Granite Gear CHIEF Patrol Pack

Submitted by Eric Daniel

The time has come for me to invest in a more efficient rucksack.  Currently I’m using the CFP-90, and while it has been a trooper, and is certainly capable of hauling everything and then some, I’m in the market for something more efficient.  I like the CFP’s large barrel design; it make it very easy to stuff things into.  However, at night, when you’re looking for something specific, it can be a bit difficult to find what your looking for because you have to search vertically for things - having the ability to lay the pack out on the ground and search horizontally would be a better option.  Another drawback to the CFP is the fact that its external pouches are fixed, in both size and location (not to mention the annoying fact that the cover flap fasteners are loop through designs rather than buckle down, so that there is no effective way to cinch down the flap over the pouch.)  Finally, the CFP is based on the old ALICE system of accessory attachment, which relies on the use of metal clip fasteners, which, I have discovered over the years, are prone to failure in high torque situations (and the fact that there are only a couple of ALICE “bands” on the CFP to place things.) 

At the end of the day, what I decided I was looking for was something of equal portage capacity (5,000 cu. in. range), with multiple access points to the main compartment, external compression straps to lash large items, like snivel gear, to the outside, and MOLLE compatibility so that I could customize the pack externally for my mission requirements.

One of the packs that caught my eye was the CHIEF (Composite Hybrid Interchangeable Ergonomic Framesheet) patrol pack by Granite Gear.  Granite invested a number of years in developing this pack for the SOF community (one test involved dropping a 100lb pack from a height of 35 feet to test for deformation or loss of pack integrity), eventually being awarded a contract to provide 45,000 of them.  While Granite describes the pack as a patrol pack (a different company was awarded the contract for the SOF rucksack) the CHIEF’s internal portage capacity is the same as the CFP-90’s.  In addition, the CHIEF has all those features I was looking for. To begin with, you can load the pack from the top, as a conventional pack, or unzip the front panel, exposing the entire pack (internal load compression straps take the load off the side zippers to prevent zipper blowouts.)  In addition, every exposed surface is covered in MOLLE straps, giving you the ability to attach essentially anything anywhere.  In addition to the main compartment, the CHIEF also features a pair of radio ports on the left and right side of the pack’s upper surface (allowing you to run multiple whip antennae through) as well as bottom mounted hydration ports.  I particularly like the bottom mounted hydration ports as these keep the lines under your arms, effectively “out of sight, out of mind” where they are less likely to snag on overhead  obstructions, like branches and brush.  This position also makes for easier drinking, as the drink valve is pointing directly up at you, eliminating the need to either go looking for the valve over your shoulder, or using some sort of right angle accessory to reposition the valve.

Some other things I didn’t know about the CHIEF; the heavy duty Cordura nylon fabric has been chemically treated to reduce the pack’s IR signature.  No, it won’t make you thermally invisible, but it will reduce your operability (I spoke with Jeff Knight, CEO of Granite Gear and pack designer and he said the treatment would last the lifetime of the fabric, so there was no need or requirement to re-treat the pack.)  All fasteners are plastic fastek-type, and the shoulder straps have a quick disconnect feature, which allow you to jettison the pack in a hurry if needed (again, I asked Jeff about the durability of these fasteners, and specifically about the reliability of the QR ones on the shoulder straps (on some of the older QR ALICE pack straps, the fastener would pull apart under a heavy load) and he said that they didn’t experience any issues with fastener failure during the testing of the pack, nor was there a load limit; if you wanted to haul your anvil collection to the top of the Khyber Pass, the CHIEF would do it.)  While the CHIEF features a stand alone framesheet, suspension system and support belt for customized pack fit and maximum range of motion, all this can be removed and the CHIEF can be used in conjunction with the standard ALICE rigid frame and straps (Please note: According to Jeff, the ALICE pack compatibility feature is only available on the “original” or gen. 1 CHIEF packs, which are the ones currently available to the public.  In order to meet SOF weight requirements, the ALICE frame support feature was eliminated from the gen. 2 packs which are currently in production for SOF and not publicly available.)  Finally, the pack is compatible with body armor, which is to say you can still put it on when you’re wearing your plates and what not (one of the SOF requirements was that the pack support 90 lbs of equipment and be body armor compatible.)

