The 'How Did Your Airsoft Day Go? Thread

[gavinkempsell]

Why would they need to be two toned to skirmish with?

Apart from being cheaper I thought it was best till I was more experienced.

 

[Colin Allen]

I found some lightly used Itarri desert boots in my size on eBay for around the same price ... I may go for those just because they're what I was expecting to buy.

Iturri desert boots are excellent; very comfortable, very supportive and they have the superb Defender sole, which is now replacing the Vibram sole on the main British army issue boots, the Altberg Defender, as they provide better grip on hard surfaces, while being as good on softer surfaces.

However, they are definitely not in any way waterproof, even after being properly treated; even mildly long wet grass is a problem.

The Peruana jungle boots are nice, but the soles do not provide adequate grip on hard or solid surfaces; they are designed for muddy conditions where they can sink in.  However, they are somewhat iconic.

I have to admit to being a military boot geek!

 

[RostokMcSpoons]

Thanks @Colin Allen - as the new boots will do double-duty once the promised CQB site opens, dry grip is important ... I am leaning towards getting the Iturris over the Wellco's (though the price for new boots I can return easily if the sizing is wrong is very tempting)

Just for shits'n'giggles I went to Sports Direct to see what they had.  Subsequent research reveals they actually own the Karrimor brand now, and they do have some nice looking and very reasonably priced (£45-60) walking boots.  YT reviews say they won't last very long in hard use but are comfortable... they have to be an option just because I can try them on.  And the hard use will be one day every two weeks!  However, some of the online reviews are damning. Damn.

 

[Colin Allen]

Thanks @Colin Allen - as the new boots will do double-duty once the promised CQB site opens, dry grip is important ... I am leaning towards getting the Iturris over the Wellco's (though the price for new boots I can return easily if the sizing is wrong is very tempting)

Just for shits'n'giggles I went to Sports Direct to see what they had.  Subsequent research reveals they actually own the Karrimor brand now, and they do have some nice looking and very reasonably priced (£45-60) walking boots.  YT reviews say they won't last very long in hard use but are comfortable... they have to be an option just because I can try them on.  And the hard use will be one day every two weeks!  However, some of the online reviews are damning. Damn.

Yes, Sports Direct took over the civilian Karrimor brand, while another company, Karrimor SF, made some very good cold wet weather boots for the MoD; I recently sent quite a few pairs of the latter to Ukraine, where they are very popular.

The Sports Direct Karrimor walking boots are very poor; the Iturri desert boots would be better or, ideally, Iturri Cold Wet Weather boots, which are the best boots I have found in more than 40 years of wearing issue and commercial boots over various gnarly bits of the UK and beyond.  My son describes them as: 

"Incredibly comfortable and have what I am calling "the down duvet effect", despite not being too hot at all when tabbing or doing platoon attacks, I also didn't have cold feet the whole weekend, even when it started snowing."

However, you do need to go a full size up on them; for example, if you normally take a 10L, you need an 11L.

The Iturri patrol boots are very light and very comfortable but, as I wrote earlier, do not provide as much ankle support.  On reflection, I would not use them for airsoft.

 

[RostokMcSpoons]

Thanks that's incredibly useful info, I'll go look for those Cold Wet Weather boots if you recommend them so highly.  They're not too heavy are they?

My foot sizing is anoying, I'm about a 9, or 9.5 in length, but a 10.5 or 11 in width

View attachment 103664

Makes buying shoes online... Tricky

 

[Colin Allen]

Thanks that's incredibly useful info, I'll go look for those Cold Wet Weather boots if you recommend them so highly.  They're not too heavy are they?

My foot sizing is anoying, I'm about a 9, or 9.5 in length, but a 10.5 or 11 in width

View attachment 103664

Makes buying shoes online... Tricky

They are not unduly heavy, but I guess it depends on what you regard as heavy.  Given your feet, you might struggle with them as they are not the widest boots.

Karrimor SF cold wet weather boots, which you can pick up on eBay, are quite wide.

 

[Tactical Pith Helmet]

Welco Paruana are £28 new at Preppers Shop at the moment. 

