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Like another reply said, both nostalgic and sad. No more woodland, black boots or kiwi. No more Lce or Alice pack. Tell me Corporal, will I be that angry ole man???
Good video of the "old school gear". Your video shows what appears to be 5.56mm magazines. Do you carry that in the field or use the magazine pouches for other gear? I have a confession to make--I just bought a Garmin GPS Etrex 20x. I still carry a Suunto MC-1, and still subscribe to your redundancy philosophy. I guess I too am enamored with new technology. :-)
I once saw an Army Lieutenant puzzled that his compass was spinning. We eventually told him that the Abrams tank he was sitting atop was likely the cause. True Story.
As a kid the local GI surplus store sold K Bar knifes for around a dollar. My mother bought me one when I was about 8 years old. Still have it 50 years later. Can you imagine a parent now days buying a 8 year old a knife that big . Going to the GI surplus store was like going to a toy store as a kid
I recall driving a jeep, leading a small convoy at night in Germany with blackout lights circa Winter of 63-64. It was so dark and the road so obscure, I asked my captain to stand up and shine his crook head flash light on the path ahead. Those feeble 20 lumens did the job and got me moving again.
Once went hiking on a hot day with a girl who used a modern Camelbak. I myself used an old school 2 liter canteen with a synthetic fur lined cover. At the end of the day her body heat heated up the water in her Camelbak and she said it was like drinking boiling water. OTOH All I needed to do was keep the lining of my canteen wet and the evaporation wicked the heat away and kept my water nice and cool all day. Plus you can squeeze the extra space out of the soft sided canteen so the water won't splash around, which gets annoying very quickly with a metal bottle. Old school gear for the win!
The 1996 IFAK kit is fantastic. I purchased an identical original one in the 1990s here in Italy, my home country, from a military surplus yard sale. I still have the plastic box without the now disintegrated outer case, and without the original supply inside which contained, among many things, a disposable plastic vial of iodine disinfectant! my first ifak, which I used for years and years, in the woods looking for mushrooms, or hunting. I was moved to see it again, because I have never been able to find another one. a wonderful dive into the past; great!
USMC 1984-88. IFAKs were just called First Aid Kits back then; and the term Loadout Gear wasn't invented yet. Buttpacks & Stoves weren't issued, & Heat Tabs were a rarity. We also bought our own fixed blade Knives; but Folding Knives were usually more useful. 550 Paracord was nonexistent; we just used Comm Wire instead.
Corporal, this video brought back such memories. Served from 1980 to 1988, active then reserve. Uncle never put me in harms way but I think I had every piece of that load-out except the stove and sewing kit. Great gear, never had an issue. Remember taping the buckles so there was no rattle. Yup, good to go. Capt. Kenneth Berry, USACE. I salute you.
Thanks for the trip down memory lane. I remember carrying that setup as an Army Infantryman. As a 19 year old kid, I thought I was invincible with it on. It was like putting on Superman’s cape lol. Best of luck with your channel and keep up the great work.
For night fighting, we replaced the metal hooks and such with loops of parachute cord. You had to keep up the maintenance, but it was nice and quiet. We were always looking for neat gadgets to help make the load lighter, or increase our abilities. We would go crawling through all the "Ranger Joe" shops we could find, looking for Batman's fabled utility belt.
12:51 FYI with the Canvas Needle. Make sure you have a Quarter or Nickel to push the Needle through thick Cloth; to keep it from stabbing into your Thumb !
I had that gear, including the woodland camo when I was a member of November Company, a Navy company at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba back in 1973. We trained with the Marines so we could hold a position in the hills if we were under attack by the Cubans. The plan was for the "squids " to hold the position until we were relieved by the "grunts ". I knew we were on our own, because our Marine brothers would have their hands full maintaining the "status quo "of the base. We didn't get MRE's in those days. C rations for us. I ate a C ration that was manufactured in 1954. Hell, I was born in 1954. I stayed in GTMO for 3 years and my appreciation for the Marines there has no bounds. Thank you.
I was 25 years before you, we had the m1956 gear, you could adjust it whatever way you wanted it, get rid of some gear and add on extra as you needed. One thing i always loved was the camo poncho liner for them cool rainy nights in Nam.
When the British Army was swapping from the 7.62mm L1a1 Self Loading Rifle to the 5.56mm L85a1 bull pup our magazine pouches were too large so a lot of us bought the ALICE ammo pouches to use. It was nearly four years before we got issued web gear suitable for the new rifle. This was late 80´s and early 90’s. I was infantry.
Wow...talk about a walk down memory lane. I was married 13 yrs to a man in the army. He did the big ground attack in Desert Storm that was on TV. He was in a M1 Abram tank His gear I cleaned many many times I use to love most of the MREs...lol Remember Chicletts gum? I even got a good start on his spit shine boots. Thanks for the trip!
Old Army here, though not "brown boot Army", as our NCO's would say. 1971-1975. I still use Alice gear, haven't taken to the new offerings. Thanks for the suggestions on items to upgrade the load out. Recently subscribed, so now need to binge watch.
USMC 1965-71. Back in those days, there was a bar outside of Quantico called Diamond Lou's, a take off on a real Marine hero named Lou Diamond. Over the bar, they had a full set of armor and a sign below it that read--"If your 782 gear doesn't look like this, don't talk to ME about the Old Corps!" Semper Fi.
Deployed to Ft Bragg after 911 for Post security. Found a London Bridge wide padded H harness at the Bragg Boulevard flea market. Best advancement in A.L.I.C.E gear . The weight of 3 M14 ammo pouches loaded feel better with the weight spread out on the shoulders. Great informative video keep up the good work.
Excellent presentation. Like you I am a strong believer of the 10 C’s, I did a similar exercise with my issue gear from 40 years ago. I served as an Australian Infantryman from the mid 70’s to the mid 80’s. It easily covered the 10 C’s, we also made up small survival kits using Camel cigarette hard cases which had everything from a wire saw, fishing gear, matches, small strips of rubber for fire starting. Love your channel.
Being from across the pond and served royal navy, we used nato pattern kit, little different to usa type. We were issued with a folding stove, bit like an esbit, but made by crusader. Plastic bottle did not get other stuf like our royal marine cousin s had mostly. We like fsk comando daggers very usefull kit. I was out in 1993 defence cuts so some of our kit was older dated back to 1960s or so.
I went in The US Army in '87 and was issued the same LC2 gear by 2008 we had evolved to the LBV . The pistol belt extender was very necessary for wearing over winter gear without having to readjust the pistol belt which was hard and time consuming to do. I usually carried a mini fishing kit in a sewing kit case with fishing line, and #6 hooks stuck into a piece of cardboard and a few reusable split shot sinkers. When I was Stationed at Ft, Campbell, Ky with HHC 1/327th IN BN as Supply working in S4, I would often rig up a cane pole and supplement my MRE's with fresh trout and bluegills caught from creeks, streams and ponds on post. I was there from '98 - 01 and I even knew a few guys who worked for Domino's pizza on the side as delivery drivers. If they were working you could call up and have a pizza delivered to a grid coordinate tactically with no lights on the vehicle and I and other soldiers who knew about them would usually tip them pretty good for making deliveries.
I served in a mech infantry battalion in Germany from 1962 thru 1964. Our field equipment, incl M14 rifle, was very similar to yours, w/ H-type suspenders. Two ammo pouches each held two 20-round mags for a total basic load of 100 rounds of 7.62 NATO. We usually carried one canteen and an M6 bayonet on the belt. The butt pack was just right for a poncho, a day's rations and some incidentals. No rucksacks, all our extra equipment, clothes, overshoes, etc. were kept in our duffle bags stowed in our M113 APCs. Riflemen never got more than a day's hike away from their tracks.
Good stuff. I have always wondered why bushcrafters never seem to wear the older gear carrying equipment like the LBE . You can carry a lot spread evenly around your body and access it very quickly. Unlike some people who seem to have to empty the entire contents of their pack to find their fire starting systems. LBE makes a great day pack system. Could be update with newer stuff. Always carried at least two bic lighters even though i did not smoke. Trioxane tablets can be used in conjunction with your poncho to dry out your clothing. Dig a small trench about an 1 inch wide and 5 inches long about 2 inches deep and put the trioxane tablet down in the bottom. Light it. Then sit down with your legs on either side of the slit. Wrap your poncho over your legs with your knees bent upward, feet holding the bottom of the poncho. high enough not to get caught on fire. The heat will warm up your legs and lower body. Putting the poncho over your head and breathing trioxane fumes is not advisable but it will warm you up. Our first aid kit on our belts consisted of two pressure bandages. One for the entry wound one for the exit. The rest of the stuff was up to your to figure out. My signal mirror was between the bandages sandwiched in a 100 mile an hour tape reinforced cardboard box made from the MRE packaging. Mostly used for shaving and tick inspections. I wore extra mag pouches in the field to carry additional items. You had to wrap most of the stuff up in some sort of plastic bag because many items were not exactly waterproof. Another item for people who want a bit of extra storage are Squad Automatic Weapon Ammo pouches. They are quite large and ride well on the hips. If you can find the older belts with the metal buckles they are better than the plastic ones.
