Okay, so I'm starting to really get my gear squared away after a couple years of buying the standard pieces one after the other. At this point I have all major areas covered, and am now looking into secondary stuff and which things to upgrade or improve as I usually get in at a basic level to see how I like the gear.

Here's what I've got so far:

1) Banshee plate carrier with AR500 level III front and back plates, two kangaroo mag pouches, hydration bladder, shoulder pads, and one tactical tailor double magazine pouch on the cummerbund. I want to keep this totally slick on the front (minus the kangaroo mags) if possible because I don't need to go to war and like to be as low to the ground and maneuverable as possible.

2) HSGI battle belt with a quality universal drop leg from Specter, two rifle/pistol combo tacos, fixed blade and sheath, and a flashlight pouch for my light.

3) OSOE micro chest rig compatible with AK's and AR's (I utilize both so I try to keep all my gear able to go both ways - something I might look into diversifying and setting up one rig for each platform).

4) Some inexpensive Caldwell electronic ear pro that have worked great for over a year, but aren't anything fancy or expensive

5) Got a couple of backpack options but my most commonly used and overall probably nicest is a 5.11 Triab that I've used for about 2 years.



Here's where I've identified some gaps in my gear and am looking to upgrade or purchase - but I'm looking for input on anything I've missed or which to prioritize.

1) Medical - everybody says this is just as important as everything else, and I certainly am not disputing that, but options for actually learning how to use the stuff around me are limited and free time is limited. Still treating this as pretty high priority.

2) Plates - level 3 steel armor is well suited to my needs, but with steel products hitting the market now capable of reliably stopping higher velocity 556, I've been considering upgrading even though I'm perfectly comfortable with level 3 protection. Also considering adding side plates to my current rig as an option for more protection but I'm not really convinced the benefits outweigh the cost and reduced mobility. Still, options are good. Not really interested in looking into ceramic level 4 protection at this time because I prefer the long term ruggedness of current coated steel products, but I guess I could be swayed.

3) Diversifying and setting up an entirely individual plate carrier and belt for AK's and AR's as I plan on utilizing both long term.

4) Also considered just doing another belt setup to integrate into my Triab pack as it's designed to work with the Brokos belt. This wouldn't really be for shooting necessarily but seems like it might be a nice option for hiking and other activities where I might want to carry.

5) Upgrading some range related stuff like adding a second pair of electronic muffs so I have one to keep by the bedside, could definitely use a second rifle case, bigger range bag, etc.

6) Adding a couple things to my primary belt like a dump pouch or a utility pouch or maybe even a bottle carrier for the range.

What would you guys suggest based on your experiences?

What is the application? I can not follow a cohesive theme of what mission this is for. Seriously, I've been in this game for over 20 years and can not read into what this setup is supposed to be built for.

Your medical gear should reflect your level of training...you do not seem too confident about that, and I am guessing that you sure do need more training. Not being a prick, just telling you what I deduce from what I read.

Take some training classes- not new gear.

This is independent of training. Talking gear only. Training is already budgeted for.

This isn't for a specific "mission" - just a regular guy who wants to have all the bases covered. Most of the gear is range and fun oriented, such as the "battle" belt, chest rig, etc. Plate carriers obviously serve a greater purpose for protection but I only really imagine them being used in a very specific and extremely unlikely home invasion scenario where I'd have time to throw one on quick and have it on for a max of 10 minutes.

I suspect by what I read that people in this forum just kind of like gear - not everything has to be set up for "mission" that will never happen.

Having a med kit isn't as much about know how to use every single piece, it is more about others being able to use it on you. Most of the time you at carrying an ifak (individual first aid kit)on your PC and even if you do not know how to use everything someone with you should be able to help you. But I would also suggest some training in this area.

Agreed. It's probably my number 1 priority even if options for getting instruction on how to use it are limited in my area.

I would definitely recommend some kind of med kit.  My preferences are the ITS Tactical ETA "Tallboy" or "Fatboy", although you would still need to purchase a tourniquet separately, as well as some trauma sheers.  Training is also vitally important when discussing med kits.  A very wise person once told me: "You can teach a monkey HOW to operate, but you can't teach a monkey WHEN to operate".

I want to keep this discussion to gear only and not training, however the medical gear and training has been on my radar for a while. It's the training part that's been holding me up from buying medical in the first place, but as others have stated I suppose it would still be nice to have in case somebody else knows how to use it.

Are you first aid/CPR certified?  That is the #1 priority for medical training, and the most likely you are to use.  It doesn't take a rocket surgeon to use a tourniquet or a chest seal, and you can get online training to show you how to use those.  Add in hands on use (buy extras, never reuse a TQ unless there are no other options) and you should be good to go.  Yes, a course would be better but you are right that medical training is harder to come by and is usually very expensive.  Some places do wilderness medicine classes that are miniature trauma courses, I'd look those up.  Next up would be EMT.

