You and Billy Bob Yankee Doodle are class acts, great to see two top contributers collaborating and bigging each other up not putting each other down! I live in Pilgrims and our windproof smocks are head and shoulders over any other issued kit across the globe! Well done lads, carry on!!! 🏴🇬🇧🇺🇸
Through an ad in Soldier of Fortune magazine I bought a SAS windproof Smock around 1980/81. So much different than our field jacket. It still gives my Fjallraven No1 smock a run for its money.I can use the SAS smock in warmer weather than the Fjallraven.
Lol 😂. Very entertaining and educational! Thank you from California USA! Don’t tell the other guy but I fancy UK kit over US kit. Just got my mtp basha in the mail… goes great with my mtp Bergen and windproof smock.👍🏽 🇺🇸
Did basic training in '81 and US boots were almost the same as you Brits. I didn't know if I had any sensation in my feet until our first weekend pass and I had footgear off for 24 hours. Love the lightweight modern boots, but take warning: had a pair of high-end goretex lined boots and one day on a winter hike I noticed a draft develop in one of the heels. Got home and looked and the rubber on the heel was coming apart and these were only about 5 years old, not abused or even worn all the time. I'm all about high-end stitched down soles after that and especially when surplus Danners are going for 80 bucks a pair. Cheers and glad you got all the tabasco you needed.
Love the humor! Some cool kit You all have there. Thank you for your service. The jungle pants and windproof top will be something I'll seek out. Great work together. Thanks.
Great kit. Have watched a few of your videos, but finally subscribed. Tried to trade for one of those windproof smocks while attached to 4 brigade, 1 Armour Division during Operation Granby/Desert Storm, but nobody wanted to trade, one guy did trade an old faded one for a Night Desert Camo Smock and a case of MREs. Glad you finally got the Tabasco Sauce in your rations, I remember the Compo Rations we got issued while with you Brits, was really glad when we got our own resupply of MREs.
I'm a patriotic yank veteran, but I'm real... most British kit is superior. That's why I'm aquiring as much as is possible. If I had to pick the best of it, it's the BCB folding fire dragon stove, and the Crusader canteen cup stove system & short back Bergen.
I served in the 2nd Ranger bn back in the 80"s... we had joint operations with you brits. We were amazed at your meals... made the MREs look like . Love you video. New sub!
@@PreparedPathfinder As a cadet we were issued one man one day rations Mutton curry granules, Rice, sardines in oil, processed cheese, Biscuits service, Biscuits sweet, sugar , tea, coffee, non dairy whitener, sometimes milk powder, margarine in tube, salt, boiled sweets, Mars bar, vitamin pill, apparently from SAS (V) surplus and about 20 years old lol, We added curry powder, oxos, cayenne pepper, black pepper, paprika, onion flakes, tomato sauce, brown sauce suited to taste and anything to improve the flavour. The Mutton curry granules could be eaten as a crunch uncooked when no cooking allowed, not too bad actually, a bit like eating a Vesta curry dry. Thank goodness for the later 24 hour packs and the derivatives since then. I purchased a box of C rations once 12 varieties, and loved the American cakes and desserts, some very interesting combinations of main meals, biscuits, chocolate discs, B1 B2 B3 units, fruits, but very heavy and all with cigarettes. Lord knows how old it was but it was very interesting and edible. Pound cake, Pecan nut cake, pineapple jam mmmm. Not all yank rations are bad , i have to say that because i have American Anglo cousins in Ohio. Lol.
It's funny you mention the smock and the aku boots cause a old friend of mine who's a mountaineer uses aku as a civilian, I did research, winced at the price tag but did some research and saw you guys get them issued. Knowing most military always swap their issued gear I found a used pair (litterally was just dirty on the outside) shipped from Brittain for under 100$. Liked how they felt and did more research, saw the mtp smock, bought that too. Just did a field exercise in the pouring rain and wore both, dry as a bone besides around my wrists and my hands. Definitely going to look and see if there's rain bottoms that get issued and I'll have a solid kit.
Jungle trousers and windproof smock an unbeatable combination. Never bettered. Good boots were a game changer. I can't think of anything that I would add to or take from your list.
Canadian civilian here…I use a British Bergen for canoeing in the backcountry and it is simply awesome!!! I also have a couple of British Smocks and can attest how very useful they are in the woods!
awesome man, It was a privilege for me to work with brits and saved a few asses in Operation Herrick under LT Col. Richard WESTLEY. I would put Potassium permanganate on the list also because Americans have no idea about that stuff 😎😎
I still think that the most important piece of kit for the British Servicemen is the Lofty Wiseman SAS survival manual. The most comprehensive book of its kind.
The melt VS burn guidance is there for a reason. If your clothing burns it means you can pour water on it/take it off/jump in a lake etc and the burn damage to your skin stops. If your clothing melts it will melt into you skin, you won't be able to take it off without ripping big chunks of flesh with it. Even if you pour water on it the melting plastic will bead up and penetrate through your skin causing very serious burn injuries instead of "sunbathing in Spain" injuries.
⭐️ Good stuff. love that air support Bergen. ...and you Brits do go on about the “Brew Kit” (which is good because it always reminds me to have it on a prep list.) 🇺🇸🌟🇬🇧!
