Mission Gear

T3 Gear 3-Day Hydration Pack

Truthfully, I always tend to stick to backpacks by The North Face for every day and operational use, but I was given the T3 Gear 3-Day Hydration Pack
to try out and now I don’t know if I’ll ever move away from T3’s backpacks. Through 3 maritime operations, it has held its in a league like no other out on the open ocean which is mainly where my operations are. It isn’t waterproof, but going 45-55kn in a “fast attack” open console boat doing operations it has held its own in a league of its own.

I’ve had many of times where I would reach into my pack and my food is soaked and or my gear is. My food and my gear inside remained dry every time I was out on ops even if I came back drenched head to toe in the salt water. This is a huge factor to me. During downtime, all I want to do is get some food in me and possibly some dry socks or so on and so on. The fact that all my gear was dry every time I reached into my pack really shocked me. I was expecting at least my socks to be wet, but I was wrong.

With the ocean comes salt, with salt, comes corrosion. Often times I have to apply wax to any of my zippers on my north face packs but with the T3 the zippers have remained smooth and I haven’t had a problem with opening and closing it rapidly even if there is salt all over it. After each of my ops I would dip my pack into the salt water and let it air dry really putting it to the test and I still never had an issue with the zipper getting caught up. The T3 3-day hydration backpack is extremely rugged and probably in my top 2 of most durable packs out there.

The T3 3-Day hydration backpack features one large main compartment and 1 medium compartment. I personally put 3 large frozen smart waters (it was 82F that day) and one 40oz hydro flask in the medium compartment. I put the Rite in the Rain notebook in one of the smaller slips and even with frozen waters, the pocket that my rite in the rain notebook was in was still dry. In the large compartment, I put my Type III Gore-tex pants, my food, a Northface windbreaker, goggles, a shemagh, an extra pair of sunglasses and my helmet and I still had plenty of room to fit maybe 3-4 days worth of clothes in there. The comfortability of the T3 Gear 3-Day Hydration Pack is truly remarkable. It sits really well on the shoulders and I would feel very comfortable having a medium-long range land based load out on my back with it. It has a waist strap which adds to the comfort of being able to distribute weight. To test out the comfort, I added 3 of the heaviest front and back plates I had and I started running. With the ability to cinch it down to be tight with your body gave me the comfort I needed. Usually, with weight in packs, your weight slides around with the momentum of your weight. With the T3 Gear 3-Day Hydration Pack , this just doesn’t happen. It feels like you’re just carrying weight. No shoulder rub, no shifting of weight. I usually get rubbing on my shoulders with some weight in my north face packs at about 5-6 hour mark into a trip. With the T3 Gear 3-Day Hydration Pack , I had no shoulder rub.

Another plus is that It fits really well on top of a plate carrier, and its slim enough to almost use as an assaulter pack if you really wanted to. The ability to cinch everything down to make it super slim is very attractive to me which is why I would consider using it as an assaulter pack. With the ability to compress it, it makes moving on a boat easy. Being in a 26ft boat, moving from side to side around the center console to either tie up mooring lines, set up your weapons platforms, or just help out your coxswain in general, you can get snagged, lot especially with molle. I did get snagged when we pulled up to the dock the first time but I ended up tightening everything down a little more and that took that problem away. When I did get snagged though I got snagged good and still the molle did not rip. The quality in this pack is another outstanding feature.

The versatility is what I like most about the T3 3-day hydration backpack. It’s not too big to carry every day, but it can still be used for medium-long range ops. It is very easy to route a drinking tube due to the ports in the key areas of the pack. The D ring hooks make for a good way to air out a backpack. Most of the time my gear gets salt all over it and ruins it, so I always rinse out my gore-tex and gear after ops. The D-rings make it easy to drain. There are a number of drain holes in the pack (I mean its made by a former SEAL, so of course it’s somewhat built to operate in water) but take care of your gear and it’ll take care of you. The accessibility is another strong feature T3 brought to this pack. If we’re in between ops, floating in the ocean and so on and so forth, it is very easy to be able to have your buddy grab something out. The compartments are easy to access and grab something right away (Another reason why it would be a good assault pack or medium range op pack).

Summary – The best gear in the world can cost you a whole paycheck, but the durability, the price, the comfort – none of those can be beaten with the T3 3-Day hydration backpack . It is a step above the rest and it comes with a lifetime warranty which means that the guys over at T3 stand by their word and genuinely love their own gear. Now remember, I don’t get paid to write these reviews. I write these reviews because I genuinely want people to have the best gear out That’s. That’s why the writers and I at the Loadout Room do what we do, so if you don’t take my word for it, try it for yourself – but from what I’ll tell you, I probably won’t ever use a north face or any other brand of pack again. T3 Gear is the way to go!

