Recce Rifle Setup and Camouflage / Mountain Rifle Setup. Becoming Deadly in the Mountains Part 2.

[@TheOutdoorsman790]

I know for a lot of people going out and practicing Recce might be difficult, but something you can look into if you’re interested is hunting, even if you don’t want to kill anything taking a weapon into the woods can give a whole lot of insight about what is comfortable, nice to have. Also tracking game and humans have a lot of parallels, game leaves less sign even. Just food for thought, the guys who feed their families off the land will vibe check all of us with an iron sighted 30-30 with just knowledge of terrain and experience in the woods

[@tacticalmattfoley]

Always have. Those of us who learned woods craft from our Native American ancestors are laughing at this.

[@CraigGrunenfelder]

agree, In my area you can get tags for mountain lions, dogs not allowed. Track that and you'll be good to go. Oh and they double back and follow you around as well for added bonus.

[@PastaLaVista.]

@@ico7909 depends where you are. Some places you probably can’t see more than 100 feet unobstructed. Maybe in like Appalachia or something. Scoped rifle won’t be much use

[@mutiracialbeatdownPB]

Move at night using NODs.

[@Strelok762]

My entire load our has been proofed via hunting, amen!

[@LarpingSupply]

Former Scout Sniper Section Gentleman: Simple Advice that’s often overlooked. They way you pack your load needs to be shared with your small unit. You never know who needs what when. You never know who grabs what when it’s time to boogie. Your kit isn’t yours it’s the teams.

[@medicchester]

Especially the IFAC, medical gear on the ankle has to be in the same ankle or shoulder/IFACs located on the same place 100%.

[@LarpingSupply]

@@medicchester Truth is weather you get MedVac off the mountain or it’s time to E and E your team may be stuck with your pack or have a limited amount of time to “rat fuck” (not sure the civilian way to say that tbh lol) it. In a recon environment knowing where your Dry Socks and a MREs are located can save someone’s life just the same as your IFAK in these conditions. When it comes down to it you can really MIN MAX your setup when you throw out the “My Kit” mentality. You don’t need 4-6 Of everything and redundancies can really save weight and let you carry the most precious resource… not ammo Food

[@ViewIndepth]

good advice, thank you for sharing

[@calholli]

So about that TP loadout... should I carry 4 rolls, or 6 rolls?

[@LarpingSupply]

@@calholli NEVER carry TP EVER. Listen to me this is 100% SERIOUS Wet Whipes only. FUDD lore is the flushable breakdown faster not sure if it’s true. But WET WHIPES Keep that asshole clean and dry. TP tears that shit up and doesn’t double up for anything. Hygiene is paramount. Wet Wipes weight slightly more but it’s worth it to avoid ass bleeding. Comfort = Speed = Security = Safety Remember LNT LEAVE NO TRACE Human shit is easily identified and can even be identified as friend or foe literally by look and smell. Not making this up. Bury your Shit, bury EVERYTHING and not a bear dug out at-least a few inches down. If you never had heat rash in your shoulders from not washing for a week of hard rucking and a bleeding asshole from using MRE TP then you have not lived though 🤣

[@Glitmo676u]

Former Canadian Recce here. Brown panty hose is a good lense cover for lights etc. Watch out that any tape you use is non reflective. Make sure you have a weapon that is easily carried at the low ready as it is a common position to be carried for recce type movements when in the AO but not in close proximity. Make sure your watch or gloves do not hit and make noise on your rifle. Slings with buckle covers or clip covers are always a good call. Use your gear and rifle hard in training to weather it just like the big man said on the video here. Monitor moving through elevation thresholds as vegetation can change or just disappear and leave your otherwise cam'd up ass sticking out like a grizzly bear in a bar. I am by no means an expert, just some tricks picked up over time. PS: This is my favorite series so far on this channel. Keep it up.

[@davidoftheforest]

thank you for your service! I'm in the enlistment process myself, I'm looking to be an Infanteer.

[@drawncept8391]

That panty hose idea is awesome, man. And I second that notion about the favorite series.

[@nathanbenson7761]

Would we consider a 16in a good multi purpose length if you were in the mountains with the possibility of being close to urban environments as well?

[@erwannq]

@@nathanbenson7761 16" with mid length gas block is good to go. But it gets a little too long and front heavy with a suppressor at the end of the barrel.

[@Andrew_NJ]

@@erwannq A silencer seems essential for noise and flash reduction.

[@glennbrymer4065]

Im 72, was regular army. Met a lot of fellow vets over the years. Many of them spent real time in the jungle.(Luurps, SF, Rangers etc.) You hang out with them, you learned many little things about staying alive and winning. Things they learned the hard way. Ive watched some of the videos here on YT over the years from other people offering advice and education. Some are not bad, some are trash. The videos And comments from this channel are hands down the best! Some of the comments are chill as hell and offer real world knowledge that is just awesome to read! Thank you all for sharing such good shit! Bit of advice here. Times are going to get weird here in America, you can see it happening. You young bloods need to pay great attention to every word spoken on this channel and then go out and train your asses off and Practice all of it. Carry on. US Army 69/71

[@rockythao5394]

"If you're not fit, you're gonna die... don''t die" words to live by, quite literally.

[@Xinthisis]

Most people dont realize how difficult carrying a 50+lb pack is. Now add everything else. Real world ends up 120+ extra weight.

[@oof9952]

@@Xinthisis It's a bitch carrying a 50 or 60lb ruck plus I agree with you a 100% that's it's important to stay in shape that the number 1 not matter what

[@urielmartinez2161]

Thanks to guns, even the most shitfucked people are dangerous. Don't underestimate

[@Mav97427]

when he say that ?

[@sacemurakami352]

@@dylanm8132 You’re a dangerous mf brother I need you on my side.

[@WalrusWinking]

I've been training everyday in the hills and small mountains all around my county since you uploaded the last episode I'm happy you're continuing this series. Greetings from Alabama, buddy.

[@gavinm1347]

Alabama has mountains?

[@WalrusWinking]

@@gavinm1347 Over half the state does and even WAY more large hills lmao. Especially around where I am, where the Cumberland Plateau and the Highlands meet.

[@gavinm1347]

@@WalrusWinking I just googled it and it says you guys have up to 2500ft. That’s not bad but getting to play with rugged 4.5k footers in the white mountains is awesome. Of course that’s nothing compared to out west, but at least it’s above the tree line.

[@WalrusWinking]

@@gavinm1347 Well also around a few miles from me there is a Massive Swamp once you get near the Tennessee. So around me we've got a ton of variety. Gators are no joke by the way. lmao

[@WalrusWinking]

@TX GOLD BULL Yeah, my brother was down in Louisiana for a while he came back up here and talked about how he missed the hills.

[@Goldenwithaleash]

Love to see this “How to be deadly in the _____” series continue. Desert, urban, woodland, Great Plains, ect…

[@jordanlarson8310]

Northern Midwest kinda always gets left out of these convos which sucks cause there's a lot of consideration for lack of terrain features, lack of cover depending on location, and environment, winter is way different from summer with load outs

[@Goldenwithaleash]

@@jordanlarson8310 totally agree. I’m from middle Michigan and grew hunting. The difference in terrain and season is a big factor. In the wooded areas, you’d be lucky to get a 50 yard clear line of sight. But in the same area you have large swathes of farm fields where you can see a mile.

[@carlosanderson6725]

Hell yeah

[@Bootyeatter6969]

Urban would be interesting curious what aspects of a rifle he chooses

[@clanorangechicken6648]

how to be deadly in the bathroom, i had to open the window....

[@Fred-rv2tu]

In Afghanistan I carried ten mags on my flak one of which was tracers for marking targets. And I carried 25 in my assault pack… just before deploying I read an AAR about a fire team of marines that got killed in Iraq because they ran out of ammo. Everyone thought I was crazy for carrying that much weight until the day came that they were asking me for mags. Obviously that’s too many for this kind of situation but point is carry as much ammo as you can.

[@jeffreyheil9542]

Another good tip is to load the last 5 rounds of your mags with all tracers. That way if you see multiple tracers in a row, you know you’re about to run out of ammo in that mag.

[@warchildwarhammer8837]

As a corpsman I had to carry shotgun ammo , talk about heavy, thank god I got to choose a carbine , still a shit ton of ammo is a good thing to have

[@A74568Z]

1050 rounds. Plus gear in your assault pack. That’s heavy.

[@MbisonBalrog]

Squad should be issued hand trucks to carry extra ammo. Can recycle all the metals and plastics instead of burning them to make hand trucks.

[@Fred-rv2tu]

@@A74568Z 980. We we’re doing 28 to a mag because someone decided that was better. Only other gear I carried was a couple spare AA’s and a stripped down MRE and water.

[@vincentcocchio3450]

I have to say this is one of my favorite Garand Thumb video series The effort that he puts in it is incredible Thanks a lot!

[@911treason3]

This will come in handy on The Day Of The Rope

[@justanotherhuman4854]

Damn did you watch it at 20x speed?

[@bigboss7189]

@@911treason3 that day is coming soon I believe. I think there’s a good reason Garand is putting out serious instruction videos now of all times especially. People must go get trained now

[@raplesyrup]

Yup it's pretty lame how many other, more popular, gun channels hardly put in any effort to their videos. This channels more serious and informative videos are miles better.

[@kimbelldify]

@@justanotherhuman4854 its best if watched backwards at .5 speed... He delivers hidden messages...

[@Bonzeggva]

So, Garandalf, you try to lead them over Caradhras. And if that fails, where then will you go? If the mountain defeats you, will you risk a more dangerous road?

[@Kremit_the_Forg]

Florida?

[@cean42]

Seek medical assistance from New Jersey Elves?

[@augustvonmacksen2526]

Underrated as fuck comment.

[@Hercules1-v9m]

Digging a VC style tunnel under the mountain?

[@natelax1367]

Far below the deepest dwellings of the dwarves, the world is gnawed by nameless things

[@jacoblewis9514]

I'm a hunting guide in Northwest Montana and a lot of skills I learned from the infantry translate extremely well to this line of work.