I enjoyed that, especially the grannies settee bit. When I was infantry in the late 1980s we wasn't allowed this kit, it was issued and nothing else. When I transferred to a Corp in 1990 I was used to the issue kit but didn't need the nice gear in that job. These days I'm used to the tidy gear and nothing else, it's my fault but I'm a bit spoilt now and why not. 👍
Found you from Stoker. Some of my favorite bits of kit have to include the Granite Gear Chief pack (which I'd put up against any pack I've ever seen), Litefighter 1 tent and Carinthia Def4/Tropen/liner sleep system. Those are some of the best money I've ever spent, theres a bunch of others but they either aren't issued or don't have an issued equivalent. And Tabasco should've been included from jump in everything lol
LOL years ago I sewn on buttons in my Windproof Smock just to put in the US M65 liner aaaand / or Dutch Gore liner. Oh well... its a hybrid now. Great show btw!
I've also got a PCS Thermal, the smock in my case and the Basha, both are very nice pieces of Kit. I'm yet to really test them but they're widely recommend and my first impressions are great too, so i'm looking forward to give 'em a good use.
Agree with them all especially the tropical kit, but also liked the bivi bag, JHW ( yep sad) the softie jacket and the 90 ptn sleeping bag ( never had a bad nights sleep with that one)
The jump smock and windproof smock in DPM are probably the coolest pieces of kit issued. But tell me, how do you cram 100 lbs of tea and crumpets in that Bergen? 😀🇺🇲
Windproof smock, 44 pattern metal mug and softie jacket were my top bits of aquired kit back in the day. For footwear- Danner boots were my preferred option over the dreadful combat high’s we had at that point. I moved to Altberg’s later on. I always wondered why the Yanks never went for a belt kit in the way we did. I did a few exercises with them and they never seemed to have anything between a skeleton belt order or full on marching order with “ruck”. We got several of them saying our belt kit + Munro (or similar) seemed to work well for patrolling etc..!! Yup, we know, that’s why we do it..!!! 😂🤣😂🤣
Good vid good energy.👌🏻you should do a vid on the most websters bits of kit… e.g. hi tec magnums. Or those lace in zips people used to put on their issue boots etc. using a rocket pouche as a daysack etc. or wearing a norgy under a 95 shirt etc.
I joined the British infantry in 1990. The only issued kit that I wore were the socks! I had my own boots, junglies and windproofs, Helly Hansen baselayer and fleece, norgy, GoreTex waterproofs, Arktis chest rig, Berghaus Vulcan bergan.. everything. Apart from the socks - which were pretty good. The issued alternative was a GS cotton shirt, a wooley pulley, 85 pattern jacket, PVC waterproofs and a Chinese fighting suit. Shite! I'm glad that things have improved.
Anymore digs and you'd need a shovel as No11 lol 🤘 At the outset I was going to settle it by saying who buys more of whose kit on the surplus market, that'd be an indicator I reckon.
What a blast. My first issue of Tabasco was on exchange in the USA. Tea beats Coffee. Tick. My GUCCI British useful kit list: Softie Jacket or Buffalo Fibre Pile Jacket. Tick. Metal Mug, and we have the better Mess Tin. Tick. Smock: Brit ones are done better. SAS or Arctic Windproof are the biz. Tick. Trousers: Jungles were great, though Arctic windproofs were ally enough. Since Combat 95 Brit uniform has been improving and now all pretty useful. Tick. (1970's DPM was the best.) Basha and Bivi Bag do work anywhere. Tick. A fully loaded Fighting Belt Order is the way for infantry to work better. Tick. Bergen, yes, ever since the Berghaus Crusader II came out have been better over anything USA. Tick. Boots have taken a while. Matterhorn and Danner US were great in a Wide fitting. AKU Italian are the modern issue and good boots at last. TICK. A Full English Breakfast beat pancakes. Tick. I'm just pleased we have such good friends over the pond.
Nice to see some love for the old jungle trousers (the jacket/shirt wasn't half bad either (at least compared to the issue hair shirt). Para smock and windproof - yeh!
I got out in 1986 and all the kit was shite when i served. I tell a lie, the socks were half good. lol - I get jealous of the kit you get issued with now. Great Vid yet again.
Always thought the para smock looked and felt like a great piece of kit but being a green jacket there was no chance I would of worn one lol , remember one of the lads rocking up wearing one and getting destroyed for it 😂, , great vid as per mate 👍, ,
I'm a USA vet but I have most of your items. Best are: Basha but with poles to make it into an Alpha Tent or a Holden Tent. Bivy bag except there is no zipper and I'm old now. Lighter than ours but ours has a zip. Windproof Smock (not SAS) both desert DPM and Green. DDPM and DPM goretex jacket and trousers.....the Desert one is lightweight and my fave. Respirator (gas mask) bag is a handy field pack.
I thought you might struggle on 10 items of British kit, thankfully TABASCO is issue so you could drop the 80s wool shirt from your list (-: Still have a 1990 windproof smock, it's looking a little sorry and retained more like an old friend these days, but it would work in a pinch. Loved the banter on the video and the UCP/ACU granny's sofa did make me laugh. Metal mugs yes, I remember mine arrived by mail order and pure joy of a brew uder a basha in pouring rain in Germany. Great reminder of happy times many years ago for me, thank you, looking forward to more soon.
