Photo of the Norwegian sergeant, where he talks about his equipment for action in the winter.
I'll sign you my winter gear. It is with this kit that I am set to perform tasks in the winter for 72 hours. Some items, such as food, ammunition, radio and others like them will not be listed here, but in general my equipment is ready so that I can use it as soon as possible.
1st LINE (First line)
• Field uniform
• Boots
• Gore-Tex hat
Over this is wearing a camouflage and winter boots that are worn over the basic ones (note: these are peculiar rubber boots that look like stockings from the OZK).
Smoke:
• Left breast pocket: notebook with case, pens, spoon-fork, protractor
• Right chest pocket: compass
• Left shoulder pocket: 4 pairs of disposable gloves
• Left hip pocket: left glove
• Right hip pocket: right glove
2nd LINE (Second Line)
HK416N, on which are installed:
• Aimpoint Comp M4
• M3X light w / tape switch
• Magpul XTM hand stop kit
• BFG VCAS sling (VTAC LUSA mount)
• Rear BUIS (in pistol grip)
Ops-Core helmet and Peltor ComTac headphones
RPS from First Spear
3rd LINE (Third Line)
• Backpack Karrimor SF TECMAC 50L with side pouches, inside which fit:
• Carinthia Defense 6 sleeping bag
• Ajungilak ”Bamse” sleeping mat
• TT ROP assault pack
• 2 sandbags
• 2 waterproof compression sacks
• Thermal Long Johns
• Wool boxer
• Wool socks
• T-shirt
• Towel
• Toothbrush / Toothpaste / Painkillers / Clothesline / Sowing Kit
• ECW Jacket
Assault Backpack:
• 2 waterproof protective bags
• 2 rifle magazines
• Rifle cleaning kit
• Gun lubricant bottle
• Batteries
• Matches, flameless food heater
• Paracord
• Thermal underwear
While in the parking lot, we store our equipment outside the tent or shelter to make more room. Weapons and unloading are stored in a closed arms rack, which saves from bad weather and temperature fluctuations. All weapon maintenance manipulations are performed outside, snow and water are the main enemies of the weapon during the winter, so we use lubricant and constantly remove snow from rifles. As a rule, if you follow all the rules we have no problems.
One of the key success factors when it comes to winter survival is that you never lose your gear. We never put our gloves, hats, tools, etc on the ground. If it's snowing, windy or just dark, your gear will disappear before you know it. Therefore, I follow very strict rules regarding how I pack my equipment. I always put everything back in place, after use. This makes it easy for me to find my things, and also make sure that I don’t lose anything. Of course, this applies to all types of climates, but in the winter it is critically important, because having lost your mittens you will lose the ability to perform simple tasks.
When it comes to clothes, the most important thing is layers. I’m probably old-fashioned, but I don’t like Gore-Tex / Hard shell clothes or synthetic underwear. I prefer cotton-based outerwear and layers of wool. In my opinion, this clothes breathe better, more durable, and the wool heats even when it is wet. It is important to be ready for the march, so it is better to take off some of the clothes and get used to the cold than to start the march in warm clothes, from which you then have to sweat and overheat.
Shoes for me - Alpha and Omega. I have problems with my knee on my right leg, so good shoes are very important to me. However, I stay away from gore-tex shoes. She gets wet, her legs are cold, and in general she usually quickly becomes cold. Most of the frost damage that we see on our feet is a direct result of wearing Gore-tex shoes. I prefer thin leather berets in combination with winter boots over the top. The main thing is just not to forget to remove winter boots properly and remove the insole from them before drying.
When choosing equipment I was guided by the maximum convenience for my tasks. I appreciate being able to lie comfortably in a prone position, being able to move so that nothing drags on the snow. That is why I chose the RPS as a platform for cartridge pouches. I get everything I need on the sides and have nothing on my stomach.
Critical elements are easily accessible, non-critical ones are available to teammates. Also RPS is easy to wear over the body armor. The greatest difficulties arise when driving in transport and carrying backpacks. RRPS is not the most convenient option for driving in vehicles, but it can be quickly removed before the trip and put on before we dismount.
As for the problems with a backpack, it all comes down to choosing this very backpack. We must find such that he was above the line of pouches. Our authorized backpacks are too large (120 l / 7320 cubic inches), and I need a smaller one, so I settled on the Tecmac 50. It is perfect for me, it has a great size for everything I need.