 

[RostokMcSpoons]

Yeah @Tactical Pith Helmet they are ridiculously cheap for a new pair of boots, I'm watching a YT review of a guy who has bought multiple pairs because he loves them so much.  

I remain tempted to buy a pair to try them out. They are cheap and it seems they are tough (as.... old....).  

Hmmm, too many options now ?

 

[Tactical Pith Helmet]

My son destroys a pair in three years daily use with absolutely no care at all.  The leather dries out and cracks in the end.  

The German jungle boots come in a HUGE range of widths and are the Rolls Royce of jungle boots.  I use extra extra narrow 9s!   About £50.  

 

[RostokMcSpoons]

If you chaps can't tell me there's a clear winner I'll just have to stick with my Swiss army paratrooper boots that are so heavy the Earth is gravitationally attracted to them (rather than vice versa). 

I am unemployed, and therefore allegedly skint, after all ?

 

[Tactical Pith Helmet]

With your weird feet being the opposite in width to length scale to my weird feet, I'd go German in xx-wide.  

 

[Cannonfodder]

Since sports direct took over karrimor I'd avoid using their kit for anything more than a trip to the shops. They've gone from being a decent respectable brand to cheaply made tat which will fall apart if you just look at it funny.

The same goes for mountain warehouse. I picked up a pair of their boots a couple of months ago and they started to split in 2 weeks. When I took them back the woman behind the counter said she wouldn't touch any of the footwear they sell

 

[Tactical Pith Helmet]

Sierra Bravo Airsoft - Op Yarra

3-4/6/23

Ultimate Wargames Kent

Another in the Namsoft series of games, this one has a difference in that the game revolves around Australian involvement in Vietnam.   Teams were therefore Australian SAS, Australian Infantry and a pair of New Zealanders versus the usual array of VC and PAVN players.  A few civilians hung around the village too, and play an increasingly important role in the games too.

The site is a woodland site with some well-constructed buildings, and a CQB area that comprises of steel fencing dumped old crap cars etc.  The safe zone is central and splits the site in two.  The main half is very pleasant, the CQB side less so, but a good game space none the less. 

We arrived to the first shock, which was that bugger all people were there.   Our usual group of lunatics number about a dozen or so, only three of us made the trip this time.  Mrs TPH was ill, so it would have been four.  I think that this was due to the game next week at Gunman being so close.  Personally, I’ll keep the gear in the car and just charge the batteries up again. 

The teams were fifteen a side booked on, slightly less in attendance.  Friday night was a good laugh, very laid back and I ended up reading for half an hour before bed.  Mao on rural warfare was a good primer for the morning I thought.

Briefing was brief, informal and stuck to the basics.  Each rif chronoed was recorded.  Any late changes and I doubt that you’d be covered by site insurance.  Quite right to.  With regular players in attendance, only the basics needed saying.  Most players were on first name terms. 

Saturday started with a simple game setting out boxes to respawn with.  These had to be hidden well and intelligently.  We manged to set out five or so out of a minimum of eleven, avoiding the enemy all of the time.  Each had to be guarded for ten minutes after placement and this was achieved, the coordinates marked and relayed to control.  After years of playing together we're finally getting our basic act together re: comms and maps - hurrah.

Next up, we fancied some trigger time.  We set off in what we guessed was the location of the enemy only to blunder into them.  They got the drop, we ran away like schoolgirls, except myself, who manfully hid in a holly bush after a strategic retreat of thirty yards (I wasn’t awake enough to run…)  I waited to cover the retreating VC only to hear them blunder into another patrol that must have been following us!  I sat tight and the pursuing SAS team made straight along the main track in a huddle.  Ho ho ho Chi Minh…  I let rip with the RPK and sent them legging it in turn.  By this time, someone had the presence of mind to order us all back into the centre of the site out of the Australian pincer.   Final score two VC wounded for several Aus dead according to our radio. 

Next up we set up two boxes of high value in the CQB zone and waited.  And waited.  For almost an hour nothing happened.  I then decided that the only part of the site not covered must hold the other team, so I set off, collecting someone with the same vague intention as myself.  We soon bumped the Aus squad, and exchanged fire, radioing in our position.  We were told to pull out and so did, firing as we went.  The time was up for the Aus to attack and so we legged it with both boxes intact and a second leg won.