I use a crusader kit which has the metal mug, plastic mug and base for gel tablets, took plastic bottle out its shite, fill void with small gas canister and burner also take gel tablets, never without a brew, heavier than most stuff but bullet proof.
Britain 1 America 0 Great vid. Can’t beat the British Kit. (Although I think the Falkland issue uniform was a bit of a let down. Got wet, stayed wet, quickly produced for a war that should have never happened, as an old Colonel told me once). I think the DPM is far superior than the MTP, personally, although the MTP does ‘disappear’ at longer ranges better, on places like Dartmoor. I’ve never served in the Army, but have always ‘lived’ outdoors, from an early age, if you like.(Cubs, Scouts, Wild Camping). You guys will always have my upmost respect, for looking after our country. But you are totally correct in saying that the brew kit and tea are the most essential pieces of kit out in the field. All the best, and thank you.👍🏾🇬🇧❤️
Thanks mate. Ref MTP/DPM, MTP works great in arid areas, which is where we’ve done the majority of our recent fighting. DPM works better in the UK, but the aim is always to fight away from home if possible! The uniform used for the Falklands wasn’t produced for that conflict, if that’s what you meant. The standard issue uniform wasn’t great, but a lot of the guys were issued windproof smocks and trousers, which were pretty good to be fair.
I want one of those Bashas. It's a brilliant design. Metal mug- advantage USA. ONLY Because we were working out the details on it and we were late for that Germany holiday in France back in the 30s. I've always been a fan of the brush stroke camouflage pattern. But when I find it in surplus it's too small or too used up to justify the price.
Shout-out here for the humble wool headover! Not as popular during this century based on the assumption of operating in stupidly hot places but in European winters it's still a good piece of kit even though the recent version is not a patch on the 1980s one (which I am still using for winter mountaineering!). Agreed on early BCH but later ones nowhere near as bad if you had the right fit and used a decent insole. Never used the AKUs but still have two pairs of issue Altbergs which are the dog's bollox!
@@PreparedPathfinder I had one pulled off my head by a psychotic WO2 when I wore it while two of us had been shoveling rocksalt from the back of a truck out onto a frozen depot when it was so cold that the grit spreader wouldn't work. Effin lunatic. (Every Sergeants' Mess in the 1980s really needed its own team of psychiatric nurses.)
Hi, I attend a coffee morning in the late afternoons on a Monday with a bunch of guys and last week I highly recommend your channel as a great source of information. There is now a good chance that I'm going to be in a whole world of S#!+ tomorrow afternoon.... O well never mind A 👍
AS a U.S. Marine ( 1964-68, Viet Nam 1966-67 ) I enjoyed your video and humor. You should have seen our 782 gear (kit) except for mag pouches, we were using the same gear as in 1943. The U.S. Army had better gear.
Bloody hell! We started with a green lightweight blanket ( a starred item - court of enquiry if you lost it) and a rubberised poncho that ripped if you caught it on anything. Old WW2 camouflaged style smocks that were so cold that you wore your windproof underneath and WW2 issue thin woollen jumpers under that. O G jungle trousers that fastened with overlapping straps and cardboard DMS boots and puttees short. Bergens were thick canvas from 1944 and you only got one if you were a specialist of some sort. Everyone else got 44 pattern small packs and a mixture of 44 and 58 pattern webbing. Even so the hats looked at our kit with awe and envy. 348
@@PreparedPathfinder better than nothing mate. They were a ‘starred item’ which meant a court of enquiry if you lost it. A big deal in those days. You wrapped it in your rubberised poncho (ripped very easily) and carried it in the poncho roll. Not everyone got a Bergen in those days, most got a 44 pattern rubbish small pack that would shrink when wet. If you had one of those and had to wear kidney pouches as well then you strapped the poncho roll above the kidney pouches by hooking the central hooks to the yoke digging tool loops and the side straps to the yoke front strap securing loops on the ammo pouches thus holding the whole thing secure. If you got a Bergen you strapped the poncho roll to the front of that. Not inside because if you got a Bergen it was because you were expected to carry radio or batteries, or mortar bombs or Charlie G rounds or gimpy link, et al.plus of course your own kit! You got a store then? Like a shop?
I’ve been following Stoker for a number of years now. A great channel. 👍🏼👍🏼 It’s been a while since I laughed so much at a video 😂. My friend, next time you’re in the states, you might consider getting someone like me to shadow you in case some pog with a bad sense of humor recognizes you from this video, lol. All kidding aside, you make some great points. I’ve used my basha for about 25 years now. Still carry a poncho and a liner (I never heard it called a woobie, sometimes it was referred to as a’sleeping bitch’. You know, something to snuggle up with.) And when you showed ‘granny’s couch’ I spit my drink out all over the dog (too funny because it’s true). I still have my field jacket. It stays in the cold weather bag. Maybe some day it will get cold here in south Texas and I can wear it again. I gotta say, yeah, I love me an A.L.I.C.E. Pack. I was in the Corps just after the Vietnam conflict was over (1977-1983) And we used a lot of gear from that era. It all served me well then, and still serves me today. Most of the guys in my unit had nice leather holsters for their large bottles of Tabasco. It’s been a tradition as long as I can remember. Great video. Will have to watch Stoker’s version now. 🇺🇸👍🏼👍🏼🇬🇧
Back in the late seventies the Yanks would go mad for our combats because they didn't have camouflaged kit and they also loved our compo except for baby's heads.