The only downside to the CHIEF is its price.  At $400 (there is an ACU patterned version available for $250, strangely enough), the CHIEF isn’t cheap, but you are most definitely getting what you pay for.  For me, this means I’m going to have to keep my eyes peeled for the introduction of the gen. 2 packs on the civilian market and see if the price doesn’t ever come down on the gen. 1 versions as retailers look to clear out old stock.  Damn if that wouldn’t be a nice pack to have though.

Check out the CHIEF Patrol Pack here.

Supply Captain Hydration/ASIP Pouch

 

Submitted by Devilfox

There are couple other options I found.

One is on a website called Supply Captain, they have a 'DUAL HYDRATION SYSTEM/PRC 119F RADIO CARRYING POUCH' that can carry an ASIP. Price is tad steep however, $129 or so. But can carry few other things too.

Second option in on the website, Kifaru.net. They carry a 'Radio Pouch' that hangs internally for the older 119s. I am sure if you contact them and ask, they can adjust the width. Price is a lot more reasonable around $29. Only catch is, it’s an internal mount-on backpack. Which, honestly, in the course of things ain't too bad.

ED – Devil, I like the look of the SC dual hydration system, especially the fact that you can wear it as a stand alone pack or you can lace it in to something else (another pack, the back of your IBA, what ever is MOLLE compatable.)  I’d consider it for that feature alone, and just lace the thing to my IBA, but I haven’t ever served in a unit yet that let you take your IBA off (except when you were asleep) and packing a radio and ammo into the porta-john gets old, so all my kit is still on the RACK. On the down side, though, as you said, it is a little pricy, and for that amount of money I could get a full blown assault pack.  I would certainly consider this over the S.T.R.I.K.E. ASIP pouch though, even though it is more expensive.

As for the Kifaru radio pouch, as you said, the pouch they offer is basically an internal radio hanger for ruck sack sized packs.  I already have an assault pack that both the full sized radio, or a pair of ASIPs will fit into, and my ruck (a CFP-90) comes with a built in radio bag.  Again, of the two, even though the Kifaru is cheaper, I’d go with the Supply captain bag.

Over the Shoulder Radio Holder

 
Submitted by barber13f

The S.T.R.I.K.E. ASIP pouch sucks. It digs into your arms and doesn’t fit over PPE very well. They tear up very fast and while the MOLLE pouches are a great thing to be able to put on you end up with a monster that is a bitch to carry around by the time you get done throwing mission essential items on the thing.

Look into the Camelbak Transformer, it is a very comfortable pack and has room for extra batteries, hand mic's, and whips along with any other crap you put in there. My RTO was able to keep 2 batteries, a soft or hard whip, an IZLD and an extra hand mic. The outside pouch has enough room to shove in extra maps, 3x5 cards and map markers.

I would recommend this pack to anyone that has to carry an ASIP for an extended period of time. It's a little more expensive but it lasted my team 15 months of humping through the Euphrates River Valley.

ED – barber, I’m beginning to think that this is going to be my only real option.  Currently I’ve got the Camelback Motherlode, and as an assault pack it has done just fine.  There’s enough room in there for water, snacks, a poncho and liner, a radio or two, as well as NODs and batteries.  The pack even has a couple of openings for the radio.  On the plus side, it looks like the TransFormer is even cheaper than the Motherlode.  Does it come in any color other than black though?

Check out the Camelbak TransFormer here.

Putting the Word Out

 

Submitted by Eric Daniel

Recently, my unit transitioned to the ASIP radio.  While this is all good and well, it has created something of a situation.  Prior to the ASIP we were using the stock SINCGARS which, in turn, were essentially the same size as the old PRC-77s we used to use, so, out in the field, we were able to use the same radio packs and frames for hauling the radios around. 