Third game was an attack on the Vietnamese village that we had to repulse.  This went well, we decided to defend a few small strong points rather than randomly defend a few.  I set up in the upstairs of the corner building along with three other players.  One covered the stairs.  After a while we heard someone enter downstairs.  They could have easily shot a sentry so our plan was a good one.  Then things got strange.  Our comrade fired a shot that followed by a blood curdling scream and a loud series of thuds.  Someone shouted ‘cease fire.’  A civilian player ran over with a chair, fearing a broken lower limb from the stair fally noises.  We looked over the banisters to see someone holding their head and shaking.  They suddenly exploded into a series of shouts that they had been badly hosed with BBs and that they were in great pain.  FFS, they’d been hit with a single BB…  With much effort we didn’t laugh but consoled the person that they had been hit with a single BB and advised that they go and lay down which they and the rest of the SAS squad did.  The ASAS reenactors are a decent bunch, but they do miss the point sometimes. 

The next minute, the police station exploded with noise as a mammoth pyro battle ensued.  I ran out of bangs and feared that I’d run out of BBs for the first time ever.  It was one intense set to, and to be honest, I was glad that I was watching the noise from another building.  One of the civvies had a blank firing MP40 and was adding to the noise and confusion with 9mm blanks.  The ‘nade throwing was pretty accurate and we out threw the Aus team in the end.  Much ear rubbing ensued.   We then all sat down and swapped fags, drank water, and did a post-mortem on the stairs incident in case any of us were dreaming.  We rebalanced sides with a couple of ‘picked volunteers.’

Next up was an attack on the main Aus base.  This was important as it was the last game of a hot and long days airsofting.  Luckily, our spawn boxes were all unfound at that end of the site, so we had little distance to run, although we still had the five minute bleed out time.  We really threw ourselves at the fort.  I set up in decent cover and really did suppress the oppo side.  A pal with a DMR set up to my left, swearing that I drew too much attention with my timed bursts.  They shot really well tbh.  I did keep a few heads down.   A few brave souls charged as we suppressed and did very well, getting into a few feet of range before engaging.  We rolled the position up after a hell of a time though.  It was really back and forth.  I was about dry when we finally took the position. 

Sunday dawned warm and clear and we started late.  The SAS team went home.  We were down to six ANZACs versus eight VC.  Three VC had to leave early so we left it at that.  This was a fall back game with the Vietnamese chasing the Aus team from the fort.  I can honestly say that this was some of my most memorable airsoft ever.  We blundered into the Aus side at first, in a repeat of Saturday.  Third game in a row that I’ve fucked up Sunday morning!  I’ll change my brand of isotonic sports scotch I think… 

Next attempt we really tightened things up.  I set up a spot to suppress from, the DMR guy held an overview at 45 degrees and we sent our rifleman in to draw fire, respawn and try again.  Third attempt we got the two groups of two as they tried to do their fall back in rushes bit.  Shot our son for the second time that weekend.  Well satisfied. 

The next fall back was an attack on two blockhouses.  This was classic airsoft too.  I sneaked around the back and got to within feet of the window before being spotted and shot.  The next attempt I took two others and we aced it.  I was the only one un-hit , and managed to slide into blockhouse one through a window.  I set up and listed as the second blockhouse put up a good fight.  I laid down fire to have it returned well passed my position.  They had not realised that the first blockhouse was in our possession.  In time my BBs found their mark.  The whole fight had taken so long that we decided to wrap up with one last scrap over the main base.   I’ll leave it there (before we got beat) to say that it was truly classic airsoft, and one of my favourite days ever. 

Why drive four plus hours and camp just to play games that are not 100% different from normal if themed?  Well…  the gameplay was excellent.  No cheat calling, no arguing (bizarre bollox on this occasion excepted), good hit taking, great atmosphere, fun social in the evening, nice food and company and a meet up with old friends.  I much prefer doing a couple or one of these games a month March to November than skirmish silliness every couple of weeks, much as I loved my last skirmish game.  I came home after little sleep and a lot of booze and exercise feeling refreshed and very mellow.  The lad agreed that this was a very good game indeed.  Mrs TPH well pissed off at missing things.  No worries as next week we will roast the lick-spittle running dogs of the comprador capitalist class all over again on a different site. 

