I was rather shocked by the lack of firestarting equippment in the vest, particularly with the Sparklite and the Doans both having stock numbers. Is that monsterous old fishing kit still issued? If so, I'd try to pull mine, replace it with a smaller one, two rolls of dental floos and fire gear if I was issued one.

The lack of water purification was distressing. As was the ideo of putting purification agents in plastic bags- yeah, you loose too much of your effectiveness too fast that way. Better off keeping them in the glass bottles or foil flats, whichever the manufacturer keeps it in. Not so bright for this flyer.

I assumed he was talking about the USGI pocket knife. Yeah, a mutlitool or Vic Ranger or Hunter should replace every single one of those retched things in our inventory.

Better than the mini right angle, a Gerber Infinity with a headband holder for it. Enough said there.

I was surprised to see steel toes issued to pilots, rather than composite.

Kinda depressing that the stuff that isn't flashy and high tech/semi-magical seems to have gotten worse since Vietnam, at least based on what I've read.

RAS, you'd know- what is the five pounds he refeers to? Is that the skin-out total, or the loaded vest, the contents of the vest, or the pilot's personal additions?