Hands down, you win. You can actually do loads of stuff with your kit choice, surprised that he didn't add the yank bivvy bag, all Stokie would have you carry is an Alice pack with some crappy metal in it.
I mind being ordered NOT to wear my AKUs on ops and had the choice of heavy AF Lowas or HiTec combat slippers. Lot's of people forked out decent beers money for desert Altbergs which seemed to only last 4 months or so. I've still got my AKUs. Not long after they started issuing the brown AKUs and Altbergs.
Very amazing video well done and keep up the great work and you can't beat the dpm basha and gore tex bivvy bag I use the british army basha and British army gore tex bivvy bag for wild camping and 95 pattern is the best and thank you so much for your service brother in arm's
Loved my poncho liner... we didn't call them "woobie" back then... damn millennials. Also loved my DEMO knife... and my DEMO computing tape measure. Still have the tape measure on my desk (the demo knife lives in my tackle box)... reminds me of the good ol' "blowin' shit up" days!
“After you finish smashing the enemy you sit on there trench and have a cup of tea” ahahaha love this guy
Tell that to the paras in Market Garden
Please don't get into a silly tit for tat slapfight. Otherwise somebody might mention Vietnam. 😂
@@peterclarke7240 😂😂
@@peterclarke7240 Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia.......
@@mikebox The Paras saved the Americans ass in the Battle of the Bulge, the true story not the censored version or the Hollywood version.
You and Billy Bob Yankee Doodle are class acts, great to see two top contributers collaborating and bigging each other up not putting each other down! I live in Pilgrims and our windproof smocks are head and shoulders over any other issued kit across the globe! Well done lads, carry on!!! 🏴🇬🇧🇺🇸
Cheers mate!
“A little bit of a kit pest”
Understatement of the century! 😂
Moiii? Outrageous! 😂
Through an ad in Soldier of Fortune magazine I bought a SAS windproof Smock around 1980/81. So much different than our field jacket. It still gives my Fjallraven No1 smock a run for its money.I can use the SAS smock in warmer weather than the Fjallraven.
Can you still read the label? HE Textiles were the best. Cookson & Clegg also.
@@vic6820 Survival AIDS Ltd
@@robertdowns8182 They were good as well 👍
Outstanding!
Cheers mate!
Lol 😂. Very entertaining and educational! Thank you from California USA! Don’t tell the other guy but I fancy UK kit over US kit. Just got my mtp basha in the mail… goes great with my mtp Bergen and windproof smock.👍🏽 🇺🇸
Cheers mate!
Did basic training in '81 and US boots were almost the same as you Brits. I didn't know if I had any sensation in my feet until our first weekend pass and I had footgear off for 24 hours.
Love the lightweight modern boots, but take warning: had a pair of high-end goretex lined boots and one day on a winter hike I noticed a draft develop in one of the heels. Got home and looked and the rubber on the heel was coming apart and these were only about 5 years old, not abused or even worn all the time.
I'm all about high-end stitched down soles after that and especially when surplus Danners are going for 80 bucks a pair.
Cheers and glad you got all the tabasco you needed.
Great vid brother!
Cheers mate, and yours!
Comedy genius!!! Had me laughing all the way through!!! Great work to you and Stoker!!!!! 🤣🤣
Interesting comparison
Here because of Stoker. Love to see friends and allies having some fun. Thanks for the vid! Subscribed.
Thanks Tracy!
Love the humor! Some cool kit You all have there. Thank you for your service. The jungle pants and windproof top will be something I'll seek out. Great work together. Thanks.
Cheers mate, appreciate it! 👍
Great video. Loved all the top tens of both. Favorites are the windproof smock in DPM and the U.S. Cammenga compass.
Absolutely hilarious!!! Please tell me theres more to come!!!!!Great work to both of you!!! Comedy geniuses..... 🤣🇬🇧🇺🇲💪
Cheers mate, and yes we will be 👍
Great kit. Have watched a few of your videos, but finally subscribed. Tried to trade for one of those windproof smocks while attached to 4 brigade, 1 Armour Division during Operation Granby/Desert Storm, but nobody wanted to trade, one guy did trade an old faded one for a Night Desert Camo Smock and a case of MREs. Glad you finally got the Tabasco Sauce in your rations, I remember the Compo Rations we got issued while with you Brits, was really glad when we got our own resupply of MREs.
I'm a patriotic yank veteran, but I'm real... most British kit is superior. That's why I'm aquiring as much as is possible. If I had to pick the best of it, it's the BCB folding fire dragon stove, and the Crusader canteen cup stove system & short back Bergen.
Awsome
But U.S. equipment is made in the U.S.A., maybe,...... by the lowest bidder.😏
I've been following Stoker for a while now, Its because of his site I got hold of the USA Litefighter One man Tent and Commando Tarp.
The Ribbing and humor are priceless:)
Class vid Tom..be interesting to see top ten private purchase kit items from both of you..atb..
Am thinking us British might fail that one, pulls out a (SCAR-L) battle rife
Great video, good kit is timeless.