[@ofaoilleachain]

Hardly near Eureka are you?

[@wecx2375]

Really like what land nav I guess. *oh basic rifle marksmanship to I suppose.

[@Notfakeultra]

Didn’t know people actually lived in Montana

[@oneballwizard406]

@@Notfakeultra nobody does for long before the bears get em

[@Born-Again-Warrior]

@@oneballwizard406 Which is why I'm dedicated to communicating and controlling the bears. I'll ride into battle riding a bear kitted out with full body armor, and a .50 cal mounted on its back. 💪 I'll also be using packs of wolves as scouts and ambush masters. Lol

[@tg94702]

this is like the 5th time I've watched this video and I swear if Garand did full length feature films about this stuff id watch it over and over

[@ohfnvf6915]

.ชอบครับอันแลก

[@balderedda]

You got any idea what brand jacket he is wearing in this video?

[@nathanmartin9640]

❤ same here they should make a movie with him as the main character

[@romeo6696]

On RECCE patrols in Afghanistan depending on the mission I wore a plate carrier vest (garbage) under a chest rig that carried 12 mags plus the one in my rifle. A med kit with tourniquet, two packs of quick clot and field dressing, a couple of hand warmers. In an admin pouch a gps, compass, pacer beads, night vision, IR glow sticks with 550 cord for LZ marking, 2 grenades and 4 m203 rounds in pouches on my chest. In a backpack I had at least 12 bottles of water, a camel back, a couple of MRE's, 20 m203 rounds, a jacket, a ranger blanket and strapped to the outside of the pack an M72 rocket launcher. This was back in 2007 and I still feel the sore back now lol. Climbing the mountains of Afghanistan with that on was probably one of the hardest things I've ever done in life.

[@samuelthecalled6899]

Jesus christ that's insane. Thank you for your sacrifice, that sounds fucking miserable.

[@ab5olut3zero95]

And this right here is why I’m glad to be a Tanker…..

[@calholli]

So about that TP loadout... should I carry 4 rolls, or 7 rolls?

[@op-4]

Agreed, 10th mtn div. 87th inf. Afg 03-04. Takes a lot of training to get ready for those hikes.

[@amosmoses9247]

@Romeo66 Did you ever run dry on 203 ammo and wish you had more?

[@warmonkey3216]

An acronym that we use in the military to find a good spot hide in or make an Observation post in is BLUES- Blend in, Low to the ground, Unexpected terrain, Evacuation routes, Sihlouetting. Blend in and low to the ground are self explanatory. Unexpected sites means that humans naturally take the path of least resistance so that means anything from roads to rabbit trails you need to find a spot that humans naturally would avoid because itd be too difficult to get to. Evacuation routes means that always have as many ways to get out of the area as possible, preferably in every dirrection so you dont get trapped in one spot. Sihlouetting means avoid any position that will give you a backdrop that would give you a human silhouette when viewed from the side, that means the tops of mountains and ridges its extremely easy to pick out the human outline even far away. A bit long winded but hopefully someone finds it useful

[@DylanKurbel]

Much appreciated

[@TannerSwizel]

I hope to see 50+ more parts to this series. Extremely interesting stuff. Stuff many of us Civies don't have a single clue about where to start and what to prioritize

[@christianmiranda23]

This comment should be pinned. Tanner, you said better than I was thinking and you said it first. Thank you. 👏

[@war.room.strategist]

What do u mean? I shouldn't prioritize my cooking kit and seasonings as i fish with my ultralight collapsible pole?

[@DON4419]

Let's be honest most of us veterans don't have a clue about where to start either. Hunting with my Dad taught me more about wilderness survival than the Navy ever did. No trees on the ocean.

[@BigTpetty]

YESS EXACTLY!!! More of this!!!!

[@kipchickensout]

What are us civilians supposed to do with the information he gave us, though?

[@silvermediastudio]

Quick camo tips: 1. Use a cardboard or paper cutout and paint it first. Place it into the various environments in your area of operations and step back; 50m, 100m, 500m, 1000m. Is it working or not? You might need to repeat this for variation between seasons. 2. Paint areas that catch light dark. Paint areas that are typically in shadow lighter. 3. Observe how light reacts with your environment during typical operational hours (first light and last light). What directions/shapes do the shadows from your environment make? Mimic these on your gear. 4. Just like your body-worn or shelter camo, consider utilizing vegetation. Texture breaks up outlines far better than color alone.

[@jerrymcdonald6236]

My dad was sf Vietnam vet and growing up the first thing he taught me was tracking, "if you can track a deer you can track a man" is what he used to say.. he also taught me the value of a good fighting knife

[@flaviusiacob1558]

Your dad sounds pretty cool

[@steirabua861]

was your dad John Rambo?

[@keyworksales6241]

@@steirabua861 check the name. His dad is Ronald.

[@kbar9638]

I like your style. I used a hammer

[@Jcar98]

I’m glad he brought up the point that a Hunting/Deer rifle can fulfill a role in a “tactical” environment. A base model R700, Mossberg .308, etc etc, with good glass and good training will still put a hole into something as effectively. Not as high of a rate of fire/ capacity, but working within your means is nothing to look down upon

[@brandonpeall3912]

As an Australian I really needed to hear this

[@chavezhead]

I've shot my 270 Win to 1200 yards with a 2.5-15x50 Bushnell Forge. Definitey solid skills within 700 yards.

[@stevejones3383]

More effectively cuz. .300 win mag is big chimp energy

[@MitchJohnson0110]

Chris Kyle got most of his kills with a Remington 700 chambered in .300. so that should say plenty haha

[@EasyGravy420]

1 mind, ANY weopon....its a mentality

[@dan1273]

"If you're not fit, you're gonna die." Words to live by. Just like the guy that trains with his A4 clone will smoke the guy with his Heckler & Koch MR556A1 that never trained, the guy that took his physical fitness seriously and is able to hike for miles without rest, run for a mile or two without rest, ect. will smoke the guy who sits on his couch all day eating ice cream. Train. Train with your weapon, train your body. Train your mind. Edit: spelling.

[@peterlogan2105]

The slow, the weak, and the stupid die first

[@haleycbrrr]

"Strong people are harder to kill than weak people, and more useful in general." -Mark Rippetoe

[@jamesharding3459]

@@peterlogan2105 So the tacticool larpers?

[@cartersimmons8966]

this hit me like a ton of bricks cause I've been slacking on all forms of training recently... especially In today's political climate, being proficient in recce seems like an insanely useful skill

[@peady64]

Facts. YOU are the weapon. the gun is just a tool of choice. Always be ready.

[@bennelson3724]

My “recce” gun is a 20inch FN upper with 4x32 ACOG and of course a A2 flash hider. Your point of “longer barrels turn training ammo into duty ammo” is EXACTLY how I feel about it

[@rjcoady21]

my bebe, my quasi recce is my 6.8spcII with a 2-7 ballistic drop optic, 18" barrel because speed kills. also A2 cage

[@TictacAddict1]

I was going to ask the question. I want to build a 20" upper, and your logic lines up with mine. Thanks for the comment.

[@bennelson3724]

@@TictacAddict1 20 inch guns are awesome, currently building an 18 inch hbar upper just because it was the first hbar I’ve found but the 20 inch upper will always have a special place in my heart lol

[@warehousejunkie1272]

@@TictacAddict1got a 20 inch 308 that weighs like 12 lbs loaded, absolute dream, tho shes loud and aggressive

[@MiaogisTeas]

Too bad you no longer have that rifle. Sorry to hear it! The air here in Colorado is not clear anymore.

[@thekerr8728]

Remember: if carrying two primary weapons always equip the AMPED perk for faster weapon switches.

[@jakobroynon-fisher9535]

*has 3 primaries and a secondary still* Is this a glitch?

[@yoboitim7624]

im sorry but if you aint carrying a whole gta weapon wheel worth of weapons you are doing it wrong

[@elgoogsucks9005]

It aint called "Battle Rattle" nothing

[@thekerr8728]

Getting a like from father thumb (who is the same age as me) is all I wanted for Christmas

[@elgoogsucks9005]

@@thekerr8728 I heard that every time someone gets a like from GT, an angel gets his tab

[@ChaplainHaladriel]

Canadian Veteran, up in the BC mountains to your north. Great series, great discussions happening here. Times are a changing and those of us with some knowledge need to share it, failing that sharing this video works to. Train hard; fight easy.

[@markevans2725]

I’m just south of you in North Idaho ChaplainHaladriel - yes “times are a changing” be brave and tough ..

[@justinbefort1297]

I'm your neighbor a bit further north in Alaska. If we were to hit a SHTF type scenario I would probably take my 10" 300 Blackout and a 300 PRC into the sticks. Problem for you and I is the diversity of terrain you can encounter in just a small area.

[@superhero6785]

@@justinbefort1297 Hiding in the sticks is great for survival if your goal is to live out the rest of your days in the woods 😉 Others may be able to hold the line, but something tells me that if you're here, you ARE the "someone else" who will take care of business when lady liberty calls out to the hills as she's done a handful of times before.

[@wsucougarx]

Absolutely nailed it with his closing statement about fitness and training. You CANNOT be an effective fighting element if you're huffing and puffing and ready to pass out. Though you might be trained, how long are you going to last? Don't be a walking garage sale for those around you. Something as simple as walking/jogging a mile or two every other day will get the ball rolling. Just take that first step and the rest will follow.

[@johnjacobjinglehimer4568]

Agreed

[@Deltatwo3]

100%

[@Deltatwo3]

@Nathan Henneka haha so true.. plenty of people with plenty of money that want to play tacticool but would end up taking a quick tactinap 😂

[@theeasternfront6436]

I just preached this to my team of buddies, alot of shoe starring ensued. As I reminded them, in an armed confrontation the first thing you should be doing is running.