Author – AJ P. Is a former US Navy Sailor who made the transition to private military contracting. He currently is working as a DoD contractor on the east coast. In his free time he enjoys training, shooting and hunting.

Stop throwing gear at marksmanship problems

There is nothing outside of yourself that can ever enable you to get better, stronger, richer, quicker, or smarter. Everything is within. Everything exists. Seek nothing outside of yourself. — Miyamoto Musashi, “The Book of Five Rings”

Getting “cool guy” gear and tricking out your firearm is awesome, I have several mods and bits of gear I swear by. I routinely trick out my firearms with parts that I feel give me a performance-related edge. It is important to realize, however, that these modifications and accessories are not solutions to any shortcomings in technique though. If your skills are lacking in any area, stop attempting to compensate for those shortcomings by applying external additives. Instead, train in the fundamentals and perfect the things that you suck through rigorous training.

If you suck at marksmanship, spend more time at the range shooting and practicing the fundamentals of marksmanship through dry-fire off the range. If you suck at reloads, do more reload drills. If you suck at drawing from a holster, practice drawing your gun more often. It all sounds so obvious but far too often people spend the money on equipment instead of training. You will get far better at shooting with a base model gun and 1000 rounds of ammo than you will with a tricked-out gun and 100 rounds. For a couple of hundred dollars a month you can afford to shoot and improve consistently. For the cost of around $1000 a year, you could take a training course (should you feel that such a thing would benefit you). I’ve seen guys spend far more than that on an optic for a gun they shoot once a year. If you can afford to do both, go for it but the main thing is that experience and training are far more valuable.

High-speed gear and tricked out guns are cool as hell but you look like an asshole with all that expensive stuff if you suck at using it. If you’re like me, you don’t have a big budget. So, spend your money on improving your skills rather than attempting to buy skill by way of external additives. A Tapout shirt doesn’t make a fighter, gym clothes don’t make someone an athlete, and “operator” kit doesn’t make you a gunfighter. Train efficiently, safely, and often if you want to be a better shooter. The guy with a couple of simple guns and a whole lot of hours behind them will always be a dangerous customer.

Featured image: The author’s kit while in Ukraine.

Grey Ghost Gear Debuts Magnificent BAR-5200 Modern Ruck

Grey Ghost Gear is proud to announce the release of its BAR-5200: the mightiest of modern rucks. The magnificent BAR-5200 pack is an excruciatingly well-designed evolution of the old military ALICE pack. It features many improvements – and of course more than a little GG flair.

The BAR-5200 is constructed from 500 denier Cordura Nylon with reinforcing on the high-stress areas. The pack consists of eight exterior pouches plus a claymore pocket on the top of the flap with an additional zippered mesh pocket underneath. On the subject of zippers, we’ve made provision for those times when you forget to zip things back up in the pissing-down rain. All of BAR-5200’s exterior pouches are built with drainage grommets in the bottom.

As for the main compartment, it can be accessed either by unbuckling and lifting the top flap or by opening the backdoor that’s zippered in the back just above the carry handle. Because sometimes you just want to get in the back door. Hook and loop panels are available for personal identification, but that’s not all. Extremely generous foam padding in the shoulder straps and waist belt ensure you can strap her down tight and still hoof a heavy load in comfort thanks to the included ASTM B221 lightweight aluminum frame, straps, and belt.

With a total volume of around 5200 cubic inches, you’ll appreciate the added comfort when it’s loaded to capacity. BAR-5200 is currently available in MultiCam and Coyote Brown.

Check it out on the BAR-5200 pack page.

There is only one thing better for a warfighter to do than carry Grey Ghost Gear – and even then, it’s close.

Just ask a certain legendary barbarian.

If you have any additional questions or want to give it a hump for a review, feel free to reach out.

About Grey Ghost Gear

At Grey Ghost Gear™ our goal is to provide the professional soldier with the best, combat proven gear in the world. Our gear designs have been continually combat tested and utilized in combat for over 10 years and is a direct result of the successes and failures in combat. Collectively, we have learned a great deal from the research and development conducted during combat operations and we have worked hard to implement these lessons learned into our designs. Our gear is lighter, form-fitting and offers the Warfighter more protection than many other comparable manufacturers. This has also allowed the Warfighter to move faster and fight harder than ever before; giving them the competitive edge they need to achieve their objective.