1976 I entered the Marine Corps! Resigned my commission at 11:30 eastern time on January 20, 2009 it was a Tuesday! I remember my gear issued from beginning to end! Still have some of it!
We carried all of that in the 80's too. I still have a full serviceable LBE as backup to my modern bugout kits. Thanks for sharing your memories with us.
I got out in 2008, 782 gear was just before my time. But when I got home this is the exact kit I put together. Cheap, available, tough, and it just works. Also it supports not only the AR15 but also the M1A. SEMPER FI !
Hello Sir, and thank you for your service! It is always neat to see someone else who runs the same gear set-up as you. When I saw this set-up I was amazed at how similar it is to mine. I have been using nearly this exact same system since the late 1980s for hiking, camping, exploring and archery hunting. The neat thing about this set-up is that as an archer, it gives you everything you need to survive but it also allows your arms and shoulders to be totally free to bend, twist, turn and shoot. It leaves my upper body unrestricted while on the hunt but also allows me to carry what I need for several days, even if injured. I am new to the You-Tube Channel world but last year I did a gear review of my belt and harness set-up. I hope that you and your subscribers enjoy it. It is amazingly similar to yours and I have been using this same gear since the late 1980s and it has never failed me. It is tough, rugged and reliable. As new technology improves things, like LED lights, I will switch over but I still like the Old School for me. Take a look and enjoy! ua-cam.com/video/_kCDHc9cWt8/v-deo.html Thank you Sir. Mark
ah, the good old days. My days were the 80's (83-89) as an 03. We weren't ISSUED an asspack or the stove, though Saigon Sam's had all that and more. Thanks for the trip down memory lane!
I seem to recall a lot of those "niceties" were acquired that way. Uncle Sugar wouldn't give it to you, but the Army-Navy store off-base had all your needs!
Great video Shawn! I love the old LC-2 system and ironically enough, I own every single item you showed right down to the Raine branded sewing kit lol! As a kid we didn't go in the woods without carrying LBE or an ALICE pack and a USMC Kabar was always on board as well. While I don't use that stuff very much on my outings these days, it still has a special place and it is still at arms reach and ready to go anytime I want to go "old school." I still can't hardly pass old military gear up when I see something in great condition for bottom dollar.. My wife doesn't appreciate that quality in me either lol.
In the Corps we called it 782 mostly or Web Gear, same thing we all had to use or got issued, looking at early to late 90's!!! was not the best (compare to new stuff) but we had to make it work. The beauty of it's that u can still find in it surplus for pretty good prices and once again it still works!!! Then LBVs and MOLLE gear came along and it was a game changer!!! USMC didn't get all that till late 90s but it was what it was!!!
My time on active duty as an 0311 ended about the time yours began. Once a Marine always a Marine. I have all the old gear and firmly believe it is better than most of the new stuff. Way more reliable in my opinion. Love your videos. Semper Fi!11
...fantastic flashback video. Many people forget the value of "old school" gear, which is what many of us started with. Another great one. Thanks Shawn...
Great video, I am just absorbing your education. I am looking to live off grid/bushland by myself and your education is really helping me here in Canada. Thank you Sir.
Thanks for the flash back. I was 0311 from 92 to 96. They told us to save an MRE outer package to combine with the 90 mile an hour tape for sucking chest wounds. Good times!
Thank you, I have always loved the old stuff. I have a small pile of it dating back before WW2. I have spent the last two days trying to get my gear packed into a civilian pack it just does not feel right. Time to get the ALICE pack and 782 stuff out of the trunk. Thank you again. Keep up the great work.
Awesome As always. Went to college 98-02. Met a marine. He was in the reserve going to school. Every month he would sell me his issued MRE’s. Loved the damn things. We did a lot of rappelling around fort Leonard Wood. He had an old vw beetle. It was like a goat. Thanks for your service!
I was in the Army from 1985 - 1998 and was a Cavalry Scout. We used the same equipment as you had, though we called it an LBE. I had everything you had except for the IFAK, I would take a compass pouch and put two bandages in there. Also, instead of the angle head flashlight I carried a Mini-Mag flashlight attached to my suspenders. In my rucksack I had four 1-quart canteens on the outside in canteen covers and two 2-quart canteens on the inside in the radio pouch. I always carried two 1-quart canteens on my pistol belt even when we were only issued one. I learned from experience that I needed to carry two canteen cups. Even to this very day I still use an LBE, or some form load bearing equipment. I also have an LBE Tack Vest, an FLC and a reproduction WWII web gear, it all depends on what I'm doing when I go camping. In fact, I used an LBE for hiking years before I joined the Army. It's just great equipment.
This brings back memories. I first joined in 1990. We still had a lot of OD gear. Especially in the National Guard. When I got into the Marines in 93 I was issued mostly woodland camo gear. Because I was support I carried this type of 782 gear until I was deployed to Iraq in 2005.
In my time (74/78) the gear was a little different. The it as was about half the size of yours. I still have the pouch but the gear inside is gone. The harness and canteens were the same but I never saw a canteen stove. We ate c-rats and they still had a 4pak of smokes in them. Mag pouches were the same but the packs were different. I never saw an Alice pack and always used the old haversack. I still have one but I did get a medium Alice. We called our sewing kits a housewife. Good video.
Awesome trip down memory lane mate, my service was in the Australian Army 1989 to 2012. We had two cups canteen, one was the steel cup and the other was a modified cup turned in to a stove, so there as no need to carry an additional stove. I did use the y harness, and yes I had the k-bar knife, the kidney/comfort padded belt fitted under the canvas belt that you showed in the clip. Very informative, keep up the excellent work. SGT P
Tanks for the memories! I still have my LBE from early 80’s, we only carried one canteen and I had a leather holster for my 45. Also I had to purchase my own buttpack because the army didn’t issue me one. I had a gerber survival knife until I went to Germany then I bought a copy of the German Army knife with built in wire cutters. When did y’all start getting IFAK’s, we had to put together extra stuff on our own, except for the bandage you were issued and carried in a pouch on the LBE.
I served from 1989-1997 in the Army - Infantry and I had the LCE (782 gear). It was standard issue for us Army grunts until the LBV came out and we got that issued. When I attended SERE School in 1994 we were allowed to have a knife of our choice. I chose and still have my Ka-Bar. That knife till this day is my go to knife almost 26 years later.
USMC active duty from 1973 > 1982. The LC-2 was standard issue then & we were issued everything in this video except the K-BAR. Most of us went to an Army surplus store in Jacksonville, NC (MCB Camp Lejeune) & purchased our own K-BARS. I've still got mine 40+ years later. Being in the military in the 70s was not easy. We didn't have nearly the budget that they have today. This ran the gamut from standard issue infantry gear to the latest jet fighters. There were always budget shortfalls & in many cases we simply purchased what we needed. That all changed when Reagan was elected.
Good to see a fellow Marine talking about 782 gear and its relevance to survival now as well as ancient variants . Keep up the outstanding videos . Semper Fi .
Yup what I used in the Army in the early 90s. We called it TA-50 if we got technical, usually called it our LBE. Load bearing equipment. We were not issued the Butt packs, but those are really useful items to have, some bought them themselves. The "IFAK" was a joke back then however. Some of the rangers on our long range surveliance detachment, were just getting to try the load bearing vest, which is handy and tough.
Still have all of these items (except iFAK) from the late 80s. Still carry and use most of it sometimes. Great way to teach my grandkids the basics! Thanks for the walk down memory lane for me too!
Having been in the Corps a couple of decades prior, I would offer one suggestion, I saw two instances where Marines were injured while wearing a Kabar. In both instances, they were involved in physical work and pressure was put on their legs area. In turn, the leather scabbard was not up to protecting their legs from being cut when the blade cut through the leather and cut the leg. My father (a Marine) gave me two knives to choose from, a Buck General in a leather scabbard or his Kabar in some model of a navy scabbard that fits the Kabar. I ended up with both knives but I took the Kabar and hard sheeth to VN. For a while, I had a small stone held on with two tire rubber bands. Lost it in the field later. I applaud companies now selling the Kabar in hard sheaths. Old dog, new tricks - save bloodshed. Thanks for your videos. Semper fi.
