Military Connections?

[mortalmerlin]

Used to love it, driving round in a Foden feeling like your part of something etc., But then I woke up and saw that I was being taken for an idiot. Anyone thinking of joining up should do some serious research into the (real) history of every war in the past century.

As for the Bushcraft connection I think the military use Bushcraft skills and Bushcrafters use their kit.

 

[mick miller]

Never served, they wouldn't have me with my colour deficiencies at the time, I ended up working all over the place for a number of years in the oil patch instead, food was better, pay was better but they wouldn't give us guns. Possibly a wise move.

I use some military stuff, I have a lightweight DPM 3x3m tarp from usmcpro.com, it worked out way cheaper than a tatonka, shame it's in DPM but I can live with that (and besides I know of no way to dye it). I also wear a pair of those 'goretex' DPM dutch strides when it's tipping down, I have one of those issue bivvy bags (it seems okay, a bit heavy I guess) and an army issue poncho which I hesitate say is bulletproof (and by that I mean hard wearing not made from kevlar).

 

[firecrest]

There isnt really a voting catagory for me. closest is "think it should be distanced from the military as much as possible" but it sounds to anti-military, and Ill I mean is that to me bushcraft is living and learning, not survival and a distinguishment needs to be made so the public don't imagine bushcraft is all SAS survival

 

[Oggie]

Yes, Ex British Army and proud of it.
However, I believe the Bushcraft seed was sown long before I joined up (anyone remember Clarkes Commandos Shoes with the Fieldcraft booklet?)
Oggie.

 

[ANDYRAF]

I remember them but I had the Trackers with the animal prints on the sole.

Andy

 

[Oggie]

I remember them but I had the Trackers with the animal prints on the sole.

Andy

Hi Andy,
Great days! I had shoes that came with Fieldcraft instructions,carried a Bowie knife everywhere.Had an air rifle at age 11...No wonder I joined the Army...I was already trained!!!
Oggie.

 

[Bernie Garland]

5 years in the 3rd batt TA woofers,great times

Bernie

 

[MikeE]

Army thermals are an important part of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle costume, coupled with the issue sleeping bag. They also come in handy at christmas for dressing up as an elf!

What you too????????????

Forgot to say - 26yrs R Sigs (and a Rupert to boot!) Always managed to plough my own furrow as regards kit in the field, made sure no-one bothered my guys either (usually an SSM or RSM who didn't have the gear!) Most of my Adj's seemed OK about it too, they only bothered "in camp". Kit seems to have improved since I retired in '02 though still lagging behind the civi gear.

Polecat Paul - I may have known one of your CO's (back in the 70's when he was a one pip wonder - Chris Brown). Tried to make me go over the 'Fan on an E&E Ex when RAF mountain rescue had just advised agin it!! The snow was horizontal and froze as it hit the deck! Needless to say we rebelled, so we had to carry an "injured" colleague all the way to our camp, I was all for shooting him with our one remaining very flare (my mate not CB!)

 

[Still Waters]

12 years in the RAF

I still buy surplus kit nowadays but i tend to stay away from DPM

 

[AJB]

Specialist MoD civi and really miss it.

 

[Still Waters]

Ive just had a thought

In the Raf as a techie (avionics) we used to have a saying on the sqn of we check in we dont dig in.

Nowadays im sat on a buschcraft forum my how times change when your not forced into the outdoors but you choose to live in it

 

[AJB]

Craeg, nice rant, all good stuff and as a casualty of the early 90s “Options for Change” you get my vote!

 

[Praetorian]

I did 10 yrs in the forces.
It was my love for the great outdoors and being miles away from civilisation that inspired me to join up in the first place.
I've found bush lore skills to be invaluable at times throughout my service, be it by choice or neccessity. But can't help thinking that
bush lore has had a greater influence on the military, than the military has had on it.
Most of the military kit is ok. But some was awfull, obviously made by the lowest bidder.
You'd be surprised just how much civvie kit squaddies substitute issue kit with, or at least use in addition to.