I served in the 2nd Ranger bn back in the 80"s... we had joint operations with you brits. We were amazed at your meals... made the MREs look like . Love you video. New sub!
Cheers mate 🇺🇸🇬🇧👍
@@PreparedPathfinder As a cadet we were issued one man one day rations Mutton curry granules, Rice, sardines in oil, processed cheese, Biscuits service, Biscuits sweet, sugar , tea, coffee, non dairy whitener, sometimes milk powder, margarine in tube, salt, boiled sweets, Mars bar, vitamin pill, apparently from SAS (V) surplus and about 20 years old lol, We added curry powder, oxos, cayenne pepper, black pepper, paprika, onion flakes, tomato sauce, brown sauce suited to taste and anything to improve the flavour. The Mutton curry granules could be eaten as a crunch uncooked when no cooking allowed, not too bad actually, a bit like eating a Vesta curry dry. Thank goodness for the later 24 hour packs and the derivatives since then.
I purchased a box of C rations once 12 varieties, and loved the American cakes and desserts, some very interesting combinations of main meals, biscuits, chocolate discs, B1 B2 B3 units, fruits, but very heavy and all with cigarettes. Lord knows how old it was but it was very interesting and edible. Pound cake, Pecan nut cake, pineapple jam mmmm. Not all yank rations are bad , i have to say that because i have American Anglo cousins in Ohio. Lol.
Nicely done! “Only useful to hide on your granny’s sofa”. Savage AF. Keep up the good work C/S 61.
Ha ha, cheers! 👍
It's funny you mention the smock and the aku boots cause a old friend of mine who's a mountaineer uses aku as a civilian, I did research, winced at the price tag but did some research and saw you guys get them issued. Knowing most military always swap their issued gear I found a used pair (litterally was just dirty on the outside) shipped from Brittain for under 100$. Liked how they felt and did more research, saw the mtp smock, bought that too. Just did a field exercise in the pouring rain and wore both, dry as a bone besides around my wrists and my hands. Definitely going to look and see if there's rain bottoms that get issued and I'll have a solid kit.
Jungle trousers and windproof smock an unbeatable combination. Never bettered. Good boots were a game changer.
I can't think of anything that I would add to or take from your list.
Good Kukri !
Canadian civilian here…I use a British Bergen for canoeing in the backcountry and it is simply awesome!!! I also have a couple of British Smocks and can attest how very useful they are in the woods!
Loved this video ! Classic.
Cheers Rob!
awesome man, It was a privilege for me to work with brits and saved a few asses in Operation Herrick under LT Col. Richard WESTLEY. I would put Potassium permanganate on the list also because Americans have no idea about that stuff 😎😎
I still think that the most important piece of kit for the British Servicemen is the Lofty Wiseman SAS survival manual.
The most comprehensive book of its kind.
Absolutely, my bible as a kid. Got it signed by the man himself a couple of years ago.
Great vid!!
Great video mate.. Howling 😁
I joined in 89 and that kit plus issue that came later, like the Bosnian winter kit was superb. Best times! 👍
The melt VS burn guidance is there for a reason.
If your clothing burns it means you can pour water on it/take it off/jump in a lake etc and the burn damage to your skin stops.
If your clothing melts it will melt into you skin, you won't be able to take it off without ripping big chunks of flesh with it. Even if you pour water on it the melting plastic will bead up and penetrate through your skin causing very serious burn injuries instead of "sunbathing in Spain" injuries.
Yeah I'm aware of all that, just making some light of it really.
⭐️ Good stuff. love that air support Bergen.
...and you Brits do go on about the “Brew Kit”
(which is good because it always reminds me to have it on a prep list.)
🇺🇸🌟🇬🇧!
I enjoyed that, especially the grannies settee bit. When I was infantry in the late 1980s we wasn't allowed this kit, it was issued and nothing else. When I transferred to a Corp in 1990 I was used to the issue kit but didn't need the nice gear in that job. These days I'm used to the tidy gear and nothing else, it's my fault but I'm a bit spoilt now and why not. 👍
@Contana Blues ok thanks, considering the current circumstances with whats going on in this country, the UK.
Found you from Stoker.
Some of my favorite bits of kit have to include the Granite Gear Chief pack (which I'd put up against any pack I've ever seen), Litefighter 1 tent and Carinthia Def4/Tropen/liner sleep system. Those are some of the best money I've ever spent, theres a bunch of others but they either aren't issued or don't have an issued equivalent.
And Tabasco should've been included from jump in everything lol
Nice vid. Typical ABN humour. Started my day with a few chuckles. Carry on.
Cheers Ricky!
still use some gear issued when i joined in 86. still going strong
legendary kit, enjoyed the words to our friends across the pond. Faint hearted comes to mind. Think you could have rubbed it in a bit more :)
LOL years ago I sewn on buttons in my Windproof Smock just to put in the US M65 liner aaaand / or Dutch Gore liner. Oh well... its a hybrid now. Great show btw!
AWESOME!!! LMAO!!! Really like the humor, OUTSTANDING!!!✋✋✋✋✋
Cheers mate 👍
I've also got a PCS Thermal, the smock in my case and the Basha, both are very nice pieces of Kit.
I'm yet to really test them but they're widely recommend and my first impressions are great too, so i'm looking forward to give 'em a good use.