Obviously, the ASIP changed all that.  The ASIP is a fraction of the size of the SINCGARS and its size doesn’t really justify putting it in a dedicated backpack-style mount.  Moreover, there was no longer any real reason to have a dedicated RTO to carry the radio; the radio was now small enough that the leader could just carry the radio as part of his regular kit.

The problem here is where to put it?  Now, I’m a big fan of surplus gear because there always seems to be something out there, from a previous period, to do a job you need doing.  In this case, the job I needed done was finding a means of securing the radio to my MOLLE compatible assault vest.  Unfortunately, I seem to have struck out.  After searching high and low, far and wide, in this army and many others, I haven’t been able to find a surplus bag for the ASIP.  The only, and I mean only, MOLLE compatible pouch I’ve seen for the ASIP is the Blackhawk S.T.R.I.K.E. ASIP pouch.  Now the Blackhawk bag seems like just the thing I was looking for, but it’s also $70-80, and I wanted to be good and sure this was my only option before I considered buying one.

So the question for all of you who have gone before with the ASIP radio is, are there any alternatives (one other option is I bury the radio in my camelback, but I’d prefer to be able to access the faceplate) to the Blackhawk pouch for transporting the radio, and if so, what are they?

Inquiring minds want to know.

Kenton Tuned Trajectory Compensator Turrets

 

Submitted by Dave

Those of you that don't use a Leupold scope aren't left in the cold, either. Kenton Industries makes custom turrets, (including windage turrets!), for many scopes.

ED – Dave, good call.  I came across the Kenton Tuned Trajectory Compensator turrets while looking up information on the Leupold ones.  As you mentioned, they offer turrets in several styles and for numerous manufacturers (Kenton listed Burris, Leupold, Mueller, Nightforce, Shmidt & Bender, Tasco, Zeiss, Bausch & Lomb, Simmons, Nikon, and Weaver.)

As with the Leupold turrets, when ordering from Kenton, you’ll need to provide some ballistic data; muzzle velocity, barrel length, average air temp, altitude and barometric pressure, as well as the ballistic coefficient.  From there you pick the style of turret you want, the incremental display preference, and any other information you want displayed.  In addition, Kenton will do a completely custom turret for personal handloads.

Check out the Kenton TTC turret line up here.

Leupold Custom Bullet Drop Scope Turrets

  

Submitted by Eric Daniel

As I mentioned previously, my solution for storing ballistic data for my M-14 was to write it on the retractable tape.  While I was thoroughly satisfied with the performance of the Leupold retractable tape, I was always on the lookout for something easier (if such a thing could be found.)

Well, as fortune would have it, not long after I left Iraq, Leupold came out with custom engraved turrets for rifle scopes.  Tell Leupold what cartridge you’re shooting, the bullet weight, bullet type, ballistic coefficient, muzzle velocity, average air temp and altitude you’re shooting at, and they’ll cut you a turret for your scope with range ticks on it, saving you the trouble of having to count the clicks yourself (you just rotate the turret to the desired range and you’re good to go.)  What I like about these is they eleminate the influence of battlefield stress on the situation.  You don't have to go through the process of counting clicks, which, with the .25MOA M1 turrets could be time consuming

Leupold can engrave the information on a variety of turrets, so you can select the ones that best work for you.  In addition, as in my case, you can have different turrets made for the different bullets that you’re shooting and just swap out the turrets as required (just remember to have your scope set to zero before you swap the turrets out since what is the 600m setting on M118LR will not be the same setting for 600m M80.)

Check out the Leupold Custom Shop here.

Tale of the Tape: Leupold's Retracting Chart

  

Submitted by Eric Daniel

Back in 2004 when I glommed onto that M-14, I was confronted, for the first time, with having to do my own bullet drop calculations.  While, as a tanker, I was quite familiar with the concept of ballistics, until now ballistic solutions had always been calculated by the fire control computer; in the end all I had to do was get a valid range and keep the dot on the target.  What I needed now was a ballistic table I could reference to tell me how many clicks I needed to adjust my scope for what ever range I’m shooting at, preferably one with some modicum of durability so that I didn’t have to keep re-inventing the wheel every time I went out (i.e no index cards in the pocket.)

