Soldiers Essentials List

I’ve been in the military for over 16 yrs., and I’ve collected several MOS’s. Two of my MOS’s are 91G & 91F that is Fire Control Repairer (tank firing systems) & Small Arms Repairer. While I was the Armaments Section SGT, one of our biggest events was gunnery. Gunnery is weapons qual for Tanks and Bradley’s. We would spend about 4-6 weeks providing range support for units in different locations. We would run 24 hour operations, I would take the gravel yard shift so my troops could sleep through the night. I would still be around during the day but I would take naps throughout. I would have another NCO cover the day shift with soldier so we had an NCO on all at all times. We spent a lot of time in the field. I even created a packing list for my new soldiers. This list was an essential list of things they should carry while we were doing Gunnery. We never knew what kind of accommodation we would have. I would make sure billeting arrangements were made but nothing was guaranteed. I think this list is great if you’re going away for a school, annual training or a long FTX. I won’t say it good for a deployment because that would be an even greater list (maybe I’ll write about it in the future).

• Tactical bag
  • To me this is a very important part of your bug outset. The bag will determine what you can and can’t carry. Personally I have two, I have a CamelBak Motherlode assault pack that I bought in Ft Bragg in 2007 and I’ve been using it ever since. It has four pockets a small, medium, large pouches and a pouch for your water bladder that insulated. This is my daily bag I use it every day, when I go schools, training and even when I go hiking. It’s the most durable bag I’ve ever purchased.
  • Now the other bag I recommend is a Reebow Gear Assault pack. This one is a little more affordable than the Motherlode with all the same qualities, but not the same space. This assault pack is a bit smaller. The Reebow the one I got has four pockets. A small pocket for a cell items of that size. A Medium pocket and two large pockets. One of the large pocket can be used for a bladder that is also insulated. I bought this pack to give my Motherlode a break, and it handles itself great. Its nice compact design makes it easier to keep the things where you put them without sliding all over. And you have the straps that you would find on your Molle or Alice pack, so add-ons are easy to attach. Personally this has become my new motorcycle riding bag. It’s not as wide so it feels comfortable when I’m riding my bike.

• Charger
  • The charger another essential, especially now in the digital age. Where everything needs to be charged. I have 3 chargers I use, they all hold a different purpose but I have them nonetheless. First I have two solar powered USB chargers, these are great for the field. When you’re not around a power source and you have no outlet. Just let the charger sit out in the sun for bit and you’ll have power in a few hours. That’s the only drawback in my opinion. The solar charger will take about two hours to charge using the solar panel but about 15-30 using charge port. Still not bad, you can charge it while you’re working. But that’s not the only cool feature they have. I recommend my soldiers to get the chargers with a compass and flashlight. Usually the flashlight has different settings. Like normal, SOS, and constant flashing. Which will come in handy at night or if your lost. My other charger is a standard lighting charger for my phone. This charger usually stays in the car or at work. I know that three chargers is excessive but know I’ll always have a charger when I need. I don’t expect my soldier to have that many, but at least one.

• Tablet
  • A tablet will always be handy in the field during downtime. It’s lite, portable, and able to be used for work and entertainment. You could view movies, add e-books if you like to read or check e-mail if you’re fortunate to be in an area where there’s service. I do not recommend having a laptop. I feel laptops tend to be bulky and come with too many accessories. I personally have an iPad 5th Gen, and I bought it refurbished. It was only 1/2 the price for a new one and works just as good. I use mine for work, to check the website, forms, manuals, and reports.

• Books
  • If you enjoy reading I would suggest getting a tablet and putting e-books on them. This way you can have your library without packing a library. But I recommend a book or two, something you know you’ll be interested in. If you’re not sure what kind of book I tell soldiers a how to book or a history book. This is also a great way to hold your army forms, army regs and training aids for hip pocket training.

• Flask
  • I love cigars and rum, anybody who know me will tell you. I have a field box and field bag. Both contain cigars and rum, which one I choose depends how long I’m away. Say for a weekend drill I’ll take the bag 8-10 cigars, and flask of rum. For more than four days the ammo can will do 15-20 cigars and the flask. The Flask can be an NCO’s best friend. It’s small and lite, just perfect for the end of the night. This is something I do not recommend for my soldiers, but it’s something I carry. My flask has a built in cup, which makes it easy to drink from. For this I have two rules; never drink any alcohol during the duty day and never let it out of your sight.

• Lighter
  • I may be a cigar guy, but my lighter has a dual purpose. It also acts as a torch, not like a welding torch but a small soldering torch when in a pinch. You can also use it to light a fire if need be. Make sure if you get a lighter it is the correct one. Not a cigarette lighter but a butane lighter.

• First aid kit
  • I think this one is obvious but, we’ll reiterate. In case you get hurt, keep a first aid kit. They have lots for great items for injuries.

• Gerber/knife/550 Cord
  • Another great item, if you’re a seasoned soldier you probably have multiple Gerber’s and knives, I know I do I have field Gerber, a work one, and a range one. It’s like a part of my uniform, I try not to leave home without one. The old reliable 550 Cord, every soldier will need this at some point. So always make it a habit to have some on hand. 550 Cord is very durable and has lots of uses. You can purchase a roll of 100 feet for $10, if your unable to get some from your Supply SGT.

• Camelbak bladder/ water tablets
  • Camelbak bladders are so important, people tend to not maintain them properly. Always make sure your bladder in clean and operational. I’ve seen soldiers get seriously ill because they never clean their bladder. And it becomes moldy in the inside. Or soldiers have damaged bladders because they don’t inspect them properly. Then when they’re out in the field they don’t have any way to drink water. Another item I ask them to get is the water tablets, it help purify water. I fortunately have never used any of mine. I didn’t realized the importance of the tablets, until I went in support of Hurricane Katrina. That idea has stuck with me, I always bring my tablets even when I go hiking or camping with my family. A side item to invest in is the life straw. It’s relatively cheap at about $20, and good for 800 gal. That is a lot of water that can be purified through single straw. It’s great if an emergency situation.

• Flashlight
  • I think this is a simple one but others may make the selection complicated. Here are my thoughts on flashlights, have one. I know they have ultra-bright and led light systems. I just ask my soldiers to have a reliable flashlight. If you purchase the solar chargers they have flashlights on them. The only thing I will say if you go hiking or camping with family get some of all different shapes and sizes. My youngest daughter loves to grab her pink led flashlight and walk up front like she’s leading us on an adventure.

• Hand warmer
  • This item is one of the most overlooked items on the list. People tends to forget about these. If you get a pack you can put them in your shoes, your pockets, gloves and your hat. The idea is to keep you warm. Just because you’re in a warm area during the day doesn’t mean the night or the morning will not be frigid.

• Hard drive/ thumb drive
  • Another cool functional items to have. Depending on your tablet you have will depend if you can use the external drive. If you are able to use them this is great news. Their excellent to store movies, music and documents that you may need. The documents portion is a great idea, you can save orders and birth certificates things like that. But if you do decide to save sensitive information like that please make sure that you use a thumb drive or hard drive is equipped with lron key encryption. Iron key is, basically a password lock to get into the storage device.

• Camping chair
  • It is the way it sounds, a nice camping chair to hold drinks and sit down on. Just make sure you have a durable chair. I have a Mac camping chair, I’ve had it since 2007 I purchased it in Iraq. It’s been with me ever since. They’re all types of chairs out there, yeti probably has the nicest chair I ever seen but they do come with a heavy price tag. If I were to purchase one it would be a chair for my deck outside.

If there’s any other ideas you leaders have that I didn’t mention, please post on the comments below.