I had the same basic load in the belgian army in 1993/94. I had bought the complete US harness because the quality was better than the belgian one. I also had a pair of US jungle boots for my "african deployment"and the first Goretex jackets (I still have it) . Great video Corporal, YOU ROCK MAN
I remember when every restaurant and most businesses gave away a book of paper matches, and high end places Gabe’s away wooden matches. We also had Silva compasses, metal (aluminum) canteens, usually round half gallon.....and finally, we carried Manila rope mad from hemp that would rot if left out. Ha! That was Scouting in the 1960’s ! Thanks for posting this video!
Great video... a walk (almost) down memory lane 😎 USMC 1977 to 1983. 0311-0369 I was there when MRE’s replaced the C-Rations. But we had the exact same contents in our IFAK. I carried my A.L.I.C.E. pack and 782 gear for more than 10 years after I got out. It just worked too well to change it. Now I’ve ungraded to more modern equipment, but it’s not really better, just more convenient to use.
Thanks for sharing, we wore that in the 70's as well. Sometimes we had the "H " harness with canvas ammo pouches and the heavy duty green ponchos ( they were better than the ripstop ones ) still had the Mitchell reversable helmet covers on our steel pots . Great video ! Some of our rations still had cigarettes in them , beans with meatballs was my favorite, ham and eggs least favorite.
I still have most of that gear. In the mid 70's we called our sewing kit a housewife. I even have an old school haversack which was replaced by the Alice pack. Also, I never saw a 30 rd magazine until I re-enlisted in the reserves during the Iran hostage clusterf**k. When I got out, all supply wanted back was my helmet and blanket...go figure. But I hung on to it and I'm glad I did . I eventually bought an M-1 steel pro with a liner and Mitchell pattern cover. It was in mint condition and cost me 100.00. I'll never regret becoming a Marine. I use my gear when I hit the Bush, except for the helmet...😎😎 Excellent video, Marine!
Very good video. Very similar to my Army TA-20 gear from 1973 to 1977. Those of us that cared, put a c-rat accessory pack in our first aid kit. I carried a spare first aid pouch with a cravat and paracord in it. We did not have those big first aid kits. I still prefer this "old" equipment. My Kabar served on Siapan so I replaced it with a MK IV years ago. I still have a 45 year old roll of the 100 mile an hour tape which works great when needed. I don't think that anything will really beat the old canteen setup. I used to put chips of wood in with the tablet to get more heat out of the stove. Good Luck, Rick
your 1990s old school would have been future school to me , i went in in 76 and got out in 80. we still had the c rations from vietnam and korea. cover was still a shelter half and stakes. combustion was halizone tablets
This brings back some fond memories, I was in the U.S. Army from 87-91 and that's the same equipment we humped, not perfect but, it damn sure got the job done. I use it to this day. As you state, you can't teach an old dog new tricks. I really enjoyed your video.
Deuce gear? In 73, it was canvas, two canteens, magazine pouch or magazines, depending on your weapon. Knap sack, haver sack. First aid kit also. Our K-bars were fixed to the left suspender for easy access, and they were black, not brown. Our matches, as well as our smokes, came from our c-rats. Every grunt I served with kept a john wayne, p-38, can opener on his dog tag chain. We sometimes taped them for silence. We also had the gas mask bag strapped to our right thigh.
Army 73-77.Went across the water to Nakhon Phanom. I agree. Same gear, but we also had our compass mounted above the field knife on the left suspender. We also had the entrenching tool. We mounted our flashlight on the right suspender with the first aid pouch above it.
Yup...I learned to sew as a paratrooper in Vicenza. True story, I was sewing cat eyes to the back of my ruck and accidently sewed my ruck to my pants by accident. I was an idiot. Lesson learned.
Thank you for your service Corporal. I served as well back in the days, 89-99, U.S. Navy, Desert Storm vet. I have always had a liking for the LC-2 load out. I do remember that some of us were issued camel backs back then and have a new, only used once so far, USMC issued camel back
I am a baby boomer and my uncles were in WWll. I had all of their packs and most of the equipment as well... sadly all that I have now is one of my uncle's knife, it was with him in Germany, he was in the Battle of the Bulge.... His pack and canteen I used in Boy Scouts and I passed them on to other Scouts when I aged out I had the belt, jacket and a German helmet that one of my uncles took from a dead army .officer..Had I save these items they would bring me closer to my uncles life as an G.I. and what it meant to serve our country. To Uncle Jim ,Uncle Howard, Uncle Bob, Uncle Bill all who served our country in WWll.....smile
This brought back many, many, many memories!!!! I made sure I bought at this stuff all over again, cause it worked!!! Granted I do have all the newly issued gear, which is a million times better than what we had!!! Went from 782, to LBV, to MOLLE!!!, most of us still used the old stuff as a matter of saltiness!!!!! LOL good times!!!!
1973-77 Army . Same load out . brings back memory's and I still have mine . (I'm 65) Minimum is better than none and military is way better than minimum .
I really enjoyed this video. It was a walk down memory lane for me as well (USMC 88-94). I appreciated how you linked each piece of gear, if possible, to a survival situation and modern equipment. You always have a squared away bearing, but it was easy to tell throughout the video that you enjoyed getting out the old gear for this video just as much as we enjoyed watching it. Thank you.
Well, I have the oldschool flashlight and canteen set. Actually, I seem to be pretty well prepared. You lessons have sunk in. Thank you for the video, Corporal Kelly
I've watched a lot of quick shelters videos but never anything regarding orienting the lean-to shelter to block any anticipated weather. I learned that in Boy Scouts, came in handing while serving in the Old Corps. Sgt. USMC '63-'69
I predate woodland camo, by 6 weeks. We got OD green fatigues. The first flights issued woodland started the very day I finished basic training in September 1988. That was the USAF.
Sergei, good to hear from the "other" side. We are probably about the same age (half a century). I guess we're both glad that we never had to fight one another. It's funny, because I hated Russians back then, because I thought they were all communists. 30+ years later, I am an Eastern Orthodox Christian and love my Russian brothers and sisters. I still hate communism, but no longer equate it with being Russian. God bless you, my friend.
I was neither. I flew a desk in the personnel office for 2 years active duty followed by 4 years in the Air National Guard as a training manager. Outside of the military, I have been a police officer for over 24 years. Hopefully will be retiring soon.
I really liked this video not just for a nostalgia theme, but for showing that older gear can be and is effective. How many times have we seen a 100.00 challenge where they bought absolute junk and tried to make it work? A lot. This shows how by utilizing perhaps some used, older, less flashy or current gear that people can still start enjoying getting outdoors and have a good kit that works, and at a lower price point so they can build what they need as they realize it or as they can afford it. Utilizing this gear instead of the flashy brand new stuff is very reminiscent of "adapt and overcome." Thanks for the video.
Couple of old school tips in winter 1# carry your canteen/bottles upside down because water freezes top down 2# I use small birthday candles that relight there just great when combined with Garwood lastly the old school NBC container was bulletproof watertight for protecting smokes?!
Our UK version was the 58 pattern kit, very similar. The NBC pouch is excellent for carrying kit of you don't need the NBC kit. Your heat tabs are very impressive, we had hexi stoves and the tablets were next to impossible to light in any sort of wind, I carried a tiny gas stove which was worth its weight in gold. Our 24 hour ration packs were very comprehensive though bulky (tin cans!). As ever a very enjoyable video, thanks again.
In 2003 I was doing contract work at Camp Mackall, NC. As civilians we had to provide our own field gear, so most us being prior service or retired, used gear we had in Contico boxes from "back in the day" that were stashed in the attic or garage. (My service time in the Army was Sep77-Nov88) One of the things that struck me was many of the active duty instructors carried Nalgen bottles and no canteen or canteen cup. I asked one, that I knew drank coffee, how he heated up water for his coffee. He pulled out a can of RedBull and said that it was his caffeine go to. I still carried two canteen cups, four 1 quarts canteens on my pistol belt and two 2 quart canteens on my BlackHawk ruck. In the outside upper pouches were my jar of instant Folgers Classic, 2 stainless steel camp cups, a 1lb propane bottle w/stove. Along with the other 65 pounds of "creature comfort items" I humped around, was a folding shooters stool and an 8'x12'ish camouflaged tarp with securement. Nothing like having a hot cup of coffee, in the rain, at night, under the tarp, off the ground, after a long student patrol as they settle in to their patrol base.