[@MikeGuadango]

That’s baloney. I eat a bag of cheetos every day and I spend my last dollar on the latest gear. You can exercise all you want but in a fight I’m coming out on top pal

[@ofaoilleachain]

I love how passionate he is about these kinds of topics. This will certainly come in useful someday, as I do hope to live in Montana in the coming years.

[@tacticaltv_us]

Montana is one of the most beautiful places in the United States! The perfect place to hunt/bushcraft, too!

[@ofaoilleachain]

@@tacticaltv_us Thankfully the Lord provided me a partner from there haha, before I met her I considered Idaho(still beautiful), but oh man does the big sky state captivate me!

[@jaredwilliams2357]

Ex Gladio Libertas

[@jb8086]

Really enjoying this series, I live in the mountains and good food for thought. Growing up, the father of a good friend was a Vietnam vet. A sniper on LRRP team and he always said you pack the same amount of food and ammo, “Enough to keep you alive.” Then he’d explain it takes MUCH less food than you think and more ammo than you’d imagine.

[@tacticalmattfoley]

LRRP guys were beasts. Much respect to your father for his service. He was a real hero.

[@samuelthecalled6899]

I asked a Vietnam vet how much ammo he carried on average for a patrol in Vietnam. He said if the option was to take food or ammo, you always took ammo.

[@PhantomZAKU]

This series is pretty dope. I’ve been showing my old section guys this getting feedback and bouncing ideas off of them.

[@wilfdarr]

And you're in the process of making a response video... right?

[@PhantomZAKU]

@@wilfdarr Hell I probably could. Really just been getting notes and what not. Honestly probably just gonna be a really long message broken up into parts.

[@khakipeach2128]

military?

[@verysmallcats1374]

@@PhantomZAKU If you wouldn't mind, could you share some of their knowledge with us? That would be awesome. Two heads>>one.

[@tacticalmattfoley]

This dude is a pretty boy med school drop out. Please tell me y'all are going to put him on blast. He wouldn't last 5 days in the woods. He's basically a LARPer.

[@WildernessMedic]

The best series by far. Shit is getting wild... Please do more videos focusing on tactics and applying skills practically . Thanks for doing these.

[@GarandThumb]

All in good time. One thing at a time

[@M.H.D.actual]

In the meantime, if you'd like more check out the S2 underground channel. They have videos on surveillance, mapping tools, camouflage from drones, ect. Basically a bunch of Intel nerds putting out Intel briefs and trade craft tips and tricks.

[@HanzHermannHoppe]

@Tyreese Swiggsly idk the surveillance state is making urban insurgencies a lot more complicated in developed nations. I think if these conflicts played out under the pervasive surveillance of our modern times, they'd look very different in terms of favored terrain. I'm no soldier, nor geurrila, but sigint is basically my day job and you really dont want to be on the other side of those capabilities in the modern world.

[@ericferguson9989]

@@M.H.D.actual I just stumbled across that channel a month or two ago. Really good content.

[@M.H.D.actual]

@@ericferguson9989 same, i think I went through their back catalog of material in about 3 days. It has expanded my dumb grunt mind for sure.

[@octopussmasher2694]

A carry handle or forward vertical grip can make your life easier if you want to carry your weapon unslung. On a long hike ergonomics are way more important than low weight. Same applies to your pack, pick something comfortable and heavy over something light and uncomfortable. Pain is worse than exhaustion for your endurance in my experience.

[@lessforloans]

This is an under appreciated fact.

[@jvan6582]

Vertical grip is on all of my rifles

[@dsrrecordsent]

20” HBAR AR chambered in 5.56 NATO with rifle length gas system! I went with HBAR for durability, accuracy and ability for sustained fire! Removable Carry handle with adjustable rear sight and A2 front sight/ full size M16 style with a standard retro hand guard for weight savings and a swirl pattern flash hider! With the ability to add an acog ontop of the carry handle or an LVPO or other magnification straight to the flat top by removing the carry handle! (Or ontop of the carry handle if the mission calls for such a setup it’s ready and the true beauty of the removable carry handle is irons never fail and it’s multi purpose/modular👍) The 20” definitely turns range ammo into duty ammo/rifle length is smooth as all heck and a whisper pickle on a 20” is great for killing flash, adding a bit of velocity and reducing the sound signature when needed! Running an adjustable stock on the 20” retro setup in all matte black allows it to blend in most locations also with nothing on it to reflect light while being adjustable and 5.56 out of a 20” barrel strikes like thunder and is exactly as Eugene stoner intended🫡

[@vicnighthorse]

I am not a soldier anymore and thus am watching these just from the perspective of an old prepper that intends to avoid gun fights. I live at 8,200' on the edge of a national forest in WY. On the north slopes, the spruce, lodgepole pine and the corpses of the dead and fallen ones make it so not only are LOSs of more than 100yds infrequent, stepping over the trees and rocks makes hiking very very challenging. When we moved here it took several weeks for us to completely acclimate. One's first week, one has very little endurance. My current primary 10.5"bbl AR fighting rife is 5.4lb without mag and suppressor. With my usual mag it is about 6.6lbs. Put on the big quiet suppressor and it is 7.8lbs and long. Believe me when I say that gun starts feeling HEAVY fast. I am not planning for protracted gun fights as it is just my wife and I and a few neighbors even older than us up here - we just can't do that sort of thing. In a total collapse most of us would die from lack of prescriptions anyway. As just moving up and down these slopes is so exhausting I am configuring a much lighter and shorter weapon - a DBX 5.7 for carry most of the time. It may seem like a pea shooter but getting in gunfights is no way to live and a 4.1lb gun (loaded and suppressed) is much more doable for those of not in our physical primes. I suspect that even a 10/22 lite is a more appropriate mountain 'scouting' gun for us physically challenged non soldier people. I apologize to those who think I have gone off topic.

[@tacticalmattfoley]

Very cool advice and info from a real dude. Thanks, man.

[@nookied3735]

You're not off topic at all brother. We're all in different situations and you have to do what makes sense for you and your family. You brought up a great point, which is to make avoiding a gunfight the priority. If you can do that one thing, you're survivability jumps up considerably.

[@christcarscountry6870]

Interesting point. The mountains can weigh you down more than your gear can.

[@jacobgill4808]

Just keep in mind what rifle do you want and how much mags/ammo if you have to make a last stand at your home or close by...maybe pick the most defensible spot near you and have a plan b..

[@Chiller01]

I like that. “Most of us would die from lack of prescriptions anyway.” Excellent and very real response.

[@Jerkwilkesbooth]

Even if this series ends up as your least popular, imo it may well be the most important. Thank you for imparting your knowledge to us so that we may do our best in the case of protecting our Lives and our Liberty. I've done a lot of training with a group indoors; but now after moving to the PNW I need to acquiesce to a more important, relevant, and likely scenario which would be in the bush. Even if you safely bug-in for a few months, there will be a day where one will have to leave their castle to survive. I gotta quit smoking the cigarettes.

[@woahdude3853]

Best decision you'll ever make. Start a little now, I was smoking a carton a week almost in the army, I felt a trillion times better after quitting. I believe in you

[@sabre8862]

All it takes is one day. Maybe don't cold turkey that shit, but one day is all you need to start a positive trend. Peace to you and yours.

[@mattnsac]

Theres a reason that everyone chews

[@laurenhuber7814]

I quit 9 months ago. It’s worse in your head than it is in reality. Just fucking do it. You can.

[@Blakewater0326]

AMMUNITION: The point of ammunition carried is a big one to keep in mind. Going off the topic of load out as mentioned in the previous video, you need to carry at least the minimum combat load out of an infantryman, being 6-8 magazines. Coming from 17 years in Marine Force Recon, we often carried 12 magazines based on lessons learned from Vietnam and more recent events. You aren't likely to use your full load out in one engagement, unless you are the type who only prescribes to micro rigs because of social media. As a ground reconnaissance team you are your own Quick Reaction Force (QRF) and your own fire support. Often you are operating beyond the range of ground based fire support systems, and Close Air Support (CAS) relies on your ability to call that support to your position in the first place. Long range communications often require static positions to set up the antenna for them, then presuming you can get the word out you are likely looking at 30 minutes before air is on station, and then you will have limited play time based on the platform. Meaning you need to have your shit wired tight to run as many missions as possible and get rounds on target before your support is low on fuel and needs to bug out. You must also make the assumption that if you are compromised you will be hunted. If you're being hunted you can expect to roll in and out of contact until you can be extracted from the area, and that could be quite a ways. Therefore you should carry A LOT of ammo for your rifle on you. You can have some in your go-bag in the ruck, but consider your overall balance and the procedures for that versus having that ammo on your fighting load. Additionally consider smoke for screening, incendiary for destruction of equipment and creating fire barriers between you and a pursuing enemy, 40mm munitions, and frag grenades. Obviously not all of those are truly applicable in a CONUS sense of the problem between accessibility to them and likelihood of actually needing them. For the military guys that is absolutely a consideration and should be part of your SOPs.

[@JohnDoe-mp1yn]

what chest rigs, belts, etc. do you recommend?

[@Blakewater0326]

@@JohnDoe-mp1yn for chest rigs I prefer MOLLE platforms with built in magazine storage. I used to run ESSTAC Boar series rigs which gave me 8 mags built in and allowed me to setup the remaining load out as I wanted. The best chest rig for you will depend on your needs; what is your total load out? For belts, my favorite belt so far is the Ferro Bison. Lots of good belts out there using the two-belt system of load bearing and liner belt. If you want to run full belt kit then I would recommend some suspenders just to help the weight from pulling down and keeping the belt where you want. That could mean suspenders to the belt, or suspenders for your trousers.

[@joeyfredrickson9827]

That’s a lot of good insight, thank you

[@enigmakashman3501]

Do you carry more ammo on top of the 12 mags (360 bullets) to load empty magazines, or is 12 mags the maximum?

[@Blakewater0326]

@@enigmakashman3501 just the one mag in the gun to bring the load out total to 13. Some guys would split the load between their rig and their go bag in the ruck. The idea of such a large load out is to not have to re-jam mags with loose rounds. This is for conducting ground and deep ground reconnaissance where there is little to no support in the event of compromise. Infantrymen will often carry spare ammo in bandoliers in lieu of extra loaded mags.

