The Waco Kid

But keeping it simple there are some options for ground insulation or protection and some reasons to choose a specific one. Sleeping pads often have their insulation valve noted as an R rating. Higher number the better with 5+ being more gear to winter use. Manufacturers have been know to be a bit “optimistic” on this, as with sleeping bags. A) Bundeswher ground sheet. Folds up and is lightweight. Moisture barrier only. Pros: low cost, not heavy and keeps you off a wet surface. Simple set up. Cons: Ground sheets can end up being a bucket channeling water onto you if sited wrongly, provides no insulation. B) Thick wide military type roll mat. Pros: Cheap, light, easy set up, pretty good insulation and very robust. Cons: Can’t be compressed for carriage so it will be on the outside of your kit. C) Military “self inflating” insulated sleeping pad. In this case a Multimat brand 38 (38mm thick winter pad). Pros: Compressible, usually* very warm, can be better for side sleepers. Cons: Some set up required, potential for puncturing, packing down is a bit more involved than a simple mat. Cost is a bit higher some very expensive options £££’s out there. *There are inflatable/self inflating pads that have very little internal insulation. You then end up with a cold pocket of air underneath you, this can be useful before very hot weather however. D) Sportsman’s type blanket, foil lined tarp. Similar to ground sheet. Pros: Compact, not especially heavy, minimal set up as a ground sheet. Cons: Moisture barrier only unless something else is used to create and air gap for reflector side to work. E) Bundeswher type military sleeping pad. Pros: Cheap, light, folds up to fit in a (large) pack, robust. Cons: Not especially thick so more useful for warmer weather.

Personally my choice for camping, if there is somewhere to hang them, is a hammock with an under quilt. I have the DD expedition with built in mosi-net. 😉 I had a hammock instead of a bed for years and sleep better in them.

Additional things to carry if you are going to sleep/layup outside because you are not Les Stroud. 1) Insulation from the ground 2) Something to trap body heat 3) Means to keep dry

Thinking of actually sleeping in the game field? Taking part in an extended event where you need to be away from the safe zone for a day or two? Missed out on DofE and now feeling sad? Go and buy a military bergen! No! Hold on before you pull the trigger. 😉 Don’t get me wrong I have plenty of military packs…. By hauling a fully loaded out one for a game is not enjoyable. If we go from the previous basic set up you do not need much more to stay out for a night or two. Few game sites will be big enough that returning to the safe zone is out of the question. So carrying lots of consumables probably is not required. Mil/Battle sim events often cap ammo anyway so you may as well get food & water at the same time.

Esstac kiwi’s tall or mid rise. Excellent retention. If you are using bungied pouches, especially with heavier mags, the bungie needs to be tight enough that you have to positively pull it to get the mag out. If you are staying with the original pouches you can increase the friction by adding grip tape to the mag.

This is the way. Unfortunately I usually have to go at lunchtime. I have been told Saturday skirmishes are a different crowd and smaller numbers. Might be worth a look.

Paint supplied by Peckham Independent Traders.

And to think where Vanessa Feltz’s career went after this.

Best too eat them upside down so the texture is on your tongue. If the nut inside is not enough for you.

It is with great sadness I have to announce the death of West Yorkshire’s former Chief Olympic hide and seek coach. Matthew Donovan was forced to retire from the role several years ago after a training exercise involving the teams rising star went seriously wrong, leading to his imprisonment for kidnapping. In recent times he had made something of a comeback in the “Vampire Dairys”. A story of pioneering work done raising the worlds first meat eating cattle. He was always in the shadow of his more illustrious brother Mike “big V” Donovan who led the successful resistance against the space Lizard invasion. RIP Dickhead.

Anyone know if they stick him in one of these: Or this:

Example shelter system carrier based on USGI kit. MOLLE II waist pack (canteen for scale). This is about 7L can be attached to a pack or vest. It also has a built in waist strap so can be used with a chest rig as a quick add on or ditched, shoulder slung etc. Contents are: Boot liners; spare socks; boo-boo kit (yellow) including painkillers; hand sanitizer; tissues; ferro rod; sewing kit; BCB fire dragon stove; single ration meal & extra drinks; paracord; foot powder; poncho and pegs; folded cut off bit of kip mat. The kip mat is quite thick. Thinner dedicated sit mats can be had that save space. In service the poncho and accessories was often rolled and lashed to the outside of the butt pack. This gives enough space to inside to add more food, a thermal top etc. Alternative MOLLE waist pack compared to a single PLCE Bergen side pocket (about 10L). These can attached to a yoke or webbing harness.

But those are genuine MARSOC white cable ties. Serialised. Just like the ones on the council bins. 😉

Carrying it on the man (or women). In summary we’ve now got a small brew kit, possibly a small hygiene/first aid pack, bit of ground insulation and a tarp or poncho. Example brew kit based on USGI canteen. Canteen carrier: This is a three row by three to four column molle foot print. A large utility or Admin pouch would serve as well. The size will work on a midsize chest rig. It is geared more to belt kit the rear of a vest. Contents are: in main pouch USGI or Nalgene canteen; USGI metal mug, stove stand, mug lid. Foil windscreen; foil “cup” to hold burning fuel tab; coffee filter paper (water pre filter ) folded up behind pouch lid. Side pockets have lighter; puritabs; drink powder; lighter; folding spork; tiny alcohol burner; duct tape. Not shown but will also fit: fuel tabs/esbit; matches. This is a very compact system. Open top pouch is easy to access the bottle but crap will get in the mug. Can run on fuel tabs plus alcohol or sticks at a push. Pretty much unbreakable. Never going to be as fast as gas, let alone a jetboil however.