Go with ceramic plates, there is no need to hump around a lot of extra weight, plus you will be a lot less likely to A) train in your gear and B) have said gear on when you need it the heavier it is.  I'm not going to get in a debate about "ruggedness" of steel vs ceramic, but the reality is they are nowhere near as fragile as some people think.  Add to that most steel  (and plenty of ceramic, for that matter) is not tested to the NIJ standards, and I'd rather have something I knew the real limitations of.

Your gear should reflect your level of training and the mission itself.  If you can't give a specific mission/use, it will be hard for anyone to give decent advice.

I'm going to post about gear now...
I wouldn't use a drop holster unless your PC requires it. As high as you can comfortably get it + nothing strapped to leg = better.
I don't know what lights you have, but I would carry at least 2, one on your long gun plus a handheld. If you have a pistol, maybe a third on it. Definitely carry extra batteries. It'd be great if they all use the same ones. I like QD lights so they can be handheld if need be, or detached at dawn if you know you won't have any dark places to enter.
Night vision - It's really expensive to get good NV gear, but it opens up a whole new world to you. It lets you be really sneaky and move at night, which is great for hostile areas, or anywhere others are likely to have NV gear. You'll need IR lasers and lights to go with it, and extra batteries for all that.
Land nav - the least expensive awesome tool you can have. Printed, laminated USGS topo map with grid lines for your area. It's just like MGRS, so if you read the FM on land nav, you'll know all about it. Compass. Then get a GPS (with extra batteries), but understand the map, compass, MGRS/Mercator vs lat/long, and pace counting first. Make/buy pace count beads (on para cord), get your pace count, and practice using it *hardest part*. Use the GPS to check your accuracy as a training aid and always assume it could fail. They can also be spoofed on purpose by CI SIGINT. Your map cannot. Have a temp marker with eraser to note stuff on your laminated map.
Binoculars - I like the compact BDU-pocket-sized ones, like the M24. Those can be used to estimate distance as well with their MIL reticle.
Glowsticks - these are great for marking something for others to find at night. Even if those *others* aren't on your team. Are they looking for something? Give them something to find. They'll probably check it out. (Situation dictates. Google "L ambush"). They're inexpensive and lightweight. IR glowsticks if anyone has NV. IR strobe (battery-powered) if friendlies have NV.
Socks - lots of people overlook the footwear. I hope you have awesome comfortable boots if you plan to walk 12 hours or longer. Have at least 2 fresh pairs of nice, expensive, wool socks. Yes, wool. Even for the summer. Do not go "extended-duration tactical" in new non-broken-in boots either. Bad idea!
Medical was a weak area for me for a while. Basically you have to rely on outside medical help for major stuff like GSW's. Your main concern will be to stop blood loss and keep lungs working if they're damaged. Keep sterile(ish) gauze, bandages, and carry the old-style triangle bandages to hold that clean gauze tight against any wound. You can tie them. Have at least 1 CAT or SOF-T tourniquet. *DO NOT* use a tourniquet unless you know what you're doing, but like you said, someone else may have the training. I prefer to use my teammate's med gear on them and save mine for me in case I go down. Mark your med pouch with the cross. (Subdued is fine). Know your blood type and mark that where visible. Allergies too. Quick-clot is nice to have if you may need it for a GSW, but it goes bad in about 2 years. Antibiotics are a must if you might be without med support. They last a long time.
Water purification if acquiring clean drinking water could be a problem... It's all about what might be useful for where you are operating and what problems you are likely to face. A small lockpick kit could come in very handy. Cash too. Remember size is bulk and everything weighs something. How important is that weight/bulk? You can't carry everything. Keep the most likely-needed gear where it can accessed the fastest. You'll never need to quickly produce a lockpick. You better have a darn good reason for using it too. Same with weapons, obviously. With great power comes... greater people with more power than you. They just show up sometimes. Be careful.
Your mind and communication skills are usually your most powerful tools. Wait, I stopped talking about gear. Transmission ends. lol
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Then I'd say you're fine with what you already have.

He needs to take what he has right now and take it to training.  When he uses it under the eyes of someone who knows what they are doing they might tell him what is not working for him or what he is lacking.  Med stuff is a given.  There is no point in having a TQ on your side if you don't know how to put it on right and just break it while you are covered in blood wishing you knew how to use a TQ.  Same goes for basically anything else besides minor bandages that would go in a first aid kit.  

If you're still in KY in a year, I'll come up there and teach you all you need to know about first aid.

All it will cost is a place to sleep (a random spot on the floor works), and beer. The more I drink, the more I talk. And if I'm focused on medicine when I start drinking, you better take notes, you'll learn A LOT.

Just don't let him be "the big spoon".

A commonly over looked item is eye pro. Find some eye pro that doesn't fog up, works with your ear pro and helmet/tacticalflagballcap. Also get some clear lenses for them. Nothing sucks like getting a stick in the eye at night. I prefer the Oakley half jacket XLJ shooting array.