[@wilmoney4619]

In Canada in my platoon (recce) we taped beneath our ejection port covers to dampen the sound of the ejection port cover flapping open. Instead of that loud click of it opening it became almost in audible. It’s amazing how loud something as small as that is when you’re trying to be silent.

[@mdubc405]

More important than what you wear or what color your weapon is, is having an intimate knowledge of small unit tactics and making sure anyone you’re with is on the same page.

[@abcdefbcdefg8352]

just dont wear a hunting vest lol

[@gerneticut]

I've gone to a few small unit tactics classes and they were worth their weight in gold.

[@Reticulosis]

… and also having fun, and the friends you make along the way?

[@PrinceOfWhaless]

Having a team/squad that's all on the same page and can know the next move without needing to discuss it will save your shit when you need to move fast or quietly

[@BAAest2019]

And even more broadly understanding that mountains make men into children if you’re not properly trained. Even graduating SERE, I’m still not nearly as comfortable as I’d like to be

[@HavocHz]

Ngl this is the most anticipated I’ve been for a series in a while, and indeed calls for a solid day of really focusing on where I myself and the small group fall short and to hone in the areas we are overlooking or lacking. Looking forward to the knowledge to come. Cheers.

[@lolsalot1000]

I hope you havent given up on this series, I for one am truly excited to see where you plan to take it and im excited to learn more about this aspect of bushcraft.

[@scottlear9162]

Hey, Mike, thanks for the refresher course. I'm almost 50 years old and a veteran of AFSOC. I started during Desert Storm as a PJ and more or less everything else is something I can't discuss on social media. The only thing I can tell you is that after Desert Storm the remainder of my Air Force career was spent in Combat Control (first in last out kind of shit). Both light and extended recon, hunter-killer teams and all of the wonderful fucking paradise that comes with exploring the wilderness in parts of Mother Earth I am not allowed to talk about. So, you teach survival training, huh? I remember going through that training at Fairchild in Spokane, WA. A place I had never even fucking heard of until it became a part of my training. Beautiful part of the U.S.A., though. From one military man to another keep the good videos coming brother. I don't know if you realize this, but you are training the people who just might become the militia as defined in the 2A.

[@Mark-br8yh]

Yes indeed. And I think that's his whole point of doing these videos.

[@kamouflage11B]

Pj is awesome man. Heal with one hand kill with the other essentially if medic and infantry had a kid. Awesome

[@glennbrymer4065]

​

[@glennbrymer4065]

Truism

[@chipsawdust5816]

That school near Spokane has been there for years and has a helluva rep.

[@mrjosh92100]

As someone who spends entirely too much time in the woods I can say that Listening is a big deal (protect your hearing!) This may sound crazy but birds will always try to alert other birds to danger, and birds typically can see a lot more then you can from their vantage point. So next time you hear a bird making noise, there might be another person around. Or it’s responding to your presence meaning you’re doing something wrong 👍

[@areus2016]

One hundred percent correct. Birds, and squirrels too.

[@crewchief5144]

I'm totally fuhked. 80% disability rating thanks to hearing loss, tinnitus, old guy vision, and complete loss of sense of smell that I thought was due to burn pits (turns out it was an undiagnosed TBI, which a bad-ass nurse at Bonham VA pieced together) and sleep apnea -which makes me a heavy breather (I also MIGHT be a few pounds heavier than when I retired). I might as well have lights and sirens going when I try stalking, so I 100% trust what the animals are doing. If I can't see critters, the game's already over.

[@garyc3936]

Do you believe in Bigfoot, they say even the bugs get quiet when he’s around.

[@crewchief5144]

@@garyc3936 Is that like "bus boys come to my house the fish stop swimmin'"?

[@tyjohnston5889]

And if there's vultures circling you then that's never good.

[@tonydowd8566]

It was a cold winter's day in the hills of Western KY. I led my team of 8 men up on to a herd of bedding whitetail deer. I was rather impressed with our skills. We were 60 yards out and they never knew we were there. If you think you are moving too slow, slow down.

[@drawncept8391]

Greetings from the other side of the state, brother. Hope you guys (Westerners) rebuild soon and keep those heads up.

[@tonydowd8566]

@@drawncept8391 thank you. I'm actually about 20 minutes north of Mayfield. My heart is broken for all those who have lost so much. Family and friends, home's and businesses.

[@operatpoor9445]

Central KY here. Good to know my brothers to the left and right are in here too.

[@flavortown3781]

@@tonydowd8566 hey man I'm sitting in a TCP in central right now, we are trying to get everyone power much live from the 1-149

[@everydayfleettech2286]

Love this series. Side series request. Can you please show basic trapping, hunting and water purification methods? It amazes me how many people think they can run to the mountains with all the latest wiz bang gear to survive and have zero life experiences.

[@tonylutchka7219]

Sawyer mini carry a dropper bottle with chlorine. For trapping in field light weight use snares you can buy them as small for rabbits squirrel and sizes go up to hogs .

[@w_stew8912]

@@tonylutchka7219 that’s true. A few drops of bleach in water filtered through rocks and moss, or even just filtered through a sock can make gallons of water potable.

[@slipknnnot]

@@w_stew8912 nmmmmmmm.... Nothing more refreshing than bleached *sock water*

[@jmyoung513]

@@w_stew8912 only have to worry about smell at that point. And double bag your dropper. You don't want a white spot on the bottom of your pack, and to smell like chlorine for months. I can usually smell the pool on me for days afterwards. And the more I swim, the longer the smell lasts, but it is better on the knees than running.

[@w_stew8912]

@@slipknnnot let it sit for a couple hours and it tastes just like tap water. But cleaner.

[@overcomerarchery2870]

Everything Garand said was true and a wealth of information, but the game changer from having the best camouflauge to being killed is FLIR, Thermal Vision. If I were being hunted I would ask myself, " How can I defeat Thermal? ". At least one out of 12 in an enemy squad will have some sort of thermal scope or thermal monocular. Also Thermal will be used from enemy helicopters and drones. So every minute man should carry some sort of heavy mylar blanket or a wool banket to survive an enemy invasion force using FLIR. Because with the best camouflauge in the middle of a big clump of brush, YOU WILL BE DEFEATED. Any elaboration on this comment Garand?

[@zerberus_ms]

My brother was a sniper in IDF, and he said that he had to use the blanket multiple times, regardless of the intense heat that he was in even without it. It's an oven, but it's an invisible one, and that's all that matters.

[@afseeling]

Remember, the heat you emit will escape around the edges of your mylar. That is a signature you need to work with and try to mitigate and disperse.

[@cybr3948]

He recently made a new video on that exact subject.

[@nicholasfevelo3041]

Ghillie suits will disperse at least some of the heat signature

[@kuan098760]

just drop like a rock and look like a rock you will be good

[@Fredfredbug4]

Just wanted to say thanks for giving us this info for free. This stuff is absolutely priceless, especially for us civvies.

[@matthewriegner5180]

There are places online you can find the actual military training manuals/info for this kind of stuff also.

[@zach3096]

Did he really say much though?

[@PrimetimeNut]

It’s literally all common sense…

[@damianwilliams7401]

You’re not a civvie 🫡

[@MrEpeeFencer]

@@zach3096 Nope. Anyone who played paintball as a kid already knew this stuff.

[@lakesideproperties2617]

This is undoubtedly your most valuable series, filled with great insights and examples like why not to paint your suppressor and minimizing reflective surfaces. Please keep expanding this series.

[@MajorMiscreant]

Truly our internet Dad, trying to teach us how to survive in the coming days. God Bless you Mike.

[@stormprooftraining2012]

You’re a pretty humble guys for someone who’s done as much as you have and for the amount of training you’ve received. That’s what keeps me coming back to this channel. You don’t act like you have something to prove or like your desperate to be somebody. Great information with a wealth of knowledge. Thank you for sharing and for your service.

[@jeremymylan9429]

This is going to be one of those series that we'll continuously go back to and reference over the years as one of the most important pieces of media we can consume. Mike, can you do a video of how to get in touch with people and and organize to prepare if you don't have a group already? I feel like any help of that would help so many people (myself included) out a lot! As always though thanks for the amazing series!

[@beardly0121]

Join a gun club for one thing. Talk to people there...

[@Mirageknight2133]

Definitely consider talking to some of the folks at the gun store or range when you go. Ask them about the guns they have and see where the conversation goes. Just the other day, I went to the range and this guy and I really hit it off. I let him use my 870 and he let me use his AR. He was cool

[@brianbennett1136]

Find like-minded people. Go to church, the gun range, gun store. You name it

[@HardWoodHauler]

Don't count on videos like this being kept on youtube take notes

[@rickypickles2219]

be in a place where people are like minded....im currently in process of moving down south...I live in NY state. people will roll over and do what theyre told here. actively looking for prepper groups in south/mid US as well...if your looking or asking others im in

[@tiggalong227]

A piece of advice I was given by a royal marine friend was when part of a team check what they use and see if it’s interchangeable with what you use. Be it batteries, bullets, optics or accessories then you can mutually support. It may not be a perfect match but in a pinch it doesn’t have to be.

[@jcwebb540]

Exactly. I'm watching this thinking how perfect a caliber 6.5 Grendel would be for this work. But what good is it when everyone else is carrying 556?

[@Matallen-es5rs]

Interchangeable components between your team is huge but don't spread load essential gear. Redundant as it is, everyone should carry what they need because shit happens. Gear accountability is hard to do in the dark when movement is a must!

[@Night-Owl-]

@@jcwebb540 same. *sad 7.62x39 noises*

[@mothman1654]

​@@jcwebb540 I mean, I just grabbed an 18" upper with exactly this in mind, so I doubt you'll have trouble finding other folks.

