Gear for Night Games

[TerranCmdr]

First of all apologies if this isn't the correct place for this thread.

 

 

 

Anyway, I'm attending my second ever night game later this month, and I wanted to hear some opinions on what should be standard night game gear.  One of the things I've learned after playing airsoft for a few years is that you never really know what you need on the field until you go out there and realize what you're missing.

 

So here's my current gear list for the night game.

 

Standard "everyday" gear:

Vest

Battle belt

Boots

Helmet

Kneepads

Gloves

Guns

Holster

Grenade

Radio

Paracord

Multi-tool

Camelbak

Ammo, etc.

 

 

Night specific gear:

ACM "Surefire" style helmet light

Red chemlights (dead lights)

White chemlight (attached to grenade)

Taclight (attached to rifle)

Taclight (attached to pistol)

Safety whistle (required by field)

Handheld flashlight

Extra surefire batteries

 

 

Is there anything else you guys can think of that would be standard equipment for night games?  NODs are an obvious choice but I can't afford that, or at least can't justify spending the money for the 1-2 night games I play per year.

 

[Danke]

Carry less gear at night. As you feel your way around in the dark you will really notice that your body acts differently vs. wihen you can see where you are putting your feet.

 

Rehearse doing simple tasks like loading a magazine in a dark room to see if your light setup will work.

 

Make sure you have a red lens on your headlight so when you are loading you don't wash out your night vision during the game.

[TerranCmdr]

Good tips.  I was actually thinking of doing some blindfolded reloads in case I can't see at all or don't want to give away my position.

[DrAlexanderTobacco]

If the game's quite short (2 hours or less), drop the battle belt. You probably won't need whatever you're carrying on it.

[TerranCmdr]

Game will probably be at least 2 hours, but the way I have my rig set up, I have an RRV with mag pouches, radio and an MP, and the battle belt has my pistol holster, pistol mags, dump pouch, and IFAK.  Can't really fit all those things on the RRV but I feel like I need them all.

[DWZippy]

You won't need a pistol in the dark, it'll be deadweight. Chances are, a lot of your contact is going to be firing at noises. 

 

• you can't see *suitcase* at night, nor can the enemy. keep your ears open and don't make any noise. Move slowly and smoothly. Jerky movements will draw the eye. 
• night vision - if you can't afford it, getting some ir retardant clothes might save you from getting rinsed repeatedly if your opponent has brought goggles. It's pretty cheap. if you don't want to justify the expense, quick blasts from a taclight can do a real number on the older NVG's. 
• Grenades, again - not too important. If you are going to use them, don't tie a chemlight to them. 
• A lot of the usual things you're carrying for the sake of speed/convenience aren't  necessary. In the dark, you don't need that 2 second reload, or a sidearm to pull at a moments notice.
• Might be worth steering clear of velcro. I think it gets louder after dark... 

[TerranCmdr]

Good tip on the velcro, the only thing I have that is velcro on my gear is my admin pouch so I should be ok.

 

As for your other points (and these relate directly to the game I'm going to this month):

 

-Absolutely need the pistol for fighting indoors, it's required by my site

-I can't get IR retardant BDUs unless my whole team gets them, right now we're having a hard enough time building up to full ATACS across the board.  It is definitely an option I have considered though.

-Need my Tornado, it clears out an entire room, or an entire building if it is all open on the inside, and since it cost me $100+, I really don't want to lose it, so that's how I justify tying a chemlight to it.

 

 

Thanks for the input, you make some very good points.  I have a feeling that there won't be much stealth involved once we start breaching buildings, although getting up to the buildings themselves will probably be a tricky task.

[DWZippy]

Oh, man if it's CQB than the usual CQB rules apply - and you don't really need a great deal of extra gear. Just make sure you've got lights attached and rock 'n roll. 

[Danke]

If you're shooting it's lounder than velcro. If you're not shooting you don't need to be playing with velcro.

[Lone_Bullet]

If you're using optics, see to it that the dot doesn't blind you.

In full dark even a cigarette can rob you of your nightsight. Try partially charged batteries.

Even better, try glow in the dark sights like MeproLight or Trijicon.

 

Also this: Don't cover your ears too much.

[DWZippy]

If you're shooting it's lounder than velcro. If you're not shooting you don't need to be playing with velcro.

 

If you have to melt into the forest to reload, you'll wish you didn't have velcro. I've done this a few times... 

[Azubi]

-Need my Tornado, it clears out an entire room, or an entire building if it is all open on the inside, and since it cost me $100+, I really don't want to lose it, so that's how I justify tying a chemlight to it.

