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I thought I'd post this here, as it's, well, general.....

Whats the best way to pack a bergen? I know it's a stupid question but I've tried so many differnt methods, sleeping bag on the bottom, on the top in the middle and even on the sodding outside but I've never really found a decent way of doing it.

Below is a rough list of what I take (does me for about 3 days and nights),

Sleeping bag (standard issue)
Bivi bag,
Poncho,
GoreTex jacket and trousers,
95 issue jacket and trousers (spare),
3x socks,
Food and gas cooker (fills 1 of the side pouches)

and then its just odds and sodds like KFS, cyalumes, medical kit etc

O, this doesn't include anything I have in my webbing, like mess tins and water and ammo.

Cheers

EH

That will be the lightest bergen in NATO then!

Unclip top flap, pull drawcord, open main sac, get all the shite and chuck it in. Do up top flap throw your arms through the loops and yomp like a demon.

When you join up and theres kit like radio batteries, link for the gimpy, sat nav, rounds for the section mortar, trench kit, artic kit, jerry can (piss into for the use of) base plate for an 81mm if you goto mortars and a few rounds, or a trauma kit if you go medic then you can worry about how to pack it. Add in belt kit and chest rig and you can be carrying upto over 100lbs of kit not including your IW.

Rule of thumb was heavy on top light on bottom, but it all moves around.
Sleeping bag loose and on top so when you get bumped you just fill it back into the bergen and leg it! I preferred a daysac stuffed into the top of my bergen as oppossed to side pouches, made for easier carrying and sorting of kit, and less hassle trying to zip up side pouches with a yoke when its minus 10 in the middle of a lovely dartmoor night with rain lashing down and even the sheep are yomping out.

Pack your rocket pouches as for patrol, ie, if you're going to spend extended time away from your bergen, pack comfort items like fleece, bufallo jkt etc and any essential patrol kit. Pack your bergen in order that what you need first is near the top - take your time packing so that you have a plan in your head of where it is in there, so that when its dark you can find what you need without using light, preserving your night vision. Common sense prevails though - ask your mates and pick up tips as you go along. Hope this helps.

EH, is this for cadets/TA/OTC?

If you are not an operation unit, follow doc's advice.

Most regulars pack their kit on personal preference anyway, as it is just recruits who have to have everything in a certain place.

But if you are a cadet or TA, remember the essential items...

a torch - to give your position away at night
rubbish - to leave in your harbour area when you withdraw
a loud voice - so you can shout to your mates on the other side of your harbour area
Most importantly - remember your gortex and wear it all the time, especially if it is a nice sunny day

gone

x2 socks green feet for the use of

x1 sock artic fluffy "cough cough oo er matron" for the use of!

Jobag wrote: But if you are a cadet or TA, remember the essential items...

a torch - to give your position away at night
rubbish - to leave in your harbour area when you withdraw
a loud voice - so you can shout to your mates on the other side of your harbour area
Most importantly - remember your gortex and wear it all the time, especially if it is a nice sunny day

Sad but true, sad but true. The last weekend away I went on I saw a recruit (they are allowed to come to) brewing up on stag I asked him what the fark he was doing, his reply was, “well its cold init”.


Cant wait to get out, I really cant.


lew

How much does that actually weigh hopeful ??

Looks like its gonna be around 30lbs max, I just fill mine with whatever I can get my hands on that is heavy...

beardo wrote:How much does that actually weigh hopeful ??

Looks like its gonna be around 30lbs max, I just fill mine with whatever I can get my hands on that is heavy...

why?

It normally weight between 30 and 40 pounds, so the weight's not a problem.

I'm in my final year in the cadets at the moment, and its all too true (bring loud voice for shouting to your mates etc)!

Sad but true, sad but true. The last weekend away I went on I saw a recruit (they are allowed to come to) brewing up on stag I asked him what the fark he was doing, his reply was, “well its cold init”.

All I really wanted to know is if there i a "best" way to pack it, and it doesn't sound like there is, but cheers anyway

EH

ever__hopeful wrote:It normally weight between 30 and 40 pounds, so the weight's not a problem.

I'm in my final year in the cadets at the moment, and its all too true (bring loud voice for shouting to your mates etc)!

Sad but true, sad but true. The last weekend away I went on I saw a recruit (they are allowed to come to) brewing up on stag I asked him what the fark he was doing, his reply was, “well its cold init”.

All I really wanted to know is if there i a "best" way to pack it, and it doesn't sound like there is, but cheers anyway

EH

if any of you young 'uns are yomping with 30-40lbs bergens on your back and you join the RM then you will be spending sometime in Hunter troop and later in life you will be crippled! Stop playing silly buggers now and stick to non weight carrying phys! Your hips knees and ankles will suffer if you dont!

You'll have plenty of time to load carry when your in, and you'll grow to detest it, get your body strong dont fark it up!!

I don't train with weight Doc, thats just when I'm off on exercise.
Cheers for you concern though!!

EH

Dear Hopeless, try this. Read the first line carefully


http://www.militaryforums.co.uk/cforums ... hp?t=11351

Nubnuts,

It's not that I expect it to be done for me, more that I want to know how to do it best for myself!!

Anyway, it's all pretty much been answered for me, so thats that.

Hopeless

Basics. Foof, water, waterproofs, ammunition, cooking gear.
What your immediate needs will be goes in side/back/top/lid.
Non-essentials, rarely used etc go further down.

Golden rule. You take something out, use it and then it goes straight back in again. Tidy ready to lift and shift, can't lose much if it gets nasty in the dark.

Training with weight is bad for unconditioned/trained bodies. I've seen a waif of a lad running around here with a natty green bergen and it's full.

WHY? He's not being paid to do it, he'll possibly injure himself, which is alright if he's a sado maso but daft if you end up on a hospital bed in A&E.