Hey Everyone, Long time no see!
Well, first of all, sorry I haven't posted in forever, but I have been a bit busy! I sort of wound up over in Iraq .... again...ugh!
Second, I had to do something to busy my mind other than chasing bomb makers and taking my college classes. So, I decided to busy myself with putting together an E&E kit, since uncle sugar doesn't see fit to issue them to us EOD guys any more. I just so happened to have brought my small survival kit from home for some odd reason, and decided to move a bunch of the parts over to a new pouch and upgrade some things...weeeee!
Sorry, at this time, no pics, I need to figure out where I can put them so I can upload them. These boneheads have virtually every website blocked, so I'll need to work that issue in my spare time. I'm sorting it all out and in the next day or so, I'll hopefully post some pictures for you guys. Then I'd love some input and you folks thoughts.

First time I've posted one of my own kits, and I'd really like some feedback from all of you. Please remember, that this kit has to stay small because it's mounted on my body armor, along with the following:
8 30rd mags for my M4 Carbine
3 15rd mags for my M9 Pistol
Medical/Trauma Kit
100oz Camel Back
Ti Folding Knife
Ti Dive Knife
Reascue Strap Cutter
Diagonal Wire Cutters
Roll of Electrical Tape on a Carabiner
Blasting Cap Crimpers
Surefire Light
Rite-in-the-Rain Notepad
M-BITTR Radio and Pouch
PVS-14 NVG and Pouch
Magazine Dump Pouch
All mounted on my Interceptor Body Armor with front, back and side E-SAPI Plates....
Needless to say, with just the vest already weighing in at about 55lbs, I wanted to keep the size and weight down, I still have weapons, uniform, helmet, and pads to wear. The kit also had to be designed for use in a hostile military environment ... like here.
The kit is in a standard TAG E&E Drop Pouch and contains:
Standard Military Pen Flare Launcher and 4 Flares
Small IR Rescue Strobe
AMK Rescueflash Signal Mirror, on neck lanyard
Survival Necklace of Red 550 cord w
FOX40 Signal Whistle
Dog Tag w sharpened edge
P51 Can Opener
Gerber Ridge Mini Folder Knife on mini carabiner
Small Silva Compass w magnifier on neck lanyard
E&E map (laminated and crumpled, of my general operating area)
Duct Tape, Small Roll
Orange Surveyor Tape, Small Roll
AMK Heat Sheet (for once, I wish they made one in coyote brown)
Fire Starting Kit in Red mini WITZ box w
15 REI Storm Matches in Match Case
Disposable Butane lighter
very small Pencil sharpener (for tinder)
2 Trioxane Fuel Tablets
15 Micropur MP1 Water Purification Tabs
2 1ltr Gerber Milk Bags (in case of Camelback damage)
6ft Surgical Tubing
10ft 550 Cord (tan)
3 energy gel packs
$100.00 US (when cash is all that will save your butt)

OK, that's about it for now. Everyone tell me what you think, just remember, it's only supposed to cover me for a short while until the C-SAR guys track me down. As for the weight, don't think for a minute that I won't ditch the 35lbs of plates out of my vest just to get some speed to get outta dodge...LOL!

I hope everyone had a merry Christmas, and have yourselves a happy, and safe New Year. We'll see you all soon.

Cheers,
Mike

You know your needs better than I, but perhaps two lengths of electrical wire with alligator clips at each end might be handy. God speed, be safe and happy new year.

OK, For all I've tried, I just cannot figure out what to do with it? I'm tired, so that might be it too....

Mike,

Hey, glad to hear you okay. Hmmm, looking over you list I can't thnk of anything to add. Maybe some candy or stickers to bribe the local children? Maybe some duct tape/gorilla tape to hold things together?

Stay safe.

-Blast

Hey Blast, great to see you!
As for Iraqi kids...these days those little B!@#$%^s only take cash! LOL! They're well entrenched into the free market economy! Got a spare FOX whistle in there just in case though (really light and small, and best of all, no weight).
Also, got a small roll of Duct tape, must have missed it, I'm getting pretty tired.