Compression bags in the main and assault backpack are for the following reasons:
They are easy to sort items
Saves space - tight clothes take up less space
My concept of packing my backpack is based on the ease of access to equipment. In the main compartment is my helmet and ECW jacket (in a compression bag). The right compartment of the PLCE holds one compression bag containing my spare clothing; dry clothes for sleeping (wet I dry at night). Food, extra water, etc. will be stored in the left PLCE compartment. In the parking lot, I can simply take off the side bags, bring them to the tent / shelter, and leave the rest outside. My toiletries are stored in a zipper in the lid. In a critical situation, I'll just take an assault backpack from the main backpack. I must be able to survive with what I have in the first line, second line and the contents of my assault backpack.
I was asked about how I wear armor: first, I agree that cold weather armor is a problem. I also believe that wearing it on top of clothes should reduce all insulating properties to zero. This also leads to overheating of the body, which in turn leads to perspiration, and this in turn leads to wet clothes and then heat loss; the worst option is when the soldiers are dehydrated and overheated.
When working in cold weather, you must consider the climate. If you walk on foot to the object, then my recommendation is to put on armor during the march to pick up enough light clothes. For example, a thin wool sweater under the uniform, depending on the pace. You need to find a balance, try not to freeze, but also not to become a steam engine. Keep a warm jacket in your assault backpacks so that you can put it on top of your equipment during short stops and not freeze.
Usually I only have a T-shirt under a jacket and winter camouflage, even if it is 30 degrees outside. On the march, I feel so hot that I put on more and will definitely become a victim of overheating. In my experience, it’s better to freeze a little and just stay active to generate heat than wear everything and not hold on for a second before getting exhausted from overheating.
Now, as for water: yes, one freezes. We carry a bottle of water on a rope around the neck, but I don’t need this technique at all. Here are two tips that might work:
1. Water freezes near the surface where there is air. Turn the bottle up in the bag to minimize the contact area.
2. Always fill the bottle with warm water if possible. Fill the snow when you drink.
Hydration is perhaps one of the most difficult aspects of winter operations; reducing thirst reduces fluid intake; “cold diuresis” (a phenomenon that causes us to urinate more in the cold) increases the risk of dehydration. Inexperienced leaders also often order the jars to be drained. The maximum water absorption is about 150 ml every 15 minutes. Empty your flask and all the water will very quickly come back from you.
As for gloves, I use these:
When I’m not too cold, I use regular gloves, putting on woolen ones
Well, a few photos of my winter boots:
The design is simple: The upper half is a rip-stop nylon with a shock cord and a stop for it.
The lower half is a waterproof rubber with a foot band and a fleece inside.
The most important thing to do with these shoes is to let the air out of them when possible. As you probably know, no clothes give heat on their own, the clothes help keep the layers of air warm. If the air is compressed, it is never released / replaced, etc., it becomes cold, and at the same time you too. The same applies to these shoes. If you don't let the air out of them, these shoes will become a fridge for your feet. You need to be disciplined in order not to freeze. The climate is very different from where you are in Norway, but at my current station the climate is usually dry and cold. Along the coast and southwest Norway, the climate is milder and wetter, there is not always a lot of snow. We usually have several mild periods shortly before winter and during the spring thaw. Boots and winter camouflage help us not to get wet, we also have Gore-tex uniform for wet weather (0 degrees Celsius, sleet, and so on).
The camouflage and pants have slots for accessing pockets. The pants have full-length zippers and extensions on the hips and ankles. The maskkhalat has a zipper across the chest in case you need access to equipment when you throw the dressing cap over the top.
For movement over rough terrain, we use snowshoes. There are also skis, but they are not suitable for combat. However, they are great for moving around, but we still use either snowmobiles or the BV 206 Bandvagn. Skis are mainly used either for physical training or for specific tasks not aimed at a combat. Skis and snowshoes are used either with or without winter boots.
Battery life is a problem, although mainly it concerns frequently used things - GPS, communications, night vision devices. The sight is not particularly relevant. Alkaline batteries live in the cold less than lithium batteries. We expect to get lithium batteries for all of our equipment, but they are more expensive. As for the Contour’a, it works for several hours from -10 to -20, although not continuously. Mostly I take short cuts, nevertheless, it always stays on my helmet.