Hey Mate.... Outstanding video and gear.... From me in the North Georgia Mountains USA..... THANK YOU......
Cheers mate! 🇺🇸🇬🇧👍
Agree with them all especially the tropical kit, but also liked the bivi bag, JHW ( yep sad) the softie jacket and the 90 ptn sleeping bag ( never had a bad nights sleep with that one)
The jump smock and windproof smock in DPM are probably the coolest pieces of kit issued. But tell me, how do you cram 100 lbs of tea and crumpets in that Bergen? 😀🇺🇲
Everyone in the British Army has to do at least 100 hrs of Tetris, to learn this ability.
@@markgrygielewicz8047 lol 😂
Windproof smock, 44 pattern metal mug and softie jacket were my top bits of aquired kit back in the day. For footwear- Danner boots were my preferred option over the dreadful combat high’s we had at that point. I moved to Altberg’s later on.
I always wondered why the Yanks never went for a belt kit in the way we did. I did a few exercises with them and they never seemed to have anything between a skeleton belt order or full on marching order with “ruck”. We got several of them saying our belt kit + Munro (or similar) seemed to work well for patrolling etc..!! Yup, we know, that’s why we do it..!!! 😂🤣😂🤣
Great video
Good vid good energy.👌🏻you should do a vid on the most websters bits of kit… e.g. hi tec magnums. Or those lace in zips people used to put on their issue boots etc. using a rocket pouche as a daysack etc. or wearing a norgy under a 95 shirt etc.
Ha ha, sounds like a great idea! :)
Both top 10’s are the essentials.
Got a sub from me!
Excellent video 🙂
Cheers mate
I joined the British infantry in 1990. The only issued kit that I wore were the socks!
I had my own boots, junglies and windproofs, Helly Hansen baselayer and fleece, norgy, GoreTex waterproofs, Arktis chest rig, Berghaus Vulcan bergan.. everything. Apart from the socks - which were pretty good.
The issued alternative was a GS cotton shirt, a wooley pulley, 85 pattern jacket, PVC waterproofs and a Chinese fighting suit. Shite!
I'm glad that things have improved.
I joined in 1988 mate, so I feel your pain! The kit has come on a long way, there are a lot more commercial alternatives now too.
Tabasco sauce is essential. Should even have one in your survival tin.
Anymore digs and you'd need a shovel as No11 lol 🤘
At the outset I was going to settle it by saying who buys more of whose kit on the surplus market, that'd be an indicator I reckon.
Nice one mate.. Funny that. 😁👍🔥
12:10
The last one I saw was £200/$245, almost a whole car payment
Good content mate, subbed to both of you👍🏻
Love the crusader mug and what goes with it. Without a doubt British gear up to the mid 90s proper ally.
Cheers mate
What a blast.
My first issue of Tabasco was on exchange in the USA. Tea beats Coffee. Tick.
My GUCCI British useful kit list:
Softie Jacket or Buffalo Fibre Pile Jacket. Tick.
Metal Mug, and we have the better Mess Tin. Tick.
Smock: Brit ones are done better. SAS or Arctic Windproof are the biz. Tick.
Trousers: Jungles were great, though Arctic windproofs were ally enough. Since Combat 95 Brit uniform has been improving and now all pretty useful. Tick. (1970's DPM was the best.)
Basha and Bivi Bag do work anywhere. Tick.
A fully loaded Fighting Belt Order is the way for infantry to work better. Tick.
Bergen, yes, ever since the Berghaus Crusader II came out have been better over anything USA. Tick.
Boots have taken a while. Matterhorn and Danner US were great in a Wide fitting. AKU Italian are the modern issue and good boots at last. TICK.
A Full English Breakfast beat pancakes. Tick.
I'm just pleased we have such good friends over the pond.
Same here mate! 👍
Frickin mega guys, great vids. Laughed my ass off 😂🇬🇧🇺🇸
Nice to see some love for the old jungle trousers (the jacket/shirt wasn't half bad either (at least compared to the issue hair shirt). Para smock and windproof - yeh!
Yeah shame there isn't a modern version of the jungles now.
I got out in 1986 and all the kit was shite when i served. I tell a lie, the socks were half good. lol - I get jealous of the kit you get issued with now. Great Vid yet again.
Thanks Roger, l joined two years after you left and the majority was crap, as you said.
Good video Maybe you ought to do a video on the most gash bit's of kit, the ones that both civvies and military should really avoid?
That was great Tom . Friendly fire for sure .
Nate
Ha ha, cheers mate! 👍
"It's a good bit o kit"!
Always thought the para smock looked and felt like a great piece of kit but being a green jacket there was no chance I would of worn one lol , remember one of the lads rocking up wearing one and getting destroyed for it 😂, , great vid as per mate 👍, ,
Thanks mate 👍
Love the way you take the P out of the septics! Still a reasonable group with good scran!
Absolutely mate!
That was great! I’m US Army veteran, but I’ve always admired the British Army and Marines. Keep rucking!
Marines?
Marines?
Nah mate, really bad choice there. All their stuff comes in shades of pink with lace ruffles.
348
"Only a couple of bits of kit as ever worked" lol That's about right lol
I'm a USA vet but I have most of your items. Best are:
Basha but with poles to make it into an Alpha Tent or a Holden Tent.