Thanks Corporal Marine, You brought back a flood of memories from my Marine Corps ,72-75. PISC 328-45 3.06.72 . Gear had not changed much in configuration from my time to yours. Only real differences was canvas vs. nylon. IFAC same but with one bottle only for Morphine tablets. In addition to dual canteens and the butt pack we had a very small field pack w/ E Tool and a lower pack that attached to the upper. Loose straps were rolled up into coils and secured by compression. We also carried blanket roll straps. We had a rubberized canvas diddy sack to place our gear into and the draw strings pulled and knotted shut. That diddy sack served many purposes but it waterproofed the contents then was placed in the field pack. Another one could be used for the lower pack. They can be used to keep water off your lower legs when fording a sshallow stream, used to fetch water, filled with sand to provide protection and place a rifle for accurate shooting in the prone position, provide additional floatation to the packs when swimming, used as a butt kit and so on and so on.They could be filled with vegetation to provide a pillow. Ponchos can be used individually as shelter, or a tent when two are snapped together, improvised cots, improvised body carriers, improvised sails for rafts, improvised rudders and paddles, and way more improvised stuff. You can even make improvised rafts with them, if you know what you are doing. Lay out on the beach on them after assaulting and clean up is done. I always carry two of the more modern ones with me when I trek. Two ponchos will block out infrared detection effectively. There is nothing like the old heavy ones but weight considerations make that two modern military issue ponchos are the best way to go. They are lighter weight and treated in such a way as to make them almost completely invisible to night detections. I don't think they are as durable as the ponchos of the seventies and have no way of knowing if one or two seventies era ponchos will have the same night properties. Oh well, take care Marine, from one jarhead to another, oh by the way in my day anyone other than us calling us jarhead, gyrene and the like we considered candidates for opening a can of whoop ass on. I always keep a can of Popeye's brand Spinach on hand to illustrate how a real can of whoop ass must be present before opening. The spinach inside might be delectable to a squid or sea going bellhop but it sure whoops my butt if I try to eat it. Nasty stuff. Gung Ho, Semper fi, Uh Oorah' or Aoorah or Oorah ! All three pronouncements of Oorah existed in my day, now it is down to Oorah! Old Corps, my Corps, Marine Corps Uh Oorah!
Some slight modifications in my versions which I will share them both then and now. Then since we were SpecOps and could get away with it we went to surplus stores to get the H version of the belt suspender straps instead of the Y version since they distributed the load better and the older canvas butt packs. We also carried the metal canteens and the strap handle version of the canteen cup.Seems the KBar I was issued in Nam was listed as a "combat loss" when I turned in my gear. I was in the Corps before I went into the Army.Now I carry a Kephart knife reproduction from Condor knives on my belt. I have carried a poncho but sometimes opt for a small tarp instead, they are rolled and rigged under the butt pack to save space in the pack.I do not carry the issue lensatic compass since Sunto make a more use friendly version. For charcloth I use cleaning patches since I seem to have a good supply of those. I prefer the first aid pack pouches over ammo pouches for added gear pockets, the are available empty when you can find them. Extra compass pouches can be mounted on the sides of the buttpack. I tend to carry both bank line and paracord along with 100MPH tape. The issue "housewife" with an added larger needle suffices for sewing repairs. Side note the sewing kit the Civil War soldiers had was very similar to the current issue one.The canteen cup stove can be used with twigs instead of heat taps. For a covert fire to heat water or rations make a Ho Chi Min firehole and burn your fire below ground level. SGM (Retd) U.S. Army Special Forces
I remember those canteens. That cap had a doo hicky so you could drink out of it with your gas mask on. I used this same gear back in the 70s. Fond memories, that stuff really worked. I wonder if it can still be bought. We had those iodine tablets! They were in little brown glass jars and the caps were waxed shut. Made the water taste bad.
I have assembled emergency ''edc'', car kits and camping kits for several years and giving them to family members and friends. One co-worker told me that it saved his life during a white-out while hunting in Idaho. Something that I always include in each kit is a two inch piece of hot-glue stick. I simply hot glued a small key ring to it with a lanyard. Use it to repair shoes/boots, tent, gun stock (add duck tape), or any number of things. Heat with a lighter and apply.
I had the same gear in the 3rd Ranger Battalion, but carried an Air force survival knife as it was jumpable and smaller. We had other minor modifications to our gear , but really similar. Great memories and still have 2-sets of the old gear!
Good job. I still carry the older H harness over the newer Y harness, and prefer the Cammenga compass over the MC-2, the Zippo with jet insert over the Bic, and 550 over the bank line. My large Alice is taking a back seat to the newer Filbe. Solid fuel is now on the shelf over controllable propane. Hollow fibre water filtration wins over chemicals. Round canteens over kidney shape. Love your video's and thank you for a trip back in time. Rodney.
My LBE ( ARMY) was similar , I carried a 45 holster and my K-bar , in reverse carry on my shoulder harness . The poncho was carried under the butt pack . I served 72-78 as a Corpsman , Navy : then 82-99 as a Medical Service Corps officer , Infantry , Artillery , SFG attached until I became staff for a MASH , 2 Combat Support Hospitals...Semper Fi ! Go Navy!
A bit of nostalgia for us "old school" military guys/gals lol My load bearing equipment was called LBE and my IFAK was a combat dressing in a compass pouch on my LBE right shoulder strap. Since I was Army, we had a bayonet and not a KA-BAR, though we would much rather have had the Marine knife. The rest it was pretty much the same. One advantage I had was that I was in a medical company, so we had access to cravats, eye dressings, abdominal dressings, OTC drugs, etc. We also had large tents in which we could sleep. 100MPH tape was available if needed from supply, and we had a mess section, which was most cool. Thank you for the video and giving me a glimpse back into 36 years ago when I enlisted. Damn, I'm old lol
Love the way he explains everything in an authoritative manner. He's not going all over the road. It's concise and to the point, just like Basic Training I would imagine, so that in combat or an emergency, i.e. high stress situations where you not necessarily think straight, you can always go back to Basics and know it'll get you out of your jam. Am I the only one who returns his salute at the end? Thanks Marine! Semper Fi ;-)
Thanks for the old memories cpl. Kelly . Still got my lbe from 1984 and my dads brother butt pack from the 60’s and still use it all to this day . Sorry, just got to watch your video today been working a lot here lately. Keep the videos coming cpl. That a Direct order ! 😬
TY Corporal, This brought back So main memories, I was with 2/2 Golf (Raiders) I was the head Devil Doc HM3 Herschmann, All Marines and the DOC had to also where there specialty gear, I carried a Unit5 , the Radioman carried radio etc. This gear was indestructible
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This just makes me want to build this rig to have it. I am actually thinking of building all three setups I transitioned to in my career.
Like another reply said, both nostalgic and sad. No more woodland, black boots or kiwi. No more Lce or Alice pack.
Tell me Corporal, will I be that angry ole man???
@@gjnezat - You are that angry old man. "Get off my lawn!" 😀
This is the best look at the old school Ifak I've seen that has peaked my curiosity for some time. Thank You.
Good video of the "old school gear". Your video shows what appears to be 5.56mm magazines. Do you carry that in the field or use the magazine pouches for other gear? I have a confession to make--I just bought a Garmin GPS Etrex 20x. I still carry a Suunto MC-1, and still subscribe to your redundancy philosophy. I guess I too am enamored with new technology. :-)
I once saw an Army Lieutenant puzzled that his compass was spinning. We eventually told him that the Abrams tank he was sitting atop was likely the cause. True Story.
Officers are like elementary school. No sense, getting smarter, then at light Colonel, lose any sense again!
Can't spell lost without LT
Being prior Navy I had a division officer w/ a liberal arts degree 🤦♂️ didn’t do well in the heavy engineering environment.
Fucking butter bars..
@elcapitan5680Sepaking facts i see
As a kid the local GI surplus store sold K Bar knifes for around a dollar. My mother bought me one when I was about 8 years old. Still have it 50 years later. Can you imagine a parent now days buying a 8 year old a knife that big . Going to the GI surplus store was like going to a toy store as a kid
I recall driving a jeep, leading a small convoy at night in Germany with blackout lights circa Winter of 63-64. It was so dark and the road so obscure, I asked my captain to stand up and shine his crook head flash light on the path ahead. Those feeble 20 lumens did the job and got me moving again.
I still use mine, it's always great... My Army used this in the 1980's... Hoohah...
nice loadout, I like this old stuff :)
Lilly! Two of my favorite UA-camrs!
