RECOIL OFFGRID Gear GEAR UP: Mission Ready
In This Article
You’ve just been briefed on the mission. Time is short, so hit your cage or wall locker and get geared up. Success begins with preparation, and preparation means making smart choices about the kit you’ll trust your life with. Plan for how long you expect to be out, then add half again to that time. Check the weather and layer up accordingly. Load mags, top off canteens, swap batteries, and inspect snaps, zippers, buckles, and swivels. If it shakes, rattles, or rolls, tape it down. Bring what you need, leave what you don’t. Link up with your battle buddy for gear checks. We step off on in 30.
MSRP: $390
URL: 511tactical.com
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This is a great quick mission setup. The TacTec line is lightweight, offers freedom of movement, as well as being highly modular. The one-handed quick-release cable system is highly regarded should you need to get the carrier off to conduct emergency medical procedures or drop your kit in a hurry to blend in with human terrain. Front and back bags have generously sized air flow panels with an extendable drag handle on the back panel. Flex Double AR Magazine Pouch 2.0 has its own mounting hardware and secures in place with non-metallic snaps. Flex Tourniquet Pouch has multiple mounting configurations because only you know the best way to mount lifesaving equipment to your kit. Flex Admin Pouch is a tidy package and packs in the features.
MSRP: $40
URL: coldsteel.com
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There are few tools that are as capable as a trench shovel. Use it to dig fox holes and ranger graves, build hide sites, chop roots, or bushwhack. The Cold Steel Spetsnaz Special Forces Trench Shovel has a medium carbon steel shovel head with three sharpened sides to tackle the previously mentioned tasks or use it as the Spetsnaz did and fight with it. Topping the head is a hickory handle that is not only as tough as the shovel head, but it can also be scraped down, if need be, to get a small bundle of tinder should you find yourself in a bad way and need fire. While there are no moving parts, the Cold Steel Spetsnaz Special Forces Trench Shovel is a multi-tool that pulls its weight on the battlefield and is worthy of your consideration.
MSRP: $114
URL: cammenga.com
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Have a compass or get lost! It cannot be overstated how important it is to have the skills to navigate to and from your area of operation. As an example, just 2 degrees off target over the course of 5 kilometers brings you 174.6 meters off your intended target. It only gets worse the farther you have to travel. Starting with an aluminum body, the Commenga H3 is a 1:50,000 scale compass. Be sure you check your map scale to be as accurate and timely as possible. Low light to no light, the tritium lights up enough to read your compass without blowing out your eyeballs. No batteries. No charging. Just a little radioactive isotope in glass vials to light your way for up to 12 years.
MSRP: $112
URL: powertac.com
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Mounting compatibility with action cameras like DJI and GoPro makes it easy to mount to your helmet, use the head band and pull it directly over your head, or use a chest harness. Whatever your preference is, get your light mounted up and do it at double time. We’ve got to move out! The 2500 lumens of the Explorer HL-10 will light your way over 200 meters down range, dial back to 150 lumens and reduce your light's throw to roughly 24 meters, select red light for map reading and signature reduction. There are also settings for strobe, S.O.S., and IR functions to utilize. Magnetic charging means you can easily mount a battery pack to the back of your helmet and blind the opposition for extended run time. Light equals information. Information means decision-making capability. Turn on the sun when you can and be the smartest individual on the battlefield.
MSRP: $15
URL: missionfirsttactical.com
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Grab all those boxes of ammo and dump them out. There is no better place to store your rounds than in the magazines you’re going to be using. EXD 30 AR/M4 mags are your go-to ammo storage unit when it comes to launching hot rocks down range: three times more impact resistant than typical nylons because of the next-gen long glass fiber polymer, with an oversized bolt catch to hold open your breach when you run dry, four-way anti-tilt self-lubricating follower to minimize jams and misfeeds, and four scalloped-out finger grooves front and back for a positive tactile feel even under stress. Jam your mags and get into the fight with Mission First Tactical.
MSRP: $90
URL: rab.equipment
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When speed and maneuverability are a priority, the weight and dimensions of your gear have to be considered. The SILTARP 1 comes in at just 8.5 ounces and measures 8.5 by 5.5 inches stowed away. Rab SILTARP 1 offers approximately 95 by 60 inches of cover and 16 external tie-down points to give you a variety of shelter options to get out of the rain or hide from the sun. Made from one continuous piece of siliconized 30d Cordura with a PU coating goes a long way for making this tarp strong. Light and waterproof, you can count on the Rab SILTARP 1 to cover you.
MSRP: $120
URL: isotunes.com
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Shoot, move, and communicate. If you can't do all three, mission effectiveness breaks down. Protect your hearing and be able to keep comms with your team by using the ISOtunes Sport Advanced BT. Noise-reducing microphone improves communication, and the Bluetooth 5.1 supports dual pairing. Tactical Sound Control (TSC) amplifies environmental sounds and limits harmful noise like gunfire. Battery life for Bluetooth usage is 10 hours while TSC can be used for up to 20 hours of straight hearing protection. Advanced BT comes with a variety of silicone eartips to customize your fit for best results, a small, zippered case to protect your headset as well as keep the included charger handy. Rated at IP67 means this headset not only withstands a little sweat and rain, they also can be submerged in one meter of water for up to 30 minutes. This is a key bit of info when going outside the wire.