[@seanlowry7848]

My squad leader used to make us do a rattle test everytime before we went out. We'd have to jump up and down and do a few rolls on the ground. And then find any sources of noise and 100mph tape or 550 cord it down. Also 100mph tape on all flat metal surfaces. To ensure we were as quiet as possibly when moving to an OP. Also checking the others in our squad for missed spots on skin to camo up. It was a little tedious. But is pretty important for that kind of work.

[@tacticalmattfoley]

This is the best advice I've seen in this comments section.

[@Token_Black_Guy]

I've read about the rattle test in a seal book

[@uglydog311]

Platoon Sgt. also made us remove our slings .

[@TheDoorspook11c]

Yaaasss let the infantry flow through you

[@soonerfrac4611]

Was looking for this comment. This is one of the most important things people forget.

[@mornords]

As someone not living in the states, but the northern part of Europe I find it difficult to have those types of fire arms you have. After living the army I longer have access to this. So for now my hunting rifle will do. Love the content you are making!

[@jacob_beck]

Which country? Just wondering.

[@pieterveenders9793]

It's harder, true, but you can legally own AR-15's and AK-47's in every Northern European country with the exception of the UK, so if you really want one then it is possible.

[@Blakewater0326]

LIGHTS: Having a fighting rifle is great for all mission types. Something to consider though, for actual reconnaissance and surveillance work, is if you actually need to have a weapon light mounted at all. Mike made a great point about covering the light, even if you have one of the Surefire heads that can switch to IR, as reflection of light off your equipment is going to be just as much concern as negligent discharge of light energy. Something else to consider for both weapon lights and your IR aiming and illuminator will be those negligent discharges. Lots of people have night vision and lots of cameras can see IR. So your normal fighting rifle setup of pressure pads isn't always a good idea on recce. Instead consider switching the setup to direct activation by your support hand thumb. Still cover and protect the lenses with covers to mitigate light NDs and cut down your shine. Very often I altogether removed my white light for what we called "greenside" work, or going on Reconnaissance & Surveillance (R&S) patrols out in the bush: jungle, desert, mountain, forest, swamp, beaches and hinterland. If working primarily in "blackside", which is to say urban environment (named that way because our shooter's kit used to be all black), then I would keep my gun setup in a "normal" fighting rifle setup because those tools are more likely to be used. There were times that we conducted R&S with the intent of ambushing enemy forces, and so at times I left my weapon light on with an IR filter cap taped on. The point is to make sure your gun is set up to how you need and don't carry extra crap out with you. It can get you compromised and also work to just weigh you down. Ounces equal pounds, and pounds equal pain.

[@doejohn8674]

Thank you for your perspective, I was also wondering about the need for white light in a patrol mission in the woods.

[@Blakewater0326]

@@doejohn8674 I would only have a white light if we had a "be prepared to" tasking of vehicle interdiction or we were prepared to roll into the assault force during pre-assault recon & surveillance. If just a ground recon or amphib recon/ surveillance mission the there wasn't a need for white light. Surefire Vampire lights are great in that regard because you can set up your blaster for a multitude of tasks and keep the light on IR to mitigate light NDs.

[@doejohn8674]

@@Blakewater0326 Thanks for your detailed reply!

[@byronnlangley]

White light is great if you come into contact with someone in a building or cabin and need to clear that area in the dark but but you need low light training to be able to execute that kind of stuff correctly.

[@byronnlangley]

White light is great if you come into contact with someone in a building or cabin and need to clear that area in the dark but but you need low light training to be able to execute that kind of stuff correctly.

[@aeropilot8279]

I love how Gerand Thumb just hands out actual genuine advice for stuff like this for free lmao, i love it

[@stickfighter1038]

Strongly agree that for mountain terrain, a longer range rifle in say 300 WM should be somewhere in your team. A light weight Steyr 300 WM or similar bolt action is really not all that bad to carry on your back in a proper setup and give you reach. Paracord is great for a quiet sling setup. Enjoy this topic and series because it is relevant to both military and civilian applications.

[@carloshernandez2561]

I was considering 6.5 creedmoor for a DMR set up. I grew up in appalachia and could see the use of have something longer range but not too heavy.

[@jordanlarson8310]

Get a proof research or a Q rifle in 300win mag? Some 5-6 lbs rifle to carry around would be nice

[@iLLeag7e]

knowledge of how to move and survive in one's immediate environment is always worth pursuing if you are a human. Those who forget perish first, history shows again and again

[@davidb9323]

Does WM have less recoil than 30.06?

[@jordanlarson8310]

@@davidb9323 no lol but better ballistics and more impact force at range

[@AntiATF]

Added note on barrel length in regards to SLLS: longer barrel = more powder burn = less muzzle flash.

[@tmmccormick86]

For camo, I recommend painting just a solid base color, like FDE. Gray is also an extremely useful color- there are more than 50 official shades and it's nearly impossible for the human eye to differentiate between them all. With a solid base color, I prefer to wrap it with burlap fabric that I've spray painted with whatever color pallette I need. AK Operators Union has a great how to video on his page. The burlap allows me to change the camo of my rifle as I move between terrain types or when the weather changes between summer, fall, winter, etc.

[@tmmccormick86]

@TheICE1024 man I didn't even think about that before I rounded down lol

[@jacobl6714]

neutral shades aren't something that're seen in nature though? I 1000% don't know better than you : p I just know that black, gray, and white don't occur in nature so maybe a battleship gray? One with just a teeny shmuts of blue/purple lol

[@tmmccormick86]

@@jacobl6714 grays do occur in nature, but what's at play here is that the human eye struggles to pick gray out when it's used as a shading color between 2 other colors, say FDE and OD. The eye will interpret it as a darker shade of one or the other and the brain will see it as a natural shadow.

[@jacobl6714]

@@tmmccormick86 oh I see what you mean, yes that's true and I'm curious to know how much that may help. I think a lot of people have seen that thing that went round facebook/the internet a while back where two squares that looked like they were different colors had a gray line drawn through them, showing that they were the same That's really interesting tom, I've never thought of that in a camo application. So you'd do what, gray stripes over different splotches of color, or have gradients maybe? Just wondering what you think would work best man, and I admit I was mistaken btw, you're right neutrals like gray do occur in nature, turns out I was thinking of complete black and complete white. Apparently Magenta is one of the only colors that isn't in the world naturally, I wonder if a really desaturated shade of that could be used in camo lol

[@tmmccormick86]

@@jacobl6714 in application on a rifle, what I would do is paint my top color- the lightest in the pattern I want, let's say green- in an uneven way across the rifle. Make it look good and mottled. Then I'd place the biggest leaves I can find over it and do 1 of 2 techniques; either spray your gray on across the whole rifle and shift the leaves over ~.25-.5 inches before applying your darker color (say brown in this example), or spray brown first and then spray gray around the bottom and one side edge of the leaves, making sure they are all shaded on the same side. For the second technique, you'll need to spray really close and there will probably be liquid run off to deal with, so keep that in mind.

[@gwman90]

I’m super grateful to see you return to this type of valuable, long format content. I’ll watch them as fast as you can make them because I learn something useful to apply to my own systems in every single one. Thank you!

[@joldidjeridoos6026]

I helped my daughter with her school project of making a rifle stock camo. We harvested local leaves and bark. We made rubbings on tracing paper with a half of a carpenter's pencil (gets every detail). The tracing paper was then taped onto cereal box cardboard and cut out with an Exacto. Three versions were made of each camo palette, cutting a background, foreground, and detail layer for each color of Krylon camo. Takes some time, but looks very natural.

[@hunterprokurat9909]

Thats a cool school then mine gives suspensions if youre a hunter damn near

[@Fenian420]

Amazes me how many schools will currently neglect survival teachings. Maybe the dude isnt a hardliner, maybe the guy just wants to ensure his youngings have skills to survive??? Besides hunting/camouflage, mortgages and finances... jfc.

[@crewchief5144]

That's a damn good father right there. Feel like adopting a 50-year-old? I have a "school project" coming up that involves hydrostatic dipping but I would rather do it like that.

[@agmsmith4079]

What school?!? I want to send my kids there!!!

[@walkerjian]

"don't shove it in the folds" nothing but the unvarnished truth from this man; one does not want manscaped folds, no sirree :)

[@richardschafer7858]

Decades ago, when I was recon platoon stationed with the Airborne in Vicenza, our 1SG was an old LRRP guy from Vietnam. We learned so much from this man. Just shut your mouth, listen, absorb and apply.

[@adamg574]

If you’ve ever been an instructor on an infantry dp1 course and got your section lost in the training area on a recce ex, go ahead and hit that like button (Canadian terms for you Ameri’bros)

[@freezepop6389]

Adam, what would be something you would tell an absolute FNG about Recce that Flannel Daddy didn't cover?

[@striker8paints]

Wouldn't know about being an instructor or grunt getting lost but as an E4 pog I've gotten plenty of butter bars un lost when down range.

[@wilfdarr]

You weren't lost, you were expanding the training parameters. 😉 Also, it's BMQ so I'm sure they didn't mind a little excitement.

[@StreetIrregular]

HA! Exact scenario happened to me a number of times in Meaford and Pet.

[@thekerr8728]

If they don’t know you’re lost; you’re not lost.

[@pandafish5926]

In the mountains of the Stan on the Pak border I carried an 18" spr and could effectivley engage from ridge to ridge. It was heavy though, but hte trade off was worth it. later I took a light infantry platoon to NTC and was used as a brigade recon asset. We did recon, counter recon, anti-armor, and interdiction. We were able to win against larger mechanized forces by using the mountains and terrain to our advantage. Get high, cover routes of ingress, keep open an egress, and use direct fire and indirect fire to deny the enemy and canalize them for destruction. Now that i''m retired, I mostly recon the class VI, and deny sobriety a foothold...

[@Qunyc1985]

Yea? What happens when you have no resupply? This is a real scenario coming to fruition .....scan the comments....

[@Christoph-sd3zi]

You guys won? Huh

[@williamt7873]

A light infantry platoon destroying over a company of enemy armor and an enemy infantry platoon in 36 hours was definitely winning for my platoon.

