How much does your gear weigh?

[Agent Hunk]

It is only ceramic.

 

"The mechanism of effect lies in absorbing and dissipating the projectile's kinetic energy in local shattering of the ceramic plate and blunting the bullet material on the hard ceramic. The Spectra backing then spreads the energy of the impact to larger area and stops the fragments, preventing injury to the wearer.

 

The same principle is used for the ceramic tiles used for the armored cockpits of some military airplanes, and the spall liners used in modern armored personnel carriers."

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sapi_plate

[TheFinn]

Bundeswehr kit:

 

black ABS plastic helmet with cover

Boots

Clothing

Flak vest

Webbing plus pouches

Four G36 mags

German water container

Items to go in random pouch at back

Not including pistol and rifle

 

Around 5kgs or so. Not bad once it is all on.

[Doughguy]

if i lug around my bergan its about 35 -40 kilogram, depending on how much water and meals i carry around.

[-Angel-]

I like this guy. He sounds like a person with some nouse.

 

awwwww

[techobo]

Funny this thread should pop up. Just the other day I weighed myself from boxers to full loadout including primary and secondary.

 

My total was 49lbs.

 

No wonder I am so tired at the end of the day! But it's a good workout. And I still enjoy it.

[REVOA4]

I own a pair of those very merrells. I do trail running, hiking, and am frequently up ladders or on catwalks at my job, in a theatre, all whilst wearing them. They are great for those purposes.

 

I have anything but weak ankles.

 

I would never 'soft in them. Reason being, in trail running or any of those other situations, I'm not carrying my gun and gear, or trying to avoid plastic death. Running a trail and running through an airsoft field are two very different things; one you have a trail, which is presumably mostly clear, another you may or may not have a trail, obstacles, sneaky ninjas going for the knife kill, etc. etc. and so forth. I don't care what kind of gear you're wearing, it's going to affect your balance and momentum while you wear it, which makes the difference of moving in airsoft and moving in trailrunning &c. somewhat similar to driving a sports car on a dry road and driving an MPV in the wet. In some cases, an MPV with bald tyres.

 

Also, those shoes are no good in wet and cold, unless you are able to take them off and dry your feet/the shoes in short order. Which isn't after the skirmish ends, or when you get home. Nearly got my toes amputated one time when I was wearing them, but that was due to my own bad planning than any fault of the shoe. They just aren't meant for that sort of use.

 

Sorry if I seem overly harsh, but as an owner of those shoes, I don't think they should be advocated for airsoft use.

 

They appear to be "low top" sneaker style hikers, and that all makes perfect sense but anyone care to elaborate about the "mid" height hikers such as merrills that are frequently worn by Seals and other SOF's.

[jal3]

1L of water to sip on? Are you kidding? Do you play on a speedball field where you can just walk off at any old time for a quick drink from your bottle of Coke? Every game I've been to I have 3L. Gotta keep hydrated.

 

Why would you walk off from a 5 min game in order to drink?

You're either unhealthy obsessed with water, or have a very wierd definition of speedball.

 

I don't get the whole camel bag thing for regular skirmish. I think it's a "I've gotta put something on my CIRAS" syndrome. Some people take pride in being able to carry everything with them. I'm too lazy to do that, so i just dump what i don't need in respawn/safezone.

 

My definition of regular skirmish is anything under 1 hour.

I think that carrying more than 1L on you for anything under 5 hours, even in the summer, is overkill. Just because you CAN drink, doesn't mean you should drink.

 

Sure, i do drink 3-4 liters sometimes in the summer...but i do that between games, and it's not something i have to do.

When it's rainy, i hardly drink more than 33cl, sometimes none. It depends a lot on how much i sweat (nice to know, eh? ).

 

McArthur, do you only play whole-day games, and not regular skirmish?

[Danke]

Just because you CAN drink, doesn't mean you should drink.

 

Drinking when you can drink would be the very definition of staying healthy and hydrated.

 

If you've ever had heatstroke, or had to give first aid to someone who has it it is not minor hiccup. Never mind muscle cramps from dehydration.

 

The various militaries getting on the camelback bandwagon may be the smartest thing they've all done put together!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Agent Hunk]

Sure, i do drink 3-4 liters sometimes in the summer...but i do that between games, and it's not something i have to do.

When it's rainy, i hardly drink more than 33cl, sometimes none. It depends a lot on how much i sweat (nice to know, eh? ).

 

McArthur, do you only play whole-day games, and not regular skirmish?

 

I don't know what your summers like but here in the states, in NJ we have fairly humid summers and I carry a 3L Camelbak and a 1 Quart canteen with me.

 

Personally I think its part of the whole, why the **** would I want to die while playing airsoft syndrome.

