in our unit was getting a trim when the clippers died. We saw him running across base with half a haircut. He emerged for chow a few hours later with a bald head.
Shop for Clairol hair products
November 23, 2006|Kit Up!
Submitted by Churba Silvertongue
The FRED is a cousin of the P-38 Can opener. It utilizes the same basic design, but also adds a small spoon on one end and a bottle opener on the other. FRED is an official acronym - Food Ration Extraction Device - but is usually known by the more popular "Frigging Ridiculous Eating Device." For two small bits of stamped metal, it is astoundingly useful for boot scraping, cutting, wire stripping, prying things apart, and opening boxes. It can also be used as a screwdriver, an improvised tool for firearm maintenance or radio Repair, and even a small but effective weapon. Oh, yeah, and it opens cans.
FREDs are usually available from Australian Disposal stores (online, too) for about .50c Australian.
November 23, 2006|Kit Up!
Submitted by John Morgan
How many of you sat in your shower on field day scrubbing at soap scum just to have your NCO give you the negative on it and tell you to do it all again? This wonderful spray, which is available at your PX or even the mini-mart, saved me from many field day failures and weekend lib secures. Just spray it onto the wall of the shower and then shine dry with a cotton towel. (Make sure you take the soap scum off first.) The inspector won't be able to get anything off the shower wall, even with a razor blade. For any follow-on field days, just lightly wash the shower wall and repeat the application of Pledge. Knocks your time spent on the shower from 45 minutes down to five. I couldn't have done without it.
Shop for Pledge Lemon Scent Furniture Polish
