Pack of pain

A story yesterday about the Army's useless backpacks.

I thought the were useless back in 1985, which is why I bought an ALICE pack as soon as I could afford one. There may be better packs on the market these days, but back then, they were the duck's nuts. Everyone that wanted to make a statement about being a serious infantryman had one.

I also bought my own boots, at considerable expense, and outlayed a lot of money on a good waterproof coat. The Army used to issue these paper thin useless bits of plastic that wouldn't save you from getting wet whilst doing the washing up. Again, those of us that were serious about our comfort invested in a Japara. Back then, it was cutting edge in terms of using Gore-tex and all that sort of stuff.

We also bought out own knives, better mess tins and webbing. At the time, the Army was still using WWII type webbing with eyelets and hooks. It was pretty useless. There was a place in Perth that made up webbing using the same stuff as seat belts with a good clasp at the front, and many of us invested in that. They also sold padded shoulder straps, which were essential for carrying heavy loads. Camel-baks were also privately purchased when they hit the market.

Soldiers have always been buying their own kit. The Army provides you with stuff that is serviceable but nothing more. The Army sleeping bags were a joke. I bought one that was lightweight and good down to about minus 2 degrees. Others bought good quality thermal underwear (something I should have bought) and good quality socks. Leatherman tools were also popular amongst those that could afford them.

I see nothing has changed, except for the belief by some soldiers these days that they should have every whim catered to. Well, that would be nice, but no one ever stopped us from fielding our own kit. So long as it didn't look wildly out of place, no one objected to anything we carried once we were out in the field.

These idiots with sore backs simply need to be directed to the nearest quality camping store that also caters to military types. There are heaps of them on the internet. If you want good gear, get it yourself.