Grey Ghost Precision (GGP) is on Facebook at /GreyGhostPrecision/; Grey Ghost Gear (GGG) is on Facebook at /GreyGhostGearGGG/; Grey Ghost Canada is on Facebook at /GreyGhostCanada/. Connect with these companies on Instagram, @greyghostgear, @greyghostprecision, or @greyghostcanada. We’re on LinkedIn at /Grey-Ghost-Gear/. Subscribe to our YouTube channel right here. Grey Ghost Gear is a part of the HMW Tactical Buyers Club. Follow us on Twitter, @GreyGhostGear, though we hardly ever say anything. Oh, and if we’re on Pinterest ain’t nobody told us about it. Still no channel on any of the naughty “Hubs” or “Tubes”, but if we had one it would be the most-watched one on the planet.

2019 wishlist for Delta and DEVGRU: Target Engagement, Breaching and other classified projects

Whats on the 2019 wishlist for JSOC Special Missions Units?

U.S. Navy SEALs and AFSOC members conduct military jump operations during exercise TRIDENT 18-4 at Hurlburt Field, Florida. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Staff Sgt. Corban Lundborg)

In the never-ending quest to remain technologically ahead of current and future rivals, the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) has assembled two documents containing lists of capabilities and technologies that will enable its special operators to dominate the battlefield.

More specifically, the JSOC documents, which are titled Special Operations Forces (SOF) Capability and Technology Interest Items, have been issued to the industry, academia, and national technology labs in two versions (one classified and one unclassified). According to the JSOC release, the ultimate objective of the wishlists is “to provide industry the ability to request the 2019 JSOC Capability and Technology Interest Items list in order to help focus industry research and development decisions toward JSOC’s unique interests; to provide an overview of the planned events for 2019; and to briefly discuss various ways of industry engagement with SOCOM and JSOC.”

The unclassified version states an interest in the following categories:

1. Advanced Analytics
2. Breaching
3. Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives
4. Communications
5. Electronic Warfare
6. Explosive Ordinance Disposal
7. Fire Support
8. Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance
9. Knowledge Management
10. Mobility
11. Power and Energy
12. Situational Awareness
13. Soldier Survival
14. Target Engagement
15. Other Need Areas

According to the command, its mission is “to conduct studies; training; exercises; research, development, testing, and evaluation; and acquisition and procurement to ensure interoperability among SOF, general purpose forces, and interagency and foreign partners.” Although correct, that bureaucratic description shouldn’t confuse you about JSOC’s true character: JSOC is the national counterterrorism and emergency force. The command is composed of Delta Force, SEAL Team 6, the Intelligence Support Activity, and the 24th Special Tactics Squadron. It has been the go-to force since the early 1980s.

JSOC’s cooperation with the industry and other outside players isn’t a new concept. In his memoir, “The Mission, The Men, and Me,” Col. Pete Blaber described how in the weeks preceding the 9/11 attacks, Delta Force operators went to Silicon Valley to consult with industry experts on how to make operators more lethal and effective on the battlefield.

It is important, however, to remember that one of the five SOF Truths is: “Humans are more important than hardware.” At some point, technology will fail. That is one main reason why SOF units focus so much of their selection and assessment processes to find candidates who are adaptable and independent thinkers.

JSOC representatives will be attending both the SOF Industry Conference 2019, which will take place in May in Tampa, Florida, and the SOF Warrior Operational Requirements Discussion Symposium (SWORDS), which will be held in the fall.

About Stavros Atlamazoglou

Having completed his national service in the Greek army, serving with the 575th Marines Battalion and Army HQ, Stavros is pursuing his passion for history, international affairs, and words at the Johns Hopkins University. You will usually find him on the top of a mountain admiring the view and wondering how he got there.

Toe Poppers And MiniFrags: The Little Known Toys Of U.S. Special Forces In Vietnam

This article will speak about two vital weapons that served U.S. Special Forces during their service in the Vietnam War. They were the M-14 Anti-Personnel mine, more commonly known as the “Toe Popper,” and the V40 Mini-Fragmentation Grenade. Over the course of the conflict, these miniature terrors drew much blood against the North Vietnamese Army (NVA), and Viet Cong (VC), with the V40 even serving beyond into the Iraq War as an effective room clearer. Though both are officially gone now from active duty, they possessed a lethality that outweighed their physical appearances.

The first weapon, the M14 mine, looked like a small, thick disc that was olive drab in color, 2.2 inches in diameter and 1.5 inches in height. It contained 1 ounce of Tetryl explosive to make up its 3.5 ounce weight. This lightness came from its mostly plastic construction, and, to set it off, required a pressure of between 20 to 35 pounds.

The mine could be placed in a shallow hole, under a leaf or in the open if in a hurry. Special Forces teams often used this last tactic when breaking contact or protecting a perimeter at night.

Field manuals showed that to activate the mine a soldier would remove a base plug and screw in a detonator. After setting the mine in position, its pressure plate was rotated from Safe to Armed using a special spanner. The last step was to remove the safety clip. At this point the mine was armed.