I can’t get anymore food in my small pantry . I just live in a small apartment in San Francisco. But I’ll go out hunting for food anyway
Once went hiking on a hot day with a girl who used a modern Camelbak. I myself used an old school 2 liter canteen with a synthetic fur lined cover. At the end of the day her body heat heated up the water in her Camelbak and she said it was like drinking boiling water. OTOH All I needed to do was keep the lining of my canteen wet and the evaporation wicked the heat away and kept my water nice and cool all day. Plus you can squeeze the extra space out of the soft sided canteen so the water won't splash around, which gets annoying very quickly with a metal bottle. Old school gear for the win!
I feel like the 2-quart is smaller than the standard Camel-Bak (3 liters) and comes with a lack of balance that must be offset with an E tool.
The 1996 IFAK kit is fantastic. I purchased an identical original one in the 1990s here in Italy, my home country, from a military surplus yard sale. I still have the plastic box without the now disintegrated outer case, and without the original supply inside which contained, among many things, a disposable plastic vial of iodine disinfectant! my first ifak, which I used for years and years, in the woods looking for mushrooms, or hunting. I was moved to see it again, because I have never been able to find another one. a wonderful dive into the past; great!
USMC 1984-88.
IFAKs were just called First Aid Kits back then; and the term Loadout Gear wasn't invented yet.
Buttpacks & Stoves weren't issued, & Heat Tabs were a rarity.
We also bought our own fixed blade Knives; but Folding Knives were usually more useful.
550 Paracord was nonexistent; we just used Comm Wire instead.
Corporal, this video brought back such memories. Served from 1980 to 1988, active then reserve. Uncle never put me in harms way but I think I had every piece of that load-out except the stove and sewing kit. Great gear, never had an issue. Remember taping the buckles so there was no rattle. Yup, good to go. Capt. Kenneth Berry, USACE. I salute you.
Thanks for the trip down memory lane. I remember carrying that setup as an Army Infantryman. As a 19 year old kid, I thought I was invincible with it on. It was like putting on Superman’s cape lol. Best of luck with your channel and keep up the great work.
For night fighting, we replaced the metal hooks and such with loops of parachute cord. You had to keep up the maintenance, but it was nice and quiet. We were always looking for neat gadgets to help make the load lighter, or increase our abilities. We would go crawling through all the "Ranger Joe" shops we could find, looking for Batman's fabled utility belt.
12:51 FYI with the Canvas Needle.
Make sure you have a Quarter or Nickel to push the Needle through thick Cloth; to keep it from stabbing into your Thumb !
I had that gear, including the woodland camo when I was a member of November Company, a Navy company at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba back in 1973. We trained with the Marines so we could hold a position in the hills if we were under attack by the Cubans. The plan was for the "squids " to hold the position until we were relieved by the "grunts ". I knew we were on our own, because our Marine brothers would have their hands full maintaining the "status quo "of the base. We didn't get MRE's in those days. C rations for us. I ate a C ration that was manufactured in 1954. Hell, I was born in 1954. I stayed in GTMO for 3 years and my appreciation for the Marines there has no bounds. Thank you.
Semper Fi!
I was 25 years before you, we had the m1956 gear, you could adjust it whatever way you wanted it, get rid of some gear and add on extra as you needed. One thing i always loved was the camo poncho liner for them cool rainy nights in Nam.
When the British Army was swapping from the 7.62mm L1a1 Self Loading Rifle to the 5.56mm L85a1 bull pup our magazine pouches were too large so a lot of us bought the ALICE ammo pouches to use. It was nearly four years before we got issued web gear suitable for the new rifle. This was late 80´s and early 90’s. I was infantry.
Wow...talk about a walk down memory lane. I was married 13 yrs to a man in the army. He did the big ground attack in Desert Storm that was on TV. He was in a M1 Abram tank His gear I cleaned many many times I use to love most of the MREs...lol Remember Chicletts gum? I even got a good start on his spit shine boots. Thanks for the trip!
Old Army here, though not "brown boot Army", as our NCO's would say. 1971-1975. I still use Alice gear, haven't taken to the new offerings. Thanks for the suggestions on items to upgrade the load out. Recently subscribed, so now need to binge watch.
I also am a recent subscriber n been bing watching too. lol
Favorite youtuber!
With you brother. Ft Lewis 1971. Welcome home.
When I was in the military the MRE came with hot sauce too
Tiny bottles of Tabasco
Great to keep you awake. Just a little dab under the eye.
Yeah man that was awesome! Now you get packets in a few MRE’s! The little tobasco bottles are still in arctic MRE’s as far as I k ow
When I started Tabasco was a new addition.
Lucky dog! When I was in boot camp, in the field, we had C-Rats. Of course, that was back in '76, too.
USMC 1965-71. Back in those days, there was a bar outside of Quantico called Diamond Lou's, a take off on a real Marine hero named Lou Diamond. Over the bar, they had a full set of armor and a sign below it that read--"If your 782 gear doesn't look like this, don't talk to ME about the Old Corps!" Semper Fi.
Deployed to Ft Bragg after 911 for Post security. Found a London Bridge wide padded H harness at the Bragg Boulevard flea market. Best advancement in A.L.I.C.E gear . The weight of 3 M14 ammo pouches loaded feel better with the weight spread out on the shoulders. Great informative video keep up the good work.
Thanks for the trip down memory lane, retired from the corps in 1998 after 21 years. still have most of my 782 gear.
Excellent presentation. Like you I am a strong believer of the 10 C’s, I did a similar exercise with my issue gear from 40 years ago. I served as an Australian Infantryman from the mid 70’s to the mid 80’s. It easily covered the 10 C’s, we also made up small survival kits using Camel cigarette hard cases which had everything from a wire saw, fishing gear, matches, small strips of rubber for fire starting. Love your channel.
Being from across the pond and served royal navy, we used nato pattern kit, little different to usa type.
We were issued with a folding stove, bit like an esbit, but made by crusader.
Plastic bottle did not get other stuf like our royal marine cousin s had mostly. We like fsk comando daggers very usefull kit.
I was out in 1993 defence cuts so some of our kit was older dated back to 1960s or so.
I went in The US Army in '87 and was issued the same LC2 gear by 2008 we had evolved to the LBV . The pistol belt extender was very necessary for wearing over winter gear without having to readjust the pistol belt which was hard and time consuming to do. I usually carried a mini fishing kit in a sewing kit case with fishing line, and #6 hooks stuck into a piece of cardboard and a few reusable split shot sinkers. When I was Stationed at Ft, Campbell, Ky with HHC 1/327th IN BN as Supply working in S4, I would often rig up a cane pole and supplement my MRE's with fresh trout and bluegills caught from creeks, streams and ponds on post. I was there from '98 - 01 and I even knew a few guys who worked for Domino's pizza on the side as delivery drivers. If they were working you could call up and have a pizza delivered to a grid coordinate tactically with no lights on the vehicle and I and other soldiers who knew about them would usually tip them pretty good for making deliveries.
I served in a mech infantry battalion in Germany from 1962 thru 1964. Our field equipment, incl M14 rifle, was very similar to yours, w/ H-type suspenders. Two ammo pouches each held two 20-round mags for a total basic load of 100 rounds of 7.62 NATO. We usually carried one canteen and an M6 bayonet on the belt. The butt pack was just right for a poncho, a day's rations and some incidentals. No rucksacks, all our extra equipment, clothes, overshoes, etc. were kept in our duffle bags stowed in our M113 APCs. Riflemen never got more than a day's hike away from their tracks.
M-1956 Load Bearing Equipment.
Good stuff.
I have always wondered why bushcrafters never seem to wear the older gear carrying equipment like the LBE . You can carry a lot spread evenly around your body and access it very quickly. Unlike some people who seem to have to empty the entire contents of their pack to find their fire starting systems.
LBE makes a great day pack system. Could be update with newer stuff.
Always carried at least two bic lighters even though i did not smoke.
Trioxane tablets can be used in conjunction with your poncho to dry out your clothing. Dig a small trench about an 1 inch wide and 5 inches long about 2 inches deep and put the trioxane tablet down in the bottom. Light it.
Then sit down with your legs on either side of the slit. Wrap your poncho over your legs with your knees bent upward, feet holding the bottom of the poncho. high enough not to get caught on fire. The heat will warm up your legs and lower body. Putting the poncho over your head and breathing trioxane fumes is not advisable but it will warm you up.
Our first aid kit on our belts consisted of two pressure bandages. One for the entry wound one for the exit. The rest of the stuff was up to your to figure out.