I prefer the M 2.0 sets, they provide more coverage and the lenses are like Chevy truck parts, you can get 'em more places if you need a spare.  
Besides, that funny little clip keeps the lens from popping out if you're around, oh... I dunno, large explosions.

These days I just go with 3M safety glasses from Home Depot.  They don't scream military/law enforcement, provide better impact protection, and are only (drum roll) $10.

I agree with Tweeter. Op should be fine with what he already has.

But Nickforney...

He does NOT need to take any of that 'to training.' There really isn't much reason to train if you'll never need it, and he's certain he'll never need it.

Honestly, if you're not going into harms way, I can't imagine anything more useless as a medical kit, of any size. I suppose you could do one for looks, but all you'll need is a TQ and some "combat sheers." Those are the only things you can SEE, which is probably why they were the only specific items suggested. Put those in some dedicated TQ holder. Then you'll need something like the HSGI blowout pouch to hold the med sheers.

Maybe you need a helmet next?

He doesn't need any of it.  I'd say if he wants to have fun... sell all of it and go skydiving or buy a set of night vision devices.

I didn't mean that he needed that shit..he doesn't.  He has it though and is talking about dumping things he has for different things or adding things.  All mil bros know that the only way to figure out what you need is to shake out your gear.  Many guys in the know can just put it on and work with it for a while outside of mission but he isn't going on any patrols in the near future unless George Zimmerman needs a hand with the neighborhood watch.  

I think TQ, shears and a large Israeli bandage is all most people need and people who get big IFAK's as a civi seem a bit silly to me.  If you need some of that stuff and you are alone you are gonna die anyway you are just flirting with the idea that after you kill the bad guys and are wounded badly you are going to lay there in your own shit and blood and put on an ashermans chest seal or some shit...yea ok.  Maybe Im wrong but I have seen many trauma victims that can't do anything but stare at the blood or just freak out.  It is a different story if you are doing team tactics but you probably have this shit threshed out anyway if you are worth a shit.

Guy needs to buy ammo and if he wants to have cool guy gear he needs to shoot ammo while wearing the cool guy gear he has now.  Basically any question found on ar15.com can be answered by you should buy more ammo and shoot it in a way that you gain something from every pull of the trigger...

I hope he doesn't ever need any of it, since he has probably already lost the fight. He might still win though. As they say, better to be lucky than skilled.

As to the other reply, I know some about trauma injuries and the unlikeliness someone will be able to even apply their own CATq. If your IFAK is f'ed up, you'd have to be a really good friend for me to open up mine. Maybe if I break your brand new TQ, I'll grab one of mine; but god help you if it's missing and you don't have a second one. I'll apply your hyphin, CATs, CGause, etc; if you've got it. Reason right there to have it.

But yes, if it's the Second American Revolution or something and I'm apply combat gause to a wound (which you'll probably need a surgeon and team to remove and fix you), you're not coming back from that.

As an inexperienced civilian who also likes to buy things I don't need, #MERICA. I have on hand a iiia concealable police style vest , my concealed carry and a cell phone to call 911. I have some medical gear in my car, house, and range bag.  Keep in mind my opinion is worth exactly what you paid for it.

Get a radio! A tactical one!

I agree with S.  Totally.

Community colleges are great for getting basic stuff out of the way.  Most people would be surprised to find out just how much of the basics directly relate to combat injuries.

The human body is what it is, it doesn't magically change simply because it's changed geographic locations.  


Bottom line: whether you're a baby-sitter or a gun-slinger, more knowledge is always a good thing.

Back in 90/91, I was stationed in Germany and was stuck doing ForcePro for our kaserne during Desert Shield/Storm. While working the back gate one day, we had stopped a car and had the NCO driving it get out and open the hood, so that we could do our search. When he opened it, he apparently noticed a belt was loose, and tried to tighten the nut with his bare hands-while the engine was running! You can likely imagine how well that worked out for him. I was the only one of the soldiers working the gate who had the requisite field dressings on his LBE, so I ran over and applied one to his hand, putting pressure on it in order to staunch the bleeding and to keep his fingers from falling off while my squad leader drove him to the clinic on post. The next day, one of the nurses came through the gate and asked if we were the ones who'd treated him. When I told her that it was me, she told me that if it hadn't been for my fast action, he'd have likely lost two of his fingers for good. To this day, I keep a well-stocked first aid kit in every vehicle, to include a number of old, Army-issued, field dressings.

Of course, having been under a Bar to Reenlistment and flag from favorable actions, I didn't get so much as a BN coin for saving his fingers.

My go bag in the truck carries more medical gear than shoot em up gear. I've restocked several items over the years after having to use it.

The human body- despite its sometimes phenomenal strength and endurance- is an inherently fragile sack of cells and tissues. Even for those who routinely go into harm's way, injury is a far more likely situation than shootin' folks. Plan and equip accordingly.