[@pandafish5926]

@@Qunyc1985 Not sure about the context of your reply to my post. I've conducted ops with and without resupply. The cool thing about being a diversely trained Infantryman with decades of experience in varied environments is that you can live without resupply. A light unit can live off the land as well as implement and use captured enemy weapons. I have used AKs in combat. I can operate RPGs, and russian grenade launchers (taught by afghan armY). The most important thing is that I can and have taught these skills. knowledge and the ability to apply it is powerful, but unless coupled with the absolute desire to win, it is useless.

[@muddcnt7138]

Good advice, I will add that the open desert terrain of NTC, and the high priority target list of the enemy you killed (more than likely looking for enemy armor, and not you guys dismounted in the hills) probably added to your success. Heavy cover and concealment in more wooded environments creates a different set of limitations and advantages.

[@freshjnew]

How can so many videos be nothing but solid advice? Dude is a gift from God.

[@trevorsheppard157]

I live in the desert (West Texas), we don’t have mountains-maybe a small hill here or there but mostly flat terrain and a lot of sand/dirt. I believe everything that Mike talks about in these vids can be applied to my area I live in.

[@samuelthecalled6899]

So then would most of your engagements occur at long-ish distances? I'm curious as to what your primary rifle and caliber is?

[@deplorablesrus8457]

@@samuelthecalled6899 Might be a good idea to consider .308 for example

[@userJohnSmith]

@@samuelthecalled6899 I can't see recce or anything like it being relevant for more than hunting down there. You can spot people from over a mile away with ease in most of west Texas (Colorado born, west Texas family heritage and land so plenty of experience with both). I wouldn't go so far as to say this is all pointless down there but it's pretty damn close unless you're close to a stream, with tree cover, at night. It'd been like expecting an infantry fight on open sand in Iraq. Even for hunting, just go around in a vehicle and/or shoot from long ranges.

[@carabinapacifista5627]

@@userJohnSmith remember that recce can be done with just a pair of binoculars, a radio, and a lot of crawling

[@userJohnSmith]

@@carabinapacifista5627 Rendered pointless by a Jeep in a matter of seconds. Seriously, he's talking about this in the context of mountains for a reason. I've lived, shot, and hunted in mountains and on plains. The skills aren't significantly transferable in either context. You're not sneaking up on a deer or antelope on the flatlands nor scouting anything of tactical significance on a modern battlefield out there on foot. To kind of make my point, 5 miles in the mountains is a significant distance on trail, a major task off trail, and not going to happen in a vehicle without a road or significant desertification. 5 miles on plains is 10-20 minutes in a vehicle off road.

[@emmettboola]

This is by far my favourite series. Keep it up!

[@TheArizonaRanger.]

While we are still fortunate to have legends alive you need to get some SOG guys to talk about recce skills. We love to hear their stories but I'd love to also understand their capabilities.

[@libertylivesin1776]

Mason...The numbers....what do they mean?

[@sunnycat69]

Recon by fire 👌🏻

[@GarandThumb]

Yessir, we’ll have many guests on soon

[@Hercules1-v9m]

Many books out there written by SOG guys. A few that come to mind are Across The Fence, On The Ground, and Secret Commandos. Jocko Willink has several interviews on his podcast of SOG guys and the indigenous forces they worked with.

[@TheArizonaRanger.]

@@Hercules1-v9m Yep, like I said we love to hear their stories but we never really get them from an educational skills perspective.

[@WildcatTrucker]

This video is the one that got me into looking at developing skills to help me. I keep coming back to garand thumb to learn more and more things I don't know. Thank you for your videos and knowledge. Keep it up

[@sciloj]

There's a great technique in camouflage that is utilized by the majority of large animals living in environments similar to PNW woods (greetings from roughly 70 miles to the South, by the way). Look at elk or moose - they have darker back and lighter belly, legs. It helps to break their massive bodies up in half and to counter the effect of shadows. And, their legs blend better with lighter grass while the body blends with darker foliage and trunks or branches. People have better options because we can put on a darker olive jacket and lighter brown pants, for example (or Multicam arid pants and Multicam tropic jacket, whatever works best). It might seem counterintuitive when you look at yourself in the mirror, but it works great outdoors, with some careful thought, of course. Same could be applied to rifle camouflage, and even larger equipment, because parts that generally receive less light, can be touched with a lighter paint.

[@luisalmeida777]

Exactly! Just remember UK SOF in Afghanistan/Iraq wearing desert pants and greenside jackets/smoks. And not only for camo purposes, probably, also disrupt the apearance of a uniform/BDU, making identification more dificult. Just my 2 cents...

[@sciloj]

@@luisalmeida777, the shape disruption is an interesting effect when the pattern is done correctly. As the video says, a lot of people go into too small details. They do it because they intuitively feel that it has to blend with all those small details of the environment when observed at a close distance. But they fail to create larger tone transitions that matter when an object is observed from a greater distance. If an object appears solid-colored when you step away from it to a reasonable distance, you paid too much attention to small details and no attention to large ones.

[@luisalmeida777]

@@sciloj true! Its kind of like a painting, its made to be looked at at a certain distance, not right on front of your nose, or you will fail to see the big picture, and get stuck in those small details!

[@alexcanada5086]

Similarly winter camo is used that way in the open full whites skirting treelin white bottom dark top deep in the woods full dark open with shrubs white top dark pants

[@sciloj]

@@luisalmeida777, exactly, except for with camouflage, you can make different "paintings" to be observed from different distances. Say, you can paint the rear and the front parts of your rifle in different hues for an observer 200 yards away, then add smaller spots for an observer who's much closer. That's exactly why DPM and Rhodesian camo patterns have huge spots and smaller streaks over them.

[@Matallen-es5rs]

I was fortunate enough to train with some elete forces in my career, one of the biggest skill sets I took away was detailed observational skills. Pausing a moment to scan an area and really pay attention to what is there can save your life. All it takes is a squared off corner of a piece of gear that doesn't look natural to shine a perverbial light on a threat.

[@Yaboifootchie]

This is why anyone wanting to be serious about this stuff should try hunting. Preferably for something like deer, turkey, or bear. You will quickly realize how much you stink, how loud you are, and how impatient you are.

[@DutchTraveler]

I would love to, as a civilian, to go through a RECCE course or training. It seems like something I would really enjoy.

[@HanzHermannHoppe]

John Lovell teaches a long range patrolling course, 1 Shephard leadership institute does some very interesting group events designed around LRRPs too where they rig your rifle up with blank firing adaptors and MILES (basically fancy laser tag) and perform SUT in platoon sized elements for like 72 hours in the woods.

[@DutchTraveler]

@@HanzHermannHoppe thanks for the info. I’ll check it out.

[@xsweetxvampirousx]

Z. Minor that sounds fuckin sick. Thanks for bringing it up

[@carabinapacifista5627]

@@DutchTraveler There are some civilian training schools taught by former SF dudes who teach a lot of cool things like long range and even basic sniper lessons.

[@Kilo-Mike]

Read books. And practice on your own or with friends. Take notes on things you would like to ask a trained professional, and keep practicing until your ready. But really just go have fun doing it. I always had enjoyed it, something about it heightens your senses. You begin to see better at night and hear everything, and walk and breath differently. After a few days you smell everything around you. Also when you are staying point at night. Keep your eyes moving, always, and focus out of the corner of your eye. Don’t look at things dead on. If you keep your eyes still you begin to see things that are not there and they play tricks on you.

[@theangrymarine3479]

As someone who is an ex marine and lives in Washington, this video gave me great perspective and what I need to change for myself. Love these videos you put out Mike.

[@ekscalybur]

From my limited knowledge in recon (US Cav), great pieces of gear are very nice, but don't forget that each piece is part of an entire system. After you've quieted your weapon like Garand pointed out in this video, put on all your gear and move around with your weapon like you'd normally move around. Does your weapon interact with your chest rig creating noise? Does the way you carry your weapon while walking around cause it to interact with any velcro? Velcro doesn't make a ton of noise, but what it does make is a noise that is 100% foreign to a natural environment and an unnatural sound will jump out to someone paying attention just as easily as sudden movement. Does your gait cause your weapon to bounce against your magazines? As we get further into this series, I hope Garand focuses some time on comms. While I was doing the Scout thing, my most important tool and most effective piece of firepower was my radio. Since this Recce series is CONUS focused, that's going to require some special consideration.

[@beefstuart8769]

Great points. I never realized how loud my gear was until I practiced/larped with my gear in the middle of the national forest on a very calm, quiet afternoon. Sling buckle banging on a mag in my PC. Realizing how startling velcro sounds. Nylon rubbing against nylon. None of that registered on static ranges before. For comms I got my technician ham license and joined a couple of groups with very experienced ham guys. AHRN (AmCon) are pretty heavily devoted to that side of things and practice regularly. I do SOTA (summits on the air) activations here in CO which combines hiking/climbing with radio operation for bulding that skillset all while keeping fit and being outdoors. I’ve hit guys from 40 miles away on 2m simplex with my 5w handheld from a summit. Pretty amazing what those can do if you’re up high enough. Gear wise for my “RECCE” kit: I run a Yaesu VX-6 (UHF/VHF) handheld through a Disco32 Nexus PTT to a set of Sordins. My “team” antenna is a disco32 cord antenna strung through the webbing on the back of my PC. I’ll also use a N9TAX roll-up antenna which significantly increases range (if desirable) or a 15” signal stick which is excellent for in between. But running low power like 1w to reduce an RF signature has its benefits. I have other radios but like the VX-6 because it’s a waterproof but small and light brick of a radio. It also can TX in the 220mhz space which almost no one uses making it desirable for a number of reasons. I think it’s the best (only?) field-grade civilian HT available. HF is a whole other beast that IMO falls out of scope of the recce context due to equipment weight, complexity and antenna deployment constraints.

[@shaunschneeberger6301]

Don’t forget is everything properly fixed even your bush hat. When tired you easily loose your gear and doing that leaves a trail. You never leave anything behind not even your shit you carry it with you in a bag. Great video but there is a lot more detail like you mention velcro, even from the shoes you wear to not using soaps. Our bush hats use to be paracord to our uniforms. And so was all the other lose items.