My signal mirror was between the bandages sandwiched in a 100 mile an hour tape reinforced cardboard box made from the MRE packaging.
Mostly used for shaving and tick inspections.
I wore extra mag pouches in the field to carry additional items. You had to wrap most of the stuff up in some sort of plastic bag because many items were not exactly waterproof.
Another item for people who want a bit of extra storage are Squad Automatic Weapon Ammo pouches. They are quite large and ride well on the hips.
If you can find the older belts with the metal buckles they are better than the plastic ones.
1976 I entered the Marine Corps! Resigned my commission at 11:30 eastern time on January 20, 2009 it was a Tuesday! I remember my gear issued from beginning to end! Still have some of it!
We carried all of that in the 80's too. I still have a full serviceable LBE as backup to my modern bugout kits. Thanks for sharing your memories with us.
I got out in 2008, 782 gear was just before my time. But when I got home this is the exact kit I put together.
Cheap, available, tough, and it just works.
Also it supports not only the AR15 but also the M1A.
SEMPER FI !
Hello Sir, and thank you for your service!
It is always neat to see someone else who runs the same gear set-up as you. When I saw this set-up I was amazed at how similar it is to mine. I have been using nearly this exact same system since the late 1980s for hiking, camping, exploring and archery hunting. The neat thing about this set-up is that as an archer, it gives you everything you need to survive but it also allows your arms and shoulders to be totally free to bend, twist, turn and shoot. It leaves my upper body unrestricted while on the hunt but also allows me to carry what I need for several days, even if injured.
I am new to the You-Tube Channel world but last year I did a gear review of my belt and harness set-up. I hope that you and your subscribers enjoy it. It is amazingly similar to yours and I have been using this same gear since the late 1980s and it has never failed me. It is tough, rugged and reliable. As new technology improves things, like LED lights, I will switch over but I still like the Old School for me. Take a look and enjoy!
ua-cam.com/video/_kCDHc9cWt8/v-deo.html
Thank you Sir.
Mark
ah, the good old days. My days were the 80's (83-89) as an 03. We weren't ISSUED an asspack or the stove, though Saigon Sam's had all that and more. Thanks for the trip down memory lane!
I seem to recall a lot of those "niceties" were acquired that way. Uncle Sugar wouldn't give it to you, but the Army-Navy store off-base had all your needs!
Great video Shawn! I love the old LC-2 system and ironically enough, I own every single item you showed right down to the Raine branded sewing kit lol! As a kid we didn't go in the woods without carrying LBE or an ALICE pack and a USMC Kabar was always on board as well. While I don't use that stuff very much on my outings these days, it still has a special place and it is still at arms reach and ready to go anytime I want to go "old school." I still can't hardly pass old military gear up when I see something in great condition for bottom dollar.. My wife doesn't appreciate that quality in me either lol.
We called it LBE or Load Bearing Equipment in the Army or web gear.
In the Corps we called it 782 mostly or Web Gear, same thing we all had to use or got issued, looking at early to late 90's!!! was not the best (compare to new stuff) but we had to make it work. The beauty of it's that u can still find in it surplus for pretty good prices and once again it still works!!! Then LBVs and MOLLE gear came along and it was a game changer!!! USMC didn't get all that till late 90s but it was what it was!!!
My time on active duty as an 0311 ended about the time yours began. Once a Marine always a Marine. I have all the old gear and firmly believe it is better than most of the new stuff. Way more reliable in my opinion. Love your videos. Semper Fi!11
Brother I've loved "Alice" for 35 years.
Love you bro
Thanks
...fantastic flashback video. Many people forget the value of "old school" gear, which is what many of us started with. Another great one. Thanks Shawn...
Great video, I am just absorbing your education. I am looking to live off grid/bushland by myself and your education is really helping me here in Canada. Thank you Sir.
Thanks for the flash back. I was 0311 from 92 to 96. They told us to save an MRE outer package to combine with the 90 mile an hour tape for sucking chest wounds.
Good times!
Thank you, I have always loved the old stuff. I have a small pile of it dating back before WW2. I have spent the last two days trying to get my gear packed into a civilian pack it just does not feel right. Time to get the ALICE pack and 782 stuff out of the trunk. Thank you again. Keep up the great work.
Awesome As always. Went to college 98-02. Met a marine. He was in the reserve going to school. Every month he would sell me his issued MRE’s. Loved the damn things. We did a lot of rappelling around fort Leonard Wood. He had an old vw beetle. It was like a goat.
Thanks for your service!
It's crazy to think how drastically the trauma care paradigm has shifted in just a few years. Not a tourniquet to be found in those old IFAKs.
Better to keep the tourniquet separate and more easily accessible anyways.
The Committee of Combat Casualty Care manages that these days over what should be in an IFAK. It definitely ain't no boo-boo kit anymore.
I was in the Army from 1985 - 1998 and was a Cavalry Scout. We used the same equipment as you had, though we called it an LBE. I had everything you had except for the IFAK, I would take a compass pouch and put two bandages in there. Also, instead of the angle head flashlight I carried a Mini-Mag flashlight attached to my suspenders. In my rucksack I had four 1-quart canteens on the outside in canteen covers and two 2-quart canteens on the inside in the radio pouch. I always carried two 1-quart canteens on my pistol belt even when we were only issued one. I learned from experience that I needed to carry two canteen cups.
Even to this very day I still use an LBE, or some form load bearing equipment. I also have an LBE Tack Vest, an FLC and a reproduction WWII web gear, it all depends on what I'm doing when I go camping. In fact, I used an LBE for hiking years before I joined the Army. It's just great equipment.
This brings back memories. I first joined in 1990. We still had a lot of OD gear. Especially in the National Guard. When I got into the Marines in 93 I was issued mostly woodland camo gear. Because I was support I carried this type of 782 gear until I was deployed to Iraq in 2005.
I loved heat tabs.
Perfect for taking the chill off in the shelter half.
In my time (74/78) the gear was a little different. The it as was about half the size of yours. I still have the pouch but the gear inside is gone. The harness and canteens were the same but I never saw a canteen stove. We ate c-rats and they still had a 4pak of smokes in them. Mag pouches were the same but the packs were different. I never saw an Alice pack and always used the old haversack. I still have one but I did get a medium Alice. We called our sewing kits a housewife. Good video.
Awesome trip down memory lane mate, my service was in the Australian Army 1989 to 2012. We had two cups canteen, one was the steel cup and the other was a modified cup turned in to a stove, so there as no need to carry an additional stove. I did use the y harness, and yes I had the k-bar knife, the kidney/comfort padded belt fitted under the canvas belt that you showed in the clip. Very informative, keep up the excellent work. SGT P
WOW!! awesome vid. Takes me back to '79, my duece gear was not to different, I traded my Y harness for the H harness back then.
Tanks for the memories! I still have my LBE from early 80’s, we only carried one canteen and I had a leather holster for my 45. Also I had to purchase my own buttpack because the army didn’t issue me one. I had a gerber survival knife until I went to Germany then I bought a copy of the German Army knife with built in wire cutters. When did y’all start getting IFAK’s, we had to put together extra stuff on our own, except for the bandage you were issued and carried in a pouch on the LBE.
I served from 1989-1997 in the Army - Infantry and I had the LCE (782 gear). It was standard issue for us Army grunts until the LBV came out and we got that issued. When I attended SERE School in 1994 we were allowed to have a knife of our choice. I chose and still have my Ka-Bar. That knife till this day is my go to knife almost 26 years later.
USMC active duty from 1973 > 1982. The LC-2 was standard issue then & we were issued everything in this video except the K-BAR. Most of us went to an Army surplus store in Jacksonville, NC (MCB Camp Lejeune) & purchased our own K-BARS. I've still got mine 40+ years later.
Being in the military in the 70s was not easy. We didn't have nearly the budget that they have today. This ran the gamut from standard issue infantry gear to the latest jet fighters. There were always budget shortfalls & in many cases we simply purchased what we needed. That all changed when Reagan was elected.
Good to see a fellow Marine talking about 782 gear and its relevance to survival now as well as ancient variants . Keep up the outstanding videos . Semper Fi .
Yup what I used in the Army in the early 90s. We called it TA-50 if we got technical, usually called it our LBE. Load bearing equipment. We were not issued the Butt packs, but those are really useful items to have, some bought them themselves. The "IFAK" was a joke back then however. Some of the rangers on our long range surveliance detachment, were just getting to try the load bearing vest, which is handy and tough.