Hope you are all getting along well for the holidays,
Cheers,
Mike

Hey NightHiker,
I really wish the name of the game was light, but someone in DC needs to realize that too much armor, is too bloody much! LOL! I feel like a tank sometimes, man, I miss my Paraclete Vest!

about a dozen zip ties and a couple zip cuffs on the vest.

Sounds like you are well aware of the fun associated with hides and safe areas here, I guess it just depends on the neighborhood. Amazingly enough, this place has changed a bunch since I was here last in '05. It's so quiet it ridiculous. I rolled through Suleikh in north Baghdad last time on three flat tires and expended two cans of .50cal ammo then, now if you stop at a light, someone will offer you chai! Remarkable! But Shhh, don't tell anyone that the surge might have worked...LOL! I don't want to jinx it! LOL!
Cheers,

I'm reading that as 2 1 liter Gerber Milk bags??? If so, they are one heck of a lot larger than the ones I know about. I'd check them to be sure.....

A big bandanna or 2 might come in handy.

Best Wishes
Stu

sorry, I'm so used to metric, honestly I packed them some time ago, and cannot truthfully tell you their capacity, but I seem to remember it being around a liter or quart, I'll need to check now, because it'll make me nuts...LOL!

I usually wear a dishdasha around my neck to reduce body armor rub, that covers a bunch of uses, and so passed on the bandanna.

Thanks for the check on the bags, I'l check tonight.

Cheers,
Mike

See! That's what happens when you type tired! But you seem to know the deal, just off the road, and still too keyed up to sleep. Either that or my brains been rattled too many times...LOL!
Mmmmm....Green Bean, none of those on the COP's! LOL!
You would be absolutely shocked by Fallujah today dude! It's a totally different animal. Who were you there with?

Keep in touch dude,
Cheers

I hear good stuff about that crew, and the Navy Techs are ... well...they're pretty...but at least they're competent and damn good divers. Not like the AF guys, they're just pretty...LOL! JK! The Marine EOD guys just get the short end of it, and there's way too few of them.
Yeah, I'm Army, 21 years now, and can't get released. But still hope to retire after this and grab a nice cushy gig consulting. It's definitely a lot cleaner and healthier, LOL!
Doing the Platoon Daddy thing now, doing a lot of investigation/intelligence/evidence work, can't really keep up on the hard side any more, too broken to. Oh well, at least they still call me for the really wierd stuff.
That's OK...only 13 months left...
Cheers,

MB Mike, The kit looks great, no additional beyond whats already been suggested by others. Stay Safe. Happy New Year. Thanks for your service!

How about a piece of large tooth hacksaw blade.
Don't some of the leatherman pliers have crimpers built in?
Are 15 watertabs enough, that sounds like a one day supply of water to me.
Stay safe.
<<>>

Wow! I can not even imagine lugging that much weight around all the time. Must be nice to be young (and in shape). Have a good year...

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, please keep your butt in one piece!!!!

Thank you for serving!!!!!!

I will write more on your kit supplies after I have time to review it more carefully. it looks good so far.

Is it worth having concealed gear like airmen in WW2 did? compass in button, hacksaw under insole, derringer in boot, map as clothing lining etc
or is being taken prisoner not an option for the US military?

Or a variation on tbat: The last ditch kit in the lowest level of gear; innner pockets. So if you have to ditch everything to sprint you stil have something on you?
The Sock

Re reading the list you are ahead of me on a last ditch kit with your necklace.
One thing I don't understand (been a long time since I wore a uniform). Why have a pistol and mags when you've got a carbine anyway? I'd have thought more ammo for the rifle would be a better use of the weight.
And as someone pointed out; you could combine the 2 knives, crimpers, wire cutters and rescue cutters in one multi tool.
Could you fit a heat shield blanket in there? Reading 'Bravo two zero' when they didn't bring sleeping gear it was a fatal mistake for some.
The Sock

Benchmade knife rather than the Gerber.
Spark-lite tinder.
1 x Fragmentation grenade.