[@ballisticintegrity9741]

I’m loving the serious nature of these videos. There is a time and place for humor, but shits getting real. Thank you Garand Thumb

[@Mike-gg7ip]

in what way? most of what i see is manufactured outrage

[@ballisticintegrity9741]

@@Mike-gg7ip Mike don’t you feel things are off? This country is divided big time.

[@Mike-gg7ip]

​@@ballisticintegrity9741 i agree, but the country is divided because a third of the country eat active measures for breakfast, are completely addicted to it and think they are some kind of hero spending most of their time fantasizing about killing their countrymen over masks and reading to kill a mockingbird in school

[@ballisticintegrity9741]

@@Mike-gg7ip Thanks for the dialogue. Do you have solutions because I don’t.

[@Mike-gg7ip]

@@ballisticintegrity9741 not really no. to be honest there are some people i know who have bought in and i've given up on engaging because there seems to be no reaching them. it's truly scary how effective psyop can be. the violent threats i've heard on recordings of school board meetings in my county are insanely frightening. i wish i did have some semblance of solution

[@lootgoblin768]

One thing I learned from my time in a Recce troop (UK) is don't be afraid to get you and your kit dirty... Like don't become a walking swamp but wear your kit in well and whatever nature you collect on you, leave it there as long as it doesn't smell godawful but more importantly NEVER go on a recce with fresh smelling gear or sweaty smelling gear, use oderless deoderant, soap etc and as for your rifle theres quite a few of oderless cleaning agents you can use too. People underestimate how important smell is.

[@FT4Freedom]

Baking soda for the wash. Just cycle it twice. Don't eat spices or aromatics. Merino wool will do a lot to keep your sent down and your clothing quiet. Paper towel and 30% isopropyl/water in spray bottle great for cleaning and reducing microbials.

[@tmmccormick86]

Arm and hammer for teeth- the mint found in most toothpaste can be smelled 100m away.

[@davidb9323]

@@tmmccormick86 whoa

[@DB-yj3qc]

Especially the Dumb Asses That use the shit to smell good n fresh. Baking soda is great stuff another note: if you wash clothes in a washing machine with regular detergent it's got UV brightener added.... So you glow in N.V. or UV light. I've found many over that. Sweep a IR light watching with Nod's spot the glow.

[@cliffdickson6524]

Big round of applause to the channel Garand Thumb. I was in IDF's Infantry some time ago. I thought I knew it all. Thanks Garand it's been a humbling experience learning all I was not familiar in my service time by following you guys. Defenently RECCE I was never part of wood training or unit. Stay hostile.

[@xavierdionne6514]

So you were part of the genocide? Not something to be proud about

[@burn1bob]

I’m a Veteran 19D and I was so excited to see my favorite Gun Tuber make a series about recon in the mountains. I was in a mounted Scout unit on BFV’s and we worked with tankers in their Abrams tanks and with air support from Air Cav and their Kiowa Scout choppers. There was also a platoon of mounted mortar vehicles M113’s. President Trumps former National Security Advisor was my Battalion Commander Lieutenant Colonel H.R. McMaster. Prepared and Loyal Sir. I sat in my barracks room immediately after a funeral for a friend and watched the Twin Towers fall with half of my platoon in the room watching with me. We all knew what it meant for us and what was next.

[@DroskiYT]

This series has made me realize just how unprepared I actually am.

[@autisticANDarmed]

Dude same, I have to become 18 fast. I have all the other equipment, just underage.

[@bambamrubble151]

Tell me about it..and I'm not just talking prepared having supplies...shit not even talking prepared skill wise... .Im just talking mentally prepared.. .most of us would be miserable in the mountains even if we had everything we needed... lately I find myself thinking about this when I enjoy a warm bed

[@autisticANDarmed]

@@bambamrubble151 I have knowledge, little to no experience, equipment, but being in shit conditions is fine. I am mentally prepared, and with the equipment I have I could stay warm and dry even in snowy conditions.

[@LeadFarmer_84]

And knowing is half the battle.

[@autisticANDarmed]

@@bambamrubble151 that being said, anyone who’s been in military service or goes hunting a lot is already more set than me. In the end I’m just a soft civilian with gear and knowledge.

[@TheBishopV]

Mountain Warfare is something that’s always in the back of my mind living in the Appalachian foothills. However, along with my “RECCE RIFLE” I own a shorter, urbanised rifle for that situation. But owning or being able to set up different kits for different situations or regions is incredibly important to me atleast.

[@PracticalReformation]

Same situation and region for me. I've grown up hunting and being in the woods but as this recent deer season showed im more out of shape than i realized so working on that and then also forcing myself to allocate money to go shoot. My rifle is going to be useless if i cant use it. Im also going to be reaching out to longer distances as i'm pretty much a 100 yard shooter. I dont have a range at longer distances and hunting dont get a chance for longer shots anyways but as I have opened my eyes more in the last few months I have realized that our area of the country is actually full of much longer shot distances. I got permission to setup longer range targets at the place i hunt which will allow me to shoot in field conditions and at distance.

[@philb3549]

Why? Who are you expecting to have to go to war with exactly?

[@PracticalReformation]

@@philb3549 Why? What are you expecting to "discover" exactly.

[@wolfman9642]

I’m a foothills Appalachian boy myself

[@burn1bob]

The Appalachian ranges from Maine to Georgia so the foothills of Appalachia covers a huge portion of the eastern US. I’m located in the SW PA region. Right on the Mason Dixon line.

[@swedishfishies496]

man i wish this series would get revived, even if its through some paid-access thing from Onward. i live in the mountains and foothills and these videos have been insanely helpful for setting up even basic gear

[@aaronsanborn4291]

The actual U.S. Army Warfare School is at Ethan Allen Training Center In Vermont run by the 3rd Battalion 172 Infantry Regiment (Mountain) of the Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine National Guard. I served as a Scout for 9+ years and as Infantry for 6+ years. I served in the Mountain Company in Maine my last 3 years. We had M-14s for our DM role. Green, grey, & brown are excellent colors for a mountain/northern rifle.

[@fakecubed]

How well do ARs do in the cold northeast states? Anything special you do with them around there?

[@jayneubauer3401]

I went to BNCOC Phase 2 there. Great place to train. Reserves in Maine.

[@dominickbessette8124]

Hey! I'm gonna be an 11C with 3/172 after I come back from basic in November, I'm super stoked but also not excited to be coming back from benning to a new england winter lmao

[@stephenklemchuk2492]

Trained there a few times. C trp 1/172 Cav VT. Inf scout. Just to clarify to, thats the Armys MOUNTAIN Warfare School. One of 3 places in the US that trains mountain warfare. The others i belive are Alaska and Maine. Been to Bog Brooke Maine a few times too.

[@dominickbessette8124]

@@stephenklemchuk2492 Yep, A highly respected school in the army, SF guys, Rangers and the like go through it all the time, I know one of the guys who used to run it, Lt Col Monette, former 19th SF group guy, pretty cool dude

[@brittainwoolley6848]

Another bit of general good advice: go out into the woods (especially if the ground is soft) and walk around a bit. Examine your path and pay attention to how the terrain changes from your steps. Then consider where you can walk or how you can maneuver to maximize stealth. If you can get good at knowing how best to travel various terrains you'll know what to look for when tracking others.

[@rsanoian]

This is my favorite content you have made, I was a back country wilderness ranger in the High Sierras that carried in the 80's and 90's and came across all kinds of interesting individuals. Would love to see more on this, maybe bring in some others with Recce experience. Good stuff my man

[@kryptonicknight4912]

I want to be a seal but I'm a felon for being homeless, trasspass felony. So I still train I the mountains of Colorado and I have learned a lot with you. Thank you. Colorado has some cults problem and will be hunting me soon. So I do very much need this.

[@cerebralfirearms]

I’ve been waiting for this video since the first episode in the series came out. So glad you’re doing this. Thank you for all the knowledge you share as beginners like me start in a field of ever evolving options.

[@pimpovic2]

Love your statement at 0:37. A time may arrive, sooner than we wish, that your info here will be important to those of us that primarily live in the woods through the comfort of our favorite chairs and cell phone screens. Really looking forward to the rest of this series.

[@patrickrhea6348]

Yep, a great statement for the times we live in.

[@moviepets]

Not being a killjoy but if the time comes for a civilian to be out running around like Arnold in the woods it's not going to happen. Because there won't be any woods left if its a super power that invades you. And God willing it never happens 🙏 But the video is good if you want to kill deer 🦌

[@tx942cg]

@@moviepets You completely misinterpreted apparently. Noone was talking about a foreign invasion.

[@KingChevyB]

As I sit in my garage chair on my phone. Fuck

[@peterlee840]

@@moviepets Laughs in Ukraine and Middle East.

[@TheSuigi]

Been excited for this series for some time, I feel like you've been referencing doing something like this for years now. Thank you. These are my new favorite videos. Hunting is a great and accessible way to apply and practice the skills you are teaching here.

[@2kOlay]

I'd also add how important it is to make sure your set up is secured. I think you had some back attachments but I've seen countless times where guys have taken a SLLS stop only to realize their PEQ, light, or optic fell off. You can easily use parachute chord and tie things off. Usually not the fault of the mounting system but maybe it wasn't tight enough and they hit something or fell down while on the move. I've seen this the most with flashlights on rifles to the point where I'd maybe even recommend carrying a different light source like a headlamp on your kit. Not to mention how many times I've seen someone knock off a light cap or tape and accidently ND their flashlight (talk about an anti-recce set up). Also the DMR type rifle is huge imo. Carrying a multipurpose gun in a higher caliber that can go an easy 800-1000 meters. Carrying a bolt action on your pack is extremely unwieldly and I would do that as a last resort if I knew I had to set up a sniper hide or something

[@Diceman12100]

Great vid myfriend. 0321 Marine here , served in a batt for 5 years. Always remember you can adapt to the environment as you move. Keep your eyes moving and looking at the under growth and the color of the playing field you're on. Pick and pull as you go , if you see you have made it to a green zone and your rifle is brown look for vines and start changing your camo with the colors the good Lord gave you. And the number 1 rule is put on full Deuce Gear and hump , hump , hump , get in shape and get your lungs ready to go. Hump until you puke and once you puke go hump again the next day. Great info brother.