Still have all of these items (except iFAK) from the late 80s. Still carry and use most of it sometimes. Great way to teach my grandkids the basics! Thanks for the walk down memory lane for me too!
Having been in the Corps a couple of decades prior, I would offer one suggestion, I saw two instances where Marines were injured while wearing a Kabar. In both instances, they were involved in physical work and pressure was put on their legs area. In turn, the leather scabbard was not up to protecting their legs from being cut when the blade cut through the leather and cut the leg. My father (a Marine) gave me two knives to choose from, a Buck General in a leather scabbard or his Kabar in some model of a navy scabbard that fits the Kabar. I ended up with both knives but I took the Kabar and hard sheeth to VN. For a while, I had a small stone held on with two tire rubber bands. Lost it in the field later. I applaud companies now selling the Kabar in hard sheaths. Old dog, new tricks - save bloodshed. Thanks for your videos. Semper fi.
That’s the same gear I carried in the Corps a decade before you. Thanks for the great throwback- looking forward to more. SEMPER FI!
I had the same basic load in the belgian army in 1993/94. I had bought the complete US harness because the quality was better than the belgian one. I also had a pair of US jungle boots for my "african deployment"and the first Goretex jackets (I still have it) .
Great video Corporal, YOU ROCK MAN
I love everything you do Corporal, You are outstanding, thank you for your support and owesome lessons in survival.
Still have my deuce gear, even after 34 years of being inactive.
I remember when every restaurant and most businesses gave away a book of paper matches, and high end places Gabe’s away wooden matches. We also had Silva compasses, metal (aluminum) canteens, usually round half gallon.....and finally, we carried Manila rope mad from hemp that would rot if left out. Ha! That was Scouting in the 1960’s ! Thanks for posting this video!
Great video... a walk (almost) down memory lane 😎
USMC 1977 to 1983.
0311-0369
I was there when MRE’s replaced the C-Rations. But we had the exact same contents in our IFAK.
I carried my A.L.I.C.E. pack and 782 gear for more than 10 years after I got out. It just worked too well to change it.
Now I’ve ungraded to more modern equipment, but it’s not really better, just more convenient to use.
Thanks for sharing, we wore that in the 70's as well. Sometimes we had the "H " harness with canvas ammo pouches and the heavy duty green ponchos ( they were better than the ripstop ones ) still had the Mitchell reversable helmet covers on our steel pots . Great video ! Some of our rations still had cigarettes in them , beans with meatballs was my favorite, ham and eggs least favorite.
I still have most of that gear. In the mid 70's we called our sewing kit a housewife. I even have an old school haversack which was replaced by the Alice pack. Also, I never saw a 30 rd magazine until I re-enlisted in the reserves during the Iran hostage clusterf**k. When I got out, all supply wanted back was my helmet and blanket...go figure. But I hung on to it and I'm glad I did . I eventually bought an M-1 steel pro with a liner and Mitchell pattern cover. It was in mint condition and cost me 100.00. I'll never regret becoming a Marine. I use my gear when I hit the Bush, except for the helmet...😎😎 Excellent video, Marine!
Very good video. Very similar to my Army TA-20 gear from 1973 to 1977. Those of us that cared, put a c-rat accessory pack in our first aid kit. I carried a spare first aid pouch with a cravat and paracord in it. We did not have those big first aid kits. I still prefer this "old" equipment. My Kabar served on Siapan so I replaced it with a MK IV years ago. I still have a 45 year old roll of the 100 mile an hour tape which works great when needed. I don't think that anything will really beat the old canteen setup. I used to put chips of wood in with the tablet to get more heat out of the stove. Good Luck, Rick
your 1990s old school would have been future school to me , i went in in 76 and got out in 80. we still had the c rations from vietnam and korea. cover was still a shelter half and stakes. combustion was halizone tablets
This brings back some fond memories, I was in the U.S. Army from 87-91 and that's the same equipment we humped, not perfect but, it damn sure got the job done. I use it to this day. As you state, you can't teach an old dog new tricks. I really enjoyed your video.
Thanks for this video, it took me back to my days as an infantryman 92’-96’
Deuce gear? In 73, it was canvas, two canteens, magazine pouch or magazines, depending on your weapon. Knap sack, haver sack. First aid kit also. Our K-bars were fixed to the left suspender for easy access, and they were black, not brown. Our matches, as well as our smokes, came from our c-rats. Every grunt I served with kept a john wayne, p-38, can opener on his dog tag chain. We sometimes taped them for silence. We also had the gas mask bag strapped to our right thigh.
Army 73-77.Went across the water to Nakhon Phanom. I agree. Same gear, but we also had our compass mounted above the field knife on the left suspender. We also had the entrenching tool. We mounted our flashlight on the right suspender with the first aid pouch above it.
Yup...I learned to sew as a paratrooper in Vicenza. True story, I was sewing cat eyes to the back of my ruck and accidently sewed my ruck to my pants by accident. I was an idiot. Lesson learned.
Thank you for your service Corporal. I served as well back in the days, 89-99, U.S. Navy, Desert Storm vet. I have always had a liking for the LC-2 load out. I do remember that some of us were issued camel backs back then and have a new, only used once so far, USMC issued camel back
I am a baby boomer and my uncles were in WWll. I had all of their packs and most of the equipment as well... sadly all that I have now is one of my uncle's knife, it was with him in Germany, he was in the Battle of the Bulge.... His pack and canteen I used in Boy Scouts and I passed them on to other Scouts when I aged out I had the belt, jacket and a German helmet that one of my uncles took from a dead army .officer..Had I save these items they would bring me closer to my uncles life as an G.I. and what it meant to serve our country. To Uncle Jim ,Uncle Howard, Uncle Bob, Uncle Bill all who served our country in WWll.....smile
This brought back many, many, many memories!!!! I made sure I bought at this stuff all over again, cause it worked!!! Granted I do have all the newly issued gear, which is a million times better than what we had!!! Went from 782, to LBV, to MOLLE!!!, most of us still used the old stuff as a matter of saltiness!!!!! LOL good times!!!!
1973-77 Army . Same load out . brings back memory's and I still have mine . (I'm 65) Minimum is better than none and military is way better than minimum .
I really enjoyed this video. It was a walk down memory lane for me as well (USMC 88-94). I appreciated how you linked each piece of gear, if possible, to a survival situation and modern equipment. You always have a squared away bearing, but it was easy to tell throughout the video that you enjoyed getting out the old gear for this video just as much as we enjoyed watching it. Thank you.
Way to bring back the 90's Marine Corps Old School! Thank you Devildog! Respectfully Cpl. "Lurch" Fliearman (1990-1998) Semper Fi!!
Well, I have the oldschool flashlight and canteen set. Actually, I seem to be pretty well prepared. You lessons have sunk in. Thank you for the video, Corporal Kelly
How could anyone give this man a 👎 ? Makes no sense to me!! Thank you for your service and the videos sir!! God bless!!
Because they just don't understand how you can survive out of a couple pouches attached to a belt and suspenders.
Brings back memories of my time in 101st Airborne infantry, B Co 1st 502nd. Still great and reliable equipment.
Great video as usual. So refreshing to have someone who has real life experience rather than theoretical zombie invasion fantasies.
Thank you for knocking the dust off of some lost memories. I was using 90% of this GI equipment back in '06.
I've watched a lot of quick shelters videos but never anything regarding orienting the lean-to shelter to block any anticipated weather. I learned that in Boy Scouts, came in handing while serving in the Old Corps.
Sgt. USMC '63-'69
I liked this video, old school items was hard to beat back in their day.
I predate woodland camo, by 6 weeks. We got OD green fatigues. The first flights issued woodland started the very day I finished basic training in September 1988. That was the USAF.
Sergei, good to hear from the "other" side. We are probably about the same age (half a century). I guess we're both glad that we never had to fight one another. It's funny, because I hated Russians back then, because I thought they were all communists. 30+ years later, I am an Eastern Orthodox Christian and love my Russian brothers and sisters. I still hate communism, but no longer equate it with being Russian. God bless you, my friend.
I was neither. I flew a desk in the personnel office for 2 years active duty followed by 4 years in the Air National Guard as a training manager. Outside of the military, I have been a police officer for over 24 years. Hopefully will be retiring soon.
I really liked this video not just for a nostalgia theme, but for showing that older gear can be and is effective. How many times have we seen a 100.00 challenge where they bought absolute junk and tried to make it work? A lot. This shows how by utilizing perhaps some used, older, less flashy or current gear that people can still start enjoying getting outdoors and have a good kit that works, and at a lower price point so they can build what they need as they realize it or as they can afford it. Utilizing this gear instead of the flashy brand new stuff is very reminiscent of "adapt and overcome." Thanks for the video.
