Ranger LRRP Gear

[getoutatheway]

I have been interested in the LRRP's for years. I have found tons of information about them, and what they did in vietnam and beyond. I have been unable to find out about 1 specific subject however.

What did they carry in their rucks on a normal mission. Disregarding ammo, guns, and knives. What items, how much food, how much water,
first aid items, etc...

Any one with this knowlege I would certainly appreciate the help. THanks.

[BadMuther]

Yep, I got some knowledge on it.....go do an intro, put some info in your profileand then read all the FAQ. After you do that, then we will answer your question.

Question moved to the Personal Gear section.

[Slowpoke]

Besides the two canteens on my LBE, I carried two in my ruck. Also, in my ruck were; spare battery for the radio, orange signal panel, pen flares, signal mirror, two canteen pouches w/five 20 round mags ea. for M16, two claymores w/ clackers, two sling ropes and snap links (about 8ft. of 1/2" climbing rope and a caribeener) for tying a swiss seat, four indigenous rations (sorta like food but not really), beef jerky, first aid kit (battle field dressings, needle and thread, blood expander, forceps), pill bottle (a 1 pint sized can with a supply of penicillin, morphine, atropine, dextroamphetimine, antidiareha, aspirin, cold pills, water purification tabs, and some other shit I can't remember). This was for a normal mission (Recon, snatch, or BDA). For a Heavy Team mission, all the water and food came out and was replaced with another claymoe and another ten mags of 5.56. I think there was more shit but I can't remember what it was.

[BadMuther]

Slowpoke,

wasn't

orange signal panel, pen flares, signal mirror

Usually carried in the uniform pockets for quick access and in case you had to ditch your ruck and e&e?

[Spartan]

Check out this page if you'd like to see a standard layout for an M16/M-79 Gunner:

http://www.armyranger.com/mod.php?mod=u ... page_id=72

[Parabellum]

AAHH! WHAT THE FUCK!

[Slowpoke]

Slowpoke,

wasn't

orange signal panel, pen flares, signal mirror

Usually carried in the uniform pockets for quick access and in case you had to ditch your ruck and e&e?

We had an orange panel sewn inside our bush hats, so I left the larger one in my ruck. The only time that ruck left my back was to get something out of it, then I put it back on. I had it on during ambush, when sleeping, always. As far as ditching it to E&E, I needed everything in it (if I didn't NEED it, it wouldn't have been in there) and would never have dreamed of leaving it behind. In my pockets, I kept things I used a lot. Like cammo sticks, bug juice (we used it only to help the cammo go on better), more beef jerky, French cigarettes, a Zippo covered in green tape, notebook and pencil, a map case w/map, and a compass.

We didn't use the kind of rucks Papa Company had in the picture. We used a soft canvas thing with no frame, I think it was Vietnamese. It was bigger than the Army ruck and kind of looked like a huge kids backpack. It had padded shoulder straps, a pocket on each side that was larger than a canteen, and a really big pocket in the middle/back.It didn't make any noise when you moved, but the spare battery for the radio always found it's way to the middle of your back. It wasn't particularly comfortable but it worked really well. Once you figured it out, you could sit down and and use it for a backrest or slide down leaving the ruck sitting there, and use it for a pillow without even taking your arms out of the shoulder straps.

[BadMuther]

Gracias Ranger Slowpoke...

[Steadfast]