[@AmariMatthews]

Rah!

[@mrcreami]

Being former recon, alot of this brings back the memories. Don't forget your stalker suit :) just think mett-tc and that will help you choose what you need to bring with ya.

[@nicholasquintero1080]

What's ur thought on those small hooded cloaks for ghillie suits?

[@styxrf]

1st 2d or 3d?

[@mobilecivilian6124]

These are some pretty serious videos with real information. Never seen this side of Papa Thumb before. You can tell these are videos he's thought alot about for a long time and really care about. Its kinda worrying to see the tone in the room change.

[@thermite5463]

with the shit thats going on in the world i dont blame him in going in this rout.

[@Mikenas213]

I thought the same thing…

[@obviousgreyman]

Some of his older videos are closer to this as well where he goes in depth about some of his non gun setups like bags etc.

[@elijahjamesmeggs3424]

Our lifetimes aren’t going to resemble those of our parents or (in many people’s cases) our grandparents. Nobody wants the world to go this direction but it is what it is. Those who are smart will listen to what is being taught here and applying it with lots of training rather than worrying about what ‘should’ or ‘shouldn’t’ happen.

[@Stumphugger064]

High temp wood stove ceramic spray paints would work great on cans and not smoke or burn off as it is made for such environments. Stove bright paints come in a host of different colors. Just a thought/option

[@leviblackwood3258]

This is very similar to what my dad was talking about when he was an active Jagdkommando for the Austrian special forces. This is by far more modernized but it seems the Austrians had the right idea. Almost the same rifle and gear set up but for mountaineering and they of course carried the AUG.

[@coolguy2475]

Automatic AUG look pretty when them shells fly

[@jechezeqelgonzalez9263]

Thumb, this is your best video yet. Obviously you learned this and someone thought this to you. Camo, no noise, blend, cover, lots of ammunition, traine. Oh and 14.5, 16, to 20 inch barrels wow you are truly becoming an expert.

[@americannationalist1110]

These last 2 videos are what I’ve been waiting for from GT for years. Super stoked for part 3! Currently building my dream rifle (mini RECCE 13.7 barrel) can’t wait to get out in the mountains and train!

[@kellysater3562]

Dude.. I’ve watched dozens of your gun reviews, even saw your “teamup” with demolition ranch and Kentucky ballistics. I love those videos, but yesterday YT recommended a different flavor of video from you. I want to say, I love your gun reviews. Those are “neat”. This series, has VALUE. Understand the difference between entertainment and education. Gun reviews are entertaining, this is education. I wish you had made this content when I was 35 years younger! Thanks for the content man.

[@zacharypowers9849]

Don’t forget to look up stuff for like team movements. Everyone has a roll. Looking into screens,hide sites, serv sites/ sector sketches to see if anything has changed. There’s a lot of basic stuff you guys can look up. Having something simple like black and gold plans can be something you might over look. Making sure everyone on the team has several non verbal ways to communicate is always nice as well. Packing ghillie nets can be a good in a pinch for concealment as well.

[@Jkp1321]

Can't wait for the series to evolve past mountains so those of us in the great plains and coastal plains can learn something about how to conceal in nearly flat woodlands.

[@michaelgriffin4269]

We just gotta crawl everywhere…

[@191601916]

START DIGGING

[@samisuhonen9815]

Having been in the Finnish army, our approach to rifle customization in forest use was interesting. Since you will be going prone and crawling for like most of the time you spend out of a foxhole/trench, optics are kind of unreliable. You might have a nice scope, but after a couple of rough dives into the soil, after crawling for hundred meters, it's going to take so many impacts that the precise zeroing you did will be off if the thing didn't just break after a couple battles. This as well as crawling in the mud will clog up that lens real fast. Using a cover in combat before every crawl and after it is not really an option. So we used good old irons and trained to properly use them. An iron sight full of soil? Just wipe most of it off and it's good to go. It also won't break from rough handling, and especially our RK62 sights wouldn't really be readjusted by anything but the painfully tight screws. Speaking of the RK62, god bless the manufacturer. The thing could be full of soil, mud, moss, and sand. It would still fire 3 mags of ammo without taking it apart for cleaning. No misfires or jams. You could throw it off a cliff and it would not break. The thing could be frozen solid from old snow melting inside the rifle in a warm tent, and refreezing when you went back out in -25 Celsius weather. It would still fire on first trigger pull and work flawlessly.

[@hakes98]

That's just not true. We're so broke that we didn't have the money to issue optics. FDF bought almost a hundred thousand optics of a few types a couple of years ago, so more troops are seeing them issued. They work just fine in finland and for conscript use.

[@HanzHermannHoppe]

Sounds like yall need better mounts. My rifle holds zero even after tumbling down a mountain(ask me how i know 😬)

[@georgekirby3361]

Excellent points.

[@samisuhonen9815]

@@hakes98 ofc there is a money issue as well. But I don't think the sights would survive years of regular conscript training the way we handle our guns. The sights are issued to more... suitable people than your average conscript starting out.

[@SkeezyFPV]

@@samisuhonen9815 we dont use conscripts in the states. We are all volunteers and financially responsible for kit if we do dumb shit to it. I qualed on irons in the marine corps so i get what you are saying and they work. But i'd be a fool to say id rather run irons than a nightforce atacr for example or even an eotech and a tripler. I can hit at 500m all day with that and kentucky windage. An enemy running irons at range and lets say its dusk...he doesnt stand a chance against an adversary with good glass and a ranging reticle or an lrf if he doesnt get a first shot hit. Quality optics don't have the problems you described when used by competent hands.

[@Jagdtyger2A]

When part of a group, the selection of caliber should be based on commonality as much as weight of your basic load out. This is a simple matter of logistics, as when everyone has the same round, you can pick up and use the ammo of any party members who become casualties or simply wounded. In larger groups, people with Aks and SKS weapons should be teamed together and those with 5.56 weapons the same. Larger units should trade with each other in an attempt to accomplish this as well. Ideally, in an insurgency, you want to use the same ammo as your foe so he can assist your logistics. But if the enemy is our own government, this will become difficult with the adoption of the 6.8 x 51 mm

[@jameswallace9906]

As a former infantry marine, I used to carry my six mags in chest rig as per s.o.p. But also carry another ten in my assault pack.

[@bubbie3533]

Very nice Marine! 🤘

[@styxrf]

Different missions. You were planning to get your fuck on. He's planning to be sneeky breeky

[@thejsmith]

We have done some extensive testing on battle rifles, particularly the G3. The accuracy past 500m just is not there for extended DMR type roles. Those of you considering retro rifles, I implore you reconsider. The AR10 platform complemented by multiple teams utilizing the 5.56mm cartridge is excellent for mountain warfare and more than capable. Most manuever elements should be carrying 5.56mm rifles in mountainous environments due to the lighter weight and enhanced ammunition carrying capacity.

[@oldscratch3535]

Not to mention the lack of modularity that comes with the G3 or even the FAL. Both great firearms in their day and I'd love to own both, but there's no way I'd pick any of them over an AR-10, or AR-15 for that matter, as a fighting rifle. The amount of accessories you can utilize, and the inherent accuracy of the AR platform makes it the best choice for something like this.

[@eddietat95]

100% correct. G3 and FAL are 10lbs minimum w/ no optics. AR-10s can be considerably less (in the 9lb range) w/ optics AND a suppressor mounted. It's 2021. The G3 and FAL belong in a museum.

[@NapalmAtSunrise]

Did you mean to write AR-15 since you started talking about 5.56?

[@oldscratch3535]

@@eddietat95 My 16" AR-10 using a P80 lower is right at 8.9lbs with a red dot and empty 25rd Pmag. It would definitely be over 10lbs with a magnified optic, ammo, flashlight, bipod, IR laser, suppressor, etc. I'm using a fairly lightweight upper and rail as well. (Aero M5 with the S-One rail) Unless you went with a lightweight build, I think you'd be very hard pressed to stay at 9lbs with optic. Still lighter than a G3 or FAL with the same accessories, if you could even attach them.

[@candlerblack7498]

@@eddietat95 would you rather have and FAL or a sharp stick

[@Retr0Silicon]

As someone in Colorado, am interested in hearing the compare and contrast of Urban vs Countryside/Mountain, and the considerations you have. I feel like urban warfare just isn't given nearly enough priority in the US Military, let alone training done by everyday citizens. As a prior service Airborne Infantryman, I really believe in having a forest/mountain gear setup (a heavier load, with emphasis on survival and medical gear), and having a dedicated urban/edc setup (lighter, and non-descript that doest not draw attention). While the gear parts are similar, my choice of colors, matter, as does my load for better concealment as to mitigate the concerns or attention brought on from bystanders. In this way, you can effectively pursue your mission, without being part of the problem: you can't get shit done if how you look is scaring everyone around you and drawing endless attention to yourself. HOW you blend in, matters, whether it's the forest, the mountains, the desert, or the city streets. So you need to ask yourself when picking out your gear and colors: just how well do you blend into your environment? When urban, just how are you blending into the populace, the buildings, the vibe of the streets? How well are you able to conceal your gear while still rucking what you need? Do you really need anything hanging on your plate carrier, or can you conceal everything under a Dickies work shirt? Its all the same information as from these videos, just a different environment. As the old adage goes: be aware of your surroundings.

[@Retr0Silicon]

@Doc Holiday got out end of '04. Infantry School in '02. I'm sure it has changed a lot since then.

[@chrish9201]

I think Adding "Ranger Bands" to the rifle is a good idea. It's a good way to add camouflage and tie down any loose equipment. Also, a place to grip for when the rail becomes hot.