Cheers:  just about everything.  Best airsoft games ever AFAIK.

Moans: getting a bit too loose on the loadout front.  Get yourself some proper black PJs people.  I’ve had mine for 17 years and trained kung fu in them thrice a week for twelve.  They’re in a state tbh but they do look authentic.  Likewise, leave the scrim wrapped M4 at home and borrow a gun if need be.  A non-tactical AK74 will pass, we’re not stitch counters but make an effort. 

Du ban GI!

 

[Rogerborg]

Iturri Cold Wet Weather boots

Oooh, Goretex lined too, and only £50 grade 1 used or £65 new.

 

[RostokMcSpoons]

The German jungle boots come in a HUGE range of widths and are the Rolls Royce of jungle boots.  I use extra extra narrow 9s!   About £50.  

Okey dokey, so a quick search and I find an old model of the German jungle boot,which actually looks exactly like the Wellco classic Vietnam jungle boot, but had a different sole grip layout (smaller chunks, perhaps more suited to gripping on hard surfaces?)

And there's a new model which is only slightly more expensive, looks the same, but claims to be waterproof because it doesn't have the drain holes.

Both are available in green + black which does look cooler than the all black Wellco's at the preppers shop.

So they're definitely an option.  This leaves a shortlist looking like this at the moment:

Wellco classic jungle boot £28 brand new, available in wide, slippery soles?

German jungle boot, £35 grade 1, green and black for extra style points, better soles?

Karrimor SF full leather wet weather boot, £50 grade 1

Iturri Desert boot, £35 lightly used eBay, wide fitting, not great ankle support?

Iturri Patrol boot, full leather ~£45 used on eBay

Also found some used AKU army surplus desert boots for £35 but no one has recommended those, and I've not checked reviews yet.

The chunky patrol boots might be too close in style and usage to my paratrooper boots, that might be an unnecessary doubling-up of my inventory, so I think I'm more likely to go desert or jungle.   

Desert boots might get some extra use walking to the pub ?

I think I'll make a trip to Decathlon and Go Outdoors .. if nothing else I'll try on some boots to get a feel for the most likely best size

 

[Colin Allen]

Okey dokey, so a quick search and I find an old model of the German jungle boot,which actually looks exactly like the Wellco classic Vietnam jungle boot, but had a different sole grip layout (smaller chunks, perhaps more suited to gripping on hard surfaces?)

And there's a new model which is only slightly more expensive, looks the same, but claims to be waterproof because it doesn't have the drain holes.

Both are available in green + black which does look cooler than the all black Wellco's at the preppers shop.

So they're definitely an option.  This leaves a shortlist looking like this at the moment:

Wellco classic jungle boot £28 brand new, available in wide, slippery soles?

German jungle boot, £35 grade 1, green and black for extra style points, better soles?

Karrimor SF full leather wet weather boot, £50 grade 1

Iturri Desert boot, £35 lightly used eBay, wide fitting, not great ankle support?

Iturri Patrol boot, full leather ~£45 used on eBay

Also found some used AKU army surplus desert boots for £35 but no one has recommended those, and I've not checked reviews yet.

The chunky patrol boots might be too close in style and usage to my paratrooper boots, that might be an unnecessary doubling-up of my inventory, so I think I'm more likely to go desert or jungle.   

Desert boots might get some extra use walking to the pub ?

I think I'll make a trip to Decathlon and Go Outdoors .. if nothing else I'll try on some boots to get a feel for the most likely best size

The ankle support on the Iturri desert boots is good; they are great boots as long as you keep them away from anything that vaguely resembles water.

I would not use the issue AKU Pilgrim for anything more than everyday around town use; they are very comfortable and reasonably supportive but are not particularly well made.  They are also not very waterproof and are quite narrow.  They are very popular in my eldest son’s reserve unit because they do not need polishing for parade.