Bivy bag except there is no zipper and I'm old now. Lighter than ours but ours has a zip.
Windproof Smock (not SAS) both desert DPM and Green.
DDPM and DPM goretex jacket and trousers.....the Desert one is lightweight and my fave.
Respirator (gas mask) bag is a handy field pack.
I've still got my para smock comfortable bit of kit. I never got on with the mtp version for some reason.
Brits get rucks? Jesus how much tea do you have to carry?
Seriously I laughed. Both of you have great channels. Take care.
That is what I said.
Mate we don’t have a massive logistic chain of Humvees, Trucks, helicopters like you guys do…so more often than not we have to carry everything!
@@PreparedPathfinder Haa. Our humvees don't reliably run so we end having to tab them out
I thought you might struggle on 10 items of British kit, thankfully TABASCO is issue so you could drop the 80s wool shirt from your list (-:
Still have a 1990 windproof smock, it's looking a little sorry and retained more like an old friend these days, but it would work in a pinch. Loved the banter on the video and the UCP/ACU granny's sofa did make me laugh. Metal mugs yes, I remember mine arrived by mail order and pure joy of a brew uder a basha in pouring rain in Germany. Great reminder of happy times many years ago for me, thank you, looking forward to more soon.
Cheers mate!
I use a crusader kit which has the metal mug, plastic mug and base for gel tablets, took plastic bottle out its shite, fill void with small gas canister and burner also take gel tablets, never without a brew, heavier than most stuff but bullet proof.
We first got metal canteen cups in 1910...I'm pretty sure some British units were still carrying Martini-Henrys then.
Got a subscriber just for the Tabasco. We put scorpions in them when we were in the desert.
Amazing…
I always like seeing your gear because you use it. Good gear should have the scars from getting used.
Cheers mate 👍
Britain 1
America 0
Great vid. Can’t beat the British Kit. (Although I think the Falkland issue uniform was a bit of a let down. Got wet, stayed wet, quickly produced for a war that should have never happened, as an old Colonel told me once).
I think the DPM is far superior than the MTP, personally, although the MTP does ‘disappear’ at longer ranges better, on places like Dartmoor.
I’ve never served in the Army, but have always ‘lived’ outdoors, from an early age, if you like.(Cubs, Scouts, Wild Camping).
You guys will always have my upmost respect, for looking after our country.
But you are totally correct in saying that the brew kit and tea are the most essential pieces of kit out in the field.
All the best, and thank you.👍🏾🇬🇧❤️
Thanks mate.
Ref MTP/DPM, MTP works great in arid areas, which is where we’ve done the majority of our recent fighting. DPM works better in the UK, but the aim is always to fight away from home if possible!
The uniform used for the Falklands wasn’t produced for that conflict, if that’s what you meant. The standard issue uniform wasn’t great, but a lot of the guys were issued windproof smocks and trousers, which were pretty good to be fair.
@@PreparedPathfinder Fair enough, as I can only comment as somebody with absolutely no military background whatsoever.
Just a healthy interest.👍🏾🇬🇧🏕
I want one of those Bashas. It's a brilliant design.
Metal mug- advantage USA. ONLY Because we were working out the details on it and we were late for that Germany holiday in France back in the 30s.
I've always been a fan of the brush stroke camouflage pattern. But when I find it in surplus it's too small or too used up to justify the price.
Top vid again great intro🤣 superb banter you were lucky DMS and putties for us lesser mortals went well with the hotel bath robes though😜🤣
Shout-out here for the humble wool headover! Not as popular during this century based on the assumption of operating in stupidly hot places but in European winters it's still a good piece of kit even though the recent version is not a patch on the 1980s one (which I am still using for winter mountaineering!).
Agreed on early BCH but later ones nowhere near as bad if you had the right fit and used a decent insole. Never used the AKUs but still have two pairs of issue Altbergs which are the dog's bollox!
I handed my headover in after 25 years still brand new and unused! It was known as ‘craphat kit’ and we were banned from using them!
@@PreparedPathfinder I had one pulled off my head by a psychotic WO2 when I wore it while two of us had been shoveling rocksalt from the back of a truck out onto a frozen depot when it was so cold that the grit spreader wouldn't work. Effin lunatic. (Every Sergeants' Mess in the 1980s really needed its own team of psychiatric nurses.)
@@jimf671 ha ha, fair one!
I'm going with Stoker on his top 10, but that pack seems like a more modern version of the Alice pack. That was definitely cool.
Since the ALICE hasn't been issued gear for over 25 years it's kind of pointless to bring it up as an example of current gear
Hi, I attend a coffee morning in the late afternoons on a Monday with a bunch of guys and last week I highly recommend your channel as a great source of information. There is now a good chance that I'm going to be in a whole world of S#!+ tomorrow afternoon.... O well never mind A 👍
Ha ha, brill! Thanks mate!
Thanks
Ah cheers mucker
Cracking video and loved the banter, can't wAit to see what the yanks say 😀😀😀😀
AS a U.S. Marine ( 1964-68, Viet Nam 1966-67 ) I enjoyed your video and humor. You should have seen our 782 gear (kit) except for mag pouches, we were using the same gear as in 1943. The U.S. Army had better gear.
Thanks Troy, l appreciate it. My Dad served in Vietnam 65/66 as it happens, Australian Army.