What I settled on was a spring loaded tape device from Leupold which attached directly to the scope.  Essentially a very small metallic strip in a spring loaded housing, the tape was durable, compact, and reliable.  White in color, it was easy enough for me to list ballistic data for the three rounds I had access to (M80, M118LR, and M 728) for all the ranges I expected to shoot at.  Moreover, since I could write the information down with an alcohol pen, it was easy enough for me to wipe it down and change the data if I ever started using different rounds.

Granted, I only had enough room to list my data in 100m increments (while the iPod application will break it down into 50m increments) and there were no automatic calculations for windage, target motion, or shooter-target angle. But then mine didn’t cost $400 or run on batteries either.  More over, the tape wasn’t exactly NOD compatible, but at night I was using an AN/PVS-4 scope, which had its own built in BDC reticle, so it wasn’t a big deal.  At the end of the day though, what I had was a fully mission capable (at least for me it was) cheat sheet that allowed me to quickly reference range data.

Check out the Leupold retractable tape here.
 

Knight's Armament Bullet Flight

 

Submitted by Eric Daniel

I saw a blurb on this over at Defense Tech, and though it was worth making mention of it here. 

Bullet Flight is a BDC (bullet drop calculator) application for the iPhone and the iPod Touch.  Bullet Flight allows you to input projectile characteristics and store these parameters as discrete profiles for specific weapons and bullets (for example, you can save data as, M24-M118LR, M24-M118, M24-M80, etc.)

Based on the profile you select you enter a number of variables, including target range, air temp, air pressure, shooter/target angle, altitude, wind speed and direction.  Once all your numbers are in, the program calculates your windage and elevation corrections and displays these corrections for you as “clicks”; you don’t need to do the MOA/range math in your head to figure out what you input, the program just tells you up or down so many clicks, and you’re set.

On its face, I thought this sounded like a pretty cool tool – for the spotter.  While there’s no denying that this looks like to be a pretty useful tool (I’ll tell you up front now, I’ve not used this app, but comparing the attention to detail involved with it to what I used to do boresighting an M1A1 tank, it looks like they’ve thought of everything), looking at how KAC has it mounted (on the LH side of an M110 receiver) it looks like a sensory distracter.  The shooter should be focused on the target, not the iPod (I had similar issues when urban fire truck manufacturers started offering text generating heads up displays for the Engineers (drivers) to provide them with additional information on the fire they’re going to.  Additional information is great, but it needs to go to the engine Captain (sitting in the passenger seat) who can relay pertinent information to the driver, so that he can focus on driving.)

Beyond being a sensory distracter for the shooter, I’d be concerned about the device staying attached to the rifle; while it’s mounted on a throw arm rail mount for rapid attachment, the mount itself is hinged so that the iPod can flip in and out for the shooter to read the data, but will it stay “in” all the time, or will it flip out to snag on terrain, helicopter/humvee doors, and the like? Again, this isn’t a big deal if you keep the device in your pocket.

Also, is the unit NVG compatible?  It would suck if some sniper hidden on a hillside blew his cover by lighting up the back forty with his iPod just to get a firing solution.  Something else to ponder is the fact that the iPod Touch runs on an internal battery charge (6-36 hour continuous operation life span) so you either have to plug it into a USB compatible computer, wall unit, or solar charger to keep it running for any length of time.

Finally, there is the cost.  At $11.99, the application itself is the cheapest component in the entire system.  The iPod Touch starts at $229, the Otterbox armored box for the Touch is $49.95 (note, the app will run on either the iPhone or the iPod Touch, but Otterbox only provides a sealed environment armored case for the gen 1 and 2 iPod Touches) so out the door, this program is going to cost you almost $300 (not including battery charger source or the qd throw arm rail, I wasn’t able to find it listed on either the KAC or Otterbox websites.)