Replica Of M14 ‘Toe Popper’ With Spanner Wrench

An unlucky N.V.A. or V.C. who happened to step on the M-14 often had half or all of his foot blown away. Due to its small explosive, death rarely occurred, instead it left the victim maimed for life. Many ended up this way because during missions, Special Forces teams sewed several of these along their egress routes and often more than once, an explosion sounded in the distance that bled and slowed their pursuers, as well as worked on them psychologically.

After the war, the Toe Popper fell out of favor, but with so many in stock, the U.S. decided to maintain a supply of over 1.5 million for use on the Korean peninsula, if necessary.

Another curious weapon carried by the Special Forces didn’t come from the U.S., rather, it came from the Netherlands. Called the V40, the design truly fit the profile of a big thing in a small package.

With an olive drab coloration, at 2.6 inches high, 1.6 inches in diameter and weighing just 4.8 ounces, the grenade gave the appearance of a modified golf ball. A safety spoon like that found on standard grenades extended along its side and when released, caused the fuse mechanism to detonate the grenade four seconds later. The fragmentation pattern came from 326 squares pressed inside the metal casing and had a 16 foot lethal radius.

Due to its small size, users often carried three, being the weight of one standard grenade, and used them to good effect against confined areas such as huts or tunnels. No one ever called it by its designation, instead referring to it as the Mini-Frag.

V40 continued being manufactured until 1984. Thousands remained in inventories worldwide, and the U.S. used them again in the Iraq War up until 2008. And now, though the V-40 is gone, the Mini-Frag concept remains desirable and the German defense company Rheinmetall continues to advertise a Mini-Frag as part of its hand grenade line.

Both the Toe Popper and Mini-Frag served the U.S. Special Forces well. There were copycats, and similar designs may be found in other Armed Forces. However, none have ever had the run of success the Toe Popper and Mini-Frag did.

With the enemies blood, they made their mark.

Article courtesy of Special Operations.com

Don’t forget the essentials when setting up your combat loadout

Whether you’re running a chest rig or a plate carrier, there are some key features or additions that are going to remain requirements no matter what. I will readily admit that not everyone has the same needs for their gear but the following serves as a good rule of thumb. Magazines, communication, medical, and all other mission specific equipment should be prioritized based on relevance or need. Organizing your rig based on this methodology will cater to efficient shooting and fighting while wearing your kit.

Magazines and their placement, for obvious reasons, is a priority to set up a rig for gun-fighting. I personally keep my magazines upfront on my center line. This enables easy access under stressful conditions, which is generally the conditions under which a combat reload is performed. The style of magazine pouch employed here is entirely user dependent and there are a million variations available. What matters is that the pouches effectively retain the individual magazine while still allowing for efficient extraction.

Medical equipment, often in the form of an IFAK (Individual First Aid Kit), is almost as important as magazine placement. That being said I prefer to keep my IFAK somewhere accessible to either hand and apply the same philosophy for my tourniquet; I keep a second tourniquet on my primary weapons stock as well. Having immediate access to your individual medical equipment is important because if a severe injuring occurs during a fight, you will be responsible for providing a solution. As a general rule, if an injury occurs during a gunfight it’s the team’s responsibility to finish the fight before rendering aid; thus preventing more casualties.

Communication is key to working with a team in an austere environment. Having a reliable radio and placing it somewhere that you can reach it is always a good idea. I use a PTT (push to talk) and a headset, while I still maintain easy access to the radio itself the placement of the PTT is far more relevant given its purpose. I always recommend employing quality comms gear that makes use of encryption, ideally, or frequency hopping, at a minimum. To drive all of this home the saying is, “Shoot, move, communicate.”

After all, this comes any other mission essential gear that is an absolute must. Mission-specific items such as grenades or miscellaneous tools that see routine use belong in this category. A water source of some kind my belong on your kit but again that is situation dependent. The big thing for determining whether or not these items belong is to ask yourself, “What is the rig for?” Some items I almost always keep on my chest rig or plate carrier are a knife of some kind (almost always a fixed blade), a multi-tool, a notepad and pen, etc. Things that I use regularly, regardless of the role I’m filling.

It’s up to you really, but keep it practical and use common sense when setting up your kit. A good way to figure out what works, if your experience is limited, is to get on Google and look at kit pictures. Whatever you see that shares a commonality with most setups despite their mission is probably a safe bet. Remember to train with your gear too. If you don’t familiarize yourself with it, you will be clumsy when trying to access stuff under stress. Lastly, don’t be the guy who needlessly fills out space on a rig with stuff you don’t use; it’s okay though, we’ve all been there.