[Skarclaw]

Why would you walk off from a 5 min game in order to drink?

You're either unhealthy obsessed with water, or have a very wierd definition of speedball.

 

I don't get the whole camel bag thing for regular skirmish. I think it's a "I've gotta put something on my CIRAS" syndrome. Some people take pride in being able to carry everything with them. I'm too lazy to do that, so i just dump what i don't need in respawn/safezone.

 

My definition of regular skirmish is anything under 1 hour.

I think that carrying more than 1L on you for anything under 5 hours, even in the summer, is overkill. Just because you CAN drink, doesn't mean you should drink.

 

Sure, i do drink 3-4 liters sometimes in the summer...but i do that between games, and it's not something i have to do.

When it's rainy, i hardly drink more than 33cl, sometimes none. It depends a lot on how much i sweat (nice to know, eh? ).

 

McArthur, do you only play whole-day games, and not regular skirmish?

 

You are an idiot...

 

I don't own a ciras or anything, but I have a camelback that I got from a bikeshop, cause I know that water is one of those things you need. To live. I can understand not wanting to skirmish with a bunch of gear, but to dismiss camelbacks etc is just stupid, not to mention dangerous. Most people are out away from the safezone longer then one hour, no idea how your site plays though.

 

 

[Danke]

The nice thing about water is you eithe sweat or ###### it out so you gear get lighter as you go.

[jal3]

Drinking when you can drink would be the very definition of staying healthy and hydrated.

 

If you've ever had heatstroke, or had to give first aid to someone who has it it is not minor hiccup. Never mind muscle cramps from dehydration.

 

The various militaries getting on the camelback bandwagon may be the smartest thing they've all done put together!

 

No. My rule of thumb: If i take a ###### more than once per airsoft session (5 hours), i've drunk too much. If i carried a 3L camelback with me into regular skirmish, i'd be drinking and pissing all the time!

 

It's great that the military is taking in the use of camel backs (they need it down there in the heat!), but i fail to see the relevance.

[Agent Hunk]

No. My rule of thumb: If i take a ###### more than once per airsoft session (5 hours), i've drunk too much. If i carried a 3L camelback with me into regular skirmish, i'd be drinking and pissing all the time!

 

It's great that the military is taking in the use of camel backs (they need it down there in the heat!), but i fail to see the relevance.

 

Dehydration.

 

Heat stroke.

 

Etc.

 

I fail to understand your ignorance.

 

I've seen 3Ls not be enough for a few hours out in the sun for a skinny Asian dude.

[Reborn]

Around fifteen pounds for the gear and another ten for the weapons.

 

I need to move quickly through a heavily forested area with thick undergrowth. I tend to keep my kit as small and light as possible. Unsecured or loose items are secured with tape to prevent snagging and/or noise-making.

 

My carbine is actually the single heaviest piece of my kit - it weighs 7.5 pounds unloaded.

[jal3]

You are an idiot...

 

I don't own a ciras or anything, but I have a camelback that I got from a bikeshop, cause I know that water is one of those things you need. To live. I can understand not wanting to skirmish with a bunch of gear, but to dismiss camelbacks etc is just stupid, not to mention dangerous. Most people are out away from the safezone longer then one hour, no idea how your site plays though.

 

If you're so correct in what you say, there's no need to resort to name calling. Please behave.

 

"Most people" play in a lot of different ways. That is why i started out with defining what regular skirmish is to me. I fail to see how you can't know how i play at my site, unless you didn't read my post.

 

Dangerous to leave without a camelback? Damn...i've been playing my whole life, and i didn't know!

Seriously though, if people can't judge their own water intake, i gotta agree with you that's it's dangerous for them to leave without overkill amounts of water.

 

There's one good thing about other peoples camel backs: They've a lot of water spare if you forget your own.

[jal3]

Dehydration.

 

Heat stroke.

 

Etc.

 

I fail to understand your ignorance.

 

I've seen 3Ls not be enough for a few hours out in the sun for a skinny Asian dude.

 

Clearly, i've died a multiple of times now. After all, if they need it in Aghanistan, so do i in Denmark.

 

While i do think (or agree, you might be hinting at the same) that the amount of water needed differs from person to person, there's a limit to how much water you can absorb per hour...that amount of water is dangerous if you don't drink it right (e.g salt).

[Skarclaw]

Dangerous not to be properly hydrated, camelbak or not.

[Agent Hunk]

Yes it varies person to person and how much effort you exert which is why you shouldn't make generalized statements about Camelbaks being space fillers.

[jal3]

Of all the camel back people i play with, i rarely see any of them drink more than 50cl throughout a game. Why do they carry the last 2½ liters then?