Capture = torture and execution.
So if your wounded and left out on Afghan's plains...........

OK, OK Leigh,
The little Gerber is what I've got, so it's the firstest with the mostest, and it'll do. I wouldhave prefered a little CRKT, but couldn't afford it.
Spark Lite tinder, in place of this I use the Trioxane fuel tabs, I can get them easily, and they burn quite a long time in any weather. Fire's not a huge priority here, especially in a 24-36hr kit.
Frag Grenade...waaay ahead of you, My operational pack usually had plenty of C-4 and other various explosive naughtiness, I patterned it off the suitcase of tricks from "Force 10 from Navarrone", I don't just take them apart....

As far as we are concerned...capture is no longer on the list of options, it's just a question of how many you take with you! Glad we see eye to eye.
...and go to your gawd like a soldier!
Love Kipling!

Cheers

Now OBG, you know I'm not young, and in shape only makes up for so much when you're broken...LOL!
Happy new year to you too

Hey Sock,
We're in the city here, so I go a lot of tight places where a pistol is so much better. I hate the back alleys.
The two knives weigh very little because they are Titanium, do it's worth it. I use the folder for my quick utility, and the dive knife I also use as a pry bar for pulling boards up from floors and such.
Rescue cuter is the Benchmade 7 hook, and it's issued. crimpers are also titanium, so negligible weight. For an immediate action situation, where I need to cut wires...NOW! I cant afford the time for opening a multi tool, the absolute best for me to work with are the wire cutters.
I've got a heat sheet in there, not much more room for another. I agree, those SAS guys got really caught out in the weather, and that more than anything took them down. My AO is mostly urban and suburb, so I look more at water, and rescue.

Cheers

Capture over here sir...not even an option on the table.

hmmm...makes me want to join the AF! LOL! Looks like a rough job!

hey frediver,
15 tabs are enough for 15 liters, if I am out of contact longer than that, I probably have much bigger problems...LOL!
There are problems with a lot of the multi tools crimpers, there's a lot of variation in size and that's not really good, so DOD has problems with us carrying them, my crimpers don't weigh a full oz, so not much worry there. I still carry a Leatherman Charge XTI, but only use the crimpers when working with electrical connectors.
The saw blade is a pretty good idea, I might have to look for something like that.
Thanks

"...you're broken..."

Boy oh boy do I understand that!!!

yeah, armor REALLY makes bad knees feel worse!

Man, I did my time in the Air Farce, and it was NEVER like that. Of course, I was stuck with the Army for most of those four years, that might be the difference...

Hey Mike,
Good to hear from ya!
Is there anything us ETS folks can muster up for you? I can volunteer to get a package sent your way. Let us know what we can send you.
Happy New Year; stay safe.
Bill

Thanks for your great service to our country!

I've always thought that in an E&E situation, you'd kill for the ability to "disappear" until the SAR guys pick you up.

A Marine buddy of mine said they still use the ponchos (He was in the litter box in 03-04 I believe). Have you seen the alpha tent one can make out of a lowly poncho? www.alpharubicon.com/prepinfo/ponchotent.htm Get that poncho in Marpat desert, and damn, I'd say you'd disappear, stay cooler, and keep more bugs and/or rain off you all at the same time. The weight of two aluminum tent poles seems almost negligible when the Interceptor weighs so damn much! Plus, I'm sure you could find a use for a long pole to do something with...let's see, EOD, long pole...

Sir, THAT is absolutely AWESOME! I've never seen that before in 21 years of dragging around a poncho! Thanks so very much!
Here in town, there's plenty hide with, lots of trash and debris. I don't spend much time out of town this trip, so I don't worry about it much.
However, in Afghanistan, we used the locals method and carried a light blanket in various shades of light brown. Just toss it over yourself and spread it out, and unless you are within 10 yards of it, you'll never see it. Worked great up in the rocks, didn't keep you very warm though...LOL!

Cheers