MSRP: $10
URL: outdoorelement.com
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Everything is soaked and you need a fire? No problem. Fiber Light Original Round is an aluminum tin equipped with a fat Ranger Band to ensure closure as well as a bit of sound deadening. All that is required is a pinch of Fiber Light and a spark. You can use a ferro rod, lighter, fresnel lens, or the side of a very recently used suppressor (we’ve lit cigars with them in the field). The larger the pinch the longer it’ll burn, but the average is 3 to 7 minutes. Make sure you have kindling processed and waiting for when your Fiber Light takes off. Made from a proprietary blend of natural fibers, it is safe to cook over. Pro tip: Drop a small ferro rod and scraper into your tin to be ready for use. This is a no-brainer for a field pack.
MSRP: $45
URL: missionfirsttactical.com
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Do yourself and your team a favor and start hydrating right now. You can lighten your load in many ways. Carrying minimal water is not one of those ways. Water is always going to be on the packing list. Put as much as you can in your body and then fill up every container you plan to take with you. The M67 Frag is a vacuum-sealed double-wall container to help keep your water cold or coffee hot as well as to reduce the chances of condensation soaking your gear. BPA and toxin free, the 32-ounce capacity is a great way to travel with your life-saving water.
MSRP: $20
URL: glowrhino.com
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Glow Rhino Ember Glow Fob is a lightweight unobtrusive low lumen tool to add to an inside zipper pocket or in an admin pouch. Mark rally points, doors to rooms that have been cleared, attach to the zipper of an often-used item in your pack for quick recognition, or check a map while minding light discipline. Choose from green or blue light. No batteries to change or charging cord to contend with, as Glow Rhino Ember Glow Fob has a half-life of 12 years.
MSRP: $185
URL: prepperdisk.com
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This innocuous-looking device is like having a mobile library that works even when you don’t have cellular or Wi-Fi signal. Augment your mobile device and up to 19 additional devices to access Wikipedia, FEMA, National Library of Medicine, iFixit, Amateur Radio repeaters, and much more. The Prepper Disk is off of a Raspberry Pi 4B with 2 GB of RAM and a 512GB premium SD card. Need a reminder on how to turn tubular nylon into a harness or emergency litter? No sweat. There are also over 60,000 eBooks from Project Gutenberg should you need to brush up on shelter building, foraging, or finding water. Toss a Prepper Disk into a dry bag and mount up.
MSRP: $180
URL: rab.equipment
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Rain is the perfect weather when it comes to mounting an attack. The enemy tends to get complacent when they’re cold, wet, and tired. For those of us on the offensive, we can rely on the Rab Downpour Mountain Waterproof Jacket. Keeping the rain off your head and back while on foot has always helped keep morale high. Breathable and lightweight, the 2.5-layer Pertex Shield ripstop fabric is shockingly robust. This jacket has survived rough terrain and long treks through dense forest with no trails. Lots of scuffs and dirt have been left behind, but not a single rip. Toss one in your kit, rain or shine. You’ll be glad you stay dry or use it to stop the driving wind.
MSRP: $30
URL: missionfirsttactical.com
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Strong enough to carry loose ammo, but we’ve jammed mags already so this storage case can be used for other needs. For the sake of knowing, the ACHRO is tough enough to lug around 500 rounds of 9mm, 350 rounds of 5.56, or 1,500 rounds for your .22LR hushpuppy. This is possible because of its 1000D Korda Carbonate construction. Need to keep extra frags together in your pack? Problem solved. Want to have a toiletry kit in the field or an expanded ouch pouch? This ACHRO Storage Case is Johnny-on-the-spot. Measuring 9 by 4.5 by 4 inches, you can jam a lot of gear into this low-profile tough-as-nails pouch.
MSRP: $65
URL: 511tactical.com
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Protect your hands with HardTimes 2 knuckle protection. A four-way stretch top with a two-piece molded knuckle offers protection from impact and abrasion. 5.11 Tactical opted for touchscreen-ready fingers and palm constructed from goatskin for comfort, dexterity, and increased feeling. Thumbs have a microfiber textured sweat wipe for use in heavy activity. Thick, tactile-reinforced cuff seam, pull tab, and Velcro closures keep dirt and debris out of the Hard Times 2 Gloves.
MSRP: $98
URL: 511tactical.com
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To the casual observer, the Pt-R Arrive hoodie is just another article of clothing, but those in the know see it as part of a layering to keep you on mission. The quilted front panel has a PrimaLoft filler to assist in holding in heat around the core. To shed excess heat, take advantage of the full-zip front. Keeping your eyes up and situational awareness high is important when on watch. Jam your hands in the kangaroo pouch to stay warm and preserve dexterity or keep heavily used gear ready. Your right-hand pocket has a hidden pocket to secure an ID, credit card, lockpick set, or cash. Fleece back panel, sleeves and hood finish off the design and keep it looking low-profile while still being purpose built.
Thirty hours of heat, rain, and brush gave every item a real shakedown. TacTec On Duty carriers came out of the wrap, took load and mags, and moved clean through thick cover. Quick-release cables were pulled for medical drills and to dump weight at checkpoints, then reset quickly. EXD 30 magazines fed without drama while HL-10 lights ran on headband and chest mounts as needed. Layering stayed simple with the PT-R Arrive for warmth on the move and the Downpour Mountain jacket when the sky opened.
H3 compasses set headings under canopy at night, while the Spetsnaz shovel handled digging, chopping roots, and scraping tinder. SILTARP 1 pitched in tight spaces for shade and rain cover and packed down fast. M67 Frag bottle carried cold water and the ACHRO case hauled extra items without sagging. Every item came straight from the box to the field and did the job, which is why we are tipping a hat to the brands that helped our VIPs level up at Undisclosed.
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Editor's Note: This article has been modified from its original version for the web.
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