My teamleader always brings 3L to a skirmish day, and empty about 1½-2L when we pack up because he don't want to carry it back home. He does that EVERY time. He always carried his 3L in his CIRAS backpack.

Now that the rest of the team have switched to proper molle belts, he doesn't take the 3L into with him into combat because it's in the CIRAS. Then WHY the hell did he carry it before when he doesn't need it? I see this happen all the time. You don't add pockets because you need stuff, you need stuff because you add pockets...

 

If i have to play a 2-4 hour game, i bring a 50cl bottle in my belt. I need to drink more than that when it's hot, but drink that between games. Generally, +50cl for every two hours (to the point of where i bring *suitcase*-loaded CIRAS with large water supply instead, since it's probably a scenario game then).

[Reincarnation...]

I barely play anymore but I always have my 3L camelbak; empty majority of it just marshal/ref games . The time I am there is 5-8 hours (which is 3/4 of the day); with games that last no more than 20-25mins. There is a 5 min break in between each game that allow marshals/refs to organized and "huddle" to set for the next game scenario. Mid day time of food and R&R for about 30-35mins. Games are small and fast pace; all I do is walk around and make calls and still empty my camelbak.

 

The fact jal3 don't use or believes the need of a camelbak doesn't prove he is an idiot. That is his personal opinion and as all opinions, it is base on personal experiences. Perhaps for jal3, his games last for 30min with break in between and very close to a water supply AND/OR require less water intake. His need of "on pack" water supply is not as much as say a milsim player that has a 2 day game with no/minimum breaks. If I was close to a water supply that is easily obtain, I probably wouldn't use my camelbak also

 

Water is important.

 

Too little of water CAN lead to dehydration.

 

Dehydration CAN lead to heat stroke.

 

Amount of water carry/intake is a PERSONAL decision.

 

Just like gear and guns, whatever you can work/like is up to you in airsoft. You want to run a Light Machine Gun instead of a rifle; your decision, your money, your experience.

 

I agree with Agent Hunk, don't generalize about camelbak just because your own experience. Just like why we shouldn't generalize that jal3 an idiot because we also generalized the need of a camelbak base on our own experience. But yes, some people buy hydration carrier to just add to their kit; other buy it for legitimate reasons.

 

I think I have made the most sensible post about the "camelbak or not" off topic discussion; as with Agent Hunk last post. Anyways my personally belief when coming to gear: carry as much as need or can need as long you remind comfortable and perform at maximum level. However it is always a conflict between resource and performance (ammo, aid, water vs movement, speed, aggression)

 

 

Back on topic, I have about 20lb of gear. Only includes a belt kit, camelbak, safariland and small chest rig (mia), add additional weigh for mags only. Really light in my opinion, because I chose to so I can be more aggress in multiple games. I am no milsim player but I do expect their kit to be heavier

[jal3]

Yeah ok, it's probably because we have different (read: max 30C in the summer, and often rain) weather here that i rarely experience good use of camel backs at skirmish days.

 

I'm sorry if i didn't clarify it; what i meant was that i don't bring water with me in game, but leave it at spawn/safezone, which i visit with 1 hour intervals.

[mcnuggets]

mcnuggets - I think you will find there are two extremes in airsoft. There are those who will use hicaps in a basic load-bearing rig. They will take only the basics, hi-caps, gun, maybe a bottle of water. Wear civvies or surplus military clothing they could get their hands on. These guys are either there involuntarily (Ie, they are keen as mustard, but don't have the funds to go to the other end of the scale) or they are there because they play airsoft to sling some plastic, have some fun, you know, it's also a bit of a social thing to them. I'm not having a go at those players - hell no. I don't mind that they play like that, not at all.

 

At the other end of the scale are the MilSimmers and the geardo's. These guys are the ones with an IFAK, a big hydration pack. These guys do the two days long events, these are the people who run full Military simulation with plate carriers, kevlar, helmets and standard capacity magazines.

 

(Personally, I feel kinda stuck between the two. I'm still building my MilSim kit)

 

Now, I'm pretty sure the two extremes get on fine. You lot do what you want, we'll do what we want, yadda yadda. All good.

 

The proverbial hits the fan when one of you social players has a go at the MilSim players for carrying too much gear. I don't think mcnuggets is being malicious at all - but you're trying to tell all the Mil-Sim guys that their gear is pointless and will have a negative effect on their game.

 

On the Mil-Sim guys behalf, I hereby apologise to mcnuggets. After all - this is military simulation. Why on Earth would we *gasp* simulate actual combat? In my opinion, that fact that your interpretation of combat is a couple of wank/wind magazines and some civvies is hugely rude to those who actually experience real combat. If the Mil-Sim people have the balls to really simulate modern warfare, then congrats to them. Perhaps you need to spend some more time in the gym or go for a run.