Couple of old school tips in winter 1# carry your canteen/bottles upside down because water freezes top down 2# I use small birthday candles that relight there just great when combined with Garwood lastly the old school NBC container was bulletproof watertight for protecting smokes?!
Our UK version was the 58 pattern kit, very similar. The NBC pouch is excellent for carrying kit of you don't need the NBC kit. Your heat tabs are very impressive, we had hexi stoves and the tablets were next to impossible to light in any sort of wind, I carried a tiny gas stove which was worth its weight in gold. Our 24 hour ration packs were very comprehensive though bulky (tin cans!). As ever a very enjoyable video, thanks again.
In 2003 I was doing contract work at Camp Mackall, NC. As civilians we had to provide our own field gear, so most us being prior service or retired, used gear we had in Contico boxes from "back in the day" that were stashed in the attic or garage. (My service time in the Army was Sep77-Nov88) One of the things that struck me was many of the active duty instructors carried Nalgen bottles and no canteen or canteen cup. I asked one, that I knew drank coffee, how he heated up water for his coffee. He pulled out a can of RedBull and said that it was his caffeine go to. I still carried two canteen cups, four 1 quarts canteens on my pistol belt and two 2 quart canteens on my BlackHawk ruck. In the outside upper pouches were my jar of instant Folgers Classic, 2 stainless steel camp cups, a 1lb propane bottle w/stove. Along with the other 65 pounds of "creature comfort items" I humped around, was a folding shooters stool and an 8'x12'ish camouflaged tarp with securement. Nothing like having a hot cup of coffee, in the rain, at night, under the tarp, off the ground, after a long student patrol as they settle in to their patrol base.
Thanks Corporal Marine, You brought back a flood of memories from my Marine Corps ,72-75. PISC 328-45 3.06.72 . Gear had not changed much in configuration from my time to yours. Only real differences was canvas vs. nylon. IFAC same but with one bottle only for Morphine tablets. In addition to dual canteens and the butt pack we had a very small field pack w/ E Tool and a lower pack that attached to the upper. Loose straps were rolled up into coils and secured by compression. We also carried blanket roll straps. We had a rubberized canvas diddy sack to place our gear into and the draw strings pulled and knotted shut. That diddy sack served many purposes but it waterproofed the contents then was placed in the field pack. Another one could be used for the lower pack. They can be used to keep water off your lower legs when fording a sshallow stream, used to fetch water, filled with sand to provide protection and place a rifle for accurate shooting in the prone position, provide additional floatation to the packs when swimming, used as a butt kit and so on and so on.They could be filled with vegetation to provide a pillow. Ponchos can be used individually as shelter, or a tent when two are snapped together, improvised cots, improvised body carriers, improvised sails for rafts, improvised rudders and paddles, and way more improvised stuff. You can even make improvised rafts with them, if you know what you are doing. Lay out on the beach on them after assaulting and clean up is done. I always carry two of the more modern ones with me when I trek. Two ponchos will block out infrared detection effectively. There is nothing like the old heavy ones but weight considerations make that two modern military issue ponchos are the best way to go. They are lighter weight and treated in such a way as to make them almost completely invisible to night detections. I don't think they are as durable as the ponchos of the seventies and have no way of knowing if one or two seventies era ponchos will have the same night properties. Oh well, take care Marine, from one jarhead to another, oh by the way in my day anyone other than us calling us jarhead, gyrene and the like we considered candidates for opening a can of whoop ass on. I always keep a can of Popeye's brand Spinach on hand to illustrate how a real can of whoop ass must be present before opening. The spinach inside might be delectable to a squid or sea going bellhop but it sure whoops my butt if I try to eat it. Nasty stuff. Gung Ho, Semper fi, Uh Oorah' or Aoorah or Oorah ! All three pronouncements of Oorah existed in my day, now it is down to Oorah! Old Corps, my Corps, Marine Corps Uh Oorah!
Some slight modifications in my versions which I will share them both then and now. Then since we were SpecOps and could get away with it we went to surplus stores to get the H version of the belt suspender straps instead of the Y version since they distributed the load better and the older canvas butt packs. We also carried the metal canteens and the strap handle version of the canteen cup.Seems the KBar I was issued in Nam was listed as a "combat loss" when I turned in my gear. I was in the Corps before I went into the Army.Now I carry a Kephart knife reproduction from Condor knives on my belt. I have carried a poncho but sometimes opt for a small tarp instead, they are rolled and rigged under the butt pack to save space in the pack.I do not carry the issue lensatic compass since Sunto make a more use friendly version. For charcloth I use cleaning patches since I seem to have a good supply of those. I prefer the first aid pack pouches over ammo pouches for added gear pockets, the are available empty when you can find them. Extra compass pouches can be mounted on the sides of the buttpack. I tend to carry both bank line and paracord along with 100MPH tape. The issue "housewife" with an added larger needle suffices for sewing repairs. Side note the sewing kit the Civil War soldiers had was very similar to the current issue one.The canteen cup stove can be used with twigs instead of heat taps. For a covert fire to heat water or rations make a Ho Chi Min firehole and burn your fire below ground level.
SGM (Retd)
U.S. Army Special Forces
The memories of those sailmakers needles! Magic Mr. Kelly. McIntyre
I remember those canteens. That cap had a doo hicky so you could drink out of it with your gas mask on. I used this same gear back in the 70s. Fond memories, that stuff really worked. I wonder if it can still be bought. We had those iodine tablets! They were in little brown glass jars and the caps were waxed shut. Made the water taste bad.
I have assembled emergency ''edc'', car kits and camping kits for several years and giving them to family members and friends. One co-worker told me that it saved his life during a white-out while hunting in Idaho. Something that I always include in each kit is a two inch piece of hot-glue stick. I simply hot glued a small key ring to it with a lanyard. Use it to repair shoes/boots, tent, gun stock (add duck tape), or any number of things. Heat with a lighter and apply.
I had the same gear in the 3rd Ranger Battalion, but carried an Air force survival knife as it was jumpable and smaller. We had other minor modifications to our gear , but really similar. Great memories and still have 2-sets of the old gear!
Good job. I still carry the older H harness over the newer Y harness, and prefer the
Cammenga compass over the MC-2, the Zippo with jet insert over the Bic,
and 550 over the bank line. My large Alice is taking a back seat to the newer Filbe.
Solid fuel is now on the shelf over controllable propane. Hollow fibre water filtration
wins over chemicals. Round canteens over kidney shape. Love your video's and
thank you for a trip back in time. Rodney.
My LBE ( ARMY) was similar , I carried a 45 holster and my K-bar , in reverse carry on my shoulder harness . The poncho was carried under the butt pack . I served 72-78 as a Corpsman , Navy : then 82-99 as a Medical Service Corps officer , Infantry , Artillery , SFG attached until I became staff for a MASH , 2 Combat Support Hospitals...Semper Fi ! Go Navy!
A bit of nostalgia for us "old school" military guys/gals lol My load bearing equipment was called LBE and my IFAK was a combat dressing in a compass pouch on my LBE right shoulder strap. Since I was Army, we had a bayonet and not a KA-BAR, though we would much rather have had the Marine knife. The rest it was pretty much the same. One advantage I had was that I was in a medical company, so we had access to cravats, eye dressings, abdominal dressings, OTC drugs, etc. We also had large tents in which we could sleep. 100MPH tape was available if needed from supply, and we had a mess section, which was most cool.
Thank you for the video and giving me a glimpse back into 36 years ago when I enlisted. Damn, I'm old lol
Brings back a lot of memories.
Love the way he explains everything in an authoritative manner. He's not going all over the road. It's concise and to the point, just like Basic Training I would imagine, so that in combat or an emergency, i.e. high stress situations where you not necessarily think straight, you can always go back to Basics and know it'll get you out of your jam. Am I the only one who returns his salute at the end? Thanks Marine! Semper Fi ;-)
Thanks for the old memories cpl. Kelly .
Still got my lbe from 1984 and my dads brother butt pack from the 60’s and still use it all to this day . Sorry, just got to watch your video today been working a lot here lately.
Keep the videos coming cpl. That a Direct order ! 😬
TY Corporal, This brought back So main memories, I was with 2/2 Golf (Raiders) I was the head Devil Doc HM3 Herschmann, All Marines and the DOC had to also where there specialty gear, I carried a Unit5 , the Radioman carried radio etc. This gear was indestructible
The new stuff is great and all but the old gear looks amazing