Hello Community,
This will be my first post so please excuse any mistake I may make, but back to the point. So I have been looking around the internet for day to find a nice 24 Hour pack for someone small like me. " I am barely if not 5' Tall and Only Weigh 80lb, Also another difficulty is we don't have really any extra money to spend so something tailor made or even extremely expensive will not do for me. Ok so what I really want is a Vest or Something like a LC-2 LBE That has multiple small pockets and maybe a big one, Since the 24 hour gear has many small things in it.
Also, I would like it if you guys and gals could possible give some advice on packing a 24 Hour Pack since I am honestly a Newbie when it comes to all of this. Thank you for your time!
FutureMarine
OK.
Basically, there are several routes you can go as far as 24 hour gear. The most efficient, cost and room-wise is a medium ALICE pack. It has room for just about everything you need for a day in the woods. The packs are becoming very cheap and easy to find, under $40 for the pack and frame.
In addition to that, the old-school web gear is also a cheap way out. Pistol belt, 2 1-quart canteens with cover, butt pack and M-16 ammo pouches with suspenders. That's all we ever needed for a day in the woods when I was a cadet.
If you want more commercial type things, there are many smaller backpacks that can hold everything you need. Tactical packs, MOLLE gear, and even your school backpack will work.
You can find many websites that sell used military equipment and surplus. My current favorite for used gear is armygear.net. They have sales on things and are reasonably priced. If you go to ebay and type "Civil Air Patrol" in the search field, you will find a lot of stuff, including a specialty-made SAR vest that was designed by CAP members. It's not cheap at $80 or so but effective.
Now, you could go broke testing out all this stuff. Ask around your unit to see what works for other people before you run out and buy stuff. Start small. If you have a school backpack that you don't mind getting beat up, use that at first.
As far as what goes into the 24 hour gear, that's pretty standard. If you go to the CAP ES website and check out the GSAR requirements, you can figure out what you might need. http://www.nesa.cap.gov/Documents/GSARPackingList.pdf (http://www.nesa.cap.gov/Documents/GSARPackingList.pdf) is a list of what the National GSAR participants are required to bring in their gear. That's for the school but in my unit we adopt their standards. Yours might not.
Other people WILL have ideas and opinions on what you should get. Listen to everyone and make up your own mind. Rule #1 is don't go and buy everything you need right away. Don't bankrupt your parents on stuff you may only use once or twice a year.
If you are going to be inspected with your gear, I would say use the task guide's equipment list instead:
http://www.nesa.cap.gov/curriculum_material/GSAR/G&UDFTG.pdf (http://www.nesa.cap.gov/curriculum_material/GSAR/G&UDFTG.pdf)
I was looking over the NESA packing list and a few things are different (for example, no meals are listed on the packing list).
I agree that your school backpack is fine to start off with. I'd be hesitant to buy any kind of expensive vest because it sounds like you might grow out of it pretty quickly.
NESA provides meals for use during the course. No need to bring food packed in your gear in the van (or plane, train, submarine, or however-you-arrive-there). The rest of the 24 hour gear is inspected per the task guide.
The packing list is for the course, but a major part of what you bring should be your full 24/72 hour gear, sans the items (i.e., food) that the academy provides.
I just meant if s/he had gear checks at SAREX's and such, that s/he should probably just use the task guide. But, I'm a lowly GTM3* and not exactly the best person to be doling out advice on the subject ;D
Erm, what size chest are you?
Thank you guys, for all the info and Since I didn't exactly clarify everything I am a male " born in a family with a high chance of being short " and my chest size is about 27 inches when wrapped around.
FutureMarine
Quote from: CAP4117 on July 22, 2012, 04:59:46 AM
I just meant if s/he had gear checks at SAREX's and such, that s/he should probably just use the task guide. But, I'm a lowly GTM3* and not exactly the best person to be doling out advice on the subject ;D
Rog, I suppose my comment didn't really contribute to the original post's point anyway.
FWIW, nothing wrong with being a lowly anything, we all start from square-one.
I got my GTM1 at NESA this year! WOOT!
Sorry, I can't fall asleep.