 

I'm just trying to work around the limitations of airsoft compared to actual firearms. The maximum range is different. The speed of the projectile is different. The accuracy is different. I mean an airsoft MP5 doesn't shoot much different from an airsoft M14. So all of this changes the rules of the game IMO. What works for real soldiers might not work for airsoft.

 

So what I'm trying to do is recognize that disparity and use it to my advantage. One advantage I see is ridding myself of any gear an actual soldier would find useful but an airsoft player wouldn't to be lighter and more mobile.

 

I'm not knocking milsim airsoft though. However I think milsim games are at their best when everyone abides by certain equipment rules. That way everyone is at a similar disadvantage (or advantage I suppose depending on how you look at it).

 

How do you intend on carrying extra equipment? What happens if it starts raining/snowing during a Mil-Sim event? At the least, a small backpack with some supplies and a jacket would be needed for those long mil-sim games.

 

For longish games I'm all for carrying around a small backpack. Most of my games though I never go for more than two hours without visiting the respawn. For me it's easier to just leave anything extra there.

 

 

I'm not going into this again - but I've been in plenty of situations where my plastic PASGT has saved me from cracking my head open in a CQB venue. You're going to be running around in an abandoned factory, well, those inspectors and builders wear hardhats for a reason.

 

You have to admit though that it is a bit clunky, limits your vision and makes it difficult to call your hits.

 

Plenty of people don't like the idea of camelbaks because they might burst. Again, this is a pretty small weight addition.

 

Pretty insignificant, I agree, but you can shave a few ounces (and a few dollars) by moving to an old gatorade bottle.

 

1L of water to sip on? Are you kidding? Do you play on a speedball field where you can just walk off at any old time for a quick drink from your bottle of Coke? Every game I've been to I have 3L. Gotta keep hydrated.

 

I get hit at least once every two hours and visit the respawn then. In the five or ten minutes I'm there I drink as much as I can as well as refill my magazines and such.

 

When was the last time you saw a Marine in Iraq with a 350rd magazine for his M16? Okay if you're just slinging a bit of plastic, but I don't think these do it for the mil-sim guys. Besides, I think they rattle too much

 

When was the last time you saw a Marine in Iraq shooting little bits of plastic accompanied by a sewing machine sound out of an M16? But, yeah, I agree for milsim games I'm all for low caps as long as everyone is abiding by the same rules.

 

Doubling back on yourself? I thought we were all hauling around Low Caps?

 

Saying that you are probably not going to need in excess of 1000 BB's in high caps on you at most games so a extensive vest isn't needed.

 

For the same reason (most of us) we wear camo. Concealment - just at different levels.

 

But you have to admit camouflage in general works better the further away you are. With real steel ranges camouflage works well. At airsoft ranges it works less so. So it may not be worth making a ghillie because you 'pay' too much in decreased mobility and increased chance of overheating and such. Probably isn't worth it. Admittedly they are damn cool though.

 

The same reason we all carry mock guns.

 

Our mock guns do something. They shoot little plastic BB's. Mock knives on the other hand...? If your field has a rule that knife kills can only be carried out with a mock knife then that's cool. I can see the rationale behind carrying one then. However my field, and probably most fields, just let you tap the guy. In that case the mock knife is just aesthetic.

 

End of your post, now I'm in a bit of a foul mood. Are you kidding me? You ARE running out of ideas. You think all your gear comes moulded to your exact body shape and size?

 

No, not at all. All I was saying there was that guy could probably cut those straps he had hanging out of him and melt the edges to prevent fraying. Saves a few ounces and prevents straps from being all over the place.

 

In closing I'm not against the milsim guys at all. I'm just saying that in 'open' games without equipment restrictions they are handicapping themselves by adding on milsim gear that does relatively little. That's all.

[airsoft_maniac]

People where I live in houston always bring 3l of water heat stroke is easy to get if u dont drink enough water.

[mcnuggets]

Most airsofters could probably tweak the amount of water that they carry based on their personal preferences and what their field is like. If you're going to visit respawn or home base once an hour because that's how long the games last I don't see the reason behind carrying 4-5L onto the playing field unless you drink and sweat like a beast. On the other hand carrying a 20oz. bottle for a multiple hour game is just asking for dehydration.

 

Give yourself a margin of safety, carry more than you're going to drink but don't take a sledgehammer to the problem and carry gallons onto the field if you aren't going to need it. My $0.02.

[rhino]

depends on the loadout i use. If i'm going all "Locked and Loaded" then anything up to 10kg but if i'm going for speed, anything from a couple of kg to around 5kg pending