I basicly carried what Slowpoke carried. However there were no orange panels in my unit. I never saw one. Since our teams consisted of just 4 men and we always carried two radios PRC - 25's affectionaly called prick - 25's. Our radio communication was much better than Slowpokes. We were almost always in communication. We would have radio relay teams on high points, sometimes on a arty base or even on the mountain above us while another team went down to the draw. We carried spools of copper wire in which we made jungle antenna for better reception and sending ability. I will better describe this in another post. We all carried extra batteries, sometimes as many as 4. I always carried a block of C-4, and sometimes many more than one. Detonator caps for the C - 4. I usually ate the freeze dried foods commonly called LRRP rations. After our 9 day mission and no food for 4 days I began carrying more meals. I carried C-rations too. Several meals to say the least. 8 one qt canteens. Unlike Slowpoke I used a frame on my ruck. We just taped the frame with green tape that came in with the rations. I used this green tape extensively on my M-16 breaking it's outline. I also used the strap/sling affixed at the butt of M-16 looped over the stock and refixed around the round part just in front of the handle. This enabled me to hold my rifle in the firing position all the time. All I had to do was slip safety off with my thumb .Slung over my shoulder it gave me greater mobility and a free hand to deal with the brush and walking trail. I also carried extra ammo in bandaleers pre loaded magazines. A few extra smokes through the ruck two or 3 W.P.'s More grenades, we had the baseball type. My maschette, a armyflash light with extra batteries for that. I carried my compass in my pocket always, and a smaller one on my wrist similar to a watch. It was mainly used to keep headed on correct azmith(sp?) when on point. Two claymores. I usually wound up with the additional gadgets we had, listening devices, starlight scopes & binoculars. In the mountain in triple canopy, M-79's were useless. I carried 4 pouches for 19 round magazines each containing 4 magazines. I carried 6 baseball grenades and 1 W.P. I left the last position open and placed my canteen, canteen cup inside pouch. All my canteens were of the plastic variety. I wore no straps on my LBE. MY LBE hung on my hip bones. I had a knife on my pants belt. I carried my map in an old PRC battery plastic as did we all. We generally rolled our poncho liner inside our poucho's and hung them underneath out rucks. The frame on my ruck one time saved my life when I fell. Had I not had it I would have broke my neck. I might be missing more. It has been roughly 12,326 days since my last mission - I may have fogotten a few things. LOL. But I swear as God was my witness, my ruck felt like it weighed a thousand lbs. prolly more like 80 - 100lb When you carried a ruck for 28 missions, it became a piece of cake. It never was a burden as like Slowpoke said & I do too. Man, I need all that shit I carried. Otherwise I would have been naked carrying less and not caring enough for all the men I went into the jungle with.

[Slowpoke]

We taped the M16s, also. But we removed the slings and the sling swivels (too noisey). You can see the rifles pretty well in the Team picture I posted. I had the ammo pouches situated on my LBE so that I could rest the pistol grip of my M16 on the pouch, with the butt up under my arm pit. Unlike todays SOP, I always kept my thumb on the selector switch (on safe) and my finger on the trigger. With a little practice, you could use your rifle like an extension of your arm to move vines and limbs out of your way.

I knew there was something I was forgetting. We also carried a block of C-4 and caps. Damn brother, you've got a great memory!

[Steadfast]

I knew there was something I was forgetting. We also carried a block of C-4 and caps. Damn brother, you've got a great memory!

You too Slowpoke my experienced peeker friend. LOL

[Slowpoke]

[quote="Steadfast"]I basicly carried what Slowpoke carried. However there were no orange panels in my unit. I never saw one. quote]

The orange signal panels we carried were about 2'X3', made out of a rubberized canvas stuff, and BRIGHT orange. We also had a small one sewn inside our bush hats. We'd take our hats off and put them back on inside out when we ran for the slicks so the door gunners and gunships could identify us as friendly. The idea with the larger panels was, if we lost commo, we could lay out on an LZ in the tall grass with the panels spread out to signal the FAC plane. Thankfuly, we never had to use them.

[Steadfast]

One disclaimer I might add is that whatever went into our backpacks wasn't the same for every mission. Missions always changed and so did we. Slowpoke said I got a good memory, but it is not that good. If it were I would be able to tell you exactly what I had in my hand and where and why I was puting the item in the spot I would. What I have explained was merely a generalization.

[BadMuther]

Ranger Slowpoke, would you mind sharing what you carried on your lbe and on your person?

Ranger Steadfast, why did you never use suspenders on your LBE belt? Just didn't like them?