Just to throw another option into your considerations, the Meindl black Bundeswehr boots are excellent; really good soles, goretex lined, comfortable, supportive, light and quite wide. 

 

[Impulse]

Good write up of a weekend of Namsoft here

Another game that we didn't know about, but I don't think we could do two full weekends in a row (because money) and the Gunman ones take priority for us. 15 a side sounds like a blast though and glad that it was a great weekend. Here's hoping this coming weekend is good as well

(even if I feel a little called out by your moan about loadouts ?)

 

[RostokMcSpoons]

Went t'shops - Cotswolds/Trek (high-end), Decathlon (rubbish), GO Outdoors (sale) - tried on some boots...

Cotswolds had 

Lowa Renegade GTX.    Blimey that's a nice pair of boots, you can feel the quality oozing out of them  (Like the River Ouse, but with fewer discarded condoms, and less effluent).   And so they should be, for the Kingly (rather than Princely) sum of £215.  Lovely though, very comfortable even in a slightly too narrow size.  I am very impressed.

Salomon Mens Quest 4 GTX.   Blimey that's a light pair of boots, you can really feel the weight not being there.   Like a helium balloon weighed down with only a small number of miniature lead ingots.  Honestly. 655g for a full-height walking boot is silly when my paratrooper boots have a pair of black holes in orbit around them.   They also look very 'Special Forces' with a nice green / carbon-fibre grey effect.  £170 on special offer there, but I think they can be had for £120 on t'internet.   If I was feeling super-flush they'd be bought by now.

View attachment 109267
 

Decathlon had 20 minutes of my time which I'll never get back.  Let us not speak of them.   Oh alright, if you insist.   A lot of own-brand mid-height walking boots that didn't look like they'd survive for long even if I was walking up and down my carpeted staircase (though to be fair, the barbed wire does tend to catch on things a little, and the acid can be problematic).

GO Outdoors in MK are closing down for a refit, so there's 30% off at the moment, but they're actively packing away the boots right now, so there was not much to see on display.  I worked my way through stacks of boxes.   I saw some Peter Storm boots (which I suspect won't be amazing in practice, but looked alright-ish), and some other cheapo brand which also came in a 'safety boots' version.  Nah.

They did have their own brand OEX Crusade WP Mid-height boots.  They looked like really good quality.  I tried them on, they fitted very well (size 10 standard width), felt very supportive around the ankle too.   They're £120 on the net, but usually ~£150 in-store.  There was no price, and no kindly shop assistant to ask, so I left without getting a 'best price'... they're more than I want to spend, so no problem.

So I circle back to my shortlist... but I'm going to be scanning eBay to see if I can get a cheap pair of Lowa or Salomon boots too! 

 

[Guest]

Lowa Renegade GTX.    Blimey that's a nice pair of boots, you can feel the quality oozing out of them  (Like the River Ouse, but with fewer discarded condoms, and less effluent).   And so they should be, for the Kingly (rather than Princely) sum of £215.  Lovely though, very comfortable even in a slightly too narrow size.  I am very impressed.

The only boots I wear, they last me two years, one for everyday use (literally everyday) and then one year relegated to farm use in mud, horse piss and shit. Best boots I’ve ever owned.

I’ve JUST bought pair from here, £140

https://www.outdoorclothing.co.uk/footwear-c119/mens-c121/walking-boots-c126/lowa-mens-renegade-gtx-mid-walking-boots-p3360

They also come in wide fitting.

I’m currently in possession of three pairs, one that I’m about to throw out as the Goretex lining has failed after two years, one new, and one just relegated to the farm.

I tend to go one size larger than I usually take as well.

 

[RostokMcSpoons]

@rocketdogbert  does the horse piss and shit come with the boots, or do I have to pay extra for that? 

Well that's quite a recommendation.   And a very good price, compared to the sticker shock in the shop.

However, we both know what happens when you recommend something to me matey....

:Goes off to search Alibaba for a cheap knock-off for a quarter of the price:



In all seriousness, I am tempted.  Given the intermittent use they'll get, they'll last me a lifetime and they'll look good when I wear them to the pub