Somewhat more low key would be to take the cat eyes from a couple of helmet bands ($3.50 brand new at 1800nametape, cheaper in surplus stores) and either glue them in place or use strong, clear tape to hold them in place on your grenade. The cat eyes will facilitate highlighting the position of it without giving it away once thrown, nor will it be a bright glowing object giving you away.

[Azubi]

If you have to melt into the forest to reload, you'll wish you didn't have velcro. I've done this a few times... 

If you are disappearing into the woods when you should be using the momentum of your attack to keep kicking in doors with your team, you've done something wrong. When it goes loud, the sound of RRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIPPPPPPPPP when you pull Velcro apart to change mags will be the least of your worries.

[DWZippy]

If you are disappearing into the woods when you should be using the momentum of your attack to keep kicking in doors with your team, you've done something wrong. When it goes loud, the sound of RRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIPPPPPPPPP when you pull Velcro apart to change mags will be the least of your worries.

I think in Woodland it's a little like that. At the stirling events we do a lot of after dark ambushes in the woods, and when the relief force shows up on the Landy we vanish. The goal isn't the successfully attack a point, but to draw resources away. With that in mind, we quietly re-arm while they look for us, flank around have another crack. 

 

Not a problem during the day, but the sound of Velcro literally echoes at night. 

[Azubi]

He is doing a CQB event, not woodland.

[Agent Hunk]

It's possible its a mixed outdoors and indoors game. Otherwise a dark CQB game doesn't really require too awful much extra.

[Cannonfodder80]

When I've played at night I just use the same kit as in daytime so I know exactly where everything is (muscle memory and all that). Just make sure all things that will clink, rattle or make other noise are taped up or made so the noise is eliminated

 

Re light. Only use a light if absolutely nessesary, even with a red filter as they make a very nice aiming point which will often have your face behind it

 

Hope this helps

[DWZippy]

He is doing a CQB event, not woodland.

See my initial post though, which was made with the assumption that he was out in the woodland, because a CQB game in the dark literally requires no new kit, besides a taclight on the rifle. 

[TerranCmdr]

Hm, I had kind of intended for this thread to just be kind of a general night gear discussion.  I guess I didn't consider there might be different gear setups for straight CQB or woodland.

Anyway my site is best described as MOUT - 20 or so buildings separated by streets and shrubbery.  The fighting is a mix of indoor, building to building, and outdoor.

 

 

 

All good points, the cateyes on the grenade I might have to try.

[Agent Hunk]

Yeah, if its MOUT I'd only throw a light on the gun and a red admin light and call it a day. I used a red light filter on my carbine light as well.

 

For woodland I'd avoid a light and anything that made excessive sounds. My normal mag pouches are silent but in the past I've switched to a chi-com. Silent and carries enough to hit and run.

[Danke]

You're moving,  your'e making noise, you're undoing velcro, and you're reloading.

 

If you have to stop moving and be silent then you are are silent.

[Agent Hunk]

Yeah, I read it the first time.

[Tw1tch]

In a night game I'd consider a shemagh or lower face mask, to reduce the chance of serious injuries due to the added element of darkness.

[TerranCmdr]

Eh I can never wear a shemagh for more than a few minutes (too hot), unless it's bitter cold, but here in the bay area it never gets to be that bad.

[shmook]

Duct/elec tape, for securing loose or noisy kit. Straps snag and things rattle at night.

 

Red torch with lens taped up so a pin *beep* of light shines through.

 

Lens cloth for your eye pro. Misted goggles are far worse at night.

 

A floppy hat to break up your outline and make you less 'people-shaped'. Folk are less sure of what they se at night, so any help you give yourself is a bonus.

 

Headset for comms, so you're not announcing your position over a loudspeaker.

 

More spare batteries. Redundancy is good.

 

Develop your hearing and learn to differentiate between people moving and spooky natural noises which sound similar.

 

Cam cream, faces shine at night.

 

Watch cover, or secure it under a sleeve to stop any GITD showing.

 

Spare top, it gets cooler at night.

 

Hen you stop to listen, open your mouth a bit. It stops it becoming an echo chamber for your breathing/heartbeat, and helps you hear better.

 

Tie kit on. It's easy to drop something without noticing at night, and if you do feel it go, your not rooting around with a light looking for it.

 

Check for 'battle rattle' before moving out. Jump up and down to find any noisy or loose items.

 

 

Some of this may seem simple, and I'm not trying to patronise you, just helping