Garret,
You hit on one thing I had to learn the hard way, NEVER EVER loan your gear. I have made a lot of people mad but I can't help it. I loaned out my spyderco police, they guy brought it back with the tip broken off, his reply was, sorry man, I haven't loaned anything since. I now carry an AFCK, everyday I have someone ask to borrow my knife or my wave, when I tell them no they really get mad, I always tell them that they are for sale in the PX go buy their own. I have even had a senior NCO order me to give him my leatherman, I told him it was personal property and he could go to hell, which caused a big fight but he didn't touch my leatherman. I can't understand people that think I should pay 100 dollars or more for something and then let them ruin it.

You know the average person doesn't carry a pocket knife, they expect to borrow one if they need it. When I was a team chief I required all my team members to have a knife and a flashlight on their person at all times, and I had to mke them do it. JEEZ, I will get off my soap box, now I feel better. Chris

Ahhh, the ALICE large isn’t so bad. It is the best ruck we have these days. The MOLLE stuff is junk and a good many of the troops are buying aftermarket stuff (depending on unit SOP). IMHO, by far the best ISSUE large military ruck is the Brit Bergan.

The ALICE large will work with web-gear ok if you replace the suspender clips on the web-gear with lengths of 550 cord. Basically you drop the pistol belt below the level of the ruck’s kidney pad. Works like a charm. …Of course you have to be in a unit that allows for some individual freedom with respect to personal equipment. <img src="images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

If Gortex isn't worth the money, what would you recommend?
I've being looking to buy a warm breathable jacket for a while.The "softie" range made with Pertex was top of my list. Any suggestions for a warm outer layer?
Joblot

Chris,

maybe a year ago or so I posted a formal complain to my friends that requested them to get their own gear. I was sick and tired of getting my knife back lubricated with peanut butter, or my MSR pot kits protected with double coat of bacon grease, or my powerful flashlight used all night becasue it was too hard to turn it off... I also lost blade tips on my Buck and Sog knives due to unfriendly use. Few sleeping bags I lent out had come back stinking and tent came back so dirty and wet that it took me week to clean it up.

My friends learned very quickly that I will not lend them any more gear. I compiled what I had and created pile of gear that I want to keep and pile that I don't need. Over the years I collected fair amount of lower end backup stuff which I gave away to my friends. Some of it I never saw again because there was nobody to clean it after the trip, some of it is well cared for and build upon.

It's hard to say no to your friends without sounding like a total selfish bastard.

Matt

I am a selfish bastard. I have seen people die due to lack of equipment and common sense! I work hard and pay a lot for the equipment.

I instruct debris tunneling with the most possible minimal equipment. In any of the teams I train or on my own team if I see anyone share equipment or lend equipment to cover the other one's fault (lost, forgotten etc..) that piece of equipment is gone. They will never get it back. (I even check spare boot laces:))

The tradition here says "Horse, wife and weapon" you do not lend or give these <img src="images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> Turks were migrators in the past so these were the three things that kept the life going.

Burak
Istanbul

I bought a GoLite Breeze Pack and one of the tiny sleeping bags they make and both of these were worthless. I ended up tossing both. The Breeze just didn't ride well even though it was very light. The bag, which was more of a half sleeping bag ala Jardine just wasn't warm enough on cold nights. I also found that giving my rather vigouros style of sleep, that the bag did not stay attached to the velco points on the sleeping pad.

I could go on and on about military gear, but the rest of you seem to have that covered!

I guess each individual/team must handle equipment loan in a different fashion, based upon their personal philosophy of being prepared. I can also see your point of view in the value of teaching preparedness lessons during training. However, my fellow members of our team are my family, we depend upon each other in life threatening situations. While the team has now been in existence for over 12 years and we have a fair amount of team equipment, many of us who started early with the team purchased much of our own equipment at a time when funding was minimal. When we are on a rescue, I view my personal equipment as well as everyone else’s the common property of the team, it is there for the rescue. Yes, I have lost, had damaged and have had to replace personal items at considerable expense, but we all consider it an acceptable risk. Everyone on the team at one time or another has had to borrow and loan gear/food/water/etc.; it is just the way we do things. No way is right or wrong, just another way of looking at things. Pete

the one crap piece of equipment I bought was the British Snug3 sleeping bag. I am always cold in there. Instead of taking clothes off I start putting more on when I get into my maggot!
I now made my own fleece liner and now seems ok though - bulk and weight increrased considrably.

Personally I am not in favor of lending out equipment. In case anyone asks me (while out camping) to borrow a knife I just pass a cheap one. Everone's happy!

reinhardt

are you talking about the snugpak softie 3 ? i was considering to buy that one, is it the fault of the sleeping bag or did you just bought the wrong temperature rating foryour intended use ?

www.wiggys.com has a rather blistering appraisal of snugpak. Jerry is in business to sell his product, but his information and reasoning are free.