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On my list it says to take a head torch and 8 locks? anyone else have that on there list?

Yeah i do mate, get a head-torch with red light aswell as normal one to use with nightvision (same with torch get a red filter). I got a list with 8 padlocks and a list with 4 so for now i got 4 but going to get some more so yeah get 8 mate. When do you start Don?

I take it by 'nightvision' you mean your human nightvision; if you're on about NVGs, you don't use red light with them! INFRA-red yes (don't go buy an infra-red torch, please), but not red - flashing that around would kinda defeat the object of wearing them! Petzl head torches are the ones to go for, most have a flip/slidey red filter. Get one of the smaller maglites for map reading, tape it out and put a small hole in so you just get a tiny circle of light (if you get one of these with the slip-on filter kit, you can tape out the slip-on bit, which means you can go from full torch to covert torch easily - you'll see what I mean if you buy one).

Locks will be for lockers in all likelihood.

Make sure you have something that will write on fabloned/plastic sheets. Decent marker for naming kit, bear in mind in training you all have exactly the same stuff, not customised to yourself, and there will be a few who will happily nick your stuff when they've lost yours. Tip-ex or white pen useful for labelling black stuff.

Bungees - you say you've got two, get more. Mainly used for bivvy erection, in which case up to six can be useful, but also come in handy for other bits and pieces - eg. holding open grot door for rounds, attaching roll mat to bergan (unless you're joining the Paras, they don't like that), putting round webbing to hold it mega tight and stop it bouncing. Around 50-70cm at a guess, rubberised hooks each end.

Would get some bivvy poles too, unless you get issued them now.

Tape - black maskers fixes lots of things.

As Jstagg said, trouser twists and lots of them, cost about £2 a pair, normally get from any surplus shop or online (NAAFI will stock) - although CS95 do have tie-ups in them.

The big supermarkets generally also have wooden coathangers

www.rvops.co.uk is a decent website, trouser twists are 0.75p a pair i got 2 pairs i think that will do for now? As for the bungees and stuff can it all be bought at the NAAFI there?

The best thing for writing on plastic/fablon is permanent marker, doesn't smudge or run in the wet. You'll need Quickies nail polish remover pads to take it off, they come in small pots that are easily carried in a pocket. A lot easier than messing about with a bottle of acetone and a bag of cotton wool!

Cheers Adam, I start on the 11th of January

Anyone know where I could get decent padlocks where one key fits all? If you know what I mean?

Bungees ...[snip]... [for] attaching roll mat to bergan (unless you're joining the Paras, they don't like that)

Interesting...what do they do instead?

Don wrote:Anyone know where I could get decent padlocks where one key fits all? If you know what I mean?

What key opens all locks, a pikey. lol get you're self a midget pikey keep him under you're pit and you'll be swish.

Go to a key/lock smith and get a key & lock made it's cheap and cheerfull.

I believe they have to pack it inside - you can't jump with stuff attatched to the outside...which is why whenever we're out all the Paras have piddly little thin rollmats which do fark all

Personally I've never jumped with a full field bergan (they just use rubber blocks in a bergan for the course, and since I've never had cause to take full kit), so couldn't tell you the ins and outs, sure Paratrooper01 or Sandy'll give you the answer from the pink textbook

Don wrote:Anyone know where I could get decent padlocks where one key fits all? If you know what I mean?

Boyes, 4 waterproof padlocks, keyed alike (same key fits all), £7.

Hyperlithe wrote:The best thing for writing on plastic/fablon is permanent marker, doesn't smudge or run in the wet. You'll need Quickies nail polish remover pads to take it off, they come in small pots that are easily carried in a pocket. A lot easier than messing about with a bottle of acetone and a bag of cotton wool!

I got them sharpie pens to write on my kit, will they be ok or are they too thin?

Don't know what it's like for you guys, but when I went through basic training we had to label most of our kit by stencilling our surname and last 3 onto masking tape or green tape and sticking that on. Guess it was so they could just peel it off and reissue your kit if you failed...
So it didn't really matter how thick your pens were!

Hyperlithe wrote:Don't know what it's like for you guys, but when I went through basic training we had to label most of our kit by stencilling our surname and last 3 onto masking tape or green tape and sticking that on. Guess it was so they could just peel it off and reissue your kit if you failed...
So it didn't really matter how thick your pens were!

Thanks for that, ill have to wait and see!

I have no idea how thick a sharpie is...

Just take your average permanent black marker fer chrissakes.