All told, at the end of the day you have what appears to be a pretty slick tool for sniper teams in the field, but it comes with a price tag and possibly some tactical limitations as well.

Check out the KAC Bullet Flight app. here.

Combat Information Management

Submitted by Eric Daniel

One of the side effects of my participation in the 1991 Canadian Army Trophy (CAT) tank gunnery competition was I became a voracious note taker.  Between logging boresight data, referencing range maps, and plotting positions, my gunner’s station became cluttered with paperwork. 

My solution to this was to employ an aviator’s kneeboard.  Used by pilots to keep vital information organized and close at hand, a kneeboard is essentially a small notebook strapped to your thigh.  Kneeboard styles run the full spectrum, from the simple, single panel clipboard, to the extravagant tri-fold design with built in fuel management calculator. 

The one I opted for was large and simple.  It was a tri-fold design, meaning it had a central panel with a rigid aluminum plate in it to serve as a writing surface, along with flap pockets on either side for storage.  The left hand flap was a zippered compartment which could hold note cards, casualty feeder cards, my artillery protractor and what not, while the right hand flap was faced with a piece of clear plastic, which allowed me to insert a folded section of map, as well as apply graphic overlays on.  The kneeboard attached to my leg via a single velcro strap, and was easily removed.

While I have since moved on to a custom built one (those crafty folk in Korea can make anything) in looking at what’s out there now, if I had to pick again, I’d go with something along the lines of either the ASA tri-fold, in either the standard or long board configuration.  Both are simple, rugged, have all the features I was interested in, and are cheap (the long board will run you about $32.)

Check out ASA kneeboards here

Combat Weather Forecasting

Submitted by Eric Daniel

“All stations this net, this is Charlie Niner-Two, stand by for air temp and pressure update, over.”

In Armor, weather updates are a critical element to the tank’s fire control system.  While the FCS can automatically sample some data, such as wind speed, inclination, and turret traverse rate, it can’t tell what the ammunition temperature, air temperature, and barometric pressure are.  In these cases it’s up to the crew to manually enter this data.  In the case of ammunition temp, this is simply a matter of reading the temp off the ammunition temp gauge, but getting air temp and baro pressure require outside assistance.  In peacetime, this data can be had from the tower (C92) or the TOC, both of whom get the information from Range Control.

What do you do, though, if you’re in combat, on the attack, and there is no tower, and there is no range control?  In 1991 we learned that you “just run with it.”  The Army has published “fleet” values published in the back of the tank’s TM (Technical Manual) for baro pressure and temperature for given months of the year and regions of the globe.  Unfortunately, these values can be wildly off base.

Our solution was to invest $50 in a wall mounted “weather station” from the PX.  The three instrument “station” had a clock, a thermometer, and a barometer, all bolted to a wood plaque which, conveniently, fit right behind the GPS “doghouse” and was visible through the TC’s (tank commander) FUP (Forward Unity Periscope, the big vision block in the front of the TC’s cupola.)  With our handy dandy weather station we were able to enter in relatively accurate (the barometer was analogue while the FCC accepts inputs to the hundredths so some guesstimation was required) values for the air temp and pressure.

Well, times have changed, but the need for weather data has not.  Fortunately, advances in technology have made portable weather stations cheaper, more accurate, more durable, and with a number of features ours didn’t have.

The Coghlan’s wireless weather station, for example is completely weather resistant, driven by a lithium battery, and is capable of sampling air temp, air pressure, humidity, heat index, and it can make local weather forecasts based on the previous 8 hours of sampling data. If you put the base unit in the ammunition compartment (hang the remote sensor outside) you can use it as a back up ammunition temp sensor as well.

Another option is the La Crosse Intelligent Forecast Station.  This unit, in addition to the features offered by the Coghlan unit, is also capable of predicting frost, fog, and snow, as well as “real-time” weather forecasts based on a 12-hour data sample.  The La Crosse unit also keeps time through an Atomic clock signal receiver, which makes it’s time keeping extremely accurate.