Come to think of it, they were using 1937 Large Packs alongside their M56 web gear.
Basha looks like Tiger King’s shower curtain!
Haha! Just joking. Love the video! Thanks!
Cheers mate!
I has a spare s10 respirator I swapped for 2 weeks worth of m.r.e on a nato ex back in 98 still not sure if I made a wise decision doing that🤔
Mega
They added the tobasco but did they change the grease proof bog paper?
Yes mate, thanks fark
Bloody hell!
We started with a green lightweight blanket ( a starred item - court of enquiry if you lost it) and a rubberised poncho that ripped if you caught it on anything. Old WW2 camouflaged style smocks that were so cold that you wore your windproof underneath and WW2 issue thin woollen jumpers under that. O G jungle trousers that fastened with overlapping straps and cardboard DMS boots and puttees short. Bergens were thick canvas from 1944 and you only got one if you were a specialist of some sort. Everyone else got 44 pattern small packs and a mixture of 44 and 58 pattern webbing. Even so the hats looked at our kit with awe and envy.
348
I found one of those old blankets in my store the other day, dated 1960! Can't imagine them being very warm!
@@PreparedPathfinder better than nothing mate.
They were a ‘starred item’ which meant a court of enquiry if you lost it. A big deal in those days. You wrapped it in your rubberised poncho (ripped very easily) and carried it in the poncho roll. Not everyone got a Bergen in those days, most got a 44 pattern rubbish small pack that would shrink when wet. If you had one of those and had to wear kidney pouches as well then you strapped the poncho roll above the kidney pouches by hooking the central hooks to the yoke digging tool loops and the side straps to the yoke front strap securing loops on the ammo pouches thus holding the whole thing secure. If you got a Bergen you strapped the poncho roll to the front of that. Not inside because if you got a Bergen it was because you were expected to carry radio or batteries, or mortar bombs or Charlie G rounds or gimpy link, et al.plus of course your own kit!
You got a store then? Like a shop?
@@jamesrichardwhitehouse5653 yes mate, www.preparedpathfinder.com
Lol. Top items 100%. Baters good for the yanks too lol
I’ve been following Stoker for a number of years now. A great channel. 👍🏼👍🏼
It’s been a while since I laughed so much at a video 😂.
My friend, next time you’re in the states, you might consider getting someone like me to shadow you in case some pog with a bad sense of humor recognizes you from this video, lol.
All kidding aside, you make some great points. I’ve used my basha for about 25 years now. Still carry a poncho and a liner (I never heard it called a woobie, sometimes it was referred to as a’sleeping bitch’. You know, something to snuggle up with.)
And when you showed ‘granny’s couch’ I spit my drink out all over the dog (too funny because it’s true).
I still have my field jacket. It stays in the cold weather bag. Maybe some day it will get cold here in south Texas and I can wear it again.
I gotta say, yeah, I love me an A.L.I.C.E. Pack. I was in the Corps just after the Vietnam conflict was over (1977-1983) And we used a lot of gear from that era. It all served me well then, and still serves me today.
Most of the guys in my unit had nice leather holsters for their large bottles of Tabasco.
It’s been a tradition as long as I can remember.
Great video. Will have to watch Stoker’s version now.
🇺🇸👍🏼👍🏼🇬🇧
Cheers mate, appreciate it! 🇺🇸🇬🇧👍
Back in the late seventies the Yanks would go mad for our combats because they didn't have camouflaged kit and they also loved our compo except for baby's heads.
great no 10 choices, altbergs for me, damm good boots.
Hands down, you win. You can actually do loads of stuff with your kit choice, surprised that he didn't add the yank bivvy bag, all Stokie would have you carry is an Alice pack with some crappy metal in it.
I mind being ordered NOT to wear my AKUs on ops and had the choice of heavy AF Lowas or HiTec combat slippers. Lot's of people forked out decent beers money for desert Altbergs which seemed to only last 4 months or so. I've still got my AKUs.
Not long after they started issuing the brown AKUs and Altbergs.
Very amazing video well done and keep up the great work and you can't beat the dpm basha and gore tex bivvy bag I use the british army basha and British army gore tex bivvy bag for wild camping and 95 pattern is the best and thank you so much for your service brother in arm's
Cheers mate
@@PreparedPathfinder you are most welcome mate from a ex 42
Always wished there was a desert pattern BASA. Standard kit pattern here in the desert just stands out like a Londoner in Limerick
There was mate.
@@PreparedPathfinder very hard to find😟
@@johns9888 this just took me about 5 seconds!
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/225035754067?hash=item34652d1a53:g:FGgAAOSwhTpirhTU
Have you done a WHT on that Brecon Hand? 😂
😂
Awesome video . Brecon hands that's what i'm talking about. Brilliant
Ha ha, cheers!
Loved my poncho liner... we didn't call them "woobie" back then... damn millennials. Also loved my DEMO knife... and my DEMO computing tape measure. Still have the tape measure on my desk (the demo knife lives in my tackle box)... reminds me of the good ol' "blowin' shit up" days!
Air-friggin-borne!bro!
Cheers mate!
Mega 🤗 quality content and funny as Mucka 🆎
Cheers mate 👍
borrowed this off a screaming craphat hahahaha