 

[tenderfoot]

Never in, but a look through my kit reveals ive been buying ex military kit quite a lot picking up the best items available to me in surplus from a variety of armies
Examples Swedish trangia, Swedish knife. Nato kfs, US arctic waterbottle,German folding sleepmat. Dutch goretex jacket. Brit. Crusader cup system, US "bug out" bum bag (I cant bring myself to call it a "fanny pack" i work in a hospital and it sounds too gynaecological)
The civvy kit vastly outnumbers the army kit though and i agree that dressing in top to toe Dpm in the fells of the lake district causes rambling folk to sidle away and avoid eye contact.... I blame it on Rambo...
Hang on though ,I just remembered doing outdoor activities with the army youth team when i was a venture scout ( thinly disguised recruiting exercises) So maybe deep inside there is a bit of wannabe? I could still join the TA.....

 

[Mikey P]

I saw a guy in the woods a while back wearing full DPM, belt rig and chest rig and dessert boots??? I think he was he was carrying far too much weight as he looked like he was about to have a coronary!! I just thought 'Aww Bless' but each to their own I guess.

That was me!

Not really.

As to recruits, I work on a big project to do with military technical training and, like with anything, there are good people and bad people across the training colleges. In general, recruits are motivated and intelligent. I think a lot of the problem is that the older ones amongst us measure 'intelligence' against different criteria than the younger people. Many of us would be surprised at how technically competent many recruits are before they join up.

 

[robwolf]

did 2 years 102 days sir ! in the ta the first camp some corpral tried to show me how to put up a poncho until i told him id been living in the woods for weeks on end and was also a keen poacher

 

[combatbushcraft]

what about 50 or 22?

 

[BushmanBri]

Its funny you should say that, I have a mate who works at the Castlemartin ranges in Pembrokeshire, he approached the camp RSM for me with the hope of possibly using the land and the RSM basically said we had no chance of getting permission, mainly because the ranges are now managed by a civilian company.

I am ex forces ( 22 years ) and I work for that same civilian company on 1800 acres of training area in shrophire. we have a number of civilian organisations who book the training area at certain times of the year with no problem.....Only problem I have is Army personnel who should know better talking out of their hats.( didnt like to say arses on this site) What I will say is Castlemartin Ranges are what they say they are. Ranges. Used mainly as Im sure you know by armoured units live firing tanks etc. For that very reason they are probably not that suitable for civilians who could stray into danger areas, or come across misfired rounds etc.
You may also be interested to know that the booking of ranges / training areas, although administered by us are all authorised by the Army so this RSM whoever he is really is talking out of it..Looks like he's blaming us cos he aint got the necessarys to say No himself.
ps, next time i go down to castlemartin I thimk I'll look him up
Rant Over....hope this helps explain

 

[rik_uk3]

The civvy kit vastly outnumbers the army kit though and i agree that dressing in top to toe Dpm in the fells of the lake district causes rambling folk to sidle away and avoid eye contact.... I blame it on Rambo...
.

Rambo never wore camo kit

 

[Nagual]

Did a wee stint in 4RTR, based in Osnabruck starting back in 89. Played and broke tanks, did Cyprus a couple of times etc. We came back from BATUS just as the first gulf conflict was heating up and were half expecting to get off the plane somewhere warmer than Germany.. What we came back to was a decimated regiment. All bar 2 of our tanks had been stripped down for spares. Highly demoralising to say the least. While no one ( well maybe Andy A - I think, who I think actually thought Rambo was a real person and encompassed that particular philosophy.. ) wanted to actually go to war, the forces are the only occupation in the world were you can train to do a job, but yet not actually know if you are any good at it. The expectation of being able to use your skills and put the training into practice was, at least at the time a very exciting feeling. Terrifing too of course. One of our guys went AWOL at the thought. I'll not repeat here who or what he was thought of when he did that. Oddly enough I can't remember repair all those tanks when we did get the kit back.. Must have been a nightmare of a job, probably why my mind has blanked it out. Fitting all the computers, aiming systems, barrels, wheels, tracks, engines, gear boxes... oh God.. it's coming back.. lol


Nag.