Personal admin/Hygiene Going for 48 hours without washing will "probably" not kill you. I mean Jaykay from Jamiroqui last washed in 1983 and is fine. There are however a few things that are useful: Insect repellent. In the warmer (game season) months most sites will have flying bugs. If you are out at night or lying up you can end up being a magnet for creepie crawlies. There are various strengths and products designed to treat clothing and mosquito nets as well as put directly on your skin. DEET is a common ingredient but deet free versions exist for those who don't like it. In the UK the main problem are tick which carry various unpleasant diseases. In addition to repellant you can get tick removal tweezers, but not best used mid-game.... Remember to blouse those combat trousers! "Hygine kit" If you are planning on being on the game field for more than a day a small ziploc bag containing, wet wipes, tissues, rubbish, hand gel and a chewable toothbrush will cover a lot. Add a small booboo pouch of plasters and blister pads and it can easily be wedged in the back of a hydration pouch or pocket. Lip balm and sun block (if needed) are better kept in a chest pocket or similar. At the FOB: Some sites are blessed with actual toilets, maybe even a shower bock. For most it's a portaloo who's previous user was Big Dave who staggered in after a bender last night and has just emptied out three king size doner kebabs. This is why it's good to have toilet roll, hand sanitizer and a gas mask at base camp. 🤢 If you are at an event with no facilities at all building your own "log cabin" in the game field isn't really the done thing. There are simple portable sets ups that use a small pop up tent, Bucket with seat and a bag of absorbent material. The same tent can generally be used to hang up a solar shower. Ideally these should be filled with mains/potable water as water from a stream will still carry bacteria. These will breed like crazy in the shower given a few days of warmth. If you are going to the point of having an actual wash kit then a lot of travel soap or trek wash is designed to be used with little or no additional water. Which saves a bit of lugging stuff about. Military products like foot (the groin) powder are fungicides meant for longer deployments so also not necessary for a weekend in most cases.

They’ll get to it once they’ve run out of people to pursue for TV license money. Far easier to bully people on that at the moment.

Don’t listen to them! Start with a one way radio and work up to it. 😋

Just stick to playing in the land of cuckoo clocks and chocolate! Or the other team has these armbands. Not sure why these feature a symbol? A bad workman blames his tools. But that’s no way to talk about your colleagues.

* 6) So what the fuck is a soft shackle? I am glad you asked…. 😉 A bunch of different lengths. A better explanation than mine from Blackie Thomas: I am Commander Shepard and that is my favourite soft shackle on the Citadel.

5) Finish off by tightening up all the prussiks and guys. If it’s going to rain add in the stick, plus half tennis ball, this needs to be quite a snug fit. Basha poles (I don’t have any) will allow you to get more tension or even rig a free standing tarp. You may need more pegs though. The four eyelets on the above tarp are not ideal for getting a good pitch. Six points, or more, is lot better. And only one knot tied in situ.

3) Guylines. No not that sort. Maybe later. Pre-made guyline with all knots tied. I cheat and use line locks. Shhh it’s a secret. I have a couple of longer guy lined incase I want to tie around a tree or rock. And a couple not to long (1m). I have not tied the stakes on as I have a variety of pegs and also use the guys to tie to other objects. In which case the loop end goes around the tree or post and the line lock end gets attached to the tarp with a soft shackle.

Da’ Boyz Supa Dakka Ridgeline: Brainboyz has already done most of da knots. It is red coz dat goes fasta. 1) Loop on end for tree. Sum PRUSSIKs wiv SOFT SHACKLEs(eh?). A bunch more string. Loop end goes around tree. Put rest of string through loop and slide prussiks along. Pull loop snug as you skip merrily to the next tree. Put the string around the tree and pull tight. Paracord stretches a fair bit. Tie a supa-boa-weeble-hitch like what I had just invented. See above. NB: If you can’t tie knots, tie lots. 2) Attach the tarp, basha, cloak of infinite smells etc to the Prussks on the ridgeline. If you are a talentless hack use mini carabiners. If you am da bestest use soft shackles*. See after class. Pull the prussiks tight.

Tarp accessories: • Brew on the go • A pre-tied separate ridgeline* • Pegs • Duct tape (to fix stuff) • #36 bankline • 550 cord • Mini carabiner (to join stuff) • A stick • Pre-tied guy lines* • Cable ties (to fox stuff) • Soft shackles* (replace carabiners) • A bit of kip mat to sit of kneel on * These will be explained but the means of excessive exposition below. Sir not appearing in this film: • Tenacious tape (tm). I am not sure if Jack Black gets a cut but very good for nearly permanent field repairs. • Tent/seam sealant. If you patch or sew extra loops (flat tape works best) on a tarp paint sealant 50/50 mix with water on the stitches. Diluted it is much neater. • Half a tennis ball. Goes on the end of the stick to protect the tarp you wedge it under. Mine is holding my tarpstar up at the moment. These might work at a push: • Pebble. Got no tie out on your tarp? Take smooth pebble, twist fabric around it and secure with cord to make tie off. • No tie off? If it’s a PVC tarp make a loop from duct tape or tape gutted paracord as a loop to it. If you do a neat job it will last a while.