• Also wanted to talk about gloves and hygiene in general.
Keeping your hands in good condition is very important, which means that you need to be disciplined. Protect your hands when performing such simple tasks, whether it be maintenance of equipment and work with fuel for it.
Cut fingers, or fuel-stained hands can make them useless very quickly, and if you can't work with your hands, you can't work at all, especially when it comes to survival.
It is also not recommended to heat the hands above the stove (primus stove), this leads to what we call "field fingers", this is when the skin on the fingers dries and cracks.
Use gloves when working with any metal objects, especially in wind or humidity. I saw frostbite develop in one guy right on the nose, the right side of the blue turned pale white.
Also, be careful when handling large fuel containers. Diesel or gasoline can ruin your clothes and even cause a chemical burn.
And finally: to swallow a diesel engine is a direct way to cleansing the intestines, keep disinfecting wipes in a convenient place (in our case they are included in the rations).
We have a very strict order regarding clean and dirty things, clean (food, water, etc.) never comes into contact with dirty things (fuel, garbage, and so on). In the tent, we usually keep clean things on one side of the entrance, and dirty on the other. The same is true when we pack burners with fuel in backpacks; fuel and burners are separate from clean things.
Nothing spoils a good walk, like a squad of gouging.
• Some general tips:
- When you are in the "field" never shave, otherwise you will remove the layer of natural fat that covers the skin, making it more sensitive to cold. If you definitely need to shave due to retarded orders, then never do this in the morning. You need to shave before you get into a sleeping bag, so by the morning some of the natural fat will recover.
- Beware of the so-called "cold creams", many of them contain water and only worsen frostbite, and also make the skin more sensitive to cold. In addition, this type of cream suggests that you put them will be a thick layer, and it will prevent to see frostbite, when you will examine comrades.
- If your hands dry and crack, then use a moisturizer. But try to find one in which the low water content and use it while in the shelter. Do not use the cream right before going out in the cold.
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Do not use masks that trap moisture in your mouth and nose. Use masks that will not trap moisture (eg, neoprene). If you do not use suitable equipment, moisture will accumulate, which increases the likelihood of frostbite of the nose and mouth.
- Do not breathe inside the sleeping bag during sleep; this will cause moisture to form inside, after which it will become wet. In the worst case, it will accumulate in the filler. It's not nice to roll over in a sleeping bag and hear a crunch of ice. It will be a cold night and the problem will not be solved by itself.
- Wear shoes that are large enough so that you can move your foot in them, and if you want to, wear two pairs of socks.
- Decide what clothes you want to dry while parking; socks, sweat clothes, boots in priority. Pants, jackets, etc., are not so important, because most likely the next day you will still be sweating.
- Never dry things inside a sleeping bag; The moisture that evaporates will accumulate inside and the problems listed above will be the result. If you use a stove to heat your cover, dry things under surveillance.
• When it is very cold, we need some kind of shelter. For example, one of the following:
"Knappetelt":
Not very reliable thing, consists of old German diamond-shaped canvases, fastened with buttons. Usually 5 or 7 cloths as in the photo, but you can make 4, 8, 10 or even 16.
Heats up with the help of a kerosene stove, is carried either pre-buttoned in a backpack, or on a sleigh during the winter. Or each soldier carries his flap, and a tent is assembled as needed. A well-trained squad assembles a pre-buttoned tent in 10 minutes. The tent is old-fashioned, when it gets wet is very heavy, but suitable for most conditions, it also does not allow light to break through, but if you touch the walls from the inside, the water will leak.
There is a better tent in terms of comfort, but on foot it can not be dragged off:
2. Squad tent:
This tent is heated by a large multi-fuel burner, filled with 20 liters of kerosene:
At the moment, we are seeing more and more civilian “tunnel” tents, but they have several drawbacks, such as a light and temperature trail, and this is bad.
We also practice “hard parking”, that is, cold parking for several days. While we get one serving of hot food a day, we can hold out for 72, or maybe 96 hours without heated shelter. We use "knappetelt" or "tunnel tents" as cold shelters. After the time, we are returned to the rear, where we use squad tent, it lasts 12-24 hours, depending on needs. Based on the time that is allotted to us before the next move (5, 15, 30 or 60 minutes), we decide which shelter we will use.
Our intelligence units have more equipment for extreme temperatures, so they can